2011
The Roots of the Struggle for Equality and a Time for Justice.
Unit Title
Grade Level
Timeframe
Subject or topic area
Summary of unit
Final Performance Assessment -The Roots of the Struggle for
Equality and a Time for Justice
11 + 12
Five Weeks
The Fight for Equality Continues…
I know why the caged bird sings by Maya Angelou
A free bird leaps on the back
Of the wind and floats downstream
Till the current ends and dips his wing
In the orange suns rays
And dares to claim the sky.
But a BIRD that stalks down his narrow cage
Can seldom see through his bars of rage
His wings are clipped and his feet are tied
So he opens his throat to sing.
The caged bird sings with a fearful trill
Of things unknown but longed for still
And his tune is heard on the distant hill for
The caged bird sings of freedom.
The free bird thinks of another breeze
And the trade winds soft through
The sighing trees
And the fat worms waiting on a dawn-bright
Lawn and he names the sky his own.
But a caged BIRD stands on the grave of dreams
His shadow shouts on a nightmare scream
His wings are clipped and his feet are tied
So he opens his throat to sing.
The caged bird sings with
A fearful trill of things unknown
But longed for still and his
Tune is heard on the distant hill
For the caged bird sings of freedom.
http://famouspoetsandpoems.com/poets/maya_angelou/poems/494
Maya Angelou’s poem reflects the over four hundred years that
have passed since Africans were brought to the colonies as slaves and
began their struggle for equality and justice. The addition of the
Thirteenth; Fourteenth and Fifteenth amendments to the United States
Constitution; the 1954 Supreme Court Decision Brown v. Board of
Education; Topeka, Kansas; Rosa Parks refusing to give up her seat on
a bus in Montgomery, Alabama; the March on Washington, the Civil
Rights Act of 1964, Voting Rights Act of 1965, the murders of
Malcolm X, Medgar Evers and Reverend King along with many others
and Judge Garrity’s 1974 court order mandating busing in Boston, the
Million Man March, Thurgood Marshall, Clarence Thomas and the
struggle for freedom and equality still continues.
Students will be provided the opportunity to study the World War
Two Era and the seeds of the second revolution in America where
equality was not a reality for African Americans and understand the
meaning of Civil rights: the nonpolitical rights of a citizen; the rights
of personal, liberty guaranteed to United States citizens by the
Thirteenth and Fourteenth amendments to the Constitution and by acts
of Congress, and
Civil disobedience: refusal to obey governmental demands or
commands especially as a nonviolent and collective means of forcing
concessions from the government.
The fight was waged by blacks and whites in the streets and
churches, the courts and schools of the American south, later in the
northern cities and spread across the country. It was a struggle for
racial integration and attainment of equal rights that altered the fabric
of American life and whose reverberations continue to this day.
Students will embark on a historical journey of the Civil Rights
Movement and its legacy by reading The Other American – The
African American by Robert E. Walsh and Leon Burrell, and Through
White Eyes: Color and Racism in Vermont by Robert E. Walsh, and
meet the people who shaped America’s future, experience the events,
fears and triumphs of the times.
Students will experience the struggles and the influence of people
such as Thurgood Marshall, Morris Dees, the Tuskegee Airmen, Rosa
Parks and Carl Brashear in visual and literal texts such as the Eyes on
the Prize series, Tuskegee Airmen, Men of Honor, Ghosts of
Mississippi and Separate but Equal on the Civil Rights Movement.
Students will make clear connections to the Five Big Ideasgeography/environment, politics, economics, social/cultural and
science/technology and the unit’s Overarching/Essential and Topical
Questions.
Overarching/Essential African American Studies Overarching/Essential QuestionsQuestions
1. What is the meaning of having an enduring understanding of
what you learn and how does this affect concept of identity
in a culture? (6.1, 6.4, 6.9, 6.12, 6.13,6.1.6)
2. From whose perspective or angle are you seeing, reading
and/or hearing from? (6.2, 6.4, 6.12, 6.13, 6.16)
3. Whose story is it? (6.2, 6.4, 6.13)
Topical Questions
1. How did the World War Two military experience affect
Established Goals:
(Grade Cluster
Expectations (GCEs)
and Standards)
African-American soldier’s expectations when they
returned to the United States?
2. How did the Cold War shape American society ion the
1950s?
3. How did the white southerners’ strategy of massive
resistance affect the modern civil rights movement?
4. Why did many African Americans become more militant
during the 1960s? e.g., Vietnam War
5. How did the Black Power movement stimulate black
culture?
6. What is police profiling and how did it affect African
Americans, e.g., Rodney King episode?
7. Why were African Americans so supportive of Bill Clinton’s
presidency and attached to the Democratic Party?
8. What explains African American’s growing economic
prosperity?
9. Why has black identity become more complicated at the
dawn of the 21st century?
10. What were the accomplishments of the Second Wave of
Feminism and what role did African American play in the
movement?
11. Why is President Obama’s election important in American
history?
6.1 Causes and Effects in Human Societies:
6.2 Uses of Evidence and data
History:
6.4 Historical Connections.
6.7 Geographical Knowledge
6.9 Meaning of Citizenship:
6.12 Human Rights
Economics:
6.16 Impact of Economic Systems:
Vital Results:
1.8 Reports
1.19 Research
1.21 Selection
1.22 Simulation and Modeling
2.1 Types of Questions
3.3 Respect
3.10 Teamwork
3.11 Interactions
4.1 Service
4.2 Democratic Processes
4.3 Cultural Expressions
4.4 Effects of Prejudice
4.5 Continuity and Change
Introductory
Activities
Enabling Activities
Performance Tasks
1. Students are given the Theme, Topic, and Purpose of the Unit,
Standards, Overarching/Essential and Topical Questions, the Five
Big Ideas and the unit Performance Assessment.
2. Cooperative groups will participate in an ABCD activity reflecting
their prior knowledge of the modern African American Civil Rights
Movement and share in class.
3. Students will participate in writing activities, e.g., Frame Questions,
Comparison/Contrast, Exit Cards, Student Response Logs,
Dialectical Journal, free writes, Analogy Exit Card and journals
relating to the visual and literal texts, the Five Big Ideasgeography/environment, politics, economics, social/cultural and
science/technology and the unit’s Overarching/Essential and
Topical Questions to be placed in their portfolio.
4. Students will refer to the documentary Ethnic Notions and evaluate
the visual texts, effects of media messages demonstrating
understanding of the historical eras, styles, images and evolving
technologies that helped define the struggle for attainment of civil
rights. They will analyze the connections of Unit One’s What’s in a
Word Activity to the Overarching/Essential and Topical Questions.
They will share their results with their peers in class.
1. Students will complete written response pieces to various visual
texts, e.g., The Diary of Miss Jane Pittman, Eyes on the Prize
documentary, Separate But Equal, Men of Honor, Mississippi
Burning and the Ghosts of Mississippi making clear connections
to the Overarching/Essential and Topical Questions and the Five
Big Ideas.
2. Students will choose a person involved in the struggle for civil
rights, conduct research using literary and technological sources,
complete a written and creative piece and present it to their peers.
3. Students will read literal texts, e.g., Black Like Me by John
Howard Griffin, Free At Last, Southern Poverty Law Center, The
Other America, the African American Experience by Robert
Walsh and Leon Burrell and Through White Eyes by Robert
Walsh and connect to Overarching/Essential and Topical
Questions and the Five Big Ideas.
4. Students will maintain an electronic portfolio of their work and
self-assessments.
Final Performance Assessment – Constructed Response,
Poster and Verbal Response
The Roots of the Struggle for Equality and a Time for Justice
PART 1- Students will write a Constructed Response using the
given prompt connecting to one Overarching/Essential Question of
their choice integrating the Five Big Ideas demonstrating their
knowledge of the institution of slavery based on their readings
including direct quotations.
Prompt- President Obama (Source: 2007 Democratic Primary
Debate at Howard University Jun 28, 2007)
Q: Is race still the most intractable issue in America?
A: [Those who worked on civil rights in the past realized that] to
achieve racial equality was not simply good for African-Americans,
but it was good for America as a whole; that we could not be what we
might be as a nation unless we healed the brutal wounds of slavery
and Jim Crow. Now, we have made enormous progress, but the
progress we have made is not good enough. As many have already
mentioned, we live in a society that remains separated in terms of life
opportunities for African-Americans, for Latinos, and the rest of the
nation. And it is absolutely critical for us to recognize that there are
going to be responsibilities on the part of African-Americans and
other groups to take personal responsibility to rise up out of the
problems that we face. But there has also got to be a social
responsibility, there has to be a sense of mutual responsibility, and
there’s got to be political will in the White House to make that
happen.
http://www.ontheissues.org/2008/Barack_Obama_Civil_Rights.htm
PART 2- Individual students will create an originally designed Poster
of visual images (if you use any image other than your own you must
cite all sources, e.g., photographer’s name) including symbols, words
and colors clearly reflecting their Constructed Response and present
their work verbally to the class.
You are required to complete the writing and peer review
process in order to receive
credit  First draft
 Rewrite
 Second draft
 Rewrite
 Peer evaluation
 Final copy –word-processed Times Roman 12, double –spaced
 You must meet all due dates
 All components of the writing/peer review process must be
handed in on time to receive full credit.
 A completed self-reflection is required in order to receive
credit.
 Rubrics must be completed with written reasons for your choice
of placement
Part 3 – Verbal Presentation to your peers.
Final Performance Assessment Constructed Response - The Roots of the Struggle for
Equality and a Time for Justice
4 - Above
3 - Meets
2 – Approaching 1 Below
Category
Standards
Standards
Standards
Standards
The thesis
The thesis
The thesis
The thesis
Focus or
statement names statement names
statement
statement does
Thesis
the topic of the the constructed
outlines some or not name the
Statement
constructed
response of the
all of the main
topic AND does
response and
essay.
points to be
not preview what
outlines the main
discussed but
will be discussed.
points to be
does not address
discussed.
the topic
Support for
Position
Includes 4+ or
more pieces of
evidence
Includes 3 or more Includes 2 pieces Includes 1 or
pieces of evidence of evidence
fewer pieces of
evidence
Evidence and
Examples
All of the
evidence and
examples are
specific, relevant
and explanations
are given that
show how each
piece of evidence
supports the
author's position.
Most of the
evidence and
examples are
specific, relevant
and explanations
are given that show
how each piece of
evidence supports
the author's
position.
At least one of
the pieces of
evidence and
examples is
relevant and has
an explanation
that shows how
that piece of
evidence
supports the
author's position.
Evidence and
examples are
NOT relevant
AND/OR are not
explained.
Accuracy
All supportive
facts and
statistics are
reported
accurately.
Almost all
supportive facts
and statistics are
reported
accurately.
Most supportive
facts and
statistics are
reported
accurately.
Most supportive
facts and
statistics were
inaccurately
reported.
Transitions
A variety of
thoughtful
transitions are
used. They
clearly show how
ideas are
connected
Transitions show
how ideas are
connected, but
there is little
variety
Some transitions
work well, but
some
connections
between ideas are
fuzzy.
The transitions
between ideas are
unclear OR
nonexistent.
Closing
Paragraph
The conclusion is
strong and leaves
the reader solidly
understanding
the writer's
position.
The conclusion is
recognizable. The
author's position is
restated within the
first two sentences
of the closing
The author's
position is
restated within
the closing
paragraph, but
not near the
There is no
conclusion - the
paper just ends.
Effective
paragraph.
restatement of
the position
statement begins
the closing
paragraph.
beginning.
Sentence
Structure
All sentences are
well-constructed
with varied
structure.
Most sentences
are well
constructed, but
there is no
variation is
structure.
Most sentences
are not wellconstructed or
varied.
Grammar &
Spelling
Author makes no Author makes 1-2
errors in
errors in grammar
grammar or
or spelling.
spelling
Author makes 34 errors in
grammar or
spelling
Author makes
more than 4
errors in
grammar or
spelling
Author makes a
few errors in
capitalization
and/or
Author makes
several errors in
capitalization
and/or
punctuation.
Capitalization Author makes no
& Punctuation errors in
capitalization or
punctuation
Most sentences are
well-constructed
and there is some
varied sentence
structure in the
essay.
Author makes 1-2
errors in
capitalization or
punctuation
Verbal Presentation Final Performance Assessment The Roots of the
Struggle for Equality and a Time for Justice
CATEGORY 4
3
2
Student
The student is somewhat
Preparedness Student is
demonstrates
demonstrates
prepared, but it is clear that
clear
knowledge and rehearsal was lacking as well
knowledge of for the most
as clear understanding of the
the topic and is part addresses topic in depth.
completely
the topic in
prepared and
depth, mostly
has obviously prepared but
practiced
needed more
rehearsals for
presentation.
1
Student is not
well prepared
to present and
does not
clearly
understand the
topic in depth.
Time-Limit
Presentation is
6 or more
minutes long.
Presentation is Presentation is 4 minutes
5 minutes long. long.
Presentation 3
minutes or
less.
Speaks
Clearly
Speaks clearly
and distinctly
all the time, and
mispronounces
Speaks clearly
and distinctly
all the time, but
mispronounces
Often
mumbles or
can not be
understood
Speaks clearly and distinctly
most of the time.
Mispronounces no more than
one word.
no words.
one word.
and
mispronounces
words.
Vocabulary
Uses
vocabulary
appropriate for
the audience.
Extends
audience
vocabulary by
defining words
that might be
new to most of
the audience.
Uses
vocabulary
appropriate for
the audience.
Includes 1-2
words that
might be new
to most of the
audience, but
does not define
them.
Uses vocabulary appropriate
for the audience. Does not
include any vocabulary that
might be new to the
audience.
Uses several
(5 or more)
words or
phrases that
are not
understood by
the audience.
Uses
Complete
Sentences
Always
Mostly
Sometimes
Rarely
Original Creative Poster -The Roots of the Struggle for Equality and a Time for
Justice.
CATEGORY 4
3
2
1
Most of the visual’s Some of the
The visual’s
Originality All of the visual’s
components reflect components used
visual’s component components did
and
reflect student
reflect the enduring not reflect a clear
Presentation an exceptional
degree of student
creativity and a good learning but were presentation or
creativity and an
representation of
minimum in scope good examples of
excellent
enduring learning
enduring learning
representation of
enduring learning
Relevance
All of the visual’s
components are
related to the topic
and make it very
clear what the
enduring learning is
Most of the visual’s
components are
related to the topic
and most make it
easier to understand
the enduring learning
Some of the
visual’s
components relate
to the topic and do
not present the
enduring learning
well
The visual’s
components barely
represent the
enduring learning
GRASPS Task Design Prompts - Final Performance Assessment
Goal
 Your task is to complete all the requirements of the Final Performance Assessment.
 The goal is to create original written and creative pieces representing your knowledge and enduring
learning of The Roots of the Struggle for Equality and a Time for Justice in African American
history.

The problem or challenge is placing yourself in the struggle for civil rights and disregarding
preconceived notions.
 The obstacles to overcome are placing yourself in another continuum in African and American history
and demonstrating your knowledge and empathy for the people involved.
Role
 You are to become a person of the times.
 You have been asked to thoughtfully plan out the components of your Constructed Response and
creative visual integrating historical facts and your reflections about your enduring learning.
 Your job is to be very thorough in your research and make clear connections to the unit’s
Overarching/Essential Question you chose and the Five Big Ideas.
Audience
 Your clients are your peers.
 The target audience is African Americans who were and still are involved in the attainment of civil
rights.
 You need to convince your peers, guests and teacher of your knowledge and ability to convey your
topic in an original creative but historically accurate presentation.
Situation
 The context you find yourself in is the United States from 1945-Current Times.
 The challenge involves dealing with and preconceived notions and/or misconceptions of the Civil
Rights movement and American society you may have.
Product, Performance, and Purpose
 You will create an original written piece and creative visual that clearly represents your individual
thoughts, interpretations and enduring learning about the Civil Rights Movement from 1945-Current
Times in order to demonstrate your mastery of the topic and your ability to place yourself in another
era of American history.
 You need to develop pieces that reflect clear connections to the unit’s Overarching/Essential Question
you chose and the Five Big Ideas
so that you will be able to share your knowledge verbally with your peers, teacher and any guest present.
Standards and Criteria for Success
 Your performance needs to be complete, historically accurate, well-prepared and practiced, and
handed in on time.
 Your work will be judged by your peers and teacher.
 Your product must meet the following standards planning, organization, historical accuracy in
content, original thinking, use of time in the writing and peer review process, connection to
Overarching/Essential and the Five Big Ideas, speaking skills and evidence of learning.