The Document-Based Question

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The Document-Based Question
DBQ
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What Is It?

• An essay question that requires you to interpret
  primary source documents.
• Documents might include the following

Newspaper articles/editorials Letters/diaries Spee
ches Legislation Political cartoons Charts and
graphs
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What Are the Documents for?

• To discuss events and ideas with which you are
  familiar.
• To support or refute the essay questions
• Focus around the essay topic

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When Do I Take the DBQ?

• After the multiple-choice section
• You get a green booklet with the essay questions
  and DBQ
• Begins with a 15 minute mandatory reading period
• Evaluate and interpret the documents

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Is There a Right Answer to Each DBQ?

• No
• Multiple arguments
• Develop your argument (thesis) with evidence
  (include outside information)
• Use a strong historical argument

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I Have the Question, Now What Do I Do? Getting
Started

• Read the question thoroughly
• Explore all parts of the question (how many
  parts)
• Highlight important aspects
• Ask these two questions
• Do I have an opinion about this subject?
• What must I discuss in order to write a
  successful essay? (most important)

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Getting Started Cont.

• Gather information
• Address issues
• Decide on data
• Organize plan of attack

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Sample Question

• To what extent and how valid were the fears many
  Americans develop from the end of World War II
  through the Eisenhower administration that
  communism threatened the existence and safety of
  the United States.

Use the documents and your knowledge of the 1940s
through the 1950s, to answer the question.
Circle or underline the key parts to the question.
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Sample Question Breakdown

• To what extent and how valid were the fears many
  Americans develop from the end of World War II
  through the Eisenhower administration that
  communism threatened the existence and safety of
  the United States.

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Sample Question Breakdown

• To what extent and how valid were the fears many
  Americans develop from the end of World War II
  through the Eisenhower administration that
  communism threatened the existence and safety of
  the United States.

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Sample Question Breakdown

• To what extent and how valid were the fears many
  Americans develop from the end of World War II
  through the Eisenhower administration that
  communism threatened the existence and safety of
  the United States.

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Sample Question Breakdown

• To what extent and how valid were the fears many
  Americans develop from the end of World War II
  through the Eisenhower administration that
  communism threatened the existence and safety of
  the United States.

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Sample Question Breakdown

• To what extent and how valid were the fears many
  Americans develop from the end of World War II
  through the Eisenhower administration that
  communism threatened the existence and safety of
  the United States.

Use the documents and your knowledge of the 1940s
through the 1950s to answer the question.
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Sample Question Breakdown

• To what extent and how valid were the fears many
  Americans develop from the end of World War II
  through the Eisenhower administration that that
  communism threatened the existence and safety of
  the United States.
• Use the documents and your knowledge of the
  1940s through the 1950s to answer the question.

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Sample Question Breakdown

• Thoroughly examined and analyzed the questioned
• Create a information grid
• Pertinent information

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Information Grid
Valid Not Valid Maybe/maybe not
Threats from other countries
Threats from within the U.S.
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Gather Outside Information

• Jot down terms, ideas, and/or concepts
• 2 or 3 minutes
• Decide what you can and cannot use
• Insert into your grid

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Information Grid
Valid Not Valid Maybe/maybe not
Threats from other countries
Threats from within the U.S.
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Outside Information

• Information same as the documents
• That means you are on target
• Brainstorm outside of the grid

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Reading the Documents

• Use the three levels of questions, soaps and
  inferences.
• Document Order
• Chronological - if so the test is asking you
  trace the historical development.
• Otherwise organized for compare and contrast
  (draw comparisons in your essay).

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Reading the Documents

• Inconsistencies
• Not all documents agree
• Present different view points
• Recognize inconsistencies
• APPARTS helps you identify the source and
  differing opinions of the same event or data

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Reading the Documents

• Once you decided on your thesis (documents)
• Supporting evidence
• Contradicting evidence
• - incorporate and acknowledge these
• Why was that document included?
• Add more outside info (???)

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Thesis Development

• Read question one more time
• Develop a argument you can prove
• Make sure your thesis addresses all pertinent
  aspects of the question

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Write Your Essay

• Get to the point
• Back thesis up with facts, solid evidence not
  fluff
• 3 or 4 different issues or topic sentences
• Make sure you are addressing the question
• Refer back to the question several times
• Include as many documents as possible

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Final Conclusion

• Stay confident
• Dont panic
• Take a deep breath to relax
• You prepared all year for the test
• Everyone else is in the same boat as you

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Question Breakdown

• To what extent amount, degree, level
• how valid what is the depth of truth

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Question Breakdown

• The fears why were Americans afraid of
  Communism.
• How valid were those fears?

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Question Breakdown

• that communism threatened
• Where did these threats come from?
• 1) Other countries
• 2) Within the United States

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Question Breakdown

• existence and safety
• Both parts must be answered as equally as
  possible
• Was the U.S. existence threatened?
• Was the U.S. safety threatened?

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Question Breakdown

• your knowledge of the 1940s through the 1950s
• OUTSIDE INFORMATION