WRITING THE DBQ –
TEACHING POINT OF VIEW
AP WORLD HISTORY
THE BASIC CORE
Students must obtain points to get “to
the gate”
Most often missed point is “Point of
View”
Possible to obtain Expanded Core
points ONLY if students obtain ALL
Basic Core points
THE BASIC CORE
Point 4 – Analyzes “Point of View” in
at least TWO documents
Tends to be “Killer Point” for students,
since many simply have not been
taught “Point of View”
THE KEY TO SCORING WELL ON
THE DBQ
Getting to the gate on DBQ then is
based on how well a student can
demonstrate “Point of View” or “Bias”
Remember that students must
demonstrate it at least two times
Demonstrating “Point of View” or
“Bias” indicates student is capable of
writing in-depth paper
WHAT IS BIAS OR POINT OF
VIEW?
In the simplest of terms, “Point of View”
or “Bias” is prejudice or influence
“Why” author said what he/she said
“Why” includes factors that influenced
author’s position
Keys to these factors found:
In the documents themselves (information
in the box)
Through knowledge of author or of what is
being said
KEY FACTORS
Several factors influence determination
of Bias or Point of View: Name, Position,
Nationality, Document Date and/or
Document Type
Relating authorial “Point of View” to
author’s place in society
Evaluating reliability of the source
Recognizing that different types of
documents were authored to serve different
purposes
Much information is located “In the
Box,” saving students valuable time
FURTHER EXPLAINATION
Students should analyze each document:
Is author male, female? Government
official? From a particular social class?
How might author’s “position” or title have
influenced what was written or said?
Is document an “official” pronouncement, a
newspaper article, a speech, or maybe a
diary or private letter?
SAMPLE AP WORLD HISTORY DOCUMENT
Source: Zong Mi, a leading Buddhist scholar,
favored by the Tang imperial household,
essay, “On the Nature of Man,” early ninth
century C.E.
“Confucius, Laozi, and Buddaha were all
perfect sages. They established their
teachings according to the demands of the
ages and the needs of various beings. They
differ in their approaches in that they
encourage the perfection of good deeds,
punish wicked ones, and reward good ones;
all three teachings lead to the creation of an
orderly society and for this they must be
observed with respect.”
KEYS TO FINDING POINT OF
VIEW IN THIS DOCUMENT
Author was Buddhist scholar,
“favored” by the Tang ruler
A Buddhist scholar “in high position”
in a time when Buddhism was being
threatened would expectedly extol the
virtues of Buddhism
Ties Buddhism to traditional Chinese
philosophies of Confucius and Laozi
A SAMPLE POINT OF VIEW
USING THIS DOCUMENT
There are a variety of ways for students
to include point of view in their paper;
some are more sophisticated than
others
As a Buddhist scholar in a time when
Buddhism is being threatened in China,
it is expected that Zong Mi would
closely tie Buddhism to Confucianism
in order to keep his “favored” position
at the imperial court.
POINT OF VIEW
Practice looking for Point of View
Each group has a specific document
to review, looking for “Point of View”
Remember, some keys might include:
Name or Position of Author
Description or Nationality of Author
Type of Document or Date of
Document