HOW TO WRITE AN
EFFECTIVE APUSH DBQ
FORMAT
• 3 HOURS 15 MINUTES
• 2 SECTIONS
• SECTION 1: 1 HOUR 40 MINUTES TOTAL
• 55 MX 40% & 4 SHORT ANSWERS 20%
• SECTION 2: 1 HOUR 35 MINUTES
• 1 DBQ 25% & 1 LONG ESSAY QUESTION
(LEQ) 15%
DBQ DETAILS
• SUGGESTED TIME 55 MINUTES
• 15 FOR PREWRITE & 40 FOR ESSAY
• 7 POINT RUBRIC
• THESIS: 1POINT
• ANALYSIS: 0-4 POINTS
• CONTEXTUALIZATION: 0-1POINT
• SYNTHESIS: 0-1 POINT
• MUST USE ALL OR ALL BUT 1 OF THE DOCUMENTS
• USUALLY 6-7 DOCUMENTS
• WILL COVER PERIODS 2-8; 1607-1980
RUBRIC
RUBRIC
RUBRIC
DOCUMENTS: SOAPSTone
• SPEAKER: THE VOICE TELLING STORY
• OCCASION: TIME & PLACE, CONTEXT
• AUDIENCE: WHO IS MESSAGE RECEIVED BY
• PURPOSE: WHAT’S THE REASON BEHIND IT
• SUBJECT: WHAT’S THE TOPIC
• TONE: AUTHOR’S ATTITUDE, POSITION,
BELIEF
A GOOD ESSAY ……
• INCLUDES AN INTRO PARAGRAPH WITH A BACK-
•
•
•
•
GROUND STATEMENT & CLEAR, IDENTIFIABLE THESIS
THAT ADDRESSES THE ENTIRE PROMPT. ALSO, YOUR
CATEGORIES/TOPICS (ECO, POL, SOC ETC) CLEARLY
STATED & DEFINITION OF UNCLEAR TERMS
DOES NOT RESTATE THE QUESTION
ANALYZES DOCUMENTS BY USING ADDITIONAL
FACTS, INFORMATION TO SUPPORT THE DOCUMENT
(1 FACT PER DOCUMENT MINIMUM)
MAKES AN ARGUMENT WITHIN THE LARGER TIME
FRAME – PUTS ARGUMENT WITHIN CONTEXT OF THE
BIGGER PICTURE
SYNTHESIZES NOT ONLY DOCUMENTS, THESIS &
OUTSIDE INFORMATION TOGETHER BUT ALSO THE
IMPACT OF TOPIC ON THE FUTURE
PROCESS
• READ QUESTION – THEN RE-READ IT, TWICE
• IDENTIFY YOUR TASK: REWRITE THE QUESTION IN
•
•
•
•
•
YOUR OWN WORDS
CIRCLE OR UNDERLINE KEY WORDS/PHRASES IN
PROMPT (DIRECTIONS, UNCLEAR TERMS, DATES)
MAKE A QUICK TIMELINE OR LIST OF OUTSIDE
FACTS; MAIN EVENTS FO THE ERA
ORGANIZE/CATEGORIZE FACTS INTO PERSIA:
POLITICAL, ECONOMIC, RELIGIOUS, SOCIAL,
INTELLECTUAL, ARTISTIC (ALL WON’T APPLY IN
EVERY DBQ)
THEN, READ DOC. & IN 2-3 WORDS WRITE THE MAIN
IDEA
FINALLY, GROUP DOCUMENTS TO SUPPORT THESIS
(PAIR UP FACTS W/ DOCS)
Source: John Winthrop, A Model of Christian Charity (Written on board the Arbella on the
Atlantic Ocean, 1630)
God Almighty in his most holy and wise providence hath so disposed of the condition of mankind,
[that] in all times some must be rich, some poor, some high and eminent in power and dignity,
other mean and in subjection. . . . [Yet] we must be knit together in this work as one man.
We must entertain each other in brotherly affection, we must be willing to abridge ourselves of our
superfluities, for the supply of others' necessities. We must uphold a familiar commerce together
in all meekness, gentleness, patience, and liberality. We must delight in each
other, make others' conditions our own, rejoice together, mourn together, labor and suffer
together, always having before our eyes our commission and community in the work, our
community as members of the same body.
So shall we keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace. . . . We must consider that we shall
be as a city upon a hill. The eyes of all people are upon us, so that if we shall deal falsely with our
God in this work we have undertaken, and so cause him to withdraw his present help from us, we
shall be made a story and a by-word through the world. We shall open the mouths of enemies to
speak evil of the ways of God, . . . shall shame the faces of many of God's worthy servants, and
cause their prayers to be turned into curses upon us.
HOMEWORK: TYPE AN INTRO & 1 BODY PARAGRAPH; 12 PT., TIMES NEW ROMAN,
SINGLE SPACED, NAME, DATE, TEACHER, SI DUE MON/TUES.