To Analyze and to Create: A Journey with the DBQ
E. Napp
Objective: To analyze documents and to write a Document-Based Essay
Do Now: What sources do historians use to write history?
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What is the Difference between Analysis and Reading?
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To Analyze
To examine methodically for the
purposes of explanation and
interpretation
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To Read
To examine and grasp the meaning
of written or printed characters,
words, or sentences
So, what is the difference between reading and analyzing?
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The New York State Global History and Geography Regents examination consists of fifty
multiple-Choice questions, one thematic essay, and one Document-Based Essay question.
Our focus today will be on the Document-Based Essay Question. On the New York State
Global History and Geography Regents examination, a DBQ (Document-Based Essay
question) consists of nine documents and an essay question. The documents are read and
analyzed in order to answer the essay question. Today, I have modified the DocumentBased Essay Question from the January 2010 New York State Global History and
Geography Regents. The directions for the question are below:
Historical Context:
Throughout history, many changes have occurred in the way food is produced. Some of
the major changes occurred during the Neolithic Revolution, Agrarian (Agricultural)
Revolution, and the Green Revolution. These changes in food production had political,
social, and economic effects on societies and regions.
Task:
Using the information from the documents and your knowledge of global history, answer
the questions that follow each document in Part A. Your answers to the questions will help
you write the Part B essay in which you will be asked to:
Select two food production revolutions mentioned in the historical context and for each
• Describe the change in food production during that revolution
• Discuss political, social, and/or economic effects the change in food production had on
society or a region
Let’s Reflect on these Directions:
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What does the historical context tell the reader? From the directions, answer the
following questions:
- What kinds of changes occurred?
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- When did these changes occur?
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- What kinds of effects occurred?
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What does the task tell the reader? From the directions, answer the following
questions?
- How many revolutions must the student select?
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- What must the reader do with these revolutions (remember, there are two
questions for each revolution)?
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Why is it critical or important for the reader to read the directions carefully?
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Sometimes we must stop
and smell the roses.
Directions are very important. So, it is important to slow down and read the directions
carefully. Directions provide an “anchor” for the essay. Like a boat’s anchor, the essay
needs to stay near the directions. It is important to remember that when the reader
becomes the writer, the writer must answer the question given and not the question
desired.
Now, I will provide only six documents from this nine document DBQ. I have modified
the DBQ for the sake of time. Let us read the six documents and answer each question for
each document.
Document 1: From Food Gathering To Food Producing
. . . Paleolithic men could not control their food supply. So long as they relied on foraging,
hunting, fishing, and trapping, they were dependent on the natural food supply in a given
area to keep from starving. But while Paleolithic men continued their food-gathering
pattern of existence in Europe, Africa, and Australia, groups of people in the Near East
began to cultivate edible plants and to breed animals. Often described as the “first
economic revolution” in the history of man, this momentous change from a food-gathering
to a food-producing economy initiated the Neolithic Age. Paleolithic man was a hunter;
Neolithic man became a farmer and herdsman. . . .
Source: T. Walter Wallbank, et al., Civilization: Past and Present, Scott, Foresman and Company
According to the authors of this passage, what is one significant change that occurred
between the Paleolithic Age and the Neolithic Age?
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Document 2
Based on the comic, state two effects of the Neolithic Revolution:
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Document 3a
Document 3b
Based on these images, state one advance that occurred as the Mesopotamian culture
developed a stable food supply.
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An Interruption for a Minute:
 There were three revolutions in this DBQ as such each revolution was given “three”
documents.
 While I presented the first three documents on the Neolithic Revolution, a
revolution we have studied, I have selected for our second revolution, the Green
Revolution.
 The Green Revolution occurred in the twentieth century and applied science and
technology to increase food production.
 So, now, I will skip to the last documents of this DBQ.
Document 7
What is the Green Revolution?
The Green Revolution refers to the wave of technological development [research] that started
in the 1940s to increase crop productivity in order to help developing countries face their
growing populations’ needs.
The technologies of the Green Revolution broadly fall into two major categories. The first is
the breeding of new plant varieties; the second is the application of modern agricultural
techniques such as chemical fertilizers, herbicides, irrigation, and mechanization.
Beginning in Mexico in 1944, the Green Revolution continued in the 1960s to India and
Pakistan, where it is credited with saving over one billion people from starvation.
Dr. Norman Borlaug was the agricultural scientist who led the program. In 1970, he won the
Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts. . . .
Source: Engineers Without Borders, EWB Workshop, Green Revolution
According to Engineers Without Borders, what were two modern technological advances that
were applied during the Green Revolution?
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Document 8
Implementation of the First Green Revolution
. . . The [implementation of the] first green revolution—from the early 1960s to 1975—
introduced new varieties of wheat, rice, and maize that doubled or tripled yields. The new
varieties were highly susceptible to pest infestation and thus required extensive chemical
spraying. But they were also responsive to high rates of fertilizer application under
irrigation. So, large- and medium-scale farmers in regions with adequate irrigation
facilities, easy access to credit, sufficient ability to undertake risks, and good market
integration adopted the new varieties. But these requirements meant that the new
technology bypassed most poor African farmers.
Another reason that Africa did not benefit from the first green revolution was the
research strategy used. To short-cut the process of varietal improvement, researchers
introduced improved varieties from Asia and Latin America rather than engaging in the
time-consuming exercise of identifying locally adapted germ plasm and using this as the
basis for breeding new varieties.
After the early euphoria with the high-yielding varieties, several problems became
evident. First, the need for significant use of pest and weed control raised environmental
and human health concerns. Second, as areas under irrigation expanded, water
management required sophisticated skills that were in short supply. As a result poor
farmers growing staple food crops in Africa could not adopt the new varieties. What was
crucial for Africa was to develop crop varieties that could thrive in water-stressed regions
without heavy use of fertilizers. . . .
Source: “Realizing the Promise of Green Biotechnology for the Poor,” Harnessing Technologies for
Sustainable Development, United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (adapted)
According to the authors of this passage, what was one problem Africa faced in attempting
to adopt the Green Revolution?
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Document 9:
. . . Industrial agriculture has not produced more food. It has destroyed diverse sources of
food, and it has stolen food from other species to bring larger quantities of specific
commodities to the market, using huge quantities of fossil fuels and water and toxic
chemicals in the process. . . .
Productivity in traditional farming practices has always been high if it is remembered
that very few external inputs are required. While the Green Revolution has been promoted
as having increased productivity in the absolute sense, when resource use is taken into
account, it has been found to be counterproductive and inefficient. . . .
Source: Vandana Shiva, Stolen Harvest, South End Press, 2000
According to Vandana Shiva, what is one problem associated with the use of industrial
agriculture?
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Once all of the documents have been read, analyzed, and answer, the student must write
the essay. Of course, a student may want to create an outline or take notes before writing
the essay. But before we begin to create an outline or write the essay, we must know the
rules for writing a DBQ essay.
Rule #1: A student must include one more than half the number of documents in the essay.
Example: If there are 9 documents, the student must include 5 in the essay.
Rule #2: A student must cite all documents.
Example: One effect of the Neolithic Revolution was animal domestication (Document 2).
To cite is to acknowledge where the information came from.
Rule #3: The student must include OUTSIDE INFORMATION.
Example: An early location of the Neolithic Revolution was the Nile River Valley (Outside
Information). This is outside information because it is NOT in any of the documents.
Of course, an essay must have an introduction, several body paragraphs, and a conclusion
addressing the task or the essay’s directions. And students should strongly consider
creating an outline or chart or even taking notes before writing the essay. If you know
where you are going, you will probably get there! 
The Outline:
For our modified DBQ, we will only include five documents. I have provided a sample
chart below for students to fill in.
Revolution Selected:
The Neolithic Revolution
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Revolution Selected:
The Green Revolution
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Describe the change in food
production during that revolution
Notes: Be sure to write the document(s)
number(s) from where the information
comes

Describe the change in food
production during that revolution
Notes: Be sure to write the document(s)
number(s) from where the information
comes

Discuss political, social, and/or
economic effects the change in food
production had on society or a region
Notes: Be sure to write the document(s)
number(s) from where the information
comes
Discuss political, social, and/or
economic effects the change in food
production had on society or a region
Notes: Be sure to write the document(s)
number(s) from where the information
comes
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Now, we are ready to write the essay. As you can see the DBQ requires patience, it takes
time to craft a strong analytical essay.
Introduction:
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Body Paragraph #1:
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Body Paragraph #2:
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Conclusion:
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