A Guide to Answering DBQ Essays

							                             A Guide to Answering DBQ Essays

1. General ideas about DBQs

You are not expected to know much or even anything about the specific topic, but:
What do you know about the era and the ideas related to it?
DBQ stresses a general sense of the trends of the period

Don’t take a position; be analytical; think of this as a legal brief or a business report

Essays Tend to ask for:
Cause/Effect
Comparisons
Continuity and Change over Time
Pro/Con – you can have a “pro” and “con” in the same document
Attitudes and Actions


2. Reading the Question and Analyzing the Documents:

WHAT IS THE QUESTION ASKING!??!
DON’T GET SIDE-TRACKED IN YOUR ROMANCE WITH CLEVER GROUPS!
DON’T ANSWER YOUR OWN QUESTION!!!!

Read the documents – use a highlighter (but not on the test) – use a different color for each grouping

Organize and summarize, either by “annotating” in the margins or using a graphic organizer as you read. Here’s
a suggested Organizer:

Document Date – to look       Source – to      Group 1:        Group 2:       Group 3:       POV – check if you
#        for change           look for point   Summarize       Summarize      Summarize      feel that you can
         over time            of view          in 3-4 words    in 3-4 words   in 3-4 words   discuss POV
1
2
3
etc.
                                               Topic           Topic          Topic
                                               Sentence for    Sentence for   Sentence for
                                               Grouping:       Grouping:      Grouping:


3. Groupings

A document may be used in more than one group.

MAKE SURE YOUR GROUPINGS REFLECT THE QUESTION – REREAD THE QUESTION!!!

Ask for an additional document at the end of each paragraph – can cite a specific document within the grouping
that you want a response to.
4. Thesis / Introduction Guideline

Don’t create the thesis until you analyze the documents

DBQs use a different type of thesis than in English class.
1st sentence – set up background or problem
2nd sentence – captures one set of category(ies)
3rd sentence – captures a second set of category(ies)
4th sentence (optional; see “POV” below) – ask for additional document(s) and say why document(s) help
demonstrate a missing attitude


5. Paragraphs

Each paragraph is a group, with the 2, 3, 4 documents

Start with the topic sentence that characterizes your group
Discuss each document in turn; add POV either within the sentence or within a second sentence
     Using the phrase “According to…” helps avoid misinterpretation
     Use the chart, say why it belongs in the group – this is how you show “support for the thesis”,
        summarize; then check your underlining to see if there’s anything else
     POV – use the term “Point Of View” - look at the connection between who said it and what was said –
        is it predictable? Why or why not?
Finish the paragraph by requesting an additional document that would improve that grouping – explain why it
would be helpful


6. Point of View

Use the “Rule of 3” – at least 3 POVs in essay

Consider for POV:
    Religion
    Economic and Social Status
    Sex, Gender
    Political status
    Ethnicity
    Culture


7. Additional Documents

Use the “Rule of 3” – request 3 additional documents
Best is one for each paragraph/grouping; otherwise put in Introduction
Each request must explain why the document would be useful


8. Writing
No quotes
No long descriptive introductions
Cite each document