1. DBQ Writing

2. Writing in history
History essays are, at their core, about two main components:
Argument
Evidence
Said argument, and the evidence to support it, must be organized in a way that allows the reader to follow along easily.

3. How does this relate to dbqs?
Just like an SAQ, the most important part of any good DBQ essay is a strong thesis (argument) that is supported by clear and precise use of evidence (documents and other historical knowledge)
DBQ questions have ̴7 documents
DBQ questions are out of a total 7 points
Thesis (1 point)
Contextualization (1 point)
Evidence (3 points)
Analysis and Reasoning (2 points)

4. Thesis
Your thesis, at its core, is essentially your answer to the question being asked. As such, it provides a logical framework/progression to your DBQ
It MUST reflect the body of your essay in order to get credit
As such, the documents must be able to SUPPORT your thesis
It must ANSWER THE QUESTION ASKED
Should be located in your introduction

5. Contextualization
Topic of the prompt/documents must be broadened to include the historical themes, issues, developments, etc. of or around the time period it is concerning (must be relevant)
This is where you can really demonstrate your knowledge of the content, using your mastery of the content to paint a clearer picture for the scorer
MUST be more than a simple off-hand phrase (“buzzword”) or reference. It must be thoughtfully INTEGRATED into the essay.

6. Evidence
2 parts: Evidence from the Documents and Evidence Beyond the Documents
Evidence from:
DESCRIBE the content from AT LEAST 6 of the documents in order to SUPPORT a part of your thesis/claim
This also means you must do more than simply quote it
Evidence beyond
1 additional piece of specific historical evidence (not from documents)
The function of this is similar to that of a document, to support the/part of the argument
NOT to paint a broader picture

7. Analysis and reasoning
2 parts: Sourcing and Complexity
Sourcing
Explain how POV, Purpose, Historical Situation, and/or audience of AT LEAST 3 of the documents is relevant to the/part of the thesis
HOW/WHY of the information from the sourcing, not just the WHAT
Complexity
This is accomplished by recognizing the complex nature of the historical phenomenon the prompt references
Creating a complex argument, using the docs to corroborate, qualify the argument
Explain the nuance of an issue by analyzing multiple factors or discussing other perspectives
Explaining relevant/insightful connections within, across periods

8. Steps to dbq planning Read the question Read the documents
Try to summarize each document, highlight key lines, etc.
Look at the source. Consider: Who wrote this? When? What was happening around this time? Who was it written for? WHY DOES THIS MATTER/HOW DOES THIS AFFECT THE SOURCE’S RELEVANCE TO THE PROMPT?
Think: how do the documents relate to the prompt?
Synthesize the documents in order to create a basic thesis (answer) for the prompt that can be supported by the documents.

9. Tips for dbq writing USE ALL THE DOCUMENTS AS EVIDENCE
Remember, you have to do more than mention the documents
Avoid direct quotations
Analogy: The Scientific Method
When writing a DBQ, you are coming up with a hypothesis to a question/problem, and the documents are what you test (prove) it with.
When organizing, try to clump documents together that can build off each other
Before writing, think about what you know about the period, and how that may be incorporated (whether as context or evidence) into your work