Pre-European African Empire Essay Rubric

Outline 10%

Fully completed.  Shows a working thesis, and point for paragraphs about Africa and a specific kingdom.  Each point has three solid supporting points.

4 pts

Working thesis, paragraph main points, but supports details are not complete

3 pts

Missing or incomplete thesis, paragraph main points or supporting details.

2 pts

Missing two or more parts.

1 pt

No Outline handed in. 

O pts

Intro and Conclusion 10%

Intro leads the reader into the essay.  Conclusion leads the reader out.  Both summarize main arguments.   Written in paragraph form.

4 pts

Main arguments not fully summarized in introduction or conclusion.  Written in paragraph form.   

3 pts

Conclusion brings up new information not in the body of the paper or the intro or conclusion does not lead the reader in or out of the essay.

2 pts

Not in proper paragraph format.  No leading in or out of the essay.  Little summary of main points.

1 pt

Introduction and conclusion do not exist

0 pts

Thesis 10%

-Strong statement about the African empire, clearly worded, and on topic.

4 pts

-Strong statement about the African empire, some what clearly worded and on topic.

3 pts

Thesis statement not on topic, poorly worded or not strongly worded

2 pts

Thesis statement difficult to find or poorly worded.

1 pt

No thesis statement

0 pts

Content 25%

-Africa before Europeans

-Five W’s and how about the empire.

-A full explanation of the empire. 

-3 pgs long

10 pts

-Africa before Europeans

-Five W’s and how about the empire.

-A satisfactory explanation of the empire

8 pts

Missing one part of either pre-Europe Africa explanation, or part of the 5 W’s and how. 

-A satisfactory explanation of the empire

-Not long enough

6 pts

Missing more than one part of either pre-Europe Africa explanation, or part of the 5 W’s and how. 

-A satisfactory explanation of the empire

-Length an issue

4 pts

-Missing significant parts of the essay and not long enough

2-0 pts.

Grammar and Structure 20%

Two or fewer errors.

8 pts

Several errors but paper is still strong.

6 pts

Numerous errors that make reading the paper difficult

4 pts

Errors seriously  interfere with understanding of reading.

2 pts

Errors make the paper unreadable

0 pts

Multiple Sources and foot/endnotes 10%

Use of at least 3 sources.  Proper bibliography and footnotes or endnotes (work cited page)

4 pts

2 sources and proper bibliography and footnotes or endnotes

3 pts

One source with proper bibliography and footnotes or endnotes.

2 pts

Lacking multiple sources, bibliography or  footnotes / endnotes.

1 pt

No sources or foot/endnotes

0 pts

Research 15%

Always on task while researching in class.  Not a distraction to classmates. 

6 pts

Mostly on task during given research time.  Minimal distraction to class.

4 pts

Distraction to the class, Some research completed

2 pts

Major distraction to the class.  Minimal research done

1 pt

Major distraction to the class and no research done

0 pts

  NOTE: PLAGIARISM RENDERS A MARK OF   0   PERCENT.

Total ___/ 40

 

 

 

Expectations

-Keep in mind the idea of how does this prove wrong what the Europeans believed.  i.e. Africans had no culture, religion, civilization prior to European contact. 

-Intro that leads to a thesis at the end. 

-Explain what African in general was like prior to contact with the Europeans.

-Answer who, what, when, where, why and how of the empire/kingdom of your choosing. 

- Explain about the culture, religion, beliefs, technology, etc. (what ever you can find on them) of your empire. 

-A conclusion in which the ideas of the paper are summed up and tied together. 

-The paper should not be just chunks of information stuck together.  It should provide nice connections between paragraphs and throughout the paper.