To answer this assessment correctly, students must identify the event depicted in an iconic historical photograph and explain why the event is historically significant. For the first question, students should explain that the photograph shows members of the Little Rock Nine escorted by soldiers from the 101st Airborne Division of the U.S. Army at the recently desegregated Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas. For Question 2, successful students might focus one or more of the following:
- The president calling in federal troops to force a state to comply with the ruling of a federal court was monumental and symbolic for the Civil Rights Movement.
- The courage shown by the Little Rock Nine in the face of violent threats made them icons of the Civil Rights Movement and inspired other civil rights activists throughout the decades.
- The need for federal troops to protect the students represents the violent and vitriolic resistance to desegregation in Southern states after Brown v. Board and state efforts to undermine enforcement of the ruling.
Level: Proficient
Question 1
Student clearly and specifically identifies the event depicted in the photograph.
Question 2
Student clearly and specifically explains why the event was historically significant.
Level: Emergent
Question 1
Student provides correct information related to the event but does not clearly identify the significant event.
Question 2
Student correctly elaborates on the event but does not clearly explain why the event is historically significant.
Level: Basic
Question 1
Student does not correctly identify the event.
Question 2
Student does not provide a correct or relevant explanation for why the event was historically significant.
