How to score points on the DBQ rubric: What I learned on my summer vacation grading AP essays

1. A.P = ANSWER THE PROMPT! Put your Thesis sentence(s) 1st; be specific, ADDRESS THE QUESTION ASKED, NOT THE QUESTION YOU WANT TO ANSWER. No “throat clearing” writing (“The Olympics have been a great sporting event for centuries. Ever since the ancient Greeks blah, blah, blah.” I read that 300 times in Colorado).

2 & 3. Argument Development & Use of the Docs: evidence used from docs 2 & 3. Argument Development & Use of the Docs: evidence used from docs. for thesis – in the body paragraphs (at least two); CITE DOCS USED BY AUTHOR AND #. USE ALL SEVEN DOCUMENTS 

Start each body paragraph with a strong topic sentence, explaining the group of docs you’ll discuss in that paragraph. Have a conclusion sentence for each Redundancy is your friend. Redundancy is your friend. *Avoid long direct quotes from the docs! Explain the docs & how it relates to your thesis (The author of Doc. 1 says what, this shows us what).

For every source: TEXT: What is visible/readable, i.e., what information is provided by the source? CONTEXT: What was going on during the time period? What background information do you have that helps explain the information found in the source? SUBTEXT: What is between the lines? Ask questions about the following: - Author: Who created the source, and what do we know about that person? - Audience: For Whom was the source created? Reason: Why was this source produced when it was?

4. Sourcing the Docs: POV, purpose, context, and/or audience; for at least FIVE DOCS. This is the WHY the doc was written.

5. Contextualization Explain broader historical events relevant to the question – put this in your opening paragraph with your thesis.

6. Outside Evidence Outside knowledge. At least two examples or additional pieces of evidence relevant to the question not contained in the documents.

7. Synthesis Connect to another time period, situation, era, or area. This goes in your conclusion paragraph.

BONUS: ACTUAL STUDENT RESPONSES TO THE OLYMPICS DBQ QUESTION, 2008 Power Rangers would kick b—in the Olympics. Olympic games are composed of summer games, winter games, and spring games. The Games were not all candy and clouds, however. Doc.1 POV: He could be saying this to avoid the obligation of exploring the French military who, reputably are not even capable of winning a game of Rock, Paper, Scissors. The Games were held in Japan in 1972, right after World War II. Teams competed for metals (from hundreds of papers) The Nazis cheated in the ski race, as they most definitely cheated in World War II (blitzkrieg is very unfair!) 29% of the athletes in 1992 became women (were those games in San Francisco?) Doc. 8 is almost the same as an additional document. Women around that time were very small in numbers. This is Sparta! (on dozens of papers) If 1000 competed 980 would be big muscular men, 20 would be women; this kind of competition would seem unfair to a monkey. Another positive change is the fact that these days the competitors are actually wearing clothes (but think of the TV ratings boost!)

BONUS: ACTUAL STUDENT RESPONSES TO DBQ & SILK ROAD ESSAYS, 2009 The Europeans took it to them like Indiana Jones took it to the Nazis. The African response to European imperialism was to die. Germany brutally murdered many Africans without their consent. Menelik II sent a letter to the Triple Alliance (Britain, France, Germany, Italy, & Russia Chuck Norris, save me! The Way Africa revolted, I can’t help but to think of the planet Endor, home of the Ewoks, which was under the control of the Galactic Empire up until they revolted against the lasers with their primitve weaponry, and actually won. The Silk Roads from 200 BCE to 1450 CE had something to do with silk trade. I think. I’m guessing the first year is BCE; the whole Christ thing had something to do with changes and continuity over that time period. The Silk Road was made out of silk.

DBQ, I Love You! for Christian and Muslim attitudes toward merchants and trade Step 1: “think aloud” for Doc 1. Follow along & annotate the doc. Step 2: Guided Practice – Pair Share for Doc 2. Use the Graphic Organizer. Step 3: Formative Assessment – HAPPY organizer completed for four other docs. Step 4: Summative Assessment -

2002 DBQ: Christian and Muslim attitudes towards merchants and trade http://apcentral.collegeboard.com/apc/public/repository/world_hist_frq_02_10374.pdf

2004 DBQ: Spread of Buddhism to China http://apcentral.collegeboard.com/apc/public/repository/ap04_frq_world_histor_36115.pdf