DBQ Peer Edits and Evaluations

Created by Debbie Owens

Presented at Klein Oak High School

Spring, Texas

Edit vs. Evaluation 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.

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? 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

Analyze: determine various factors or component parts and examine their nature and relationship.

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.

Discuss: write about; consider or examine by argument or from various points of view; debate; present the different sides of.

Explain: make clear or plain; make clear the causes or reasons for; make known in detail; tell the meaning of.

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

Skills Evaluated

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.”

2007 College Board

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.

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 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. Remember that the writer should use either facts,

paraphrase, or quotes from the documents as evidence that what they are saying is accurate.

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.

Assessing the Introduction

Introduction 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 Does it answer the question?

Most evident grouping for the 2008 Olympic DBQ werePolitics (Nationalism)EconomicsFeminism

Does the writer address groupings.

Ideas in Introduction 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 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.)

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 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?

Power Choices – Words for Analysis Evidence Affirm Credit Discredit

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!

Hit List Words

First and Second Person References/Contractions FIRST PERSON including possessive:

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.

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.

To Be Verbs

Content

Reading for Content 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.

Content continued 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?

Logic

Loose Generalizations Create Inaccuracies

DBQ Rubric

AP Assessment Rubric

AP Core Points

Expanded Core Points

Good Job!

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.