1. Was Texas Justified in Declaring Independence from Mexico?

2. Document A 1. What year was the Constitution written?
2. Why did the settlers like the Mexican Constitution of 1824?
3. What was the requirement for settlers?
4. How does this support or not support justification to declare independence?

3. Document B 1. What did the decree of April 6, 1830 do?
2. How did the settlers feel about the decree?
3. How does this support or not support justification to declare independence?

4. Document C
1. What were the Texans trying to accomplish with the Turtle Bayou resolutions?
2. How does this support or not support justification to declare independence?

5. Document D
1. What were the Texans trying to accomplish with the Declaration of November 7?
2. How does this support or not support justification to declare independence?

6. Document E 1. Who wrote the letter? 2. Who was the letter written to?
3. What is the letter asking for?
4. How does this support or not support justification to declare independence?

7. Introduction
Headline sentence – Grab the audience, tell them something they might not know or may not have thought about.
Background info – Mexican Independence, Constitution 1824, Americans move into Texas
Background info – Trouble (Causes of the Revolution)
Thesis (Main Idea of essay)– Texas was (was not) justified in declaring independence from Mexico for three reasons: (reason 1, reason 2, reason 3)

8. Paragraph 2 – Reason 1 Main Idea – Texas was justified… because
Detail – What are the details of the story? Cite the source
Detail - What shows that this reason justifies it? Cite the source

9. Paragraph 3 – Reason 2 Main Idea – Texas was justified… because
Detail – What are the details of the story? Cite the source
Detail - What shows that this reason justifies it? Cite the source

10. Paragraph 4 – Reason 3 Main Idea – Texas was justified… because
Detail – What are the details of the story? Cite the source
Detail - What shows that this reason justifies it? Cite the source

11. Conclusion
Answer the DBQ question in different words than your thesis statement
Any other points to back-up your thesis

12. 4 – Top points Essay follows the 5 paragraph format
Thesis statement answers the DBQ question and is the last sentence of the Intro
Main Idea of the body paragraphs is a reason given in the thesis
Details in the body paragraph are in line with the Main Idea
Conclusion answers the DBQ question in a different way than thesis
Grammar, spelling, punctuation, capitalization – mostly correct

13. 3 – Good but not Great Thesis isn’t in the right place
Thesis does not clearly answer the DBQ question
Main Ideas do not follow the thesis
Paragraphs are too short or do not follow the main idea
Grammar, spelling, punctuation, capitalization – mostly correct

14. 2 – Not Good No Thesis Not organized in 5 paragraph essay format
Grammar, spelling, punctuation, capitalization – inconsistant

15. 1 – Poor/Bad No Thesis Not organized in 5 paragraph essay format
Grammar, spelling, punctuation, capitalization – inconsistant
Copy of the background essay