How To Do A DBQ

1. How To Do ADBQ Document Based Question

2. DBQ • An essay question that deals specifically with your ability to formulate and support an answer from documentary evidence • There is no single “correct” answer; instead various approaches and responses are possible, depending on your ability to understand the documents and communicate their significance

3. DBQ • Analysis • Synthesis • Read and analyze documents individually and then plan and construct an appropriate response to the essay question based on your interpretation of the documentary evidence • You MUST group documents to show analysis of the different content and points of view • You MUST have a CLEAR thesis statement and an analysis of documents that fully address the question

4. DBQ • There are no irrelevant or deliberately misleading documents • You must use all of the documents • Awareness of the documents’ sources and their author’s points of view requires you to demonstrate the analytic skills of understanding context, point of view, and frame of reference • Pay attention to internal evidence (content and tone of each document in relation to others) and external evidence (identification of author, purpose or intended audience, and the date when each document was written)

5. Terms according to the AP 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 negative points; give an option regarding the value of; discuss the advantages/disadvantages • Compare- examine for the purpose of noting similarities and differences

6. Contrast- examine in order to show dissimilarities or points of difference • Describe- give an account of; tell about; give a word picture of • Discuss- write about; consider or examine by argument or from various points of view; debate; present the different sides of

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

8. DBQ • You may group documents chronologically, culturally, and thematically, as appropriate, to demonstrate your ability to analyze sources, but you are not expected to have particular knowledge of every document’s author or topic or include knowledge outside of the documents in order to receive the highest score. • The AP Test will have between 4 and 10 documents • You must suggest another document that would be helpful in further analysis.(they would rather see two)

9. From the Princeton Review • Thesis: • Directly addresses the question • Accurately describes the content of the essay • Make sure documents can be used to support your arguments

10. Analyze: • Documents • The author’s P.O.V. • What is the context: Historical, Political, Cultural Environment • How does the author’s perspective affect what he/she wrote and why? • What is the author’s position in society? • How does the content and tone of the document relate to the other documents?

11. What does one say that the others don’t? • What accounts for these differences? • Look at the date • Intended audience? • What was the author trying to express? • Cite your documents (Doc. 1) • Group them in at least 2 different ways • Identify and explain 2 more documents that would add to your argument, that are not represented, offer info that is not there, what P.O.V is missing, and why it would be important.

12. Open with your thesis • Support your thesis with all of the documents • Analyze and group the documents together • Documents that support the same thing • Documents that show similarities or differences • Regroup in a way that shows insight • How they have changed over time