African-American Civil Rights Movement Essay Question - Five-Paragraph Essay

Oct 19, 2026

Uploaded by McGucket

Five-paragraph essay prompt and grading rubric for an African-American Civil Rights Movement writing assignment. Students must use course-learned information, primary sources, and analysis to explain the impact of three selected events or movements: Brown v. Board of Education; the Montgomery bus boycott; lunch counter sit-ins; freedom rides; the March on Washington; and the Black Power movement. The rubric evaluates organization, introductory and concluding hypothesis restatement, factual support with citations and terms, paragraph structure, and overall neatness, name/date/class period fields, and legible handwriting or typed format.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryExam

FormatPDF

Pages1

Reading Time3 min

AccessFree to download

Essay Prompt

Selected Topics to Explain

Grading Rubric

Neatness and Required Header Information

Introductory Paragraph

Main Paragraphs 1-3

Concluding Paragraph

African-American Civil Rights Movement Essay Question Five-paragraph Essay Using information learned over the course of this unit, primary source documents, and thoughtful analysis, describe and explain the impact of three of the following on the civil rights movement: Brown v. Board of Education; Montgomery bus boycott; lunch counter sit-ins; freedom rides; March on Washington; Black Power movement. Grading Rubric: Staple this sheet to the back of your completed essay. | Item | Points Possible | Points Earned | | --- | --- | --- | | Neatness [2 points each]
Name, date, class period, legible handwriting or typed essay, paragraphed format | 10 | | | Introductory Paragraph
Restatement of the question with own hypothesis as an introductory sentence [3 points]
Three clearly and correctly worded sentences listing and describing the three major points/ sections, including an example of each [4 points each] | 15 | | | First Main Paragraph
Introductory sentence which introduces this main point/section [4 points]
Clearly and correctly elucidated major point/section supported by at least four thoroughly explained facts, citations, terms, etc., in four separate sentences [4 points each] | 20 | | | Second Main Paragraph
Introductory sentence which introduces this main point/section [4 points]
Clearly and correctly elucidated major point/section supported by at least four thoroughly explained facts, citations, terms, etc., in four separate sentences [4 points each] | 20 | | | Third Main Paragraph
Introductory sentence which introduces this main point/section [4 points]
Clearly and correctly elucidated major point/section supported by at least four thoroughly explained facts, citations, terms, etc., in four separate sentences [4 points each] | 20 | | | Concluding Paragraph
Restatement of the question with own hypothesis as an introductory sentence, referencing the fact that the material presented in the previous three paragraphs has proven this hypothesis [3 points] Three clearly and correctly worded sentences listing and describing the three major points/ sections, including an example of each, with emphasis on how these major points/sections prove the hypothesis of the paper [4 points each] | 15 | | | Grand Total | 100 | | Name: Date: Period:

FAQs

Which three civil rights topics must the essay explain, and what sources should be used?

The essay must describe and explain the impact of three choices from Brown v. Board of Education, Montgomery bus boycott, lunch counter sit-ins, freedom rides, March on Washington, and the Black Power movement. Students should use information learned during the unit, primary source documents, and thoughtful analysis.

How does the rubric score the essay’s introductory and concluding paragraphs?

The introductory paragraph is graded on restating the question with the student’s hypothesis and on three correctly worded sentences listing and describing the major points with an example. The concluding paragraph must restate the question and hypothesis, referencing that the prior three paragraphs prove it, and include three major points with examples plus emphasis on how they support the hypothesis.

What are the main requirements for each of the three body paragraphs?

Each main paragraph must begin with an introductory sentence, then provide a clearly and correctly elucidated major point supported by at least four thoroughly explained facts, citations, and relevant terms in four separate sentences.

Oct 19, 2026

Uploaded by McGucket