Civic disposition pre-assessment
Had you lived in the antebellum South, would you have been an abolitionist? Had you lived in Nazi Germany, would you have had the courage to take a stand against Hitler? When you witness acts of oppression, how do you respond? Although most people like to think that they would speak out against injustice, doing so is often difficult and sometimes dangerous. The civic disposition pre-assessment seeks to guage students' readiness to become active participants in society with a strong commitment to work with others towards public purposes.
Directions: Carefully read the prompts below and type your responses in a Google doc. Your responses should be formal and complete. Save your document as "Civic disposition pre-assessment" and share it with Mr. Soeder at [email protected] and Mrs. Trentanelli at [email protected].
Part One: Extended Response Question
The Issue: Both individuals and government and non-governmental organizations and systems sometimes neglect their responsibility to stand up to acts of oppression and work for justice.
Prompt: Tell us about a time you witnessed an act of oppression toward a minority or minority group (i.e. racial and ethnic minorities, gender and sexuality minorities, religious minorities, age minorities, people with disabilities, economic minorities, etc.).
Part Two: Argument Synthesis Question
Prompt: After reading the three texts provided, construct an argument synthesis for what it means to be a justice oriented citizen. Develop your claims and counterclaims using multiple arguments and references to the sources provided, along with formal citations. You may also include additional relevant research or personal experiences to support your argument. Your response should be formal and complete.
The Issue: Both individuals and government and non-governmental organizations and systems sometimes neglect their responsibility to stand up to acts of oppression and work for justice.
Prompt: Tell us about a time you witnessed an act of oppression toward a minority or minority group (i.e. racial and ethnic minorities, gender and sexuality minorities, religious minorities, age minorities, people with disabilities, economic minorities, etc.).
- In what way(s) might this be a problem?
- What are some possible causes of this problem?
- Evaluate your response or the response of others
- What are the strengths and limitations of these possible solutions to this problem?
Part Two: Argument Synthesis Question
Prompt: After reading the three texts provided, construct an argument synthesis for what it means to be a justice oriented citizen. Develop your claims and counterclaims using multiple arguments and references to the sources provided, along with formal citations. You may also include additional relevant research or personal experiences to support your argument. Your response should be formal and complete.
Resources:
George H.W. Bush’s Inaugural Address (1989)
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "Letter from a Birmingham Jail" (1963)
Brigid Duall Brockway's A Busybody's Guide to Improving the World (2008)
George H.W. Bush’s Inaugural Address (1989)
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "Letter from a Birmingham Jail" (1963)
Brigid Duall Brockway's A Busybody's Guide to Improving the World (2008)
Please click HERE for a list of objectives and rubrics.