Follow these guidelines as you work through your paper.
Points
Earned
Civil Rights Movement Research Paper Rubric
Points
Possible
Student Name:
DAILY PREPARATION Did you come to class prepared to work?
Average Grade Did you come to class with all necessary materials? 25
Did you come with a task to work on in mind? Did you work
productively during class time?
COLLECTING SOURCES Did you collect four sources and record them?
Sources sheet: You can type this so you do not have to write the
10
entire website. Must have 3-5 sources
Work cited Do you have at least 3 sources? Are the both primary
15
and secondary sources?
NOTECARDS Did you take notes from each source using notecards?
30
At least 15 cards that: has the correct format, is paraphrased,
stays on topic
WRITING PROCESS Did you go through the steps of the writing process?
Outline shows clear relationships between topics and subtopics.
15
Rough draft that consists of numerous markings and suggestions
30
due to peer editing.
Revised/Good draft shows that needed revisions in content
and organization have been made. See below for criteria.
100
96 A: Strong introduction with clear, original thesis. Mastery of material and
sophisticated analysis. Evidence of independent and extended thought. Persuasive
reasoning and well-chosen examples that are linked clearly to thesis. Coherent
organization, well-developed paragraphs, fluid structure, clear transitions. Engaging,
sophisticated writing style. Evidence is accurately cited. No grammatical or typing
errors. Good conclusion.
89: B: Strong introduction containing a clear thesis. Good understanding of material.
Well-developed argument with some originality. Coherent organization with each
paragraph developed around one main idea. Evidence is accurately cited.
Occasional stylistic or grammatical problems. Good conclusion.
81: C: Weak thesis. Some confusion of facts or interpretation. Argument is
insufficiently developed, and the organization contains weaknesses. Many
grammatical and typing errors. Ineffectual writing using unclear or awkward
sentences, wordiness, and passive voice.
73 D: Weak, vague, or irrelevant thesis. Significant conceptual or factual errors.
Argument is undeveloped, and paper contains poor organization. Ignores relevant
evidence. Uses many generalizations without evidential support. Inaccurate
citations. Significant grammatical and typing errors.
1-69 F: No introduction, no thesis. Failure to respond to the specific assignment.
Superficial content with no indication of sources. Plagiarism. Poor structure.
Significant grammatical and typing errors. Failure to understand material.
0 F: Plagiarism. (Parts or Whole)
TOTAL
225
1
Introduction to Persuasive Essay
After reading the statement below choose one side of the argument to write
your persuasive essay. The typed paper should be double-spaced with oneinch margins and 12-point font. Please title the paper, but no cover page is
necessary. Please include a Works Cited page.
Read the following statement then do some research until you
have enough information to decide whether or not you agree or
disagree with the statement, and why?
Between 1945 and 1965, the anger and activism of individuals
like Daisy Bates and the organizational efforts of such
groups as NAACP, SCLC, CORE, and SNCC
were less important to the success of the Civil Rights
Movement than were actions taken by the federal
government (ex: The multiple Civil Rights Act of 1964, results
of various Supreme Court Cases, etc…)
What you will need:
1) 3-5 sources (include primary and secondary). Make sure you use all
as equally as you can.
2) 15-20 thorough, quality, notecards
3) Outline
4) Rough Draft
5) Good Draft-Due May 8th
a. MUST BE BETWEEN 2-4 pages. NO MORE, NO LESS!
IF LATE:
Unless you have a terrible emergency, a late paper will be deducted one
letter grade (10 points) per day it is late, including weekend days(you can
email it to me if it is already late: jhayden@pgsd.org or mscott@pgsd.org ).
2
YOUR CALENDAR AND DUE DATES
How to use your days in school:
1) ****DON’T FORGET TO WRITE ALL SOURCES IN PACKET
2) End of class THURSDAY April 30th: Complete enough notecards in
order to make an informed decision about what you are going to
argue. AT LEAST 6 CARDS MUST BE COMPLETED
a. The cards so be organized into the following category categories
(each activist, group, and action taken by federal government
should be their own category)
i. 2 cards: Activists and importances
ii. 2 cards on two different groups that were vital to the movement
like the NAACP, SCLC, CORE, and SNCC. Find who they were,
their purpose, and their importance.
iii. 2 cards on two different actions taken by the federal government
(ex: The multiple Civil Rights Acts, results of various Supreme
Court Cases, etc…)
3) End of class FRIDAY May 1st: Completed notecards by the end of
class. Take notes on index cards make sure to include the source #
and give each index card a topic.
a. After research is completed organize cards into 3 categories,
which should signify your three strongest supporting arguments.
4) End of Class MONDAY May 4th : Completed outline by the end of class
(you should have at least two paragraphs per argument that contain
quality information including primary and secondary source references.
5) BEGINNING OF CLASS Wednesday May 6th: MUST BRING IN a copy of
Rough Draft
***Points will be deducted if you have to print paper in
classroom.
Paper must be:
a. Typed, double-spaced with one-inch margins and 12-point font.
Please title the paper, but no cover page is necessary. Include a
Works Cited page (this does not count as 1 of the 2-4pgs
required for essay.
b. During class Wednesday: Peer-edit with a partner you trust will
take this seriously; providing comments, feedback, and
critiques.
6) End of Class Friday May 8th : Completed Good Draft and turn in 1 copy
printed out before the end of class NO EXCUSES.
3
Some important notes regarding writing a research paper
You are to make an informed argument about the topic you choose based on
evidence you researched. The key to a good paper is a strong thesis, or
argument. You should state your thesis clearly and concisely in your introduction,
and then develop the argument in the body of your paper. (A thesis can be more
than one sentence long.) Make sure that the information and interpretations in
the body of your paper relate to your thesis. The thesis should address all parts
of the question. Lay out all your arguments in the introduction and develop them
in the body of the paper. Don’t surprise your reader with a new argument
halfway through the paper.
A good essay requires a judicious balance between evidence (facts)
and analysis (explanation). You must consider how the information you include
fits into the larger picture -- why is a particular fact significant? On the other
hand, an essay that has a clear thesis but lacks sufficient details is not much
better. You must support your generalizations with specific examples/facts. One
of the keys to writing with both evidence and analysis is structuring your
paragraph. Your last sentence of each body paragraph should wrap up that
argument, make sure to connect it to the thesis sentence, and transition to the
next argument.
Use of sources: When citing specific factual information from one of your
sources, you should put the abbreviated title and page number (if known) in
parentheses immediately following the sentence or sentences. You need a
citation even if it’s not a direct quote. For example: Anne Moody questioned
Martin Luther King, Jr.’s leadership of the movement (Coming of Age, 3503). Note that the period comes AFTER the end parenthesis.
Please include a Works Cited (i.e. bibliography) page at the conclusion of
your paper.
Quotations
Use quotations selectively and only when they provide relevant evidence. If you
use a quote longer than one line, every single part must be relevant. If it is over
three line, please make sure to center it and single space it. *You may not
have more than 1 long quote. ***Quotes will not be included in length.
This paper should be about your ideas and arguments. In other words, do not
use too many quotations and always make sure you analyze them and make it
clear to your reader why you’re featuring a particular quote. When you use
quotations, do not isolate them. Instead, introduce them and integrate them into
your sentences.
** A quotation should never stand alone.
EXAMPLE: Martin Luther King’s nonviolent strategies made big
strides in the suburbs, but Malcolm X was much more successful in
the rural areas. It was July 14th, 1965 when MLK’s wife receives a
letter that states, “____________________” (King, 1). He shamefully
admits his peaceful protests failed in Philadelphia, PA.
You must use quotation marks around words that are not your own (this includes
texts found on websites)! Failure to do so constitutes plagiarism, a very
serious offense that will earn you an F. Failure to include citations is also
plagiarism.
4
PEER-EDITING
YOU ARE REQUIRED TO HAVE SOMEONE PROOFREAD YOUR PAPER! I highly
recommend that you have someone who you respect and trust for his/her critical
opinion read over your paper. A second pair of eyes can be very helpful. Word
processing spellcheckers will help, but they will not catch mistakes such as
they’re, their, there, or would of (instead of would have) or lead vs. led, or your
you’re. Also, sometimes your spellchecker will suggest a word that is not even
close to what you want, and you click replace without thinking twice. This often
is humorous for me, but it reflects carelessness on your part.
EXTRA HELP
I highly recommend that you make a meeting with me if you would like more
assistance.
Other quick writing tips:�
*Book titles (and film titles) are underlined or italicized. Use quotation marks
around article, chapter, speech, and most short document titles.
*Maintain a consistent verb tense (I recommend past tense.) A common error
that students make in papers is to switch back and forth between present and
past tense.
*Make sure your pronouns match their antecedents (e.g. singular or plural.)
*Write in complete sentences. Do NOT use fragments, and do not write run-on
sentences.
*You may NOT USE first “I” or second tense “you”
*Do NOT use contractions “didn’t, ” “won’t,” etc…
*Avoid wordiness and redundancy.
*Write as clearly and efficiently as possible.
*Punctuate correctly
*Structure each paragraph around one main idea. Think carefully about clear
organization and logical structure of your ideas.
5
SOURCES (you need 3-5 both primary and secondary)
1. Title:_______________________________________________________________________
Author: _______________________________________________
Publisher______________________
Date of Publication___________________
Web address or database __________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Date Downloaded/used________________________________________
Is this a Primary and Secondary Source: ____________________________________________
2. Title:_______________________________________________________________________
Author: _______________________________________________
Publisher______________________
Date of Publication___________________
Web address or database __________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Date Downloaded/used________________________________________
Is this a Primary and Secondary Source: ____________________________________________
3. Title:_______________________________________________________________________
Author: _______________________________________________
Publisher______________________
Date of Publication___________________
Web address or database __________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Date Downloaded/used________________________________________
Is this a Primary and Secondary Source: ____________________________________________
4. Title:_______________________________________________________________________
Author: _______________________________________________
Publisher______________________
Date of Publication___________________
Web address or database __________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
6
Date Downloaded/used________________________________________
Is this a Primary and Secondary Source: ____________________________________________
5. Title:_______________________________________________________________________
Author: _______________________________________________
Publisher______________________
Date of Publication___________________
Web address or database __________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Date Downloaded/used________________________________________
Is this a Primary and Secondary Source: ____________________________________________
6. Title:_______________________________________________________________________
Author: _______________________________________________
Publisher______________________
Date of Publication___________________
Web address or database __________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Date Downloaded/used________________________________________
Is this a Primary and Secondary Source: ____________________________________________
7. Title:_______________________________________________________________________
Author: _______________________________________________
Publisher______________________
Date of Publication___________________
Web address or database __________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Date Downloaded/used________________________________________
Is this a Primary and Secondary Source: ____________________________________________
8. Title:_______________________________________________________________________
Author: _______________________________________________
Publisher______________________
Date of Publication___________________
Web address or database __________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Date Downloaded/used________________________________________
7
Is this a Primary and Secondary Source: ____________________________________________
NOTECARDS
#1 You will first make a total of 6 cards in order to decide which side you
will argue for.
i. Activists and their importance
ii. Research least three different groups that were vital to the movement
like the NAACP, SCLC, CORE, and SNCC. Find who they were, their
purpose, and their importance.
iii. Actions taken by the federal government (ex: The multiple Civil Rights
Acts, results of various Supreme Court Cases, etc…)
#2 Decide whether or not you agree with the following statement based on
your research: Do you agree that they were less important or do you think
they were more important??
Between 1945 and 1965, the anger and activism of individuals
like Daisy Bates and the organizational efforts of such
groups as NAACP, SCLC, CORE, and SNCC
were less important to the success of the Civil Rights
Movement than were actions taken by the federal
government.
#3 You will use notecards to take notes on each sub-topic for your essay. You may use
the notecards you initially made if you can fit them under one of the following three subtopics:
1. Argument #1:_____________________
2. Argument #2:_____________________
3. Argument #3:_____________________
You will need at least three cards for each subtopic, making a total of 15 cards.
*** You will not know these three arguments until you have done some research (#1)
On each card, you need to write your teacher’s name, the sub-topic, and the source
number. Cards should be formatted like this:
Your Name
Sub-topic
Source #, page #
Should be paraphrased.
Don’t write complete sentences.
Relate only to sub-topic.
Stay with one source per card.
INTRODUCTION
Can do more than one card.
8
OUTLINE
Fill in the following spaces to create an outline that you can use to write your rough draft.
Remember that in a formal piece of writing not to use the words “I” or “you” do not use
contractions or slang and write as if the person reading it has never met you.
I. Introduction Paragraph: (indent)
A. First sentence: can be a question, quote or fact to grab the reader’s attention:
________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________(p
lace the author’s last name and the page # in parentheses here if this sentence is taken
from a source).
B. Second sentence: one that explains or supports the attention–grabber and
transitions into the thesis. This can be a quote from the source if you did not use it in your
first sentence. You need at least one in your introduction paragraph:
________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________(a
uthor’s last name and page# if from a source).
C. Your thesis statement:
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________.
D. Fourth sentence/concluding sentence ( this is the second sentence of your
thesis if you did not include them in the previous sentence): You can list some of the subtopics of your paper here in the order they will be discussed in your body paragraphs:
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________.
II. First point that supports your argument:
(indent) Subtopic: __________________________________
A. Topic sentence telling the reader how this paragraph’s topic relates to your
thesis statement.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
B. Second sentence of this paragraph: A fact that supports your thesis and topic
sentence in your own words:
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________.
C. Third sentence in this paragraph: A note/quote from a source that proves this
fact or shows support of it. Remember to transition into it with the author’s name or why
the source is an expert:
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________(author’s last name and page number).
9
D. Fourth sentence in this paragraph: A fact that supports your thesis and topic
sentence in your own words:
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
E. Fifth sentence in this paragraph: A note/quote from a source that proves this
fact or shows support of it. Remember to transition into it with the author’s name or why
the source is an expert:
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________(author’s last name and page number).
F. Sixth sentence: A fact that supports your thesis and topic sentence in your own
words:
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
G. Seventh Sentence in this paragraph: : A note/quote from a source that proves
this fact or shows support of it. Remember to transition into it with the author’s name or
why the source is an expert:
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________(author’s last name and page number).
H.Concluding sentence for this paragraph: use words like “therefore” or “as one
can see” or “one can clearly deduce that” to lead into it. Transition to next
paragraph________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________.
III. Second point that supports your argument:
(indent) Subtopic: __________________________________
A. Topic sentence telling the reader how this paragraph’s topic relates to your
thesis statement.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________.
B. Second sentence of this paragraph: A fact that supports your thesis and topic
sentence in your own words:
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________.
C. Third sentence in this paragraph: A note/quote from a source that proves this
fact or shows support of it. Remember to transition into it with the author’s name or why
the source is an expert:
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________(author’s last name and page number).
10
D. Fourth sentence in this paragraph: A fact that supports your thesis and topic
sentence in your own words:
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________.
E. Fifth sentence in this paragraph: A note/quote from a source that proves this
fact or shows support of it. Remember to transition into it with the author’s name or why
the source is an expert:
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________(author’s last name and page number).
F. Sixth sentence in this paragraph: A fact that supports your thesis and topic
sentence in your own words:
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________.
G. Seventh Sentence in this paragraph: : A note/quote from a source that proves
this fact or shows support of it. Remember to transition into it with the author’s name or
why the source is an expert:
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________(author’s last name and page number).
H. Concluding sentence for this paragraph: use words like “therefore” or “as one can see”
or “one can clearly deduce that” to lead into it. (Note: DO NOT USE THE SAME
LEAD-INS FOR EACH BODY PARAGRAPH!) Transition to next
paragraph________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________.
IV. Third point that supports your argument:
(indent) Subtopic: __________________________________
A. Topic sentence telling the reader how this paragraph’s topic relates to your
thesis statement.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________.
B. Second sentence of this paragraph: A fact for or against your thesis in your
own words:
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________.
11
C. Third sentence in this paragraph: A note/quote from a source that proves this
fact or shows support of it. Remember to transition into it with the author’s name or why
the source is an expert:
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________(author’s last name and page number).
D. Fourth sentence in this paragraph: A fact that supports your thesis and topic
sentence in your own words:
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________.
E. Fifth sentence in this paragraph: A note/quote from a source that proves this
fact or shows support of it. Remember to transition into it with the author’s name or why
the source is an expert:
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________(author’s last name and page number).
F. Sixth sentence in this paragraph: A fact that supports your thesis and topic
sentence in your own words:
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________.
G. Seventh Sentence in this paragraph: : A note/quote from a source that proves
this fact or shows support of it. Remember to transition into it with the author’s name or
why the source is an expert:
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________(author’s last name and page number).
H. Concluding sentence for this paragraph: use words like “therefore” or “as one can see”
or “one can clearly deduce that” to lead into it. (Note: DO NOT USE THE SAME
LEAD-INS FOR EACH BODY PARAGRAPH!) Transition to next
paragraph________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________.
V. Fourth point that supports your argument:
(indent) Subtopic: __________________________________
A. Topic sentence telling the reader how this paragraph’s topic relates to your
thesis statement.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________.
12
B. Second sentence of this paragraph: A fact that supports your thesis and topic
sentence in your own words:
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________.
C. Third sentence in this paragraph: A note/quote from a source that proves this
fact or shows support of it. Remember to transition into it with the author’s name or why
the source is an expert:
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________(author’s last name and page number).
D. Fourth sentence in this paragraph: A fact that supports your thesis and topic
sentence in your own words:
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________.
E. Fifth sentence in this paragraph: A note/quote from a source that proves this
fact or shows support of it. Remember to transition into it with the author’s name or why
the source is an expert:
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________(author’s last name and page number).
F. Sixth sentence in this paragraph: A fact that supports your thesis and topic
sentence in your own
words::__________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________.
G. Seventh Sentence in this paragraph: : A note/quote from a source that proves
this fact or shows support of it. Remember to transition into it with the author’s name or
why the source is an expert:
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________(author’s last name and page number).
H. Concluding sentence for this paragraph: use words like “therefore” or “as one can see”
or “one can clearly deduce that” to lead into it. (Note: DO NOT USE THE SAME
LEAD-INS FOR EACH BODY PARAGRAPH!) Transition to next
paragraph________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________.
VI. Conclusion paragraph (indent):
13
A. Topic Sentence for this paragraph: Re-state your thesis in your own words but
in a different manner than it was stated in the introduction paragraph:
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________.
B. Second sentence in this paragraph: list the reasons why (3-4) your thesis is
correct or why the reader should be persuaded to think as you do (do not use “I” or “you”
to do this, though, use “one” or just say it!)
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________.
C. Third sentence in this paragraph: A note or quote from a source be sure it is
one that AGREES with your thesis here :
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________(author’s last name/page #).
D. Concluding sentence for your CONCLUDING PARAGRAPH: LEAVE THE
READER THINKING THAT NO MATTER WHAT YOUR ARGUMENT IS
CORRECT A EXTREMELY STRONG! _____________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
14