How to write a DBQ Essay
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DBQ
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Document Based
Question
Thesis Statements
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Although it can be argued that the political
motivations eventually made the split
between Henry/Luther and the Church
irreconcilable, both initially left for
personal reasons, such as legal disputes
for Luther and the lack of a male heir for
Henry.
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Henry VIII left the Church for personal
reasons, while Luther left for political
ones.
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Despite the fact that Henry left because of
greedy self-interest, he and Luther both
had political reasons for leaving the
Church.
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Foundation of a good thesis statement?
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A good thesis statement…
…answers the question
 …is supported by evidence
 …is precise
 …previews broad points of your argument
 …is arguable (in other words, it isn’t simply a statement
of fact)
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Progression of Thesis Statement
#1
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The North and South fought the Civil War
for many reasons, some of which were the
same and some different.
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While both sides fought the Civil War over
the issue of tariffs, the North fought for
moral reasons while the South fought to
preserve its own institutions.
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While both Northerners and Southerners
believed they fought against tyranny and
oppression, Northerners focused on
preserving the Union while Southerners
defended their own rights to property and
self-government.
Progression of Thesis Statement
#2
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Martin Luther didn’t like Catholic Church
practices including simony, nepotism, and
the selling of indulgences.
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Despite political pressure that contributed
to later conflict, the core cause of the
Reformation included heavily criticized
practices of the Catholic Church including
simony, nepotism, and the selling of
indulgences.
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Introductory Paragraph
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4-6 Sentences
Establish
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Time & Place
Thesis Statement
Clear
 Bold your thesis statement
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Allude to
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Underline in handwritten essays
Subtopics
Focus on the question
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The Middle Paragraphs
 8-12 sentences per paragraph
 Identify subtopic in the first sentence
 Hand written essays
 Leave a space between each topical paragraph
 Include documents that are relevant to support your
ideas in the paragraph
 Use the documents given
 70%
 Indicate
 Point of View (POV)
 Write (POV) in handwritten essays
 Bias
 Use supportive outside information
 Why were these documents selected?
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Facts
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Names
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Dates
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Erasmus
October 31,
Terms
Events
Places
Movements
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Humanism
Questions to Ask Yourself About
the Documents
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Attribution
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Who is this person?
Why might they be significant?
What is the point of view of the author?
How reliable and accurate is the source?
What is the tone or intent of the author?
What other information does this
document call to mind?
Use all available clues
Demonstrating POV/Bias
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Attribution
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Cite the author by
Name
 Title
 Position
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Why is this person and document selected?
How does it help me answer the question?
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Examples:
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John Tyler, an English writer said, “…
A Dominican Monk in Florence described…
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Authorial Point of View
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Show awareness that aspects of the author
could influence their views.
Gender
 Occupation
 Social class
 Nationality
 Political position
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How does this apply to the question?
Why has the author written what they have?
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Example:
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Balthasar Rusow, a Lutheran pastor, was
naturally upset by the celebration of a Saint’s
Day, since Lutherans don’t venerate saints.
 Reliability
and accuracy of each
source referenced
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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 your
question?
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Example:
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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.
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Tone or Intent of the Author
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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.
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Example:
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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 Century
Europe.
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Grouping Documents by author:
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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.
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Example:
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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.
How to Reference a Document
in Your Essay
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Baldassare Castiglione, in The Handbook
of the Courtier, said: “………………….”
Erasmus of Rotterdam, a northern
Christian humanist, agreed with…
The 19th century historian, Jacob
Burkhardt, felt that …………………. (Doc. 9)
NEVER begin with: In Document 3, …..
Concluding Paragraph
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Conclusion
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3-4 Sentences
Start with a concluding phrase
Restate your thesis in a different way
Put your essay answer in a larger historical
perspective.
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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!