DBQ Peer Edits and
Evaluations
Created by Debbie Owens
Presented at Klein Oak High School
Spring, Texas
Edit vs. Evaluation
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Peer Editors are looking for mechanics and structure.
This is when we are sitting in the conference tables of
6 and marking the papers.
Peer Evaluators are looking for content, accuracy, and
logic as well as organization. This is when a peer reads
your paper all the way through looking for accuracy.
The peer will give you notes on the edit/evaluation
sheet as well as mark the AP rubric. You need this done
twice.
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Combined you will have 8 sets of eyes
assessing your papers before you rewrite and
submit the final draft for my assessment.
Be quiet.
Stay on-task.
This is for you, not me.
What is a DBQ Essay?
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DBQ is the abbreviation for Document Based
Essay.
Put simply this is an analysis of
primary/secondary sources essay.
There are four instructive verbs found in these
essays: analyze, assess/evaluate, discuss, and
explain.
2007 The College Board
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Analyze: determine various factors or
component parts and examine their nature and
relationship.
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Assess/Evaluate: judge the value or character
of something; appraise’ weigh the positive and
the negative points’ give an opinion regarding
the value of; discuss the advantages and
disadvantages of.
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Discuss: write about; consider or examine by
argument or from various points of view;
debate; present the different sides of.
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Explain: make clear or plain; make clear the
causes or reasons for; make known in detail; tell
the meaning of.
Skills Evaluated
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According to The College Board, “the primary purpose
of the document-based essay question . . . [is] to
evaluate [the student’s] ability to formulate and support
an answer from documentary evidence.”
“ . . . Various approaches and responses are possible,
depending on the students’ ability to understand the
documents and ultimately to communicate their
significance.
2007 College Board
Tasks in DBQ
Read and analyze the documents.
“The document-based question is an exercise in
both analysis and synthesis. It requires that
students first read and analyze the documents
individually and then plan and construct an
appropriate response to the essay question
based on their interpretation of the documentary
evidence.”
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2007 College Board
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Group the documents in order to answer
the question.
Write a thesis statement using the
groupings to answer the prompt.
Develop the paragraphs to support the
thesis statement.
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Request an additional document that would help
answer the question and explain how this would
help create a better analysis.
In a paragraph compare two different points of
view found in the documents.
Conclude
Documents
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Before assessing anything else, move through the
document and check for document usage.
Place a check mark next to the document numbers at
the bottom of the grading rubric when you see the
document used within the paper as evidence.
Does the writer document the source behind the
quote or paraphrase?
Every document should be used at least once.
Students must use all Documents.
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Remember that the writer should use either facts,
paraphrase, or quotes from the documents as
evidence that what they are saying is accurate.
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These paraphrases, quotes, and/or summaries must
be imbedded correctly into the text. The writer
cannot simply drop the quote into the paper.
According to ____, such and such happened (3).
Documentation should follow (4).
 All sources must be used correctly in a
manner that reveals understanding of the
importance of these documents in relationship
to the question.
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 Assessing
the Introduction
Introduction
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Hook?
Transitional Sentences?
Thesis statement
Does it answer the prompt?
Does it answer how or why? Answering
these questions is what makes it analytical
rather than just simply expository.
Excerpt from the 2008 AP Test Grader
Comments
http://apcentral.collegeboard.com/apc/public/repository/ap08_world_history_qa.pdf
Careful Analysis of the Thesis
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Does it answer the question?
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Does the writer address groupings.
Most evident grouping for the 2008 Olympic DBQ were
Politics (Nationalism)
Economics
Feminism
Ideas in Introduction
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Final step for thesis: Number the ideas 1-3 as they
appear in the thesis.
Now read the introduction from beginning to end.
Are there transition sentences between the hook and
the thesis?
Do they smoothly move the reader from the hook to
the thesis? Each sentence should propel the reader
forward.
 Assessing
Organization
Promise Method of Writing
Paper Organization
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Underline what you believe to be the thesis statement
and number the ideas found in the thesis right above
the idea (this is the part about how or why something
changed and also the part about what stayed the
same).
Underline the topic sentences in each paragraphs
(You are looking for the organizing sentence that
addresses the process of how the change occurred.
This essay should move chronologically.)
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Underline the sentence that reminds the reader of the
premise in different words found in the conclusion.
Check to make sure that the students have a point of
view paragraph that compares two different sources’
perspectives.
Check to make sure that the student has addressed
the need for an additional document and how it
would help.
Paper Organization continued
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Now read each of the sentences you underlined and
look for the following information:
Do the topic sentences match up with the thesis?
Do the topic sentences identify the groupings by
naming the documents.
Does the concluding idea match thesis? Does it use
different words?
Choices – Words for Analysis
 Evidence
 Affirm
 Credit
 Discredit
 Power
Hit List Words, First/Second Person
References, and Contractions
Again read the paper backwards
 Now you are looking for hit list words, first
and second person references and
contractions. Place an X through these
words. They ABSOLUTELY do not belong
in academic writing!
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Hit List Words
First and Second Person
References/Contractions
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FIRST PERSON including possessive:
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Singular: I, me, my, mine, etc.
Plural: We, us, ours, etc.
SECOND PERSON: Any form of you. This is an
academic essay. There is no time when you should be
addressing your reader directly.
CONTRACTIONS: The apostrophe indicates that
letters have been left out to abbreviate. Ex: “Can’t”
instead of “cannot”
To Be Verbs
Again read the paper backwards
 Now you are looking for to be verbs. You
should limit the use of to be verbs because
they usually indicate passive sentence
construction and also are weak descriptors of
action.
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To Be Verbs Continued
Passive Sentence Construction:
Passive sentence construction is when the doer of the
action comes behind the action in the sentence. This
is confusing and destroys clarity.
Ex: The pizza was eaten by us.
Active is when the doer comes before the action and
yields clearer sentences. Notice what happens to the
to be verb.
Ex: We ate the pizza.
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To Be Verbs
 Content
Reading for Content
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The final task is to read for content. Your peer
evaluation sheet should reflect that two people
have read your paper for content.
When reading for content, if the evaluator
questions a fact, grammar, punctuation, or
spelling error, s/he will circle what is believed
to be the error and place a question mark in the
margin.
Reading for Content continued
It is NOT the evaluators responsibility to
check for accuracy or to correct the error. S/he
may if feeling particularly helpful that day, but
it is NOT the evaluator’s job.
 Rather it is the writer’s job to validate and
correct possible errors.
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Content continued
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The peer evaluator should be using a different color
marker or ink color from those previously used. S/he
should write content and sign their signature. I will
be consulting with the evaluators and the writer if
inaccuracies make it to me.
The peer evaluators should also evaluate the essay
with the appropriate rubric. Be fair and honest in a
gentle manner (constructive criticism). Remember
the writer will use your feedback to correct the essay.
Content Continued
You should check double-check their
organization, logic, and facts.
 Is the paper skeletal? Does it need more support?
 Has the writer addressed all parts of the prompt?
 Is the paper a DBQ? Does it use analysis and
textual evidence to answer the question?
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Logic
Loose Generalizations Create
Inaccuracies
DBQ Rubric
 AP Assessment
Rubric
AP Core Points
Expanded Core Points
Good Job! 
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We have completed the peer edit.
Now you need to have two of your peers
evaluate for content and accuracy. They should
give you detailed notes and complete the AP
Rubric for the paper as it is written.
Writers make sure you review your peer
evaluators’ comments before your next paper.