DBQs: Mistakes and Misconceptions

The Thesis One to two sentences- no more! Should have a claim and a line of reasoning Answer the prompt Needs to be historically defensible- if you couldn’t argue against it, don’t use it Should incorporate the historical theme used in the prompt (cause and effect, analyzation, compare and contrast, etc.)

Example Thesis: analyze effects of WWI “In the early 20th century, the first World War had numerous political (1), social (2), and economic (3) effects on a global scale. Nationalism increased, along with dissatisfaction with current government systems (1), shifting borders reshaped and resized countries of different nationalities (2), and increases in wartime technology both boosted and devastated economies (3).” Has claim and line of reasoning Answers all parts of prompt Uses analyzation

Contextualization Broader historical context- what was going on at that time? Should be relevant to the prompt Explicitly connected to the prompt- why is it relevant? Should be in your introduction paragraph either before or following the thesis

Contextualization Example “The early 1900s were characterized largely by global conflict, which would take on the name “The Great War.” During this time, weaponry and civil unrest increased at unexpectedly rapid rates. In the early 20th century, the first World War had numerous political…” Directly relevant to the thesis Stays in the time period addressed in the prompt Coupled with thesis

Using the Documents pt. 1 Always cite your document Should be done directly next to the content you’re using “In document 3…’ Or, “declared Turkish independence (document 7)

Using the Documents pt. 2 Three different ways to use the documents in support of your thesis 1: describe the content What is the document saying? 2: use content to support thesis How does the content back up your thesis? 3: analyze content to support thesis How does the historical context of the document help prove your thesis? Use either historical context, purpose, intended audience, or point of view Use all three!

Example Document Sourcing and Usage “In document one, five pictures display the different different technologies that were used to fight in the war, including tanks and U-boats. The tools shown would have been very costly and would have caused lots of damage. The new technology had never been seen before, and had a corresponding effect on the economy in many countries. The technology was both costly and in high demand, causing many countries to spend mass amounts of money, which benefited the economies of countries like the US, who sold the weapons. On the other hand, the technology wreaked havoc and destruction across Europe, and when Germany was forced to pay reparations at the Paris Peace Conference, they experience severe inflation and near economic collapse.”

Adding Complexity Add outside information Use an opposing idea Prove that you fully understand what you’re talking about Make sure that the information you’re using is still relevant

Complexity Example “Russia withdrew from the war by signing the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, although it would cause them to lose a significant amount of land to the Central Powers. Although it can be argued that this loss of land was simply a military loss, the pushing west of Russia’s border separated Russians from the European territory they had conquered, giving rise to new European nations.” Uses outside information Give opposing view Relevant to thesis (point two)

When Concluding... Restate your thesis Only three to five sentences End with a sense of finality Remember to wrap up any loose ends of your argument!

Remember... Do not ask the reader questions Avoid personal pronouns like “I” and “you” State your opinion as fact- “This led to” rather than “I think this led to” or this probably led to” Capitalize proper nouns!! If you’re unsure about whether you used a document correctly, use an extra one just in case Make an outline to help keep track of everything