Sie sind auf Seite 1von 11

The Document Based Question (DBQ)

The document based question (DBQ) is designed to test the students ability to work with and understand
historical documents as well as to demonstrate a grasp of historical content, context and synthesis.
The student DBQ essay:
Has a thesis that makes a historically defensible claim and responds to all parts of the question.
Develops and supports a cohesive argument that explicitly illustrates relationships among
historical evidence such as corroboration, contradiction, and/or qualification (degree). This is
most easily demonstrated by the use of topic sentences that make a claim.
Uses all seven of the documents to support your arguments. (You may leave one out, but that is
a risk).
Explains the significance of the authors points of view, the historical context (little c), the
audience and/or the purpose of at least four documents.
Situates the argument by explaining the broader historical context (big C), developments and
processes. This is done using information from outside the documents.
The student must refer to relevant specific historical evidence beyond that found in the
documents. This evidence must be different from evidence used to earn other points on this
rubric. A simple mention of evidence is NOT sufficient, students must explain that evidence in
the course of an argument.
SYNTHESIS - Extends the argument by explaining the connection between the argument
and ONE of the following:
A development in a different historical period, situation, era, or geographical area,
A course theme and/or approach to history that is not the focus of the essay (such as political,
economic, social, cultural, or intellectual history),
OR a different discipline or field of inquiry (such as economics, government and politics, art history,
or anthropology).

How to Write a Document Based Question (DBQ)


Warm-up Activity
Shoe Sort: Have the students sit in a large circle on the floor (the teacher may want to take the students
into the hallway to do this). Have all student put their left shoe in a pile in the middle of the circle. Select
one student and tell them to sort the shoes (no other instructions). After they finish have another students
try to explain the criteria the first student used for sorting. Ask the students if there are other ways the
shoes could have been sorted. (Students will most often sort by type of shoe first, then by color, then by
material the shoe is made from and often by brand.) Explain how a DBQ is like a shoe sort, they will get
a set of seven documents and have to sort them into groups that they can defend, however they will be
given criterion for sorting the documents; the idea is that they understand that there are many ways
documents can be grouped. Have the students retrieve their shoes and return to their desks. Show the
students the following prompt about shoes:

Prompt: Explain the different reasons why students wear different styles of shoes on Dress to
Impress day.

Planning is the key to success. Too many times students want to jump into an essay without spending
sufficient time and energy creating a plan of action. College Board encourages a 15 minutes reading and
planning period before students begin to write. The first part of that time should be spent dissecting the
prompt. Have the students look at the prompt and discuss its key words and phrases. They should notice
that they are looking for reasons that students wear types of shoes on dress to impress day. Have the
students circle or highlight the key word reasons in the prompt.

The second part of the planning time should be spent making an organizational chart. This chart will
give the students topic categories for their body paragraphs, it will organize the documents that will
support the topics, and it will remind the student how to address the document analysis of POV/CAP.

2
DBQ Review
Before starting on the historical DBQ below, lets quickly review of the steps in planning and
writing the BDQ.

Time management
Read and plan 15 minutes
write 40 minutes
Pre-Writing
Dissect the prompt: (just like in all of the essays)
What are the task and/or directive words?
What are the parameters? (Time, place, class, categories, etc.)
Are there any other key terms are in the prompt?
Planning:
Read the documents, write summaries in the margin, look for patterns, content,
contradiction and author type. Patterns are often suggested in the prompt. Look for
different points of view on the same topic.
Plan your categories to match the supporting documents. Remember to be constantly
aware of the prompt.
A document may fit in more than one category or it may stand alone.

Lets Practice:

On the following page there are some documents to illustrate the organizational points of the
DBQ essay.
1. Read and dissect the prompt.
2. Read the documents and write a short summary (no more than 12 words) of each in the margin
next to the document.
3. Look at the organizational chart, decide what categories you will use to base your argument.
4. List the documents you will use to prove each argument.
5. What is the bigger CONTEXT that informs the question being asked?
6. Make note of how you will address the validity/context/POV of the document or author.
7. Determine how you will approach the synthesis point of this prompt.

Argument Categories
(aspects of slavery) Document #s Context Document Analysis

Synthesis =

6
Prompt: Using the documents provided and your knowledge of world history, compare
and contrast the aspects of slavery in Islamic societies.

Document 1
al-Bukhari, an Imam (religious scholar) from Sahih Bukhari, a Hadith of the words and
deeds of Mohammed, circa 870.
The Prophet said, He who has a slave-girl and teaches her good manners and improves her
education and then manumits and marries her, will get a double reward; and any slave who
observes Allah's right and his master's right will get a double rewardThree persons will have a
double reward: A slave who discharges his duties to Allah and his master. A master of a woman-
slave who teaches her good manners and educates her in the best possible way [A master who]
manumits [freed] her and then marries her."
Document 2
Muammad ibn al-Muqaddas, Arab writer and geographer, from Kitab al-Bad' wah-tarikh
circa 985.
As for the Zanj slaves, they are Bantu people of black color, flat noses, kinky hair, and little
understanding or intelligence Therefore, the Negro nation are, as a rule, submissive to slavery,
because they have little [that is essentially] human and have attributes that are quite similar to
those of dumb animals, as we have statedZanj also worked the salt mines of Mesopotamia,
especially around Basra."
Document 3
Bartolemeo von Pezzen, ambassador to Constantinople from 1586 to 1591, who employed
an unknown painter to describe Turkish habits and customs to his lord, Holy Roman
Emperor Rudolph II, Janissary slave soldiers of the Ottoman Empire.

7
Document 4
Buhurizade Mustafa Itri Efendi, slave steward for the slave market of Istanbul, circa 1712.
Where women were concerned, the most attractive who were brought to Istanbul to be sold
would first be offered to the sultan for his harem or to a high official who wanted to buy one to
present to the imperial harem as a gift. The mothers of the sultan and at times his sisters and
daughters entered into what became a serious competition. They would purchase promising
young girls who usually were around 12 years old. These girls would be educated and trained in
reading, writing and various skills. The girls who showed the most promise would be given
assignments which would put them in a position where they would be seen by the sultan. For
example, they might be given the task of helping the woman who presented the sultan with
coffee. If the sultan bedded one of these slave girls, she might become the mother of a future
sultan, a position which would bring her power.
Document 5
Christopher Hitchens, British humanist, circa 1800
Central and East European slaves, generally known as Saqaliba (i.e. Slavs), were imported by
three main routes: overland via France and Spain, from Eastern Europe via the Crimea, and by
sea across the Mediterranean. They were mostly but not exclusively Slavs. Some were captured
by Muslim naval raids on European coasts, particularly the Dalmatian. Most were supplied by
European, especially Venetian, slave merchants, who delivered cargoes of them to the Muslim
markets in Spain and North Africa perhaps 1.5 million Europeans and Americans were
enslaved in Islamic North Africa between 1530 and 1780?
Document 6
Thomas Smee, the commander of the British research ship Ternate, from his log book
noting his visit to a market in Zanzibar in 1811.
The slaves, set off to the best advantage by having their skins cleaned and burnished with
cocoa-nut oil, their faces painted with red and white stripes and the hands, noses, ears and feet
ornamented with a profusion of bracelets of gold and silver and jewels, are ranged in a line,
commencing with the youngest, and increasing to the rear according to their size and age. At the
head of this file, which is composed of all sexes and ages from 6 to 60, walks the person who
owns them; behind and at each side, two or three of his domestic slaves, armed with swords and
spears, serve as guard. The procession passes through the market-place... when any of them
strikes a spectator's fancy the line immediately stops, and a process of examination ensues,
which, for detail, is unequalled in any cattle market in Europe. The intending purchaser having
ascertained there is no defect in the faculties of speech, hearing, etc., that there is no disease
present, next proceeds to examine the person; the mouth and the teeth are first inspected and
afterwards every part of the body in succession, not even excepting the breasts, etc., of the girls,
many of whom I have seen handled in the most indecent mannerFrom such scenes one turns
away with pity and indignation.
Document 7
Ronald Segal, South African born Historian of African Culture, Islams Black Slaves: The
Other Black Diaspora, 2002.
The Arab slave trade typically dealt in the sale of castrated male slaves. Black boys between the
age of 8 and 12 had their scrotums and penises completely amputated to prevent them from
reproducing. About six of every 10 boys bled to death during the procedure, according to some
sources, but the high price brought by eunuchs on the market made the practice profitable.
Some men were castrated to be eunuchs in domestic service and the practice of neutering male
slaves was not limited to only Black males. The calipha in Baghdad at the beginning of the 10th
Century had 7,000 black eunuchs and 4,000 white eunuchs in his palace.

8
Writing
Thesis: Write a thesis paragraph that addresses the prompt and has historically defensible
categories for analysis.
Body: Use the documents for evidence:
One body paragraph per historically defensible category, start each paragraph with a topic
sentence. ALSO, do not list the documents by number in your topic sentence or
anywhere else. (Documents 1, 3, 5, and 9 are all about long distance trade.) A good topic
sentence will not have any documents in itLong distance trade is one cause of the rise of
Empires. In Document 1, Colombo says that diamonds were traded from the Gupta Empire of
India to the Ottomans in Egypt and financed the army of the Khan. Colombo, an Italian
merchant, was keenly aware of the gem trade because the Venetians had a monopoly on that
trade with the Muslim societies. Document 3, by Townshend agrees saying that long distance
trade between North America and Britain caused the British Empire to flourish. Charles
Townshend, who was Chancellor of the Exchequer and in charge of finances to King George
III wrote this to the king in order to impress on him how important the American colonies
were.
Documents are not just summarized but are connected to a category (topic sentence). NEVER
QUOTE THE DOCUMENTS.
Refer to the document by author or title and number.
Uses all seven of the documents to support your arguments. (You may leave one out, but that is a
risk).
EXPLAINS the significance of authors point of view, purpose, historical context, and/or
audience for at least FOUR documents.
Outside information is required.
SYNTHESIS - Extends the argument by explaining the connection between the argument and
ONE of the following:
A development in a different historical period, situation, era, or geographical area,
A course theme and/or approach to history that is not the focus of the essay (such as political, economic,
social, cultural, or intellectual history),
OR a different discipline or field of inquiry (such as economics, government and politics, art history, or
anthropology).

13
POVs in a DBQ Why is POV Important?
A key component to writing a DBQ is to include POVs about the writer/creator of the
documents. It demonstrates to the reader that the student understands that the document is not a
statement of fact, but opinions of events made by people at a particular time and place and often
for a specific reason. (College Board will never give a document that is not a valid source of
information, so students should be discouraged from saying that a source is not credible, but
instead focus on why the source is useful to the prompt given.) The essay writer must point out
the reason why the document author/creator should be taken seriously. There are three main
types of POV.

Types of POV:
1. Authorial Awareness that the class, occupation, religion, nationality, political position,
ethnicity, or gender (CORNPEG) may have influenced an authors view.

Baldassare Castiglione; Italian author, courtier, and diplomat. he served in the courts of Mantua
and Urbino and later served the Pope. His book, The Courtier, describes the conduct of the
perfect courtier (aristocrat who serves at the court of a noble).

Employ in everything a certain casualness which conceals art and creates the impression that
what is done and said is accomplished without effort and without its being thought about. It is
from this, in my opinion that grace largely derives.

POV based on political position, class and occupation: Castiglione explains that being
graceful without seeming to work at it is essential for a good courtier, as a successful diplomat
and a courtier who had worked for several important nobles, he would know what is needed to be
a success in the courts of Italy.

Yuan Tsai, a Chinese provincial magistrate (government official) in the Song Dynasty; educated
in Neo-Confucian philosophy he mastered the highest exam in the bureaucratic system; from his
book titled Precepts for social Life, 1178.

For women who live a long life, old age is especially hard to bear, because most women must
rely on others for their existence. Before a womans marriage, a good father is even more
important than a good grandfather; a good brother is even more important than a good father.. .
After her marriage, a good husband is even more important than a good father-in-law; a good son
is even more important than a good husband

POV based on gender, religion and class: Yuan argues that women must rely on others for
their existence. This Chinese provincial magistrate, as a member of the scholarly bureaucracy,
was influenced by his Neo-Confucianism training which taught that women are relegated to
subservient positions relative to men. His purpose in writing this book was to reinforce the
Confucian values that he believed to be so important to his society.

14
2. Authenticity reliability and accuracy Examine the author and the type of source to determine
WHY it is accurate and reliable. Is the document an official report? Propaganda? Private letter?
Etc. Is the author an inside or outside observer?

Vespasiano da Bisticci of Florence had a role in the formation of all the great libraries of his
time. He left a collection of 300 biographies. He worked for Pope Nicholas V during the
formation of his papal library and was a leading Humanist philosopher of the age. The following
is from his biography on Cosimo Medici leader of the great Florentine family:

Cosimo became increasingly aware of the fact that if he wanted God to have mercy on him and
conserve him in the possession of his temporal goods, he had to turn to pious ways... his
conscience [bothered] him about some money which he had come by not quite cleanly. Wanting
to lift this weight from his shoulders, he went to talk to Pope Eugenius... to satisfy himself and to
unburden his conscience he... spent in all more than forty thousand florins...on the building...

POV based on authorship of biography writing: Da Bisticcis view of Cosimo de Medici is


valid because he was an insider to the court of Florence and a noted biographer of the day, he
would have great insight into the Medici family and want to create an accurate if flattering view
of Cosimo. Being within reach of the powerful family it is not hard to see why Da Bisticci
would produce a favorable view of Cosimo, as his livelihood might depend on praising the right
man.

Zhou Daguan, Chinese envoy and high ranking member of a delegation sent to Cambodia by
Kubilai Khan. Written in a 1297 report to the emperor, after a year-long stay.

In Cambodia, women attend to trade. Even a Chinese who arrives there and takes a woman will
profit greatly from her trading abilities. They do not have permanent stores, but simply spread a
piece of mat on the ground. Everyone has her own spot.

POV based on being an outsider and sending a report to the emperor: Zhou Daguan, a
Chinese envoy to Cambodia indicates that women played a vital role in Cambodias market place
economy. His observations as an outsider from male-dominated China would have made the
role of women in the region stand out in his mind and seem strange to him. Also, he has little
reason to report falsely to his superiors in China as lying to the emperor would mean his death.

15
POV/CAP and the word bias
The word bias should not be used by students when writing a POV statement. Most
documents are biased to some degree (unless one is reading the dictionary), it is the duty of the
POV writer to get to the cause of the document; in effect to write what has biased the creator of
the source. Therefore, write POV statements using the following stems:

(POV) The author is __________


credible because a member of the (elite), (lower class),
reliable because etc.
accurate because an outsider
believable because an insider to the situation so...

(Context) Because this was written at a time of ______...


conflict
famine
Read the document below, write a short summary and include the context of the document was
written.
Nicolaus Copernicus, a Polish astronomer, was the founder of the heliocentric ordering of the
planets; challenging the beliefs of the Catholic Church. From his book, Revolutions of the
Heavenly Bodies, published in 1453 when Copernicus was sure he was dying. (In fact he died 6
hours after receiving the first copy of the book.)

I can easily conceive, most Holy Father, that as soon as some people learn that in this book
which I have written concerning the revolutions of the heavenly bodies, I ascribe certain motions
to the Earth, they will cry out at once that I and my theory should be rejected. ...I am aware that a
philosopher's ideas are not subject to the judgment of ordinary persons ... For it is the duty of an
astronomer to compose the history of the celestial motions through careful and expert study.

_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
(Audience) The audience is ____________, therefore

16
(Purpose)The purpose of this document was to _________
shock
persuade
inform

Read the document below, write a short summary and include the purpose that the document was
written.
Leonardo Da Vinci, artist, inventor and practical engineer. Although his ideas were often
seen as outlandish by the people of his day, modern engineers have found most of his plans
to be sound and feasible even in his own day. The following is from a letter Da Vinci wrote
to the Duke of Milan:

...I can also make a kind of cannon which is light and easy of transport, with which to hurl small
stones like hail, and of which the smoke causes great terror to the enemy, so that they suffer
heavy loss and confusion... When it is impossible to use cannon I can supply in their stead
catapults, mangonels, trabocchi, and other instruments of admirable efficiency not in general
useIn short, as the occasion requires I can supply infinite means of attack and defense.

_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________

A Better Way to Say Said


While there is nothing wrong with the word said there are better ways to convey tone and POV
when writing the DBQ. Some AP teachers call these the wonderful verbs. You want to use a
verb that denotes some kind of analysis of the author. Consider these:

implies alleges
confesses asserts
suggests admits
contends discloses
declares insinuates
remarks reveals
reports demands
affirms explains
hints emphasizes
maintains proclaims
proposes insists
comments acknowledges
observes concedes
implores replies
responds divulges
insists argues
writes
17

AP World History DBQ Rubric Name _________________________
THESIS & ARGUMENT
1. THESIS PRESENT Presents a thesis that makes a historically
defensible claim and responds to all parts of the question.
35

Must be located in the introduction or conclusion (first or last paragraph).

2. THESIS EXCELLENT / THESIS-DRIVEN Develops and supports


Page

a cohesive argument that recognizes and accounts for historical complexity


by explicitly illustrating relationships among historical evidence such as
contradiction, corroboration, and/or qualification.
DOCUMENT ANALYSIS
POV / CAP (Any 4)
Used Context, Audience, Purpose
3. USES the content of
at least SIX of the
D1 documents to support the
stated thesis or a relevant
D2 argument.

D3

D4
4. EXPLAINS the
significance of authors
D5
point of view, purpose,
historical context, and/or
D6
audience for at least
FOUR documents.
D7

EVIDENCE & CONTEXT


5. CONTEXTUALIZATION Situates the argument by explaining the
broader historical events, developments, or processes immediately relevant
to the question.

6. EVIDENCE BEYOND THE DOCUMENTS Provides an example or


additional piece of specific evidence beyond those found in the documents
to support or qualify the argument.

SYNTHESIS
7. Extends the argument by explaining the connections between the argument and one of the following:
A development in a A course theme and/or approach A different discipline or field
different historical to history that is not the focus of of inquiry (such as
period, situation, era, or the essay (such as political, economics, government and
geographical area. economic, social, cultural, or politics, art history, or
intellectual history). anthropology).

0=0-50, 1=60, 2=65, 3=70-75, 4=80-85, 5=86-89, 6=90-95, 7=96-100 /7


35

DBQ for Dummies: Its like a matching game that you played as a kid.
Thesis: Sort the documents into groups that match. Write an intro paragraph that mentions the prompt and those
groupings.
36

Body paragraph 1: Look at the first group of matching documents


Create a topic sentence that matches the group
Explain how each document relates to the topic sentence
Page

Include POV analysis for documents that you used in the paragraph
Include outside knowledge and synthesis

Body paragraph 2: Look at the second group of matching documents


Create a topic sentence that matches this group
Explain how each document relates to the topic sentence
Include POV analysis for documents that you used in the paragraph
Include outside knowledge and synthesis

Body paragraph 3: Look at the third group of matching documents (if you have a third group)
Create a topic sentence that matches the final grouping
Explain how each document relates to the topic sentence
Include POV analysis for documents that you used in the paragraph
Include outside knowledge and synthesis

Conclusion: Write a concluding paragraph that mentions the prompt, groups that you wrote about and include
sythesis.

DBQ DONTS
Do not lump documents together:
Document 3 and 4 both talk about
Do not laundry list:
Document 1 is about Document 2 talks
about In document 3 the author says The
main point in document 4 is
Do not ignore/misrepresent pictures or graphs
Making stuff up will not get you credit for the
doc
Do not leave out a document (you may but it is a risk)
Do not quote the documents
YES = paraphrase and summarize

36

Das könnte Ihnen auch gefallen