In this module, we learned about the work of several different movements and activist groups who were striving to make the United States a more just and inclusive nation. In this discussion forum, you’ll pick at least two of these movements and compare their goals and strategies.
Step 1: First, pick at least two movements to compare.
- African American civil rights movement
- Black Power
- Mexican American civil rights movement
- Chicano movement
- Student movements (such as La Raza Unida, SDS, and Berkeley Free Speech)
- Women’s movement
Step 2: In the discussion form, answer the following:
- What goals and/or strategies did these movements share in common?
- Examples of movements’ goals included voting rights, antidiscrimination legislation, or an end to poverty, among others.
- The movements’ strategies included, but were not limited to, sit-ins, protests, grassroots initiatives, and literary publications.
- In what ways did their goals and/or strategies conflict?
This step can be completed in one of two ways:
- A written response of approximately a paragraph discussing the two movements goals/strategies.
- A Venn diagram listing the goals and/or strategies of the movements, with commonalities listed in the middle. One to two brief sentences summarizing the diagram will help peers understand your ideas.
Step 3: Respond in two separate posts to two classmates (in at least 75 words).
- Explicitly address their examples and try to extend, complicate, or redirect their points in a substantive, knowledge-demonstrating way.
- Be sure to cite relevant concepts and key terms from the reading.
Tip: You may respond to peers in any way that is respectful and focuses on what your classmate wrote. However, the following prompts may help you craft your reply:
- Does your peer’s post contain ideas similar to what you wrote about? If so, this is a great opportunity to point out commonalities or differences among multiple organizations, not just the two in the post.
- Did you notice something in the module readings related to a classmate’s post? Consider sharing this example and explaining how it reinforces or contradicts their post.
- Ask a peer for their take on something that doesn’t make sense to you or that you didn’t notice in the module.
Rubric
Please customize as needed.
| Criteria | Developing | Satisfactory | Excellent | Points |
| Responds to prompt | Response shows learner’s effort to answer the prompt, but response is surface-level. Future responses should include analysis or critique. Learner can also work to contribute novel ideas, connections, or applications. | Response is accurate, but could be more fully developed. Learner should focus on providing more information and thoughtful analysis in future responses. | Response is thoughtful and clearly addresses the content and questions asked. This response is excellent due to the presence of original thoughts and novel ideas. | __/4 |
| Supporting Details | Response demonstrates learner’s effort to participate, but response is short on details and evidence to back up opinion with facts. | Response includes opinions supported with details, but connections could be clearer, more firmly established, or made explicit. | Response is excellent due to inclusion of supporting evidence and clear connections to course content and/or other experiences. Evidence is cited when appropriate. | __/2 |
| Comments and participation | Responses are brief or absent. Participation in the learning community should be increased in future discussions. | Responses are kind and build on the comments of others, but could more fully demonstrate deep thought or include more detail or explanation. | Responses are kind and thoroughly extend discussions already taking place. Responses excel by posing new possibilities or opinions not previously voiced. Responses are substantive and constructive. | __/4 |
| Total | __/10 |