DO NOT WRITE ON THIS PORTION OF THE DBQ TEST!!
Egypt
Document Based Question
The question is based on the accompanying documents on the following pages. This question is designed to test
your ability to work with historical documents. Some of these have been edited for the purpose of this task. To
analyze the documents, take into account both the source of the document and any point of view that may be
presented in the document.
Directions:
 Analyze the documents. Make any notes that you like on the documents (annotate!).
 Read the essay question and plan your essay (brainstorm!).
 Write a well-organized essay. Be sure to RACE your answer. On a DBQ test, your RACE answer may
be longer and have more paragraphs than a normal RACE answer. Keep this in mind.
 Cite evidence from all of the documents to support your essay.
 Include your own knowledge to support your essay.
Historical Context:
The ancient culture of Egypt helped to develop civilization today. Ancient Egyptians developed a
civilization in northeastern Africa in the Nile River valley. Ancient Egypt was an advanced civilization
in many areas, including religion, architecture, transportation, and trade.
Task:
Use the information from ALL of the documents and your knowledge of social studies to write a well-organized
essay. In the essay you will be asked to:
 How did the civilization of Egypt develop into a successful
civilization?
Guidelines:
In your essay, be sure to:
 Cite evidence from ALL the documents.
 Use your own knowledge of Ancient Egypt.
 Use a logical and clear plan of organization.
 Support the question with relevant facts, examples, and details.
 RACE
DBQ Essay Grading Rubric
Your DBQ essay response will be rated a 0-4 according to the scale below.
To earn a 4, the DBQ essay:
 Constructs a sophisticated argument that provides an in-depth explanation
 Supports the claims with ample, well-chosen evidence that
o Addresses or demonstrates understanding of ALL of the documents, and
o Integrates adequate relevant information beyond what is provided in the documents;
 Contains valid historical understandings and interpretations with no errors significant enough to detract
from the argument
To earn a 3, the DBQ essay:
 Constructs an acceptable argument that provides a general explanation
 Supports the claims with sufficient and appropriate evidence that
o Addresses or demonstrates understanding of three of the documents, and
o Integrates some relevant information beyond what is provided in the documents
 Contains mostly valid historical understandings and interpretations, although less important ideas or
details may be overlooked or misunderstood
To earn a 2, the DBQ essay:
 Constructs a weak and/or flawed argument that provides a limited or partial explanation
 Supports the claims with limited and/or uneven evidence that
o Addresses or demonstrates understanding of two of the documents, and
o Integrates limited relevant information beyond what is provided in the documents
 Contains some valid historical understandings and interpretations, but a few significant errors may be
present
To earn a 1, the DBQ essay:
 Must include at least one valid historical understanding or interpretation that addresses the prompt and is
stated in the student’s own words
 Must demonstrate minimal understanding of the topic
 May contain several significant errors
To earn a 0, the DBQ essay:
 Is incorrect, irrelevant, or too brief to evaluate
Document 1:
Egyptian civilization began close to the Nile River because the Nile provided a fertile area in the middle of a
desert. The people depended on the Nile for food and water. Heavy rains caused the Nile to overflow regularly,
which made the soil fertile and good for farming. The ancient Egyptians sang this song about the benefits of the
Nile:
Document 2:
Ancient Egyptians referred to their king as a pharaoh. What follows is a description of the role of a pharaoh,
found on a tomb:
Document 3:
Ancient Egyptian pharaohs, or god-kings, had workers build huge pyramids to serve as tombs. Egyptians
believed that their kings could take their possessions with them after death. As a result, pharaohs were buried
with their possessions. Below is a diagram of a pyramid.
Document 4:
The Nile River was a vital part of the development of the Egyptian civilization. It provided many resources,
which included food and transportation. Since the Nile was in the middle of a desert and was surrounded by
rough terrain, the development of the Egyptian civilization was inevitable.