Amendment Summary

This worksheet helps students in Grades 5 and 6 strengthen reading comprehension, primary-source analysis, and written explanation by examining the 18th and 21st Amendments. Students read excerpts from each amendment and summarize its purpose in one to two sentences, restating the meaning in their own words. A reflective question encourages students to analyze why Prohibition was repealed, fostering critical thinking about historical cause and effect.

Learning Goals

• Analysis of Primary Source Documents (Grades 5-6) – Students interpret constitutional language to understand legal intent and historical context.
• Understanding Constitutional Amendments – Learners explore the 18th Amendment (Prohibition) and its repeal through the 21st Amendment.
• Summarizing Informational Text – The activity reinforces the ability to condense and restate key ideas clearly.
• Critical Thinking & Written Explanation – Students reflect on historical causes and consequences and justify their responses in writing.

Instructional Benefits

• Teacher-Created Resource – Designed by educators to align with upper-elementary ELA and social studies standards.
• Direct Primary-Source Engagement – Excerpts provide authentic text for interpretation and analysis.
• Promotes Historical Reasoning – Comparing the two amendments highlights how laws can change in response to social needs.
• Flexible Classroom Use – Works well for independent practice, guided reading, assessments, or enrichment activities.
• Low-Prep Printable – Ready for classroom or homeschool use with minimal preparation.

This Amendment Summary worksheet helps students understand key constitutional changes while practicing summarization, interpretation, and reflective writing. By analyzing the 18th and 21st Amendments and considering the reasons behind Prohibition’s repeal, learners strengthen comprehension, critical thinking, and historical literacy.

This worksheet is part of our Prohibition Era Worksheets collection.