DBQ TIPS

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DBQ TIPS

• Mr. Moynihan
• AP World History

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Elementary, my dear student!

• Remember approach the task with curiosity and
  confidence, as if you were solving a puzzle or as
  if you were a detective solving a mystery.

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Our Steps to Success

• R read the question.
• O organize
• B brainstorm
• O Outline
• T Thesis

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Step 1 Read the Question

• Read the question carefully underline key words
  highlight issues or categories used in the
  question.
• (You do not need to underline words such as
  analyze because the DBQ will always ask you to
  analyze/think in some way.)

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Step 1A Predicting

• IF the topic is familiar, write down short
  phrases of outside information about the time
  period or theme before you start to read the
  documents.

Pulpo Paul
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Step 1A Predicting

• Most of the time the topic will not be familiar,
  but often you can predict what part of the answer
  might be.
• For example, the Gin act was probably passed
  because people were concerned about the effects
  of drinking upon society.

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Step 2 Organize

• Complete the top line of the graphic organizer by
  summarizing the topic in two or three words
  e.g. response to plague restriction of gin
  purpose of festivals, etc.

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Step 2 Organize

• Fill in the two major boxes on the graphic
  organizer.
• If the question lists three categories (e.g. the
  political, economic, social causes, or issues of
  unity, prosperity, and security), create another
  column on the graphic organizer.
• The question will determine the structure, e.g.
  pro/con cause/effect attitudes/actions, change
  over time, compare/contrast, etc.
• If you cannot easily determine the categories, go
  to step 5.

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Step 2 Organize Now Read Documents

• Read the documents quickly.
• Underline key words, using one color highlighter
  for one of the box categories and another color
  for the other box.
• Documents may include information that only
  relates to one or more than one category.

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Step 2 Organize

• Return to the graphic organizer and complete it.
• For each document
• fill in the document number
• the date
• a one word abbreviation to identify the sources
  role (e.g. clergy)
• a three or four word summary of the document.

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Step 3 Brainstorm

• Run the spreadsheet by examining each of the
  two major columns.
• Look for similarities among the documents and
  mentally devise sub-groups for each of the
  category-group-column.

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Step 4 Outline

• Create a mini-outline using the groups.
• Leave I. Introduction blank until you have
  listed the category-groups (II and III).
• Put the document numbers after the sub-group
  label.
• For example, for the DBQ on the industrial
  revolution (growth of Manchester)
• II. Positive reactions
• A. Better standard of living - 3, 10
• B. City is better - 9, 10

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Step 5 Thesis

• If you are preparing for the test (not during the
  actual test) outline the introduction. It should
  have four sentences
• Sentence 1 -background and significance of the
  topic.
• Sentence 2 - summarize the labels of II.
• Sentence 3 - summarize the labels of III.

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Step 5 Thesis

• Sentence 4 - can either
• answer another part of the question, or
• make a conclusion about change over time, or
• make an observation about the documents
• The second and third sentences constitute the
  thesis. In a DBQ a two or three sentence thesis
  is allowed.

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Writing the Response

• As you write your essay, each paragraph should
  have
• A topic sentence, based on the sub-group label
• A summary of the first document in that group
• Explanation of the POV for that document (if you
  have chosen that document to describe POV)
• A summary of the second document for that
  sub-group
• Explanation of the POV for that document (if you
  have chosen that document to describe POV)
• If you have time, you can add a third source with
  a short quotation to emphasize a point.

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Advanced Essays The Quest for a 9

• Introduce outside relevant information as it
  informs/strengthens your argument.
• Good writers include a conclusion, even though
  the rubric does not offer specific points for a
  conclusion.