The Document-Based Question (DBQ) – Teaching Guide - 1
The Document-Based Question (DBQ) – Essay Outline
Using the documents provided and your knowledge of world history, analyze the
degree to which the Mongol Empire affected societies of Afro-Eurasia in the
thirteenth and fourteenth centuries.
PRE-WRITING THOUGHT PROCESS
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------1. Verb?
“degree”
“affected”
“societies of Afro-Eurasia”
2. PRELIMINARY THESIS: Based on the prompt, which SPICE theme is addressed in
this prompt?
 TEMPLATE: The Mongols [degree of affect] affected [insert region/time
period] in [insert SPICE-type category]
 The Mongols majorly affected societies of Afro-Eurasia in the thirteenth and
fourteenth centuries in culture and politics.
 The Mongols also moderately affected Afro-Eurasia in economy.
3. PERIODIZATION – Know the time spans for each the unit(s).
a. This question is addressing Unit ____
b. The major themes of Unit _____ include
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
The Document-Based Question (DBQ) – Teaching Guide - 2
INTRODUCTION TO THE DBQ RUBRIC
History is complex and the truth is often hard to find. Historians will often have the same
primary documents and disagree about its meanings and significance, this any historical
essay must account for historical complexity. Therefore, we must demonstrate how
documents corroborate with our arguments and with one another. We must also show
how some pieces of evidence supports our argument, but with qualifications. And we
must also address how some sources contradicts our argument and how we might
address them. All of the above are methods of developing a historical argument.
1. Explain what you do when you contradict an argument.
SAMPLE: The
Mongols
What evidence would contradict the sample argument?
greatly
enhanced the
2. Explain what you do when you corroborate an argument.
What evidence would corroborate the sample argument?
ability of
interregional
trade of luxury
goods from the
Middle East to
3. Explain what you do when you qualify an argument.
China
What evidence would qualify the sample argument?
When you develop your argument, you can use any of these methods so that you
address all of the documents. You can even use this as your groupings (see next part)
The Document-Based Question (DBQ) – Teaching Guide - 3
BRAINSTORM AND GROUPING
From the document set, group the documents into 2-3 categories of analysis. These
categories can be based on—common opinion, similar SPICE analysis, common region or
time period, etc. But the categories must be based on the question you are addressing
and the evidence provided by the documents. Be sure you used all 7 documents. In the
graphic below, create a title for each category, circle the documents associated, and
determine which style of argument(s) was utilized in this set of documents. If you used
all the documents in your first two categories, you may use the third body paragraph to
synthesize your argument.
Category #1:
Category #2:
Category #3:
Doc. #: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Doc. #: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Doc. #: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
CORROBORATE
CORROBORATE
CONTRADICT
CONTRADICT
QUALIFY
QUALIFY
CHANGE
CHANGE
CONTINUITY
CONTINUITY
CORROBORATE
CONTRADICT
QUALIFY
CHANGE
CONTINUITY
SYNTHESIS
THESIS
1st CATEGORY OF ANALYSIS: I will argue…
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
2nd CATEGORY OF ANALYSIS: I will argue…
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
3rd CATEGORY OF ANALYSIS: I will argue…
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Then return back and determine if your document groupings corroborate, contradict, qualify, demonstrate
change and/or demonstrate continuity
The Document-Based Question (DBQ) – Teaching Guide - 4
INTRODUCTION
BROAD CONTEXT:
1st – Prompt Context –
time period, region,
prompt topic – When?
Where? What?
HISTORICAL CONTEXT:
2nd – Historical
Context – elaborate and
explain the immediate
historical setting(s) for
your essay.
THESIS:
3rd – Thesis Statement
– specifically address
all parts of the prompt.
The Document-Based Question (DBQ) – Teaching Guide - 5
BODY PARAGRAPH #1
TOPIC SENTENCE #1
EVIDENCE #1
Briefly summarize the document—no more than one sentence, quote only when
absolutely necessary (and when you do, use no more than a few words and utilize
ellipses “…” to skip non-essential parts)
Explain how the document can be considered evidence for your topic sentence:
Source the Document – Includes both identification of method and explanation
(Occasion/Context - Author’s POV - Purpose/Audience - Historical Significance)
The Document-Based Question (DBQ) – Teaching Guide - 6
OUTSIDE EVIDENCE – What additional piece of evidence would enhance or qualify your
argument?
[On a separate sheet of paper, repeat the following process for the next two body
paragraphs]
The Document-Based Question (DBQ) – Teaching Guide - 7
CONCLUSION
RESTATE THESIS:
1st –
Restate/Rephrase
your thesis. Think
of this like your
insurance policy in
case your first
thesis attempt is
inadequate.
EXTEND THE ARGUMENT – The “Big C” Context – Think about
major themes and categories that the Mongols were associated
with. Which global processes and how?
Mongol Conquest of
Eurasia
2nd – Extend the
Argument: What
was the
significance of
these events in a
wider context?
3rd – Synthesis
Statement: Link
your discussion to
a similar historical
issue or
development in a
different period,
situation or region,
course theme, or
discipline.
The Document-Based Question (DBQ) – Teaching Guide - 8
CONCLUSION, cont’d
SYNTHESIS
Mongol Conquest of
Eurasia