1. DBQ Inquiry

2. INDIVIDUAL TASK: Writing a DBQ.
STEPS
Read the prompt, making note of what it is asking for.
Read and analyze the docs, underlining and making margin notes about what the prompt is asking.
Organize your ideas.
Draw 3 boxes/groupings (each box represents a paragraph).
Give each box/grouping a name.
Place all of the docs into one or more of the groups.
Write intro with thesis.
Write body paragraphs:
Cite ALL docs with doc numbers (no direct quotes!).
Discuss POV for 2 documents (see directions on POV later).
Request at least 2 additional documents..

3. Organize Your Ideas, aka “Grouping”
Lets say our DBQ has 8 documents.
All 8 documents must be used.
Documents can appear in more than one body paragraph.
Each grouping or paragraph needs a unifying idea that CATEGORIZES what the prompt is asking for.
If the prompt ask for responses, then each box should be different kinds of responses.
If prompt is about arguments then boxes = different kinds of arguments.
A doc that doesn’t fit into the 3 boxes can be discussed by itself in a small paragraph just before the conclusion.
Angry
Responses
3, 8
Favorable
Responses
2, 6, 7
Intellectual
Responses
1, 4 5
* Only discuss one doc by itself if it can’t fit into one of the three main body paragraphs.

4. Intro W/Thesis
Start paragraph with background sentences to set the stage.
Take a stand or say something specific about each part of the prompt.
“There were many reasons for the fall of Rome” is not taking a stand.
Explain one or more of the reasons.
Thesis can be multiple sentences and should be at the end of the introduction..
Background_______________________
__________________________________________ .
Background_____________________________
Thesis sentence 1______________________
Thesis sentence 2_______________________
Thesis sentence 3_______________________
__________________________________________.

5. Write Body Paragraphs
Start paragraph with TOPIC SENTENCE that summarizes what the paragraph is about.
Paraphrase evidence from all docs that relate to this topic.
Do NOT use direct quotes.
Cite the docs (doc 3).
Discuss POV for some docs right after using them as evidence. Select docs where POV stands out.
Request an additional doc that would either corroborate or refute a document you used as POV, explaining WHY it would be useful..
Topic sentence that summarizes
_____________________________________________ .
Evidence___________________________________
_____________________________________(doc3) .
POV for doc 3______________________________
Additional doc related to POV for doc 3_
__________________________________________ .
Evidence from doc 8_______________________
___________________________________ (doc 8).

6. What is POV? 4 Ways to Do POV Based on Author Based on Type of Doc
“Because the author is a Marxist, he clearly would be very critical of the capitalist system. Being a Marxist might make the author ignore or omit facts that make capitalism look good.”
“Because the document is an advertisement, it is trying to persuade people in some way and is most likely only telling part of the story.”
“Because Mr. Jones was telling his grandkids the story about his greatest touchdown ever, 30 years after it happened, he made it sound a lot better than it really was.”
“Because the worker experienced the conditions first-hand, his account is credible.”
What is POV?
4 Ways to Do POV
Based on Author
Based on Type of Doc
Based on When Written.
Based on Proximity of Author to events.

7. Additional Documents
You are a PHD historian being paid $50,000 to write a book about ________________.
You just finished your first day of looking for documents in the national archives in some far away land, and you found 8 useful documents.
What documents will you look for tomorrow?
What docs do you think exist?
Why/how will they be useful?
Try to play off of a document you already have that shows clear POV.
Explain it immediately after discussing POV, or put it at the end of a body paragraph.
Topic sentence that summarizes___
_____________________________________________ .
Evidence___________________________________
_____________________________________(doc3) .
POV for doc 3______________________________
Additional doc related to POV for doc 3_
__________________________________________ .
Evidence from doc 8_______________________
___________________________________ (doc 8).

8. Structure of Essay Intro Body 4 (5) Conclusion
Background sentences setting the stage
Thesis near end of intro paragraph
Body 1 (3, 8)
Starts with a topic sentence that only tells what the paragraph is about
Evidence that fits in the paragraph with docs cited
Evidence (doc 3)
Evidence (doc 8)
POV when possible using because.
Request additional doc every time POV is discussed
Body 2 (2, 6, 7)
Starts with a topic sentence that only tells what the paragraph is about
Evidence (doc 2).
Evidence (doc 6)
Evidence (doc 7)
POV when possible using because.
Request additional doc every time POV is discussed
Body 3 (1, 4)
Starts with a topic sentence that only tells what the paragraph is about
Evidence (doc 1)
Evidence (doc 4)
POV when possible using because.
Request additional doc every time POV is discussed
Body 4 (5)
Possible 4th grouping of docs
Possible POV paragraph, but not ideal style-wise
Conclusion
Restates the thesis.
Makes connections to global context