Name____________________ Date________
7th Grade Performance Assessment: Civil Rights Movement in-class summative assignment (25 pts.)
Scenario:
Throughout our study of the Civil Rights movement, we have learned about a variety of techniques and strategies
used by reformers to bring about changes in our society. While the issues of today may (or may not) be different
from the days of the Civil Rights movement, the methods that Civil Rights pioneers used to fight for change might
still be effective today.
Your task: Based on class discussion and/or individual research, identify a situation in which people are currently
seeking fair treatment, equality, or civil rights. Using the given primary sources (visual documents on my website
copy) as a guide, decide which method(s) of protest you believe would be most effective in bringing about change
and/or increasing awareness for your chosen issue in the modern day. Marches, boycotts, & lawsuits are some
examples of protest methods. You may also use the page titled: Rising up and Speaking Out (also on my website),
which has databases and helpful links to help you write your letter/ email or newspaper editorial. Defend your
choice using one of the project options below:
Project Options
Letter/Email – Write a letter or email to
Newspaper Editorial – Write a persuasive essay
someone involved in the situation that you
designed to raise awareness in your community for
have chosen. Explain why you believe that a
this issue. Your editorial should include:
particular protest method from the Civil Rights
 A brief summary of the current situation
Era would be effective today. Make specific
 Reasons why this issue is important
reference to primary documents and historical
 Persuasive arguments for why you believe that
events in your letter or email.
one of the protest methods from the Civil
Rights Era would be effective.
Make specific reference to primary sources and
historical events in your editorial.
Possible Modern Civil Rights Topics: This list is by no means comprehensive. If you want to cover another modern
civil rights struggle, please see your teacher to get prior approval before you begin your research.
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Immigration law
Americans with disabilities protections
Women – The Fair Pay Act of 2009
Racial profiling/bias in the justice system
Affordable Health Care access
Native American Rights: Federal treaties, Voting rights
This is a summative assignment worth 25 points. It is due: 6/2 A day and 6/3 B day classes.
Rubric:
TASK
MASTERY 5 points
PROGRESSING 3 points
BEGINNING 1 point
Use of sources
I used multiple primary
documents to support
my point of view.
I used one primary
document to support
my point of view.
I did not use any primary
documents to support my point of
view.
Explanations of how
primary documents
supports your point of
view
I explained how each of
my chosen primary
documents supported
my point of view.
I explained how one of
my chosen primary
documents supported
my point of view.
I did not explain how any of my
chosen primary documents
supported my point of view.
Ability to evaluate,
illustrate or describe
issues
My ideas are organized
and expressed clearly
and there are multiple
details and historic
references.
My ideas are expressed
clearly, but have few
details or historic
references to support
my position.
My ideas are unorganized, and are
not supported with details,
historical references or examples.
Understanding
Significant Content
My product
demonstrates my
understanding of how
the different strategies
used to initiate change
in the Civil Rights
Movement of the
1960s in the United
States, can be used to
initiate change today.
My product
demonstrates my
understanding of
different strategies
that were used to
initiate change in the
Civil Rights Movement
of the 1960s in the
United States.
My Product demonstrates my
understanding of the fact that
there was a Civil Rights Movement
in the 1960s in the United States
Oral Presentation
My presentation was
succinct and
informative.
My presentation was
good.
My presentation needs some
tweaking.
SOURCE #1
Think: How did Rosa Parks fight for equality? What method(s) did she use? Was she successful?
SOURCE #2
Think: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. led a march from Selma to Montgomery that was met with
fierce resistance. What impact did this march have?
Source #3
Think: What were the effects of this 1967 protest in Detroit? Do you think the protesters got the
attention of the nation?
Source #4
Think: College students in Greensboro, North Carolina staged a series of sit-ins. What were they
hoping to accomplish? Were they successful?
Source #5
Think: Who were the Freedom Riders? What were they trying to accomplish? Were their
protests effective?