history essay rubric grade 11

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Common Core State Standard Rubric for History/Social Studies 11-12

For the past few weeks, my colleague Todd Whitten and I have been sharing some work that we have done with the Common Core State Standards for History/Social Studies. During this process, we created rubrics based upon the 9-10th Grade Standards and the 11-12th Grade Standards. This week, we will be sharing those documents.

Below is what we created based upon the Common Core State Standards for History/Social Studies for 11-12th Grades . (Todd will be launching the rubric for the 9-10th grade on his blog later this week.)

When we were aligning activities with the Common Core (links below), this was our guiding document.

Let us know what you think!

Key Ideas and Details (Green Circle)

RH.11-12.1. Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources, connecting insights gained from specific details to an understanding of the text as a whole.

RH.11-12.2. Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary that makes clear the relationships among the key details and ideas.

RH.11-12.3. Evaluate various explanations for actions or events and determine which explanation best accords with textual evidence, acknowledging where the text leaves matters uncertain.

Craft and Structure [Blue Square]

RH.11-12.4. Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including analyzing how an author uses and refines the meaning of a key term over the course of a text (e.g., how Madison defines faction in Federalist No. 10).

RH.11-12.5. Analyze in detail how a complex primary source is structured, including how key sentences, paragraphs, and larger portions of the text contribute to the whole.

RH.11-12.6. Evaluate authors’ differing points of view on the same historical event or issue by assessing the authors’ claims, reasoning, and evidence.

Integration of Knowledge and Ideas <Black Diamond>

RH.11-12.7. Integrate and evaluate multiple sources of information presented in diverse formats and media (e.g., visually, quantitatively, as well as in words) in order to address a question or solve a problem.

RH.11-12.8. Evaluate an author’s premises, claims, and evidence by corroborating or challenging them with other information.

RH.11-12.9. Integrate information from diverse sources, both primary and secondary, into a coherent understanding of an idea or event, noting discrepancies among sources.

As always, feel free to add more ideas or add to the discussion below!

Our common core series (so far):, 
 technology, social studies, and the common core: part i technology, social studies, and the common core: part ii common core social studies activity for 11-12 (john locke’s second treatise of civil government) primary documents, social studies, and the common core: the declaration of the rights of man and citizen, for my other posts on the common core click here., share this:.

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About Michael K. Milton

4 responses to common core state standard rubric for history/social studies 11-12.

Hi Michael,

I teach US history (9th grade) at a high school in Michigan. I have found your rubrics extremely helpful in gauging proficiency levels in my students’ common core skills assessments. Can I use some of the material in your rubrics? Keep up the great work! Thanks

Please! Good luck Troy!

Just found your Site this evening. Your passion for the profession is rather evident, so I believe I will be touching base with you as the year continues to march on. Getting late so here’s the skeleton situation. Public HS in Duval County FL, five blocks from the beach, and that is by far not the best part. I was in another school teaching in a program called AICE or CIE (Cambridge International Examinations) where we had 150 kids in the program in each of the four grades. I moved to a school that is in its third year of the same program, and we will have the seniors next year and only 75 kids in the three grades (in a school of about 2,300- 2,400). I will be teaching three sections of the following two courses: Modern Euro 1789-1939 and International History 1945-1991, next year ( I do have 3 sections of the tenth grade Modern Euro currently). I have a great pro-active, technology loving Principal who just purchased me a cart (storage and recharging, 25 I-pads, and a MacAir). These items are coming in as we speak, but I have not had a summer to rip apart my courses and align them with this shift in delivery style with the technology. Thus you can see why your site and Todd’s seem to be a gift from the gods of academia.To boot both of these courses at the end of the year take an international exam that is 100% Essay format, thus I spend a great deal of time on writing development, so with Common Core coming on-line the technology I am really excited. If you care to see what I have been doing with my 10 graders in Modern Euro you can go to my wiki at: aiceeuropeansas.wikispaces.com/Home. We will also be using Common Core’s “PARCC” assessment process in FL. I will be going through both of your sites to get ideas, and I really appreciate you putting the info out there. As I begin to develop materials, I too will be more than happy to share everything and anything. I look forward to reading your advice and thoughts as we move forward! Ciao, Kevin Sacerdote FHS Neptune Beach, Fl

Pingback: Going Meta: Cataloguing My Past Two Years of Blogging | Michael K. Milton ~ @42ThinkDeep

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History Grade 11 - Topic 1 Source-based Questions

General Tips when answering Source-based Questions:

• When approaching a source-based question, look at the MARK ALLOCATION of the question.  It will indicate how many facts/pieces of information you should use, as well as how many marks you will receive per ‘fact’.  For example, a question that indicates (3x1) means that you should list 3 facts and that each correct fact will give you 1 mark.  Therefore, if you answer the question correctly, you will receive THREE marks in total.
• When mark allocation indicates that you will receive 2 marks per fact (e.g., 3x2), it means that your answers should be a bit longer.  For example, you can list your fact, but you should also give a short and correct explanation.  Refer to some questions below as an example.
• Always identify what your question is asking of you to do.  For example, the word ‘list” indicates that you may use bullet-points to answer your question.  The word quote means that you MUST directly quote (“”) the correct answer for the source that is provided to you.
• Visit our website’s “ History Classroom Technical Skills ”  resource pack for more useful tips to ace your assignments and examinations.

1.  Why, according to the source, was Russia ill-equipped for the war?  (3x1) (3)

• They lacked weapons
• They lacked ammunition
• The lacked boots

2.  Use the source and your own knowledge to explain the outcome of Russia’s participation in the First World War.  (2x2) (4)

Russia’s participation in the war led to severe food shortages in Russia.  This in turn led to many Riots against the Tsar in Russia.

Russia’s participation in the war led to many people criticising their government.  Eventually, this meant that the Tsar was forced to abdicate.

3.  Define the following words: (2x2)

• Revolution:  A complete overthrow of the existing dominant system by the working class for a new alternative system. 
• Stalinism:  The policies adopted by Stalin in the pursuit of communism largely based on totalitarianism and centralisation.

4.   Who encouraged working women to join the strike in Petrograd?  (1x1) (1)

The Petrograd Bolsheviks

5.   Who/What were the Bolsheviks?  (3x1) (3)

The Bolsheviks were a far-left faction formed in 1912.  The Bolsheviks were founded by Vladimir Lenin and Alexander Bogdanov.  This faction played an extremely role in the Russian revolution of 1917. 

6.  In a paragraph of about SIX line (about 60 words), explain the causes of the Russian Revolution of 1917. (6)

During the early 20th century (1900’s), the Russian workers felt exploited and were dissatisfied with capitalist exploitation.  Although this dissatisfaction was relatively clear, the Tsar refused to listen to the Russian workers and ordered soldiers to shoot at them. Bloody Sunday was one of the first signs of the Revolution.  Russian defeat in the First World War led to significant dissatisfaction under the Russian population.  These defeats also led to a large food shortage throughout Russia.  Russian soldiers refused to suppress the marches against famine and even decided to join these marches.

This content was originally produced for the SAHO classroom by Sebastian Moronell, Ayabulela Ntwakumba, Simone van der Colff & Thandile Xesi.

[1] National Senior Certificate.:  “Grade 11 November 2018 History Paper 1 Addendum,” National Senior Certificate, November 2018.

Return to topic: Communism in Russia from 1900 to 1940

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In This Section

• Classroom Materials: Digitized Primary Sources

Classroom Materials: Rubrics and Syllabi

• Classroom Materials: Sample Assignments
• Classroom Materials: Teaching Modules
• Classroom Materials: History Skills
• Classroom Materials: Reflections on Teaching
• Classroom Materials: History Lessons and Background Materials

Many of these rubrics and syllabi were designed by participants in the Tuning or Bridging Cultures programs as they rethought their approach to teaching the history survey course by focusing on specific skills in the classroom or by working to bring Atlantic and Pacific history into the US history survey.

For Tuning materials specific to the institution type (such as two-year public/private or four-year public/private) or degree program, visit the Tuning Resources main page. For more about Bridging Cultures, check out the Bridging Cultures Resources page, where you'll find resources sorted by institution and course focus.

Sample Course Syllabus for Recent American History, Delta College

Saint vincent college history department goals and assessment, timothy kelly, department chair, history rubric, regis university, student progress evaluation worksheet, new college of florida, sample rubric, new college of florida, lecture topics for first half of american history survey.

Brittany Adams focuses on incorporating more regional history into the early survey. She also emphasizes the importance of de-centering the British colonial narrative when teaching students who identify more with western US history, as do many of her students at UC Irvine.

Honors 2111 US History Survey Course Description and Syllabus

Shannon Bontrager not only incorporated global contexts into his survey, but he also used non-traditional and digital pedagogical tools to engage his students.

US Environmental History Course Topics through the Civil War (Santa Monica Coll.)

Foundations of american history syllabus.

Sarah Grunder offers a detailed syllabus and two sample assignments, in which students use primary and secondary sources to connect American history with the Atlantic and Pacific worlds and write a paper that focuses on the circulation of commodities, peoples, and ideas throughout those worlds.

Themes in the Social History of the United States: Migration and American Civilization, 1830s to 1960s

Syllabus for a survey of social history, focusing upon the American experience. The course explores changes in the family, work, sex roles, mobility, migration, urbanization, and industrialization.

United States History I: US History to the Civil War

An introduction to the methods of historical inquiry focusing on the study of American history from the beginnings through the American Civil War.

Ethnicity and American Cultures Topics Through the 19th Century

A syllabus by Leslie Kawaguchi that begins with the peopling of North America and ends with the establishment of the U.S. and the 1790 immigration policy that provided naturalization to “free white persons” despite the cultural, racial, and ethnic diversity of the colonial period.

Resources for Teaching American and Hawaiian History

This course revises traditional understandings of American history and examines issues of race, gender, and class in understanding the histories and contemporary experiences of Native Hawaiians, Asians, and Pacific Islanders to foster greater multi-cultural respect and understanding.

Introduction to Ethnic Studies: Lecture and Assignment Schedule

Details about the readings and lectures included in an Introduction to Ethnic Studies class taught by Kelli Nakamura at Kapi'olani Community College. The course revises traditional understandings of American history and examines issues of race, gender, and class in understanding the histories and contemporary experiences of Native Hawaiians, Asians, and Pacific Islanders to foster greater multi-cultural respect and understanding.

Discovering American Social History on the Web

Dan Kallgren developed several sample assignments for use in his undergraduate survey course "United States History Since the Civil War," in the spring of 2000. Assignments can be used inidividually or in series, as each is accompanied by suggested reading and primary sources.

Social Science Laboratories via the Web: Active Learning with Data

To encourage the use of social science data in history, Russel Van Wyk has compiled a useful guide that shows how to use quantitative analysis of texts, demographic data, an interactive historical atlas module, and Geographic Information Services (GIS) to teach undergraduate students.

World Civilizations: The Ancient Period to 500 CE

In David Smith's project, students use world history methods (Big Picture, Diffusion, Syncretism, Comparison, and Common Phenomena) to interpret secondary and primary materials. Primary material is handled through directed reading questions that focus on three classics: the Odyssey, the Ramayana and the Analects.

Syllabus: United States History Since the Civil War

Syllabus from Dan Kallgren's survey of American history since the end of the Civil War. The syllabus includes several digital primary source projects, all of which are hosted on separate pages as part of Kallgren's "Discovering America Social History on the Web" module.

Introduction to Ethnic Studies: Course Description and Syllabus

A course description and syllabus for an Intro to Ethnic Studies course taught by Kelli Nakamura at Kapi'olani Community Coll. that explores basic concepts and theories for analyzing dynamics of ethnic group experiences, particularly those represented in Hawai‘i, and their relation to colonization, immigration, gender, problems of identity, racism, and social class.

Teaching Difficult Legal or Political Concepts: Using Online Primary Sources in Writing Assignments

Sue C. Patrick's shares syllabi from her United States History and Western Civilization courses, which include assignments and links to digital primary sources. She also reviews a number of digital primary sources for the benefit of other instructors interested in using them in the classroom.

United States History through the Civil War Syllabus

Sue C. Patrick's syllabus for a United States History through the Civil War course. The syllabus includes assignments and links to digital primary sources.

United States History from the Civil War to the Present Syllabus

Sue C. Patrick's syllabus for her United States History from the Civil War to the Present course, which includes assignments and links to digital primary sources.

Resources for Tuning the History Discipline

Since the first phase of the AHA's Tuning project began in 2012, faculty participants from history departments around the country have reviewed many aspects of their home-department curricula. As a result of their efforts, the AHA is now able to offer examples of revised curricular materials from a broad range of institutions.

Here you will find different sorts of documents produced by faculty for their local needs. Resources include rubrics, assignments, statements of course outcomes and degree requirements, survey questions for history majors or alumni, and other types of materials. The most common format for these resources is the degree specification, a detailed statement about the history degree program at a particular institution.

The degree specification communicates the purpose, characteristics, career pathways, and educational style of each program, as well as delineating core learning proficiencies for students who successfully complete the degree at that institution. The process of creating these statements differed from place to place, but in general faculty collaborated on identifying goals for their degree programs. Each degree specification, therefore, is the result of cooperation and discussion among disciplinary faculty about what their students understand, know, and are able to do at the end of that institution's history program. The language is intended for a general, non-specialist, non-academic audience, including beginning college students who may consider majoring in history.

We have sorted this wealth of documents by the type of institution where they were developed. You can also navigate to each resource by individual faculty participant (alphabetically by institution name). We expect that these will serve as models and catalysts for conversation and curricular reform. We hope to add resources to these pages as faculty either complete new materials or revise preliminary efforts as a result of ongoing consultation with their colleagues.

For questions and feedback, please contact AHA Special Projects Coordinator Julia Brookins by email at [email protected]. For a broader discussion of these and other teaching and learning issues in history, please join the Teaching and Learning community on communities.historians.org .

The National History Center’s New Teaching Decolonization Resource Collection

The National History Center's new Teaching Decolonization Resource Collection provides resources for instructors at any level to teach about decolonization.

Evaluating without Grading

In this version of a specifications grading system, each individual assignment is evaluated on a pass/fail basis. This creates multiple pathways for students to move through the assignments and earn a final grade by “unlocking” different levels of various assignments. Assignment by Luke Clossey and Esther Souman.

Unessay Assignment Sheet

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General information.

• Information Booklet for Scoring the Regents Examination in United States History and Government (Framework)
• Frequently Asked Questions on Cancellation of Regents Examination in United States History and Government (Framework)  - Revised, 6/17/22
• Cancellation of the Regents Examination in United States History and Government (Framework) for June 2022
• Educator Guide to the Regents Examination in United States History and Government (Framework) - Updated, July 2023
• Memo: January 2022 Regents Examination in United States History and Government (Framework) Diploma Requirement Exemption
• Timeline for Regents Examination in United States History and Government and Regents Examination in United States History and Government (Framework)
• Regents Examination in United States History and Government (Framework) Essay Booklet - For June 2023 and beyond
• Prototypes for Regents Examination in United States History and Government (Framework)
• Regents Examination in United States History and Government (Framework) Test Design - Updated, 3/4/19
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The links below lead to sample student papers for the Part II Stimulus-Based Short Essay Questions for both Set 1 and Set 2. They include an anchor paper and a practice paper at each score point on a 5-point rubric. These materials were created to provide further understanding of the Part II Stimulus-Based Short Essay Questions and rubrics for scoring actual student papers. Each set includes Scoring Worksheets A and B, which can be used for training in conjunction with the practice papers. The 5-point scoring rubric has been specifically designed for use with these Stimulus-Based Short Essay Questions.

Part III: Civic Literacy Essay Question

The link below leads to sample student papers for the Part III Civic Literacy Essay Question. It includes Part IIIA and Part IIIB of a new Civic Literacy Essay Question along with rubrics for both parts and an anchor paper and practice paper at each score point on a 5-point rubric. These materials were created to provide further understanding of the Part III Civic Literacy Essay Question and rubric for scoring actual student papers. Also included are Scoring Worksheets A and B, which can be used for training in conjunction with the practice papers. The 5-point scoring rubric is the same rubric used to score the Document-Based Question essay on the current United States History and Government Regents Examination.

• Part III: Civic Literacy Essay Question Sample Student Papers

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JESSE HINGSON’S GENERAL RUBRIC FOR ARGUMENTATIVE ESSAY IN HISTORY

*This rubric is a composite of several rubrics used in several American and World courses taught at Barry University , Bowdoin College , Yale University , Manatee Community College , and Florida International University .