The DBQ & You

1. The DBQ & You Death By Question, Not So Much. Adapted from John Irish

2. The Do’s • Read and understand the whole prompt. Not doing this is a HUGE mistake that many students make. Look for clues as to what the reader wants to see; Change Over Time, To What Extent… • Find the POV of each document and WRITE IT DOWN. • Bundle or Group the documents based on commonalities and LABEL the groups.

3. More Do’s • Read the historical background and determine the significance • Reread the documents looking for bias, or other points of interest. • Develop your thesis and make sure to cover ALL PARTS OF THE QUESTION. • If you want a good score, use MOST of the documents.

4. Yet More Do’s • ANALYZE the documents – this means you have to use a why/because structure at least once when addressing the docs you choose to use. • How? Contradictory POV, external info that answers why, compare or contrast the docs themselves.

5. The Don’ts • Don’t make a list and check it twice. The docs aren’t your groceries. • Don’t explain them in isolation, group them up. Don’t let the docs be rugged individualists, they are socialists! • Don’t forget why. Why? Because. • Don’t use and lose. Don’t try so hard to use all the docs that you lose your essay answer. • Don’t just repeat the docs. Understand and explain them.

6. The Process of Writing • Read and Break It Down – make sure you know all parts of the question. • Brain Drain everything you can think of that is relevant. Write It Down! • Craft three body paragraphs and organize your brain gibs into these categories.