Grading is one of the most challenging tasks of the humanities teacher. Grading a simple question such as, “In what year did Columbus discover the Americas?” is easy and straightforward. But grading the question, “What motivated Columbus to set sail?” is rather complex because it requires a careful consideration on the part of the teacher over a multitude of answers. The reason for this is that history is an art within the humanities which, as Harry L. Lewis once said, “teach[es] us what it means to be human.” A multitude of answers can therefore be given since different students have different perspectives.

That said, specific information is always provided in these history lessons. Furthermore, a principle, or main idea, is always referred to. The real art of the humanities teacher is to evaluate a student’s knowledge, understanding, and wisdom of a given subject. Such an evaluation looks like this:

1. Knowledge—Does the student know key people, places, dates, and events?
2. Understanding—Does the student understand how the idea or action of one person or people resulted in a specific event or culture later in History?
3. Wisdom—Can the student apply this knowledge and understanding to other periods of history, other subjects, and even his or her personal life?

When I grade my students according to this rubric, I ask several key questions of the student’s answers. First, I want to know, “Do the answers of the student show a work ethic matching their current maturity in the discipline of history?” No one starts in the same place as another. Every individual brings a unique experience and perspective to the table. Thus, not all students have the same abilities as each other when answering questions or performing tasks. However, all students can be graded against themselves, week-by-week. The goal is to see consistent improvement in students’ answers exam-by-exam and to evaluate their level of work ethic when they apply themselves to an assigned task or question.

Secondly, “How thorough is the answer of the student?” Consider whether or not the student has answered all parts of the question. Determine whether or not all required information has been included. Ask the student to augment answers that are vague or lacking in detail. After all, history is about specifics and is typically told through a narrative. Students should be able to retell the stories of the past as this is the key to enjoying history.

Thirdly, “Does the student show an ability to interact with and explain the principle through their answers?” This is the most difficult part to grade but is also the most rewarding. In the work of my students, I am constantly searching for an understanding of how Biblical principles work, whatever the subject, because this is the key to wisdom. In the answers of your students, you want to ask whether or not they understand the main idea and have connected it to the specific info contained in the lesson. If they have, encourage them to apply this in other areas of their life. If they have not, review the material or discuss it from a fresh perspective.

History is an art and cannot be mastered in any single lifetime. It is an art akin to a spiritual discipline since no matter the number of times we have heard a certain tale or learned a specific verse, we must return to it again and again lest we become forgetful and slip into the void of unfaithfulness. History teaches us to remember God’s mighty deeds and to hope because an infinite and merciful Yahweh has already ordained our days—past, present, and future.