Prompt: Students will write an essay about Representative John Lewis that focuses on the below requirements, relying heavily on primary sources. Students must examine:
What specific life experiences led Lewis into his involvement in the Civil Rights Movement and,
How Lewis revolutionized (fundamentally changed) civil rights in the United States
*In order to fully answer the prompt, students need to prove a fundamental change analyzing Lewis’s work – what were things like before Lewis’s activism and after?
Guidelines: Using primary sources, compose a 750 – 1,000 word biography essay about Representative John Lewis that answers the entire prompt, above. Communicate why Lewis’s story is compelling in a clear and concise fashion. All claims, analysis, and arguments must be supported by cited evidence.
Introduction: Introduce the topic you will be discussing in your paper. Provide your argument/thesis/main idea.
Main Body: Support your thesis in an organized fashion. Provide cited and credible evidence to prove your thesis. Provide your own analysis, supported by cited and credible evidence. Use predominantly primary sources. What was Lewis’s childhood/adolescence like before the Civil Rights Movement? How did that contribute to his activism/why is that important? What work did Lewis do in the Civil Rights Movement? Why was his work important? How did his work specifically revolutionize the United States? Why is that important?
Conclusion: Reiterate your thesis and conclude/sum up Lewis’s impact on the Civil Rights Movement/the United States
Students must reference at least 2 of the assigned articles:
“John Lewis” from the book Reflections: Conversations, Essays, and Other Writings by Thomas Hauser (JSTOR)
“The Voting Rights Act: Ensuring Dignity and Democracy” by John Lewis (JSTOR)
“Where Did the Civil Rights Movement Go Wrong?” by John Lewis (JSTOR)
The history of the Civil Rights Movement should be researched by students and interpreted through John Lewis’s writings. It is vital that we share history with those who experienced it and consider their point of view when discussing their experiences.
Students must cite a minimum of 3 sources, total (primary and/or scholarly sources to earn an A grade). Students may, however, use other credible sources including websites, journal articles, documentary films, television programs, or books, as long as they cite 2 of the assigned articles listed above. Students may include direct quotes or paraphrase from the source consulted but the source must be cited.
Students cannot reference Wikipedia or YouTube.
Utilize a proper citation format, either MLA, APA, or Chicago style (for help, visit owl.purdue.edu)
Double space, 12 font, Times New Roman
Do not include a cover page. Follow this format when heading your assignments
Title created by student (e.g. How John Lewis Contributed to the Civil Rights Movement)
No page numbers
Word count on the bottom of the last page of each assignment
Students must use third person (example: Social media revolutionized our world because…), not first person (example: In my opinion…). You are showing me what the research shows, not what you think about the topic.
