martin luther king jr
5 – 7 pages
the topic is
martin luther king jr
follow the attached rubric for very well
INTRO TO AFRICAN AMERICAN STUDIES
Rubric for Papers
A Work B Work C Work
Choose a topic
relevant to class and
take a position on it
(ex: When born,
Epistemic Violence,
Ma’at, Agency &
#BlackLivesMatter)
Topic was
discussed in class,
in readings, etc…or
was not, but ads
new perspective to
things discussed
and/or read
Topic in a direct
way speaks to the
history, current
reality, or future
state of Black
people
Student clearly
takes a position on
the topic—viewing
it as a positive or
negative; agreeing
with its principles
or disagreeing
Topic was
discussed in class,
in readings, etc.
Topic in some
general way speaks
to the history,
current reality, or
future state of
Black people
Student takes a
semi-clear position
on the topic—
Topic was
discussed in class,
in readings, etc.
Topic barely, if at
all, speaks to the
history, current
reality, or future
state of Black
people
Student takes a
weak or unclear
position on the
topic
Provide a detailed
understanding of the
subject matter that you
are writing about (ex:
Ma’at is made up of
seven principles, which
include… )
Student provides 4-plus
specific pieces of
information about the
topic, showing a clear
and deep
understanding of the
subject
Student provides 2-3
specific pieces of
information about the
topic, showing a good
understanding of the
subject
Student provides 1
specific piece of
information about the
topic, showing a fair
understanding of the
subject
Show the impact and
relevance your topic
had in the past by
including examples
and/or quotes from
class discussions,
readings, or personal
research (ex: Epistemic
violence was
foundational to our
educational system and
portrayals in the arts,
creating a global belief
in Black inferiority)
Student provides 4-
plus specific pieces
of information,
quotes, or statistics
about the topic
Student
demonstrates a
clear
understanding of
how the pieces of
information have
impacted
individuals,
Student provides 2-
3 specific pieces of
information,
quotes, or statistics
about the topic
Student
demonstrates a
good
understanding of
how the pieces of
information have
impacted
individuals,
Student provides 4-
plus specific pieces
of information,
quotes, or statistics
about the topic
Student
demonstrates a
little-to-no
understanding of
how the pieces of
information have
impacted
individuals,
communities,
and/or the world
communities,
and/or the world
communities,
and/or the world
Discuss current
(modern-day)
implications of your
topic (ex: Diop’s
scholarship is
foundational to
argument that Black
Lives Matter because…)
Student is able to link
subject matter with a
current topic, issue, or
movement in a clear
way, and provides at
least 3 personal
commentaries
explaining their
position.
Student is able to link
subject matter with a
current topic, issue, or
movement in a general
way, and provides 1-2
personal commentaries
explaining their
position.
Student links subject
matter with a current
topic, issue, or
movement in a
sometimes clear way,
but provides no
personal commentaries
explaining their
position.
Student writes in a way
that reveals their voice
and personality. (ex: I
had a real-life
experience with the
power of the Ma’at
principles during a
summer camp where I
worked with 45 inner
city youth. The
principles came to life
when we had to…)
Student uses
creative ways to
present their
information
AND
Student takes a
chance and
provides examples
of personal
connections to the
subject matter
5 or less
grammatical
and/or factual
errors
5-7 pages
Student uses
creative ways to
present their
information
OR
Student takes a
chance and
provides examples
of personal
connections to the
subject matter
6-10 grammatical
and/or factual
errors
5-7 pages
Student writes in a
formulaic and
predictable way to
present their
information
Student provides
no examples of
personal
connections to the
subject matter
10 or more
grammatical
and/or factual
errors
Less than five
pages
