Dr. Michael Calvert
Assistant Superintendent, South Allegheny School District, Pennsylvania
Been using Humy in his district since 2024
“We enjoyed the program last year and used it frequently.”
Interview assignment
Voices for Equality: Interviewing Leaders of the Civil Rights Movement
Choose from Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, John Lewis and Fannie Lou Hamer
Grade 8Social StudiesCommunity
A ready-made interview for Grade 8, shared by a teacher on Humy. Students question one of 4 AI figures in a live chat. Humy grades the conversation against the rubric below.
Free teacher account · 20 AI messages a month · No credit card
- Format
- Interview
- Grade
- 8
- Grading
- Per criterion
Voices for Equality: Interviewing Leaders of the Civil Rights Movement
PreviewInteract responsibly with the AI and verify facts. Note that teachers have access to these conversations.
Choose a figure to interview
Hello, I'm Martin Luther King Jr. I'm ready for your interview. What's your first question?
The assignment
When injustice divides a nation, how do courageous individuals spark lasting change? Today's ongoing debates around equality, voting access, and civil liberties reflect the transformative struggles of the 1960s. Step into history and conduct a direct, one-on-one interview with an iconic leader who helped reshape American democracy.
Choose Your Historical Figure
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Eloquent preacher and nonviolent strategist who mobilized millions in landmark campaigns from Montgomery to Washington.
Rosa Parks
Dedicated NAACP activist whose steadfast courage sparked the citywide bus boycott that challenged Jim Crow segregation.
John Lewis
Fearless Freedom Rider and student organizer who championed "good trouble" and braved police brutality in Selma.
Fannie Lou Hamer
Uncompromising Mississippi grassroots organizer who fought voter suppression and championed the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party.
Your Mission: Investigate the moral convictions, strategic dilemmas, and immense personal sacrifices behind the struggle for civil rights. Ask incisive questions to evaluate how their historic breakthroughs continue to impact modern civic action.
Formulate insightful inquiries, challenge assumptions, and listen closely to their lived experiences.
Select your preferred leader above and click Start Assignment to begin your conversation!
Rubric
Students see this rubric before they start. Humy scores the conversation against it and writes feedback for each criterion.
Grade 8 • Aligned with IB Middle Years Programme (MYP Individuals & Societies) • Maximum Score: 16 Points
Grading Guidance: Evaluate the student's questions, historical reasoning, and live conversational responsiveness. Do not evaluate the AI persona's answers.
| Criterion | Beginning (1 Point) | Developing (2 Points) | Proficient (3 Points) | Exemplary (4 Points) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Responsive Interview Dialogue Evaluation of sustained dialogue, active listening, and probing verification. | Submits a rigid question list without adapting to or probing the leader's responses. | Asks follow-up questions inconsistently, showing limited engagement with the leader's actual answers. | Engages in back-and-forth dialogue with relevant follow-ups based on the leader's responses. | Sustains dynamic multi-turn dialogue, building on responses to verify or challenge claims. |
Inquiry into Convictions, Dilemmas, and Sacrifices Investigation of moral grounding, strategic crossroads, and personal risks. | Misses key discussion of the leader's personal convictions, dilemmas, or movement sacrifices. | Mentions general beliefs or struggles with limited focus on specific dilemmas or sacrifices. | Examines the leader's moral beliefs, tactical choices, and sacrifices made during the movement. | Probes deeply into the leader's core moral convictions, strategic dilemmas, and personal sacrifices. |
Connecting History to Modern Civic Action Evaluation of how historical breakthroughs inform contemporary civic action. | Fails to connect the leader's historical breakthroughs to current civic action or debates. | Draws superficial or vague parallels between past civil rights milestones and modern struggles. | Connects the leader's historical achievements to contemporary issues of equality and civic engagement. | Inquires incisively about how the leader's historic breakthroughs directly impact modern civic action. |
Critical Historical Context Accuracy of civil rights context and challenging assumptions with evidence. | Shows minimal historical context, relying on simplistic, inaccurate, or historically disconnected questions. | Displays partial historical knowledge, asking broad questions with occasional factual or contextual inaccuracies. | Displays sound historical understanding by asking relevant, factually grounded questions about the era. | Demonstrates deep historical accuracy, challenging assumptions through perceptive, evidence-based inquiry. |
How to Calculate Your Final Score
Calculate your total score by adding the points earned in all four criteria:
Responsive Dialogue Score + Convictions & Sacrifices Score + Modern Action Score + Historical Context Score = Final Score (out of 16 points)
- Maximum Total Score: 16 points.
- Empty Submissions: A submission that is blank or contains no student questions receives 0 points.
- Scoring Rule: Only the explicit point values listed for each level (1, 2, 3, or 4) can be awarded per criterion. No fractional or in-between points are permitted.
The 4 historical figures in this assignment
Students choose one of these figures to talk to. Each is an AI version grounded in a curated biography and selected historical sources. As with any AI, students should check important claims.
In your classroom
Ready for your class in three steps.
Open it in Humy
Create a free teacher account, open this assignment and choose Copy to my assignments to make it yours.
Share the link
Students open it and type their first and last name. No email, no password.
Humy grades the conversation
Each chat is scored against the rubric, with feedback for each criterion. You see every result.
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What educators are saying
Jacob Chisom
World and American History, Monticello High School, Arkansas
Been using Humy in his classroom since 2024
“My students say it’s a welcome change of pace. I’m not a fan of the “sage on the stage” model, so I try to incorporate research-oriented and self-paced activities. With Humy, students have to take charge of their learning. They’ve become more adept at critical thinking, forming better questions, and improving their reading comprehension. The interview feature has been my go-to tool. I create assignments where students must ask historical figures a set number of questions, then summarize the responses to ensure they’re truly absorbing the material. This approach lets them actively explore the past rather than passively consuming information.”
Roger Campbell
7th-grade World History, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania
Been using Humy in his classroom since 2024
“Humy has helped me bring historical figures, sometimes long past, to life. When my students interact with these figures in real-time, it eliminates some of the perceived “ancient” characteristics of my curriculum. This has shifted my students’ thinking away from viewing history as abstract or irrelevant. Real-time interactions make historical figures relatable, even allowing students to ask off-topic questions that help put historical lives in a more relevant context for 13-year-olds. The feature I use the most is the interview feature. After teaching a topic, most recently Gandhi and Joan of Arc, I have the students ask pointed, focused questions. We practice good conversation techniques beforehand, teaching them to listen (or read) carefully and formulate thoughtful follow-up questions rather than just interrogating. It helps students practice effective conversation skills.”
Dr. Michael Calvert
Assistant Superintendent, South Allegheny School District, Pennsylvania
Been using Humy in his district since 2024
“We enjoyed the program last year and used it frequently.”
Jacob Chisom
World and American History, Monticello High School, Arkansas
Been using Humy in his classroom since 2024
“My students say it’s a welcome change of pace. I’m not a fan of the “sage on the stage” model, so I try to incorporate research-oriented and self-paced activities. With Humy, students have to take charge of their learning. They’ve become more adept at critical thinking, forming better questions, and improving their reading comprehension. The interview feature has been my go-to tool. I create assignments where students must ask historical figures a set number of questions, then summarize the responses to ensure they’re truly absorbing the material. This approach lets them actively explore the past rather than passively consuming information.”
Roger Campbell
7th-grade World History, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania
Been using Humy in his classroom since 2024
“Humy has helped me bring historical figures, sometimes long past, to life. When my students interact with these figures in real-time, it eliminates some of the perceived “ancient” characteristics of my curriculum. This has shifted my students’ thinking away from viewing history as abstract or irrelevant. Real-time interactions make historical figures relatable, even allowing students to ask off-topic questions that help put historical lives in a more relevant context for 13-year-olds. The feature I use the most is the interview feature. After teaching a topic, most recently Gandhi and Joan of Arc, I have the students ask pointed, focused questions. We practice good conversation techniques beforehand, teaching them to listen (or read) carefully and formulate thoughtful follow-up questions rather than just interrogating. It helps students practice effective conversation skills.”
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
What do students do in "Voices for Equality: Interviewing Leaders of the Civil Rights Movement"?
They choose one of 4 AI figures, then read the task and the rubric and ask their questions in a live chat. When they finish, Humy scores the conversation against the rubric with feedback for each criterion.
How is it graded?
Automatically against the rubric on this page. Each criterion gets a score and written feedback that points to the student's own work. You see every result. Students see their scores too.
Who made this assignment?
A teacher on Humy who shared it with every school. Shared assignments are listed only after they pass Humy's automated content review, and Humy can take one down if it's reported.
Can I change it for my class?
Yes. Open it in Humy and choose Copy to my assignments. You get your own copy of the task, rubric, grade and questions to change before you share it.
Do my students need accounts?
No. Students open the link you share and type their first and last name. No email, no password.
Is Humy free to try?
Yes. A free teacher account includes 20 AI messages a month, shared with your students, plus all five assignment formats and auto-grading. No credit card.
Is Humy.ai safe and compliant for schools?
Yes. Humy.ai is used by more than 100 schools, universities and organisations. The platform is FERPA- and GDPR-aligned, supports SSO, and offers an IT-approval pack tailored for school procurement teams.
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