THE DBQ (Documents Based Question)

1
THE DBQ (Documents Based Question)

• The DBQ is like any other essay
• Must have an introductory paragraph with a
  clearly established thesis and a summary of the
  evidence you will use to defend the thesis

2
THE DBQ (Documents Based Question)

• 60 minutes
• 15 minutes of preparation where you CANNOT begin
  writing your essay but you can write on the
  documents and in the margins of the test
• 45 minutes of writing your DBQ essay

3
THE DOCUMENTS

• The documents relate to the essay question
• The documents can be charts, graphs, and
  political cartoons as well as private letters,
  diary entries, and public speeches.
• The documents are always in chronological order

4
THE DOCUMENTS

• Consider the documents as research that has
  already been done for you
• Your job is to include this research in your
  essay to strengthen your argument

5
OUTSIDE INFORMATION

• Your DBQ essay must contain what we call OUTSIDE
  INFORMATION!!!!
• Outside Information is your knowledge of history
  that is outside of what the documents tell you
• Every essay youve ever written has included
  outside information
• The MAJORITY of information and analysis in your
  DBQ essay MUST come from outside information

6
NUTS AND BOLTS

• After you have read the essay question a few
  times, create a list of the relevant outside
  information you will incorporate into your essay
• Create a T-Chart if that is helpful
• Then, read each document
• Note the source of the document
• Read the document for the overall message of that
  particular source

7
NUTS AND BOLTS

• Write down the main message(s) of the source
• Consider how that source relates to the question
• When you have completed all of the documents,
  GROUP them.
• Which documents tend to support position A?
  Which support position B? Which depend upon
  interpretation? Which contain an obvious bias?

8
INCORPORATING THE DOCUMENTS INTO YOUR ESSAY

• You CANNOT just say what the document says
• You are graded on your level of ANALYSIS
• How does the document relate to your thesis?
• How does the document help prove your thesis?

9
INCORPORATING THE DOCUMENTS INTO YOUR ESSAY

• Demonstrates/Demonstrating
• Illustrates/Illustrating
• Exemplifies/Exemplifying
• Shows/Showing
• Proves/Proving
• Establishes/Establishing
• Explains/Explaining

10
INCORPORATING THE DOCUMENTS INTO YOUR ESSAY

• NEVER say documentNEVER say Document A says
• Incorporate the documents with approaches like
  this
• President Polk believed (summary of the main
  idea.) This demonstrates that (your analysis)
• In a letter written to so and so President Polk
  argued that (summary of the main idea)
  exemplifying his belief that (your analysis)

11
INCORPORATING THE DOCUMENTS INTO YOUR ESSAY

• Political cartoons of the time period displayed
  Polk as a blankety-blankety-blank
• American soldiers like Colonel Ethan Allen
  Hitchcock felt that (summary of the main idea.)
  Hitchcocks perspective shows that (your
  analysis)

12
INCORPORATING THE DOCUMENTS INTO YOUR ESSAY

• You CAN incorporate documents that do not align
  with your thesis
• In his message to Congress President Polk argued
  that yada, yada, yada. Polk failed to point out
  that
• Despite the fact that men like John Slidell felt
  yada, yada, yada, the United States

13
INCORPORATING THE DOCUMENTS INTO YOUR ESSAY

• You MUST incorporate a MAJORITY of the documents
  into your essay.
• Do not ASK questions in your essay
• Do NOT quote from the documentsI repeat, Do NOT
  quote from the documents

14
IN CONCLUSION

• Remember, the documents are there to help you
  defend your thesis.
• You are using them as part of your
  analysis/argument therefore you must show how
  they connect to your thesis.

15
Sample Document (fictional)

• Secretary of War William Marcy in a letter to his
  wife, May 1, 1846
• The president has had many sleepless nights of
  late. He is agonizing over the border issue, a
  potential declaration of war, and the fate of our
  soldiers. I worry for his health as well as for
  our boys in Texas.

16
Sample incorporation of a document

• Polk agonized over his decision to ask Congress
  to declare war. As he made clear in his war
  message, he had made extensive efforts to avoid
  war.
• Secretary of Defense William Marcy made it clear
  that Polk was concerned, first and foremost, with
  the safety of the American soldiers at the Texas
  border. His request for a declaration of war was
  far from an aggressive act. It was a last resort.

17
Sample incorporation of a document

• Despite Polks apparent concern for the soldiers
  on the Texas border, he was willing to ask
  Congress for a declaration of war on the
  flimsiest of grounds.