DOMINATING THE DBQ!!

1)  Read the Essay Prompt

  1. Complete the same tasks you learned for comparison essays:

·  Underline the task of the essay

·  Put a box around the society or societies in the prompt

·  Put a circle around the time period

·  Draw arrows at the aspect of the subject you are asked to analyze

·  Or, try highlighting each of these things in different colors

2)  Read, Summarize and Analyze the Documents

  1. Read each document carefully, underlining key phrases
  2. When you finish with a document, summarize its main ideas in one or a few short phrases next to the document
  3. Try to note one or more POV for the document as soon as you read it

3)  Organize the Documents into 3-4 Groups

  1. You need at least 2 documents to make a grouping. Consider the following techniques for groups:
  2. WHAT THE DOCUMENTS SAY: For example, if the question asks you to analyze attitudes towards women, and then several documents portray women in a positive way, and others give a negative view, each of those could be a group.
  3. WHO IS SAYING IT: You can also group documents by shared qualities among the authors. For example, if two of the documents are by government officials, and journalists write two other documents, each of those could be a group.

b.  NOTE: Each group represents a body paragraph. So, what you are really doing in this step is outlining your essay.

c.  NOTE: Using nationality of the person is often not acceptable.

4)  Think of Additional Documents

  1. The DBQ asks you to think of 2 additional types of document that could be included in the document list. In fact, this is the easiest task.
  2. For example, many DBQ’s feature a bunch of upper-class writers discussing issues impacting the lower classes. You could explain why it would be helpful to have a document from an actual peasant.
  3. Note: Try to comment on the need for additional documents in each body paragraph, in case one is wrong.

5)  Writing the Thesis

  1. Once you have read through the documents and understood them, you are ready to write your thesis paragraph. In the paragraph, you need to answer the question. So, if the question asks you about Indian and African attitudes towards women, you need to explain some specific attitudes to women found in the documents.
  2. Remember, be specific in your thesis paragraph, but don’t mention any of the documents specifically yet.

6)  Writing the Essay

  1. Complete the essay by turning your groups into body paragraphs.
  2. Summarize each document in your own words.
  3. Explain how it relates to the group
  4. Analyze a POV for the document

iv.  NOTE: You do not have to say which document you are using. However, it is easier for the reader to make a short citation of the document, either in parentheses or in the margins on the side of the page.

  1. Feel free to add a conclusion paragraph as a restatement of thesis