African American studies

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