Document Based Question Essay

Step #1: What is a DBQ Essay?

•You do NOT need to have background knowledge of the prompt

•You act like a lawyer- taking evidence (documents) and proving a point

•Your job is to: organize, interpret and analyze these documents

•Usually historical background is provided, but you are not expected to know more than that These means do not insert your own knowledge or information

Step 2: DBQ Rubric

•___/1 Acceptable Thesis

•___/1 Understand basic meaning of documents

•___/2 Supports thesis with appropriate evidence from all or all but one of the documents (1 point only supports thesis with appropriate evidence from all but 2 documents)

•___/1 Analyzes point of view in at least 2 documents

•___/Analyzes documents by grouping them in 2 or 3 ways depending on the question

•___/1 Identifies and explains the need for one type of appropriate additional document or source

____________________________________________

•___/7 Subtotal for all basic core points

•___/2 Possible expanded core points*

•___/9 Total possible points for the DBQ

Step 3: Thesis Practice

•Instructions: Because the DBQ does not require any previous knowledge of the subject matter, most theses’ can be written, or at least outlined, before you read the documents. This will help you make sure you have a strong thesis.

•Write a thesis for each of the prompts. Leave open blanks for the specifics.

•A thesis CAN be more than one sentence

DBQ Prompt 2010

• Identify in Prompt: what the question wants you to find and the time period

• Include in thesis: time period and all points asked

•Example: DBQ Prompt 2010: Using the following documents, analyze similarities and differences in the mechanization of the cotton industry in Japan and India in the period from the1880’s to the 1930’s. Identify an additional type of document and explain how it would help your analysis of the mechanization of the cotton industry.

•DBQ Prompt 2010: Using the following documents, analyze similarities and differences in the mechanization of the cotton industry in Japan and India in the period from the1880’s to the 1930’s. Identify an additional type of document and explain how it would help your analysis of the mechanization of the cotton industry.

•Thesis:

oBetween the decades of the

1880’s and the 1930’s, the

cotton industry in Japan and

India experienced varied

similarities through

_________________ but

differed in _____________ and

______________.

Step 3: Continuing Practicing with the other prompts

What is my WAT?WHAT do they want me to find?

AREA of the world?TIME PERIOD in history?

Step 4: How to Organize the Documents•Things to Consider:

•What did the prompt as me to find?

•Marking/labeling your documents in some way (how you will use them)

•Draw up a little outline of what documents will go where

•Make sure you use a majority of the documents, if not all of them

•Consider all points of view of who is writing this document

•Consider: Does the prompt ask me to acknowledge other documents I would need

•When using these documents in the essay:

oDo NOT directly quote long passages of the documents,

oJust repeat data or statistics and “tell me” what the documents say. Summarize what the documents say

Step 5: Practice with Documents

•Use the DBQ #1 to read, interpret and organize the documents

Step 6: Write Thesis & Organize Documents

•Thesis=

•How will you divide the documents? (feel free to write on the documents)

Step 7: Write a full Essay

•Use DBQ #1 to write a full essay

How to include docs?