What Is It?
• An essay question that requires you to
interpret primary source documents.
• Documents might include the following:
Newspaper articles/editorials
Letters/diaries
Speeches
Legislation
Political cartoons
Charts and graphs
What Are the Documents for?
• To discuss events and ideas with which
you are familiar.
• To support or refute the essay
questions
• Focus around the essay topic
When Do I Take the DBQ?
• After the multiple-choice section
• You get a green booklet with the essay
questions and DBQ
• Begins with a 15 minute mandatory
reading period
– Evaluate and interpret the documents
Is There a Right Answer to Each
DBQ?
• Yes
– Multiple arguments
• Develop your argument (thesis) with
evidence (include outside information)
• Use a strong historical argument
I Have the Question, Now What Do
I Do? Getting Started
• Read the question thoroughly
• Explore all parts of the question (how
many parts)
• Underline important aspects
• Ask these two questions
– Do I have an opinion about this subject?
– What must I discuss in order to write a
successful essay? (most important)
Getting Started Cont.
• Your essay will follow the standard writing
formula
– Thesis or introductory paragraph
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•
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Opening sentence
Rephrase question
Your opinion
Introduce your arguments
– Body
• At least 3 full length paragraphs
• Minimum of 2 documents to backup your argument
• The more you use, the better your essay if they are used
correctly
– Conclusion
Getting Started Cont.
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•
•
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Gather information
Address issues
Decide on data
Organize plan of attack
Gather Outside Information
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Jot down terms, ideas, and/or concepts
2 or 3 minutes
Decide what you can and cannot use
Insert into cluster/outline
Reading the Documents
Use the AP-PARTS to help you understand the
documents
A = Author
P = Place and Time
P = Prior Knowledge
A = Audience
R = Reason
T = The Main Idea
S = Significance
Reading the Documents
Document Order
• Chronological - if the test is asking
you trace the historical development.
• Otherwise – organized for compare
and contrast (draw comparisons in
your essay).
Reading the Documents
Inconsistencies
• Not all documents agree
• Present different view points
• Recognize inconsistencies
– APPARTS help you identify the source and
differing opinions of the same event or data
Reading the Documents
Once you decided on your thesis:
(documents)
1. Supporting evidence
2. Contradicting evidence
- incorporate and acknowledge these
3. Why was that document included?
4. Add more outside info (???)
Thesis Development
• Read question one more time
• Develop an argument you can prove
• Make sure your thesis addresses all
pertinent aspects of the question
Write Your Essay
• Get to the point
• Back thesis up with facts, solid evidence not fluff
– opening statement with your opinion, restate the question
and 3 arguments
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•
•
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Use ½ plus 1 of the documents
Make sure you are addressing the question
Refer back to the question several times
be sure you cite each document used
• Don’t quote document----summarize or main
idea
• list documents when you use them… (Doc A) (Doc 7)
The Last Word
• Stay confident
• Don’t panic
• Take a deep breath to relax
• You are going to learn how to write
these
• You prepare all year for the test
• Everyone else is in the same boat as
you
The “Top Bun” of your essay!
4-6 sentences
1. Establish TIME & PLACE.
2. Create a clear, THESIS STATEMENT.
[underline or highlight it!]
3. Allude to the SUB-TOPICS or
categories you will discuss to support
your thesis statement
No “laundry list!”
4. Focus on the question at hand—do
NOT begin with a “flowery” sentence!
The “tasty” part of your essay!
8-12 sentences+ per paragraph
1. Identify your sub-topic or category in the
first sentence.
2. Include the documents that are relevant to
support the ideas in the paragraph.
3. Use most of the documents given [70%].
4. Be sure to indicate Point-of-View
(POV)/bias.
5. Bring in supportive outside information
[o.i.]. This is critical!!
6. Why were these documents selected?
1. Attribution  Who is this person?
2. Why might they be significant?
3. What is the point of view (POV) of the
author?
4. How reliable and accurate is the source?
5. What is the tone or intent of the document
author?
6. What other information does this document
call to mind? Use all available clues.
Remember, docs. can be used in a variety of ways!
The “Bottom Bun” of your essay!
It holds it all together!
3-4 sentences
1. Start with a “concluding phrase.”
2. Restate your thesis statement a bit differently.
3. Put your essay answer in a larger historical
perspective.
End of some trend/movement/idea, etc.
Beginning of some trend/movement/idea,
etc.
End of one & beginning of another.
Do NOT end on the note that this is the
reason we are where we are today!
1.Attribution: cite the author by
name, title, or position, if possible.
Why is this person and
document selected?
How does it help me answer
the question?
EXAMPLES:
John Tyler, an English writer,
said: “...”
A Dominican monk in Florence
described….
2. Authorial Point of View: you show
awareness that the gender, occupation,
class, religion, nationality, political
position or ethnic identity of the author
could influence his/her views.
How does this apply to the
question?
Why has the author written what
he/she has?
EXAMPLE:
Balthasar Rusow, a Lutheran
pastor, was naturally upset by
the celebration of a Saint’s
Day, since Lutherans don’t
venerate saints.
3. Reliability and accuracy of each
source referenced: you examine a
source for its reliability and accuracy
by questioning if the author of the
document would be in a position to be
accurate.
How might this help you answer
the question?
EXAMPLE:
Niccolo Machiavelli’s book on the
political tactics of a Renaissance
prince was probably accurate as
he observed the behavior of the
prince, Cesare Borgia, for many
years.
4. Tone or Intent of the Author:
you examine the text of a document
to determine its tone (satire, irony,
indirect commentary, etc.) or the
intent of the author. Especially
useful for visual documents, like art
work or political cartoons.
EXAMPLE:
In his great sculpture of
“David,” Michelangelo wanted to
convey the confidence, and even
arrogance, of Renaissance
Florence at the peak of its
cultural influence in 16 Europe.
5. Grouping of Docs. by Author:
you show an awareness that
certain types of authors, simply
by their authorship, will express
similar views when you group
documents by type of author.
EXAMPLE:
As Northern Renaissance
humanists, Erasmus, Sir
Thomas More, and Cervantes all
poked fun at the foibles and
scandals of late medieval
society as well as of their own.
1. Baldassare Castiglione, in The Handbook
of the Courtier, said: “………………….”
2. Erasmus of Rotterdam, a northern
Christian humanist, agreed with…
3. The 19c historian, Jacob Burkhardt,
felt that …………………. (Doc. 9)
NEVER begin with: In Document 3, …..
Write out your introductory paragraph in full,
underlining your thesis statement.
¶1  sub-topic title
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Information from a document (Doc-B)
Information from another document (Doc-E)
Some outside information (OI)
Different info. from the same document (Doc-E)
¶2  sub-topic title
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Information from a document (Doc-A)
Some outside information (OI)
Some outside information (OI)
Information from another document (Doc-H)
¶3  sub-topic title
Information from a document (Doc-C)
Information from another document (Doc-D)
Some outside information (OI)
Information from another document (Doc-F)
New information from the same document
(Doc-F)
 Some outside information (OI)
 Some outside information (OI)
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Write out your concluding paragraph in full.