What is a DBQ? A Document Based Question.

Why is a DBQ meaningful? O A DBQ allows you to act like a historian and evaluate primary and secondary sources along with cartoons, graphs, maps, articles, pictures, drawings, etc. O After evaluating, or analyzing, a document, students come to a conclusion. O This can also be a way to debate ideas, infer, compare and contrast, and much more!

What is the purpose of the DBQ? O Students are asked to analyze documents and then answer questions that relate to the document. O Students then write an essay response to a specific question using the documents provided. This is similar to writing a research paper, but the information has already been provided to the students.

Let’s explore using an example: O Historians still debate the question of, “Who fired the first shot on Lexington Green?” (This was the first battle of the American Revolution.) O To answer this question, a historian would consider primary and secondary sources related to the event.

You ask…what is a primary source and secondary source? O A Primary Source is a direct source from the time period. For example, a diary entry from a British soldier that was stationed at Lexington. O A Secondary Source is a source written by a historian commenting on the battle and who fired first, based on his/her reading of primary source evidence.

Why should I look at different sources? O Using primary and secondary sources gives the reader differing views, or perspectives on a particular question. O Think about the Lexington example: O The DBQ would offer documents that would suggest the British fired first, and others would suggest the colonists fired first. O Students are asked to take a position in their writing and support their position using evidence from the documents.

Review: O A DBQ is a document based question. O Documents used in a DBQ can be primary or secondary sources such as paintings, maps, graphs, cartoons, etc. O As a class, we will be learning about different portions of a DBQ in small sections to help you better understand the process and development of the activity.

Let’s begin by creating our own mini DBQ. O Use the following websites to look up a short news article of your interest. O – doesn’t work on student computers O O

Directions: O Print the article. (If you need help, ask. Do not print a second time unless you speak to your teacher.) O On page 17 in your notebooks, come up with 5 questions and answers using the Question Stems provided. (This is your rough draft.) O For example: O The question stem is: “What are some of the problems of…?”

Directions continued: 1. From the back table you will find glue sticks, precut pieces of colored paper for the questions you created, one precut answer sheet along with envelopes, and a manila folder. 2. Glue, or staple, in the article on the left, inside cover. 3. Grab 5 colored sheets of paper for your questions. Write one question on each individual piece of paper. 4. Grab the answer document to write your answers in the same order you are writing your questions. These must be organized clearly.

Directions continued: 5. The 5 questions will be glued on the right, inside cover. 6. Glue the envelope on the back of the folder and put the answer sheet inside the envelope. 7. Finally complete the front cover with the title of the article, your name, class period, and today’s date. You may, at this point, add any decorations you would like.

Primary Source

Secondary Source: Ancient desert-dwellers knew better than anyone that the best way to keep a home cool was to keep it from getting hot in the first place. This is why many hot-climate homes were built close together and finished with light-colored exteriors: both of these methods helped keep the heat out. But even more amazing is the windcatcher, a passive cooling device that has been used in Asia and the Middle East for many centuries.