To answer this question correctly, students must see both the strengths and weaknesses of Thomas's memoir as evidence of how the South changed after the Civil War. For Question 1, students must explain that the memoir is useful because it is a first-hand account of someone who experienced the changes. For Question 2, students must explain that it is less useful as evidence, either because it is a memoir and may be embellished or because it was written decades after the events it describes.
Level: Proficient
Question 1
Student explains that the memoir is useful evidence because it is a first-hand description of someone who lived in the South before and after the Civil War.
Question 2
Student explains that the memoir is less useful as evidence either because it is a memoir that may be embellished or because it was written decades after the events described.
Level: Emergent
Question 1
Student sees that the memoir provides some evidence of how the South changed after the Civil War but makes assumptions about the memoir that go beyond the warrants of the evidence or does not fully explain how the memoir could provide useful evidence.
Question 2
Student sees that the memoir has limitations but provides an incomplete explanation about why the memoir is limited as evidence.
Level: Basic
Question 1
Student does not provide a relevant explanation for how the memoir could be useful as evidence.
Question 2
Student does not identify or explain the limitations of the memoir as evidence.
