How to D.B.Q.
A.P. U.S. History I
Mr. Clark
What is a D.B.Q.?
The acronym D.B.Q. stands for DocumentBased Question.
A DBQ is a question that focuses around
one or more documents.
The documents can be a graph, cartoon,
short excerpt, picture, etc., basically
anything that a student can obtain
information from.
D.B.Q. Process
STEP 1
Read the essay question
carefully and then CIRCLE
any key words, dates, etc.
in the question.
What were the major
arguments used by each side
(the supporters and the
opponents) in the debates
over the ratification of the
U.S. Constitution?
STEP 2
BRAINSTORM any names, dates,
key events, etc. that relate to
the essay question.
WRITE down these items in any
blank space you can find.
DO NOT take any more than 2
minutes!!!
representation
Federalists
Anti-Federalists
Republicans
assumption
Bill of Rights
Alexander Hamilton
Roger Sherman
large vs. small states
Thomas Jefferson
federal vs. state power
9 of 13 states
Delaware
Virginia
New York
New Hampshire
tyranny
1787
Philadelphia
George Washington
slave vs. free states
STEP 3
READ each of the
documents carefully!
CIRCLE any key points
contained within each
document.
Document 1
This excerpt is from a newspaper, The Massachusetts
Sentinel, October 20, 1787.
Let us look and behold the distresses which prevail in
every part of our country… the complaints of our
farmers… the complaints of every class of public
creditors… the melancholy faces of our working
people… our rotting ships in our harbors… the insults
that are offered to the American name and
characters in every court of Europe… View these
things, fellow citizens, and then say that we do not
require a new, a protecting, and efficient federal
government if you can.
STEP 4
Now that you have read all of
the documents and CIRCLED
any and all key information,
you are to CHART the
documents on a “T-chart”.
YES
NO
FOR
AGAINST
1
3
6
2
4
5
STEP 5
Now that you have read the essay
question, analyzed the essay question,
brainstormed information about the
essay question, analyzed the
documents, and charted the
documents…WRITE your thesis
statement for the essay topic (rough
draft)!!!
What were the major
arguments used by each side
(the supporters and the
opponents) in the debates
over the ratification of the
U.S. Constitution?
There were numerous
arguments, both by supporters
and opponents, used in the
debate over the ratification of
new United States
Constitution.
STEP 5 Reminders
• Does my THESIS STATEMENT answer
ALL of the parts of the essay topic?
• If I am asked to “choose a side”, did I
actually CHOOSE a side?
• Remember, never to offer your
opinion or write in 1st person!
STEP 6
Once your rough draft of
your thesis statement is
done, WRITE down the
THREE areas/topics that
best support your thesis
sentence!
There were numerous
arguments, both by supporters
and opponents, used in the
debate over the ratification of
new United States
Constitution.
(1)Bill of Rights
(2) Federal power vs. State power
(3) Economic power
STEP 6 Reminders
• Does the essay topic offer me THREE
“natural” areas that I can discuss?
• If there are no “natural” areas, should
I try and S*P*E*R*M?
STEP 7
Now that you have the rough
draft of your thesis sentence
as well as the THREE general
areas/topic supporting your
thesis, WRITE your
introductory paragraph.
STEP 7 Reminders
• PLEASE do not forget to B-B-T-1-2-3!!!
• Try and use some of the information
from your BRAINSTORMING session for
your background sentences!
• Remember to K*I*S*S
STEP 8
Begin writing the BODY of
your essay!
STEP 8 Reminders
• Did you reinforce your THESIS statement in EACH
paragraph?
• Did you use FACTS to support your paragraph?
• Did you incorporate DOCUMENTS in each of the body
paragraphs (at least 1… minimum)?
• Did I properly integrate the documents into the essay
(not referring to them as Document 1 or Document B)?
• Did I rephrase the documents instead of quoting them?
• If I did HAVE to quote the document, did I limit the
quotes I did use (NO MORE than 3-4 words)?
STEP 9
You are almost there… Now
it is time to “close the
deal”! Write the
CONCLUSION to your
D.B.Q. essay.
STEP 9 Reminders
Your CONCLUSION should
ALWAYS contain a restatement
of your thesis statement, and
must NEVER be shorter than
three sentences!
STEP 10
PROOFREAD
STEP 10 Reminders
• Did I check for spelling errors?
• Did I check for grammar errors?
• Did I use any contractions?
• Did I use accurate FACTS to support my essay?
• Did I use all of the “brainstorm” info?
• Did I use “one more than ½” of all the documents to
support my essay?
• Did I use capitalization properly?
• Did I use advanced vocabulary?