Tackling the DBQ

Pre-Writing

• Every DBQ has a mandatory pre-writing period of 15 minutes. This portion is CRITICAL to success. The following slides give you strategies as to how to use those 15 minutes.

I. Read and Interpret the Prompt

• Read the prompt three times.

You must make sure you are actually answering the question/addressing the right prompt!

II. Identify the Task

• State in your own words what it is you’re being asked. To do this, underline key words.

• What words would you underline as important to the question?

II. Identify the Task

• “To what extent had the colonists developed a sense of their identity and unity as Americans by the eve of the Revolution?

• Use the documents and your knowledge of the period 1750 to 1776 to answer the question.”

II. Identify the Task

III. Outside Information

• Outside information is critical to DBQ happiness.

• Roughly 50% of your supporting details should be from outside the documents!

III. Outside Information

• Use the acronym PERSIA to help organize outside information.

• PoliticalEconomic

• Religious• Social• Intellectual• Artistic

IV. The Documents

• Do not look at the documents until you have addressed the prompt and organized outside information.

IV. The Documents

• Now, read the documents.

• Make a little note next to each that marks their significance.

• To do so, use: • Author• Place and time• Audience• Reason• Significance

IV. The Documents

• Organize the documents by category.

V. Using the Sources

• In your essay, never refer to document A as document A.

• Instead, refer to the title or finish the reference with (doc A).

• You should use MOST of the documents (not necessarily all of them).

• DO try to address the hard ones.

VI. Thesis

• Remember, as long as you can effectively argue your thesis, then you can earn a high score.

• There is no ONE right answer to a DBQ.

VII. Writing the DBQ

• Create a brief outline first.

• Thesis

• Body Paragraphs (at least three, you can certainly use more)

• Conclusion

VII. Writing the DBQ Misc.• 1. The essay has an adequate introduction in which the time frame is noted.• 2. The thesis provides an answer to the question and divides the answer

into categories.• 3. Proper essay style is used (think 5 paragraph format where applicable).• 4. Grammar and spelling are adequate (do not misspell words that are

supplied in the documents).• 5. You have not referred to yourself in the essay and you have not told the

readers what they are "going to learn".• 6. A great majority of the documents have been used in a manner which

makes their use readily apparent to the reader.• 7. Quotations are limited to a phrase which is placed within the context of

your answer.• 8. ALL PARTS OF THE QUESTION have been answered.• 9. A conclusion exists which summarizes the evidence, restates the thesis

and indicates a direction for further study or occurrences.