Topic: Civil Rights Movement in the United States of America
Author: Monique Bonfiglio
Grade Level: 10-12
Goals:






Develop a clearer appreciation and understanding of the events surrounding the Civil
Rights Movement in the Unites States of America.
Develop and appreciation and understanding of the positive and negative aspects of the
Civil Rights Movement.
Develop an increased understanding of vocabulary used in the novels, poems, Video
Clips
Develop the ability to identify rhyming lines, internal rhyme, repetition, metaphors, and
descriptive vocabulary in poetry.
Develop the ability to compare and contrast text and media and to relate their content
to historical events.
Provide opportunities for pupils to express their feelings relative to the events
expressed through the literature.
Essential Questions:



How does one’s culture affect one’s identity?
What conflicts does cultural diversity create?
How do people reconcile cultural conflict?
Unit Summary:
Through this unit students will become familiar with some of the events of The Civil Rights Movement.
Students will complete a web quest, review video clips, and read poetry and novels, which will enhance
their understanding of American History and Literature.
Materials:
Access to NBC Video Archives/ Cue Cards, Smartboard and Smart Notebook Software
Novels-
One or all of these novels relate to this topic. For the sake of this outline, we will use The Secret Life of Bees by Sue
Monk Kidd.
The Secret Life of Bees – Sue Monk Kidd
The Color of Water- James McBride
The Color Purple- Alice Walker
Poetry –
There is a considerable amount of poetry related to the Civil Rights Movement, which can be
understood by high school students, poetry they can relate to with relative ease. Many such poems
refer to the feelings and the roles played by children: "Ballad of Birmingham" by Dudley Randall and
"Incident" by Countee Cullen, are just two. The works of Langston Hughes are particularly appealing, but
there are many others (Sutherland 1).



Ballad of Birmingham- Dudley Randall
Sympathy – Paul Laurence Dunbar
Incident- Countee Cullen
Subject Area(s): English Language Arts, American History
Connections:
Students can interview parents, grandparents, or other relatives to learn about the Civil Rights Era and
related figures and events.
Students can engage in journaling activities in which they write from the points of view of people
involved in the Civil Rights Movement. Through their journal entries they can also relate to their
personal experiences with discrimination and racism. They can also reflect on how the events they read
about make them feel emotionally.
Students can conduct research about civil rights issues in other countries throughout the world.
Tags: Civil Rights, Twentieth Century United States History, Birmingham Alabama, Rosa Parks, The Secret
Life of Bees, characterization, setting,
Lesson Plan #
1.
Lesson Plan Title
Exploring Historical Context
NBC archive related
Du Bois’ Dream: Roots of the Modern Civil Rights
Movement (Cue Card link below) as
http://archives.nbclearn.com/portal/site/k12/collectionnavigator?cuecard=743
2.
Bombings in Birmingham
40th Anniversary of Birmingham Alabama Church
Bombings
http://archives.nbclearn.com/portal/site/k12/collectionnavigator?cuecard=1425
- 1996 Church Bombings
http://archives.nbclearn.com/portal/site/k12/collectionnavigator?cuecard=5132
Rosa Parks Challenge Question
3.
Comparing and contrasting Rosa Parks and
the character of Rosaleen
from The Secret Life of Bees
http://archives.nbclearn.com/portal/site/k12/collectionnavigator?cuecard=5016
The Significance of Rosa Parks’ Simple Act
http://archives.nbclearn.com/portal/site/k12/collectionnavigator?cuecard=1788
Sources:
American Poems. Sympathy. http://www.americanpoems.com/poets/Paul-Laurence-Dunbar/15528
Sutherland, Jean. African American Poetry: Songs of Protest and Pride. Yale-New Haven Teachers Institute.
http://www.yale.edu/ynhti/curriculum/units/2001/3/01.03.03.x.html
Falck, Susan. The Jim Crow Legislation Overview. The History of Jim Crow Teacher Resource. California
State University Overview
http://www.jimcrowhistory.org/resources/lessonplans/hs_es_jim_crow_laws.htm
The Rise and Fall of Jim Crow. PBS. Org. http://www.pbs.org/wnet/jimcrow/stories_events_plessy.html
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/jimcrow/stories_events_brown.html
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/jimcrow/tools_voting.html
King, Jr. Martin Luther. American Rhetoric. I have a Dream.
http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/mlkihaveadream.htm
Our documents. Civil Rights Act (1964). http://www.ourdocuments.gov/doc.php?flash=true&doc=97
Our documents. Voting Act (1965). http://www.ourdocuments.gov/doc.php?flash=true&doc=100
Lesson Plan 1: Exploring Historical Context
Spring
Course: English 10R
Unit: The Secret Life of Bees
Objectives:
 Students will gain background information about the Civil Rights era to gain a better
understanding of the setting of the novel The Secret Life of Bees.
 Using the links posted on a class wiki, students will be able to complete the Civil Rights Web
Quest Worksheet with 100% accuracy.
For follow up lesson
The students will choose any topic covered in the Web Quest and research that topic.
Choice of Topics Jim Crow Laws
 Brown vs. Board of Ed
 Voting Issues
 The Civil Rights Act of 1964
Students will create a PowerPoint presentation based on their research findings.
Standards:
English Language Arts
Standard 1: Language for Information and Understanding
Students will listen, speak, read, and write for information and understanding. As
listeners and readers, students will collect data, facts, and ideas; discover
relationships, concepts, and generalizations; and use knowledge generated from
oral, written, and electronically produced texts. As speakers and writers, they will
use oral and written language that follows the accepted conventions of the English
language to acquire, interpret, apply, and transmit information.
Standard 2: Language for Literary Response and Expression
Students will read and listen to oral, written, and electronically produced texts and
performances from American and world literature; relate texts and performances to
their own lives; and develop an understanding of the diverse social, historical, and
cultural dimensions the texts and performances represent. As speakers and writers,
students will use oral and written language that follows the accepted conventions
of the English language for self-expression and artistic creation.
Standard 3: Language for Critical Analysis and Evaluation
Students will listen, speak, read, and write for critical analysis and evaluation. As
listeners and readers, students will analyze experiences, ideas, information, and
issues presented by others using a variety of established criteria. As speakers and
writers, they will use oral and written language that follows the accepted
conventions of the English language to present, from a variety of perspectives,
their opinions and judgments on experiences, ideas, information and issues.
Standard 4: Language for Social Interaction
Students will listen, speak, read, and write for social interaction. Students will use
oral and written language that follows the accepted conventions of the English
language for effective social communication with a wide variety of people. As
readers and listeners, they will use the social communications of others to enrich
their understanding of people and their views.
Mathematics, Science, and Technology
Standard 5: Technology
Students will apply technological knowledge and skills to design, construct, use,
and evaluate products and systems to satisfy human and environmental needs.
Social Studies
Standard 1: History of the United States and New York
Students will use a variety of intellectual skills to demonstrate their understanding
of major ideas, eras, themes, developments, and turning points in the history of the
United States and New York.
Standard 5: Civics, Citizenship, and Government
Students will use a variety of intellectual skills to demonstrate their understanding
of the necessity for establishing governments; the governmental system of the
United States and other nations; the United States Constitution; the basic civic
values of American constitutional democracy; and the roles, rights, and
responsibilities of citizenship, including avenues of participation.
Materials:
Civil Rights Web Quest Work Sheets, a computer for each student, a teacher generated class wiki or
alternate forum on which teacher will post links to websites (websites to be used are listed under
resources)
Procedures:
1. Do Now: Students will be asked what they already know about the Civil Rights Movement
2. Students will be told to list as much information as they can in their notebooks.
3. Next, students will view the video, Du Bois’ Dream: Roots of the Modern Civil Rights Movement
(Cue Card link below) as
http://archives.nbclearn.com/portal/site/k-12/collectionnavigator?cuecard=743
4. Students will be directed to a teacher generated class wiki or other forum containing live links to
the websites listed in the resources section of this lesson plan. This is a sample -
http://21stcenturyreaders.wikispaces.com/Web+Quest
5. Instructor will distribute Civil Rights Web Quest Worksheets to the students.
6. Students will work independently to answer the questions on the worksheets using the links.
This lesson will take approximately one and a half 41 minute class periods.
Critical Thinking:
Students will engage in critical thinking in transferring the information they find from the websites to
their worksheets.
Students will also think critically in choosing a topic to research, and in interpreting the information they
find on the internet about these topics.
Students must also think critically about how to present the information they have found.
Accommodations for Differentiated Instruction:
Students will access information through different sensory modes. They will watch videos, read text, and
listen to audio recordings.
The questions on the web quest worksheet are from different levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy.
Students can work at their own pace to complete the web quest.
Students can choose any topic (from the web quest) they wish to research.
Resources:
Falck, Susan. The Jim Crow Legislation Overview. The History of Jim Crow Teacher Resource. California
State University Overview
http://www.jimcrowhistory.org/resources/lessonplans/hs_es_jim_crow_laws.htm
The Rise and Fall of Jim Crow. PBS. Org. http://www.pbs.org/wnet/jimcrow/stories_events_plessy.html
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/jimcrow/stories_events_brown.html
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/jimcrow/tools_voting.html
King, Jr. Martin Luther. American Rhetoric. I have a Dream.
http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/mlkihaveadream.htm
Our documents. Civil Rights Act (1964). http://www.ourdocuments.gov/doc.php?flash=true&doc=97
Our documents. Voting Act (1965). http://www.ourdocuments.gov/doc.php?flash=true&doc=100
Assessments:
Students learning will be evaluated based on their completion of the Web Quest worksheets.
Further assessment will take place upon the completion of the students’ research projects.
Presentations will be graded using a rubric.
Connections:
students will make connections between the character of Rosaleen’s struggle to vote and to the
struggle of African Americans during the Civil Rights movement.
Name___________________________________________________________________
Directions: Visit our class wiki at http://21stcenturyreaders.wikispaces.com/ . Go to the
page titled “Web Quest”. Read ALL directions and follow the links to answer the questions
below.
The Civil Rights Era
The Jim Crow era lasted from about 18_______ until about 19_______.
The Jim Crow Laws were…
(In 3-5 sentences explain the Jim Crow laws in your own words)
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_______
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________
True or false? Jim Crow laws only existed in the Southern United States. _______
True or false? Jim Crow laws discriminated against African Americans, but other ethnic groups
were targeted as well. ________
What were the consequences for African Americans who ignored or violated Jim Crow laws?
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________
In 1896 _________________________ vs. ___________________________set the precedent that
"separate" facilities for blacks and whites were constitutional as long as they were "equal." The
"separate but equal" doctrine was quickly extended to cover many areas of public life, such as
restaurants, theaters, restrooms, and public schools. The doctrine was a fiction, as facilities for
blacks were always inferior to those for whites. Not until 1954, in the equally important
_____________________________vs. ___________________________________of Topeka, would
the "separate but equal" doctrine be reversed.
How did Brown v. Board get its name?
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________
Click on the link titled “Try to Vote”; read the information and view the pictures on the page before you
click on GO (under choose an activity) next to Try to Vote. Click on continue as you navigate through
each page; be sure to read all of the information before you attempt to answer the questions below.
Identify three methods that had been implemented to deny African Americans the right to vote during
the Jim Crow era.
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________
If the official in charge of the literacy test wanted a person to fail, what could that official do to ensure
failure?
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________
Click to view the literacy test. Why do you think it was difficult for most African Americans to pass?
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________
What connections can you make between what you learned today about voting in the Jim Crow era and
Rosaleen from The Secret Life of Bees?
_____________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________
Which United States president signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964?
_____________________________________________________
How did the act change the country?
________________________________________________________________________
Which United States president signed the Voting Act of 1965?
________________________________________________________________________
How did the act change the country?
________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________
On what date was Martin Luther King Junior’s “I have a Dream” speech delivered?
____________________________________
What does MLK mean when he says:
“In a sense we've come to our nation's capital to cash a check… we refuse to
believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are
insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation”?
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Based on what you learned from exploring these websites, in your opinion, is America’s “bank of justice
still bankrupt”, or has MLK’s dream come true?
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________
HyperStudio/Powerpoint Appearance and Content :
Civil Rights Research Presentation
Teacher Name: Monique Bonfiglio
Student Name:
________________________________________
4
3
2
1
Content Accuracy
All content
throughout the
presentation is
accurate. There are
no factual errors.
Most of the content
is accurate but there
is one piece of
information that
might be inaccurate.
The content is
generally accurate,
but one piece of
information is clearly
flawed or inaccurate.
Content is typically
confusing or
contains more than
one factual error.
Sequencing of
Information
Information is
organized in a clear,
logical way. It is easy
to anticipate the type
of material that might
be on the next card.
Most information is
organized in a clear,
logical way. One
card or item of
information seems
out of place.
Some information is
logically sequenced.
An occasional card
or item of information
seems out of place.
There is no clear
plan for the
organization of
information.
Buttons and
Links Work
Correctly
All buttons and links
work correctly.
Most (99-90%)
buttons and links
work correctly
Many (89-75%) of
Fewer than 75% of
the buttons and links the buttons work
work correctly.
correctly.
CATEGORY
Use of Graphics All graphics are
attractive (size and
colors) and support
the theme/content of
the presentation.
A few graphics are
not attractive but all
support the
theme/content of the
presentation.
All graphics are
attractive but a few
do not seem to
support the
theme/content of the
presentation.
Several graphics are
unattractive AND
detract from the
content of the
presentation.
Lesson Plan 2: Bombings in Birmingham
Date: Spring
Course: English 10R
Unit: The Secret Life of Bees
Objective:

Students will read and annotate the poem, Ballad of Birmingham, by Dudley Randall. In their
notebooks, students will identify the FAB4 (speaker/audience, subject, theme, literary elements)
of the poem with 80% mastery.

students will write a one page reaction to two related video clips and post the reaction on the
class wiki.

In a journal entry, Students will compare and contrast the 1963 bombing in Birmingham
Alabama to the 1996 church bombings with 80% mastery
Standards:
English Language Arts
Standard 1: Language for Information and Understanding
Students will listen, speak, read, and write for information and understanding. As
listeners and readers, students will collect data, facts, and ideas; discover
relationships, concepts, and generalizations; and use knowledge generated from
oral, written, and electronically produced texts. As speakers and writers, they will
use oral and written language that follows the accepted conventions of the English
language to acquire, interpret, apply, and transmit information.
Standard 2: Language for Literary Response and Expression
Students will read and listen to oral, written, and electronically produced texts and
performances from American and world literature; relate texts and performances to
their own lives; and develop an understanding of the diverse social, historical, and
cultural dimensions the texts and performances represent. As speakers and writers,
students will use oral and written language that follows the accepted conventions
of the English language for self-expression and artistic creation.
Standard 3: Language for Critical Analysis and Evaluation
Students will listen, speak, read, and write for critical analysis and evaluation. As
listeners and readers, students will analyze experiences, ideas, information, and
issues presented by others using a variety of established criteria. As speakers and
writers, they will use oral and written language that follows the accepted
conventions of the English language to present, from a variety of perspectives,
their opinions and judgments on experiences, ideas, information and issues.
Standard 4: Language for Social Interaction
Students will listen, speak, read, and write for social interaction. Students will use
oral and written language that follows the accepted conventions of the English
language for effective social communication with a wide variety of people. As
readers and listeners, they will use the social communications of others to enrich
their understanding of people and their views.
Social Studies
Standard 1: History of the United States and New York
Students will use a variety of intellectual skills to demonstrate their understanding
of major ideas, eras, themes, developments, and turning points in the history of the
United States and New York.
Materials:
copies of the poem, Ballad of Birmingham, by Dudley Randall, Smart Board, Access to NBC video
archives
40th Anniversary of Birmingham Alabama Church Bombings
http://archives.nbclearn.com/portal/site/k-12/collectionnavigator?cuecard=1425
- 1996 Church Bombings
http://archives.nbclearn.com/portal/site/k-12/collectionnavigator?cuecard=5132
Procedures:
1. Instructor will distribute copies of the poem, Ballad of Birmingham, by Dudley Randall.
2. Instructor will review the Fab 4 on the SmartBoard (speaker/audience, subject, theme, literary
elements)
3. Students will annotate the poem and identify and record the elements of the Fab 4.
4. Instructor will guide the class in a discussion about the poem identifying the Fab 4 on the
Smartboard
5. Students will review the video clip CUE CARD LINK - 40th Anniversary of Birmingham Alabama
Church Bombings http://archives.nbclearn.com/portal/site/k12/collectionnavigator?cuecard=1425 and take notes as they view.
6. Students will write reaction to the video (3-4 sentences)
7. Students will view the video clip CUE CARD LINK - 1996 Church Bombings
http://archives.nbclearn.com/portal/site/k-12/collectionnavigator?cuecard=5132
8. Students will write reaction to the video (3-4 sentences)
9. Instructor will assign independent practice: students will write a journal entry: Compare and
Contrast the 1963 bombing in Birmingham Alabama to the 1996 church bombings.
Based on the two videos, how have race relations changed in the south since 1963?
How have the events in both clips impacted the communities in which they occurred?
How do the events connect to you research topic? (see first student activity)
10. Closure/ticket to leave: each student must answer the question below on an index card:
How did viewing the video clips enhance your understanding of the poem?
This lesson will take one 41 minute class period.
Critical Thinking:
Students will engage in critical thinking when they are formulating their immediate written reactions to
the video clips; they will be asked to address the following questions:
1. What emotions did the video clip evoke in you?
2. What images from the clip stick out the most in your memory? Why?
3. How did viewing the video enhance your understanding of the poem Ballad of Birmingham, by
Dudley Randall?
Students must also use critical thinking skills to formulate a journal response:
Students should address each point below.
1. Compare and Contrast the 1963 bombing in Birmingham Alabama to the 1996 church
bombings.
2. Based on the two videos, how have race relations changed in the south since 1963?
3. How have the events in both clips impacted the communities in which they occurred?
4. How do the events connect to you research topic? (see first student activity)
Accommodations for Differentiated Instruction:
Students will access information through different sensory modes.
They will watch videos, read text, and listen to audio recordings. Font size on worksheets and handouts
can be made larger for visually impaired students.
Resources:
copies of the poem, Ballad of Birmingham, by Dudley Randall, Smart Board, Access to NBC video
archives
40th Anniversary of Birmingham Alabama Church Bombings
http://archives.nbclearn.com/portal/site/k-12/collectionnavigator?cuecard=1425
- 1996 Church Bombings
http://archives.nbclearn.com/portal/site/k-12/collectionnavigator?cuecard=5132
Assessments:
Formative assessment will take place throughout the lesson. The instructor will ask questions about the
poem and the students’ annotations.
The students’ journal entries will be assessed using the attached journal rubric
Connections: Students will connect the poem Ballad of Birmingham, by Dudley Randall to the real
life events the poem is based on. Students will also connect the Birmingham Bombings to more
recent church bombings. Students will understand that the bombings were the result of hate and
intolerance.
Lesson Plan 3
Comparing and contrasting Rosa Parks and the character of Rosaleen from The Secret Life of Bees
Date: Spring
Course: English 10R
Unit: The Secret Life of Bees
Objectives:

Students will watch two video clips about Rosa Parks and take one full page of detailed notes.

Students will write a 5 paragraph essay comparing the character of Rosaleen from the novel,
The Secret Life of Bees, to Rosa Parks, a famous figure in the Civil Rights Movement.
Standards:
English Language Arts
Standard 1: Language for Information and Understanding
Students will listen, speak, read, and write for information and understanding. As
listeners and readers, students will collect data, facts, and ideas; discover
relationships, concepts, and generalizations; and use knowledge generated from
oral, written, and electronically produced texts. As speakers and writers, they will
use oral and written language that follows the accepted conventions of the English
language to acquire, interpret, apply, and transmit information.
Standard 2: Language for Literary Response and Expression
Students will read and listen to oral, written, and electronically produced texts and
performances from American and world literature; relate texts and performances to
their own lives; and develop an understanding of the diverse social, historical, and
cultural dimensions the texts and performances represent. As speakers and writers,
students will use oral and written language that follows the accepted conventions
of the English language for self-expression and artistic creation.
Standard 3: Language for Critical Analysis and Evaluation
Students will listen, speak, read, and write for critical analysis and evaluation. As
listeners and readers, students will analyze experiences, ideas, information, and
issues presented by others using a variety of established criteria. As speakers and
writers, they will use oral and written language that follows the accepted
conventions of the English language to present, from a variety of perspectives,
their opinions and judgments on experiences, ideas, information and issues.
Standard 4: Language for Social Interaction
Students will listen, speak, read, and write for social interaction. Students will use
oral and written language that follows the accepted conventions of the English
language for effective social communication with a wide variety of people. As
readers and listeners, they will use the social communications of others to enrich
their understanding of people and their views.
Social Studies
Standard 1: History of the United States and New York
Students will use a variety of intellectual skills to demonstrate their understanding
of major ideas, eras, themes, developments, and turning points in the history of the
United States and New York.
Materials:
Access to NBC ArchivesRosa Parks Challenge Question
http://archives.nbclearn.com/portal/site/k-12/collectionnavigator?cuecard=5016
Air/Publish Date: 09/09/9999
Event Date: 12/01/1955
The Significance of Rosa Parks’ Simple Act
http://archives.nbclearn.com/portal/site/k-12/collectionnavigator?cuecard=1788
Air/Publish Date: 02/24/1992
Event Date: 12/01/1955
Students copies of the novel, The Secret Life of Bees
Graphic organizers, outline template
Procedures:
1. Instructor will prompt students to take out their notes on the characterization of Rosaleen from
a previous lesson.
2. Instructor will ask the students to verbalize some of Rosaleen’s character traits; instructor will
record responses on the Smartboard.
3. Instructor will explain that some of Rosaleen’s character traits can be identified in Rosa Parks, a
prominent figure in the Civil Rights movement. Instructor will explain that the students should
take detailed notes as they view the following two videos.
4. Students will view both videos and take detailed notes. Instructor will pause clips at 1 minute
intervals to facilitate student note taking
5. Instructor will display a graphic organizer on the Smartboard and elicit student responses to
complete a point by point comparison comparing Rosaleen and Rosa Parks.
6. Students will complete an outline (template attached).
7. Students will write a five paragraph essay.
This lesson will take approximately two 41 minute class periods.
Critical Thinking:
Students will engage in critical thinking when evaluating the video clips and also while making
comparisons.
Students will move through each step of the writing process in which they will use critical thinking and
application skills.
Accommodations for Differentiated Instruction:
Certain students will receive copies of class notes.
Students will have the option of using a template to complete a pre-writing outline
Resources:
Rosa Parks Challenge Question
http://archives.nbclearn.com/portal/site/k-12/collectionnavigator?cuecard=5016
Air/Publish Date: 09/09/9999
Event Date: 12/01/1955
The Significance of Rosa Parks’ Simple Act
http://archives.nbclearn.com/portal/site/k-12/collectionnavigator?cuecard=1788
Air/Publish Date: 02/24/1992
Event Date: 12/01/1955
www.wikispaces.com – video clips will be imbedded in the class wiki for student access.
Assessments:
The essay will be assessed using the attached compare and contrast rubric.
Similarities
Rosa Parks
Graphic organizer for point by point comparison
Rosaleen
Comparison and Contrast Rubric
100-91
90-81
80-71
70 -60
4
3
2
1
Purpose &
Supporting Details
The paper compares
and contrasts items
clearly, pointing to
specific examples to
illustrate the
comparison and
contrast. The paper
includes only relevant
information.
The paper compares
and contrasts items
clearly, but the
supporting
information is
general. The paper
includes only the
information relevant to
the focus.
The paper compares
and contrasts items
clearly, but the
supporting
information is
incomplete. The
paper may include
information that is not
relevant.
The paper
compares or
contrasts, but
there is no
supporting
information, or
hardly any.
Organization &
Structure
Thesis and topic
sentences exist and
serve as a complete
guide for the reader
as to focus. The paper
breaks the information
into point-by-point
structure. It follows a
consistent order.
Thesis and topic
sentences exist and
appropriately guide
the reader along the
focus. The paper
breaks the information
into point-by-point
structure but does
not always follow a
consistent order.
Thesis and topic
sentences exist and
sometimes guide
the reader along the
correct focus. The
paper breaks the
information into pointby-point structure, but
some details are not
in a logical or
expected order, and
this sometimes
distracts the reader.
There is an
attempt at using
a thesis
statement and
topic
sentences.
Many details are
not in a logical or
expected order.
There is little
sense that the
writing is
organized.
CATEGORY
Voice:
Transitions,
Sentence structure,
Word choice
Grammar & Spelling
(Conventions)
The paper moves
smoothly from one
idea to the next, and
appropriate
transition words
show relationships
between ideas. The
paper uses a variety
of sentence
structures and
transitions
successfully.
The paper moves
from one idea to the
next, but there is
little variety. The
paper usually uses
transition words to
show relationships
between ideas. There
is an attempt to use
varied sentence
structure, to some
effect.
Some transitions
work well, but
connections
between other ideas
are fuzzy. There is
no sentence variety,
but sentence
structure is
generally correct.
The transitions
between ideas
are unclear or
nonexistent.
Sentence
structure is
incorrect and
awkward,
leading to
confusion.
Writer makes hardly
any errors in grammar
or spelling; they do
not distract the
reader from the
content.
Writer makes very
few errors in grammar
or spelling; they do
not distract the
reader from the
content.
Writer makes errors
in grammar or
spelling that
occasionally
distract the reader
from the content.
Writer makes
many errors in
grammar or
spelling that
distract the
reader from the
content.
Compare and contrast rubric
JOURNAL RUBRIC
9-10 Points
 Reveals an in-depth and
thorough analysis of the topic
 Develops ideas clearly and
consistently using relevant and
specific details
 Makes insightful, explicit, and
personal connections to the
text
 Notable sense of voice and
purpose
6-8 Points
 Reveals a basic
understanding of the topic
 Develops ideas briefly using
some details
 Little awareness of voice and
purpose
4-5 Points
 Conveys a confused, or
minimal understanding of the
topic
 Incomplete or Minimal
development with vague,
irrelevant, repetitive, or
unjustified references
 No sense of voice and purpose