Keys to the Document Based Question Essay

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Keys to the Document Based Question Essay
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What is a Document Based Question?

• Models the work of a historian
• Responding to a historical problem based on
  interpreting primary documents
• essentially a research paper
• Technically demanding
• But requires little/no historical knowledge
• DBQs often ask to connect a seemingly unrelated
  idea to the topic of the documents
• DBQs often are based on topics that may be
  unfamiliar

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• Analyze the Mongol attitudes toward the spread of
  Buddhism between 200 CE and 1450.
• Analyze the impact of the Olympic games on the
  global economy during the 20th century.

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Do the Process

• Process the Question
• Note the verb time period circle, underline!
• Centuries to dates, etc
• AP Answer the Prompt!
• Build a Framework / Graphic Organizer
• Anticipate what your answer will look like before
  you read the docs
• Work the Documents (apparts)

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• Author
• Who created the source? What is their pov?
• Place Time
• Where when was the source produced?
• Prior Knowledge
• What do you already know?
• Audience
• For whom was the source created? Does this affect
  its reliability?
• Reason
• Why was this source produced?
• The Main Idea
• What is the source trying to convey?
• Significance
• Why is this source important? How does it fit
  your framework or connect to the question?

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Source Seneca, upper-class Roman
philosopher and adviser to Emperor Nero, first
century CE.   I do not believe that tools for the
crafts were invented by wise men. The question
of whether the hammer or the tongs came first
does not seem important to me. Both were
invented by someone with a mind that was nimble
and sharp, but not great or elevated.
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Do the Process

• Process the Question
• Note the verb time period
• Build a Framework / Graphic Organizer
• Anticipate what your answer will look like before
  you read the docs
• Work the Documents (apparts)
• Answer the Question

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An Implied Step Grouping

• Put documents into at least 2 groups or
  categories based on what will help answer the
  prompt
• national origin, topic, social class of author,
  pro/con
• This is largely solved with a strong planning and
  topic sentences
• Each body paragraph is likely a group (Topic
  sentence should explain what the documents have
  in common)
• Do not have to specifically state The ____ group
  can be seen in documents ,,.
• Types of groupings can be mixed if it helps
  answer the question
• Every group must have at least 2 docs, but docs
  can be used in more than group

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Answer the Question? Write an Essay

• THE BASICS
• remember - a research paper
• Thesis statement
• Use all the sources
• Explain how sources support thesis

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Thesis

• Restate location time period boundaries
• Write a strong statement of 1-3 sentences in your
  intro that lays out your central argument 2-3
  controlling ideas
• Should directly answer the question asked

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Using Document Evidence

• Must use every document at least once
• Must demonstrate understanding
• Paraphrase rather than quote
• Use individually
• Cite your sources
• According to _______
• authors name or title
• Parenthetical citation (doc ).
• Do not start sentence with In document 1

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Analyzing Documents

• Good historical writing requires analysis
• Explain how a document supports your thesis
• Connect information in doc to thesis
• How does the source help prove your answer?
• Should have analysis EVERY time a doc is used

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DBQ advanced skills
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Evidence / Analysis Relationship

• Challenge issued
• Try writing your analysis first
• And then follow up by using the document as
  supporting evidence to your analytical claim
• Result Your answer to the question will be
  stronger
• If you deleted all sentences referring to the
  documents, your essay should still be able to
  stand.

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Analyzing an Authors Point of View

• A look a the impacts of an authors selfish
  motivations

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Point of View

• Requirement analyze 2 documents per DBQ
• Suggestion Mostert rule of 3
• PoV is an attempt to explain how the content of
  the document is likely impacted by the
  circumstances behind their creation.
• Consider Social class, time period, religion,
  occupation, gender, type of document
• __________(author) exaggerates
  ___________(content) because
  __________(circumstance).

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Additional Document
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Additional Document

• Requirement justify the inclusion of 1 doc
• Suggestion Mostert rule of 3
• Add Doc is a recognition of missing voices in
  the DBQ, suggesting a needed document, and
  explaining how the document would help answer the
  question.
• Be specific type of doc how it benefits answer

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• It would be nice to have evidence from
• (why would it be nice?)
• because none of the sources are from a __
• is NOT enough.

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• In order to describe what interpretation /
  conclusion youd like to be able to draw
  historians would need describe what kind of
  evidence / information desired.
• And then
• HOW would this Evidence would help answer the
  question more completely?
• HOW would an historian use this Evidence?
• What CONCLUSION could historians make using this
  Evidence that isnt possible to make now?

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• Dont describe the person that the evidence
  should come from.
• Instead, describe the evidence itself, and what
  historians might do with such evidence.

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• Avoid asking for a document to simply check the
  accuracy of another document.
• The suggested additional document should be
  directed toward rounding out an answer to the
  question or more fully analyzing a grouping.
• Avoid simply requesting another document from a
  source or a kind of source already included in
  the document set.

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• Avoid asking for a source that is not relatively
  possible for example written document from
  Inca, photograph prior to late 1800s, etc
• Avoid asking for a secondary source (history
  book, etc)

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Formulaic Responses to PoV Additional Document

• -In the end, formulas to not always fit, but the
  following are basic responses that might help you
  get started.

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Point of View

• ________(author) exaggerates
  ________(content) because
  __________(circumstance).
• ________(author) attempts to persuade
  ________(content) due to __________(circumsta
  nce).
• ________(author) attempts to justify
  ________(content) due to
  __________(circumstance).

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Additional Document

• A document by a ___________(type of person)
  from ___________(place) at ___________(time)
  would help determine ___________(grouping) .

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Implied Grouping

• Place the documents into at least 2 groups or
  categories
• PERSIA
• national origin, topic, social class of author,
  pro/con
• Must have topic sentences to satisfy requirement!
• Each body paragraph is likely a group
• Do not have to specifically state The ____ group
  can be seen in documents ,,. Use topic
  sentence to explain common purpose of paragraph
  then follow through by using docs
• Every group must have at least 2 docs, but docs
  can be used in more than group