Take Home D.B.Q. Rubric
Write the D.B.Q. asking:
Historians have often portrayed the capitalists who shaped post-Civil War industrial America as
either “captains of industry” or corrupt “robber barons.” Evaluate which of these descriptions“captains of industry” or “robber barons”- is a more accurate characterization of these
capitalists.
Use the documents and your knowledge of the period 1875-1900 to compose your answer.
organization
Use college ruled loose leaf paper
/1
Do not write in the margins
/1
Write in blue or black pen
/1
Write legibly
/1
Write on every line
/1
Write on one side of the paper only
/1
No title
Put your name on the first page
/1
/1
Time yourself. You should write for 45 minutes
/1
Staple your essay
/1
/10
Pre-writing:
Brainstorm: make a list of relevant issues,
historical terms, names, or events which are
significant to that period of history. (attach a
separate sheet)
Read the documents
In the margin of the documents, make notes
which add to or embellish your brainstorm list
Re-read the question, organize your documents
into topics. Use all documents only once. (on a
separate sheet of paper)
/5
/5
/5
/15
Introduction:
Establish time and place while
identifying the theme of your
essay.
Provide background
information to the time period.
Use outside information from
before the time period to
prepare the reader for your
thesis.
double check that your outside
information is RELEVANT to
your thesis
Write a thesis statement that
answers the question and
gives the topics of your body
paragraphs (in order)
underline your thesis
Body paragraphs:
begin each paragraph with a
sentence that clearly identifies
the topic of your body
paragraph
provide your own explanation
to the topic using relevant
outside information. Refer to
your brainstorming list
throughout the writing
process.
Use documents to prove your
explanation citing the author,
date and title of each
document. (points will be
deducted for using doc A or
for quoting from the
documents instead of
explaining the documents)
at least three pieces of outside
information that are not stated
in the documents in each body
paragraph
/2
/2
/3
/4
/1
/12
/2
/5
/5
/6
/18
Conclusion:
Restate your thesis in different
words.
Put your essay in a larger
historical perspective by going
outside of the time period
(later). Explain how the events
that you described in your
body paragraph led to
something later. (a social or
political movement, war, shift
in the economy)
Use at least three pieces of
outside information to explain
this event outside of the time
period.
End with a strong concluding
sentence. NOT: This is why
we are/have the ______ we
have today.
/2
/5
/6
/2
15
Total score:
/70
Check through this rubric. If you complete all of the requirement, you will earn a good grade.