1. CONQUERING THE DBQ
AP European History

2. Recipe for a Good Essay: 9 Points
The DBQ is scored out of 9 points.
The DBQ is scored using CORE SCORING, which means that 6 specific tasks MUST be earned in order to earn the last 3.
You all have the generic core-scoring guide for the DBQ – PLEASE USE IT to craft your essays.
Before you turn your essay in, check to see that all 6 core points have been addressed.

3. The Question: Identifying the Task
UNDERLINE all required tasks involved in fully responding to the question.
Failure to address all parts of the question will result in an inadequate thesis and an unsatisfactory response.
Your thesis AND body paragraphs should address ALL PARTS of this question.
Sample
Analyze the causes of and the responses to the peasants’ revolts in the German states,
A strong response will address ALL underlined tasks.

4. Core Point 1: The Thesis Developing a THESIS:
After underlining all TASKS required by the question, generate a thesis that addresses ALL PARTS of the question
Your THESIS should provide analysis AS WELL AS set up your groups.
Failure to construct an adequate thesis will result in a maximum grade of 5 out of 9. Woh woh.
Sample Thesis (taken from AP Reading):
Both religious and economic causes were responsible for the German Peasants’ Revolt. Other German citizens had positive, and varying degrees of negative responses to these widespread rebellions.
What makes this an effective thesis?
Does it fully respond to the question?
How can we improve it?

5. Core Points 2, 3, and 4: Documents - Majority, Meaning, and Supporting the Thesis
How many documents should I use?
ALL if possible, but AT LEAST A MAJORITY!
If you are really stumped by the meaning of a document, omit that one.
Whatever you do, don’t make other core points dependent on a document you are uncertain of (2nd document in a group of 2, 3rd and final example of POV)
You must refer EXPLICITLY and INDIVIDUALLY to a document for it to be counted. Referencing a listed group will not count!
Failure to use a majority will result in the loss of points 2, 3, AND 4!
There are 12 documents for this example, so use AT LEAST…

6. Core Point 5: Point of View
This is the most difficult thing for Euro students to understand, but it’s really not that difficult!
All documents – even historical ones – are written by or created by someone who has his/her own perspective, bias, or agenda. POV is all about identifying that agenda and the purpose the document serves.
Think to yourself: WHY would THIS PERSON believe this? WHAT is this document’s PURPOSE? HOW does this person’s title/position/nationality/sex/socioeconomic status influence them to have this opinion?
Although it may seem formulaic, think about structuring POV in one of the following ways:
As a/n _____________________, ______________’s POV is biased because he/she/they sought to ___________________________.
Because this document is a/n _________________________, it’s specific purpose is to _____________________________, making it more/less reliable.
This document is a/n __________________________, intended to be read/heard/seen by ______________________________, causing it to be more/less reliable…
For this question, examples of POV are abundant!
As a protestant preacher and theologian, Muntzer sought to incite an uprising and religious reform in the midst of chaos
Because Luther had been protected by the German princes, he spoke against the peasants who had rebelled against these princes in order to continue to have the princes’ protection.

7. Core Point 6: Establishing Groups
Body Paragraphs – Creating Groups and Themes
Simple way to organize body paragraphs is by the groups you have established (e.g. opinions of French, Germans, and English OR views of clergy, government officials, women)
Your groups should also be decided based on some analysis (e.g. Clergy generally expressed a sympathetic attitude toward the poor…” and “Government officials tended to view poor beggars as a nuisance”
A GROUP MUST HAVE AT LEAST TWO DOCUMENTS, but ALWAYS INCLUDE THREE to be safe, unless it is your fourth or fifth group.
Documents can be used in multiple groups.
If you want an 8-9, count on having AT LEAST 4 groups.
Look to the required tasks of the question to help guide how you form groups.
Your thesis should SET UP your groups. e.g. if we take the previous thesis, “Both religious and economic causes were responsible for the German Peasants’ Revolt. Other German citizens had positive, and varying degrees of negative responses to these widespread rebellions,” this group has wisely created 4 groups:
Religious Causes (docs. 1, 3, 6)
Economic Causes (docs. 2, 8, 5)
Positive Responses (docs. 5, 6, 10)
Negative Responses (docs. 8, 11, 4, 9, 7, 12, AND 10)

8. The Expanded Core: Beyond a 6
Points 7-9 are assigned in a more subjective manner
The more “extras” you have, the closer you will move into 9-ville!
Extras include the following:
High-level comprehensive thesis
Using all documents
Outside information
Multiple groups/examples of POV

9. Some Extra Pointers… How should I refer to documents? Conclusion?
DO NOT waste time with long quotes from the documents
You may quote SHORT phrases, but referring to the ideas in the document is more than sufficient
It is helpful to make reference to the document explicitly in one of the following ways
Parentheses at end of sentence in which you refer to it e.g. (Doc. 1)
By explicitly stating, “In Document 1, Martin Luther condemns the peasants…”
Writing “Doc. 1” in the margin next to the sentence that refers to it
Underline it if you want – the more obvious you make it, the easier it is for the reader to find it!
Conclusion?
Tie together all your groups
Restate your thesis
Don’t go crazy with this!