The document provides materials for students to write a five-paragraph essay arguing whether a civilization they have researched was pushed (caused to collapse by external forces) or jumped (caused its own downfall through internal weaknesses). Students are directed to use evidence from their previous research on the civilization to support their argument. They must also address a counterargument and incorporate one of three theories of societal collapse: internal weakness, external conquest, or environmental disaster. The rubric evaluates students' essays on constructing an argument, using evidence, applying Big History concepts, and writing mechanics.

1. STUDENT MATERIALS
ESSAY – WERE THEY PUSHED OR DID THEY JUMP?
Directions: You’re going to pick a civilization you’ve already researched, and then use the information from your Early Civilizations Museum Project, your
Comparing More Civilizations Worksheet, and your Rise, Fall, and Collapse of Civilizations Worksheet to write a five-paragraph essay about whether that civilization
was pushed (external forces were the main cause of its downfall) or it jumped (something internal was responsible—they were their own worst enemy). A
“pushed” example: Two empires went to war. You might say the winning empire “pushed” the losing empire into collapse. An example of a civilization having
“jumped” can be found in the Easter Island Activity earlier in the course: One of the theories for the collapse of Easter Island is that the inhabitants depleted the
natural resources they needed to survive. The people were, in a sense, the cause of their own destruction—they “jumped.”
Your essay must include the following:
1. An assertion about whether the chosen civilization was pushed or jumped.
2. Evidence that supports your assertion in at least two of the paragraphs. In addition, you should point to one (or more) of the three theories from the last activity
as part of your evidence. The three theories are:
• Internal weakness: Did the increasing complexity cause so much fragility that the civilization couldn’t maintain itself?
• External conquest: Was another civilization able to take over this civilization because the internal structure couldn’t hold up?
• Environmental disaster: Did an environmental disaster (natural or created by humans) take down the civilization?
3. One paragraph should talk about the counter-evidence that makes your argument even stronger. For example, if you argue that the Easter Island civilization
“jumped,” you have to provide some counter-evidence showing that they were not pushed. In this case, it could be that there was no evidence of anyone settling
on the island when it first collapsed, and therefore the cause of the collapse had to be internal.
Grade your essay using the Big History Writing Rubric before you turn in your paper to your teacher.
BIG HISTORY PROJECT / LESSON 7.2 ACTIVITY

2. COMPLETE RUBRIC
1
BIG HISTORY PROJECT
CriteriaA-Constructinganargument
Exceptional Skilled Proficient Developing Inadequate
• Claim/thesis: Makes a clear, well-
articulated, and compelling claim/
thesis.
-- Stakes out a position and directly
addresses the essay question.
-- Introduced early on in essay to
structure argument.
-- Claim reflects appropriate
nuance; cautious about dualistic
or binary thinking.
• Structure: Structured carefully
to support the claim with a clear
and coherent line of reasoning to
conclusion.
-- Well-executed progression of
ideas as each paragraph or point
builds upon the last.
-- Logical and clear organization
with a strong beginning, middle,
and end, with a clear conclusion.
-- Conclusion supports essay’s
ideas and includes statement of
significance or implications.
-- Sophisticated arrangement of
content with evident transitions,
connecting parts to construct a
coherent essay.
• Counterclaim: Fairly and
effectively recognizes and refutes
opposing claims.
• Claim/thesis: Makes an
appropriate claim/thesis.
-- Stakes out a position related to
the essay question.
-- Introduced early on in essay to
structure argument.
-- Claim establishes an identifiable
position, though it might reflect
dualistic or binary thinking.
• Structure: Structured to support
the claim with a coherent line of
reasoning to conclusion.
-- Logical and clear organization
with a strong beginning, middle,
and end, with a clear conclusion.
-- Conclusion supports essay’s
ideas, though lacks reference to
significance or implications.
-- Essay uses some transitions to
connect its parts.
• Counterclaim: Recognizes and
attempts to refute an opposing
claim.
• Claim/thesis: Makes an
appropriate claim/thesis.
-- Stakes out a position related to
the essay question.
-- May not be introduced until the
end of the essay, or is broken out
over two or more paragraphs.
-- Claim establishes a position,
though it might reflect dualistic
or binary thinking.
• Structure: Essay has a structure,
but its sections do not always
support the claim or connect to the
conclusion.
-- Has a beginning, middle, and
end, with a conclusion.
-- Conclusion makes brief or
incomplete reference to the
claim/thesis.
-- Essay lacks clear transitions.
• Counterclaim: Might mention
a counterclaim or ignore it
completely.
• Claim/thesis: References the topic,
but make no clear claim or thesis.
• Structure: Essay attempts a
structure but fails to link the
sections to the claim, each other, or
the conclusion.
-- Has a weak beginning, middle,
and end.
-- Essay lacks transitions.
• Counterclaim: Does not mention a
counterclaim at all.
• Claim/thesis: Off topic.
• Structure: Absence of structure
or very limited attempt to organize
essay.
-- Essay brief and does not fully
address question.
• Counterclaim: Does not mention a
counterclaim at all.
WRITING RUBRIC - CRITERIA A

3. COMPLETE RUBRIC
2
BIG HISTORY PROJECT
WRITING RUBRIC - CRITERIA BCriteriaB-Usingtextsasevidence
Exceptional Skilled Proficient Developing Inadequate
• Source:
-- Explicitly uses all but one of the
available texts.
-- Clearly cites author or producer
of the text by name.
• Analysis: Consistently shows
analytical reading of texts by:
-- Demonstrating careful
understanding of each text.
-- Recognizing and explaining
relevant discrepancies among
sources.
-- Recognizing and explaining
similarities among sources.
-- Recognizing the historical
context of the documents.
-- Explaining corroboration among
the texts.
• Connection to claim:
-- Use of documents persuasively
as evidence.
-- Strong use of facts, examples,
and details to support claims.
-- Strong use of factual information,
quotations, analogies,
illustrations, or anecdotes to
support claim.
-- Clearly and fully explains the
relationship between the claims
and the support (clear warrants).
• Accuracy: Makes no errors of
fact.
• Source:
-- Explicitly uses most of the
available texts (six or more).
-- Cites all texts in some manner
(“Text #1,” for example).
• Analysis: Shows analytical reading
by:
-- Demonstrating understanding of
each text.
-- Recognizing similarities among
sources.
-- Occasionally recognizing the
discrepancies among sources.
-- Corroborating or connecting two
or more of the texts.
• Connection to claim:
-- Use of documents as evidence
-- Use of some facts, examples,
and details to support claims.
-- Explains the relationship
between the claims and most of
the texts.
• Accuracy: Makes no errors of
fact.
• Source:
-- Uses some of the available texts
(three or more).
-- May not cite all of the texts in
some manner (“Text #1,” for
example), but essay is clearly
using three or more of the texts.
• Analysis: Occasionally shows
analytical reading of the texts by:
-- Demonstrating understanding of
each text.
-- Recognizing similarities or
discrepancies between two
sources.
• Connection to claim:
-- Does not use the documents as
evidence; does not use texts to
illustrate claims.
-- Use of some facts, examples and
details—not texts—to support
claims.
-- Mentions or hints at the
relationship between the
claim and the facts, but does
no attempt to explain the
relationship.
• Accuracy: Makes one or two
minor errors of fact
• Source: Mentions at least one or
two texts.
• Analysis: No analysis of
sources, although there is some
understanding of the texts used.
• Connection to claim:
-- Does not use the texts to support
or illustrate claims.
-- Minimal use of facts, examples
or details—not texts—to support
claims.
• Accuracy: Makes many minor
errors of fact (three or more) or a
major, substantive error.
• Source: Makes no mention of
provided texts to support or
illustrate claims.
• Analysis:
-- Essay is “support-free.”
-- No use of evidence, examples,
relevant details, analogies, or
illustrations.
• Accuracy: Makes major errors of
fact.

4. COMPLETE RUBRIC
3
BIG HISTORY PROJECT
WRITING RUBRIC - CRITERIA CCriteriaC-ApplyingBHPconcepts
Exceptional Skilled Proficient Developing Inadequate
• Concepts: Effectively applies
two or more BHP course-level
concepts and/or unit-level concepts
or ideas.
-- Demonstrates an understanding
of the concepts.
-- Connects the concepts to the
argument and/or evidence.
-- Avoids misconceptions of the
concepts.
• Content: Avoids errors in applying
additional BHP facts or content to
illustrate or support concepts and
claims, or to inform the essay.
• Concepts: Applies one BHP
course-level concept and/or unit-
level concept or idea.
-- Demonstrates an understanding
of the concept.
-- Connects the concept to the
argument and/or evidence.
-- Avoids misconceptions of the
concept.
• Content: Avoids errors in applying
additional BHP facts or content to
illustrate or support concepts and
claims, or to inform the essay.
• Concepts: Attempts to apply one
BHP course-level concept and/or
unit-level concept or idea.
-- Mentions a concept
appropriately, but without fully
articulating its meaning or
connection to the argument.
-- Avoids explicit misconceptions of
the concept.
• Content: May make an occasional
minor error in applying additional
BHP facts or content in support of
the claims, or to inform the essay.
• Concepts: Mentions at least one
BHP course-level concept and/
or unit-level concept or idea either
incorrectly or inappropriately.
-- Mentions a concept.
-- Includes misconceptions of the
concept.
• Content: May make many minor
errors or a major error in applying
additional BHP facts or content.
• Concepts: No mention of BHP
course-level concepts and/or unit-
level concepts or ideas.

5. COMPLETE RUBRIC
4
BIG HISTORY PROJECT
WRITING RUBRIC - CRITERIA DCriteriaD-Writingwithappropriatemechanics
Exceptional Skilled Proficient Developing Inadequate
• Language: Uses a variety of vivid,
concise, and disciplinary-specific
words.
• Mechanics:
-- Writing is free of spelling and
grammatical errors.
-- Needs little or no editing.
• Tone/Voice:
-- Sophisticated and well-controlled
sentences; uses variation.
-- Uses consistent voice and an
objective tone appropriate for
academic writing.
-- Uses style consistent with
academic writing.
• Language: Uses concise and
disciplinary-specific words.
• Mechanics:
-- Writing has an occasional
spelling or minor grammatical
error.
-- Needs modest editing.
• Tone/Voice:
-- Complete sentences with some
variation.
-- Uses objective tone appropriate
for academic writing.
• Language: Uses appropriate
and specific words, although not
necessarily reflecting the disciplines
of history or the sciences.
• Mechanics:
-- Writing has spelling, grammatical,
and punctuation errors, but they
do not impede readability or
comprehension.
-- Needs editing.
• Tone/Voice: Tone does not reflect
academic writing (uses slang, for
example).
• Language: Words used are
occasionally vague, redundant, or
misused.
• Mechanics:
-- Writing has spelling,
grammatical, and punctuation
errors that hinder readability or
comprehension.
-- Frequent errors in sentence or
paragraph structure (incomplete
or run-on sentences or
paragraphs, for example).
-- Needs substantive editing.
• Tone/Voice: Tone does not reflect
academic writing (uses slang, for
example).
• Language: Word choice is incorrect
or distracting.
• Mechanics:
-- Writing has spelling, grammatical,
and punctuation errors
that impede readability or
comprehension.
-- Frequent errors in sentence or
paragraph structure (incomplete
or run-on sentences or
paragraphs, for example).
-- Inadequate mechanics with
consistent errors in punctuation,
capitalization, and spelling.
-- Needs substantive editing.
• Tone/Voice: Tone does not reflect
academic or informal writing (uses
slang, for example).

6. Name: Date:
STUDENT MATERIALS
2
BIG HISTORY PROJECT
Directions: Use this table to score and comment on the writing that you are evaluating. Put an X in the cell that denotes the grade. Use the other cells for comments.
Description Exceptional (5) Skilled (4) Proficient (3) Developing (2) Inadequate (1) Score
Criteria A -
Constructing an
argument
Criteria B -
Using texts as
evidence
Criteria C -
Applying BHP
concepts
Criteria D -
Writing with
appropriate
mechanics
Total Score
WRITING RUBRIC

7. Name: Date:
STUDENT MATERIALS
WRITING WORKSHEET
Directions: It’s important to write well so that you can clearly communicate your understanding and ideas in Big History writing assignments. Your writing skills
should build off of and complement your reading and vocab skills. Use this worksheet as a way to get started on your writing.
1. What is your thesis statement for your paper?
2. What resources will you use to support the claims in your writing? List them here along with a sentence about why the resource is important for your writing.
Resource 1:
How it supports your claims:
Resource 2:
How it supports your claims:
BIG HISTORY PROJECT

8. Name: Date:
STUDENT MATERIALS
WRITING WORKSHEET
Resource 3:
How it supports your claims:
3. Don’t forget to look over the Big History Writing Rubric as you write. Make sure your writing covers all of the categories in the rubric and check them off as you
go.
BIG HISTORY PROJECT
Category A: Constructing an argument. Is your essay’s position on the issue clear? Do you use supporting claims to make your argument?
Do you mention any counterclaims and explain why your claim is stronger?
Category B: Using text as evidence. Did you include references to the documents you used in your research and explain how they
support your claims? Did you mention similarities between texts you used as well as any discrepancies?
Category C: Applying BHP Concepts. Did you use at least one BHP course concept and/or one unit concept to support your argument?
Did you demonstrate your understanding of the concepts you used? Did you use any additional BHP facts or content in your essay?
Category D: Writing with appropriate mechanics. Did you use appropriate vocabulary? Did you use pay attention to spelling, grammar, and
punctuation? Does your paragraph structure make sense? Is the tone and voice of your writing appropriate for an academic essay?