1. How To Do an A. P. Euro. D B Q Ms. Pojer
Horace Greeley HS Chappaqua, NY
Revisions by J. Sieg- Keystone Oaks HS

2. THE AP EXAM
The AP European History  test is comprised of 80 multiple choice questions, two Free Response Questions (FRQs) and one Document-Based Question (DBQ). The DBQ represents 25% of the exam score but does not require any knowledge in order to answer the question. Instead, the DBQ is based on your ability to analyze historical documents and sources.

3. Overview of the National Exam
The national APUSH exam is broken into two major sections:
Section 1 (55 minutes)
80 multiple choice questions
Section 2 (130 minutes)
DBQ essay (15 minutes to plan; 45 minutes to write)
(60 minutes / 1 hour )
2 free-response essays
(70 minutes=35 minutes per essay)

4. DBQ Tips This isn’t as scary as you think:
“Answers to essay questions will be judged on the strength of the thesis developed, the quality of the historical argument, and the evidence offered in support of the thesis, rather than on the factual information per se.”
The average national score on a DBQ is 3.5

5. Overview: cont.
Approximately half of the multiple-choice questions cover the period from 1450 to the French Revolution and Napoleonic era, and half cover the period from the French Revolution and Napoleonic era to the present, evenly divided between the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. About one-third of the questions focus on cultural and intellectual themes, one-third on political and diplomatic themes, and one-third on social and economic themes. Many questions draw on knowledge of more than one chronological period or theme

6. WHAT IS A DBQ?
The purpose of the DBQ (Document Based Question) is not to test your knowledge of the subject, but rather to evaluate your ability to practice the historian's craft. You will be required to work with the documents and use them to answer a question.
Writing the DBQ is an acquired skill, one that takes practice. You should not get discouraged if you do not "get it" right away. The goal is to acquire the skill by May.
Remember that there is actually no right or wrong answer. Your answer is YOUR interpretation of the content of the documents. As long as your answer is logical and your interpretation is supported by the content of the document you are correct.

7. APUSH vs. APEH
Both APUSH and APE DBQs are designed to test the ability of the student to think like a historian, but there are a couple of key differences:

8. APUSH vs. APEH
The APE DBQ really emphasizes point of view; students need to be able to show that they understand not only what the documents are saying, but WHY the source of the information may be saying it.
In AP Euro the students are required to evaluate the documents' validity through an examination of point-of-view in the authors. In APUSH the documents are accepted as evidence.
In AP Euro the documents are shorter and there are usually more of them. The students are encouraged to comment on all documents by at least grouping them. There are no irrelevant or deliberately misleading documents in AP Euro.
The authorial point of view is the key in the AP Euro DBQ. Graders seem to appreciate attribution of sarcasm or personal interests served by the author's statements. Irony of statements made by famous or semi-famous people quoted in documents also scores well. It all comes down to how the documents are used as evidence.
The AP Euro DBQ is meant to examine whether the students' knowledge of history allows them to evaluate historical documents in a discerning way, and the APUSH DBQ assesses how one uses documentary evidence to support one's knowledge of a specific time period. The tasks are similar but substantially different.

10. AP EXAM Section I 50% 80 multiple-choice 55 minutes Section II 50%
15 minutes (Reading Preparation time)
Part A 22.5% 1 essay (DBQ, no choice) 45 minutes
Part B 13.75% 1 essay (out of 3 choices) 35 minutes
Part C 13.75% 1 essay (out of 3 choices) 35 minutes
AP grades are awarded on a 1 to 5 scale, with 1 being the lowest and 5 the highest. A grade of 3 or higher demonstrates college- level mastery.

11. AP EXAM Periods Covered Approximate % of Multiple-Choice Questions
1450 to the French Revolution and Napoleonic Era 50%
French Revolution and Napoleonic Era to the Present 50%
Nineteenth Century- 25%
Twentieth Century-25%

12. AP EXAM Themes Covered Political/ Diplomatic History- 30-35%
Social and or Economic History %
Cultural and or Intellectual History %

13. Rule #1: Don’t Freak Out! If you can read you’ll be fine
There is no absolute right way to answer the question.
All DBQs are written so that they can be argued from multiple viewpoints
The answer is in the documents. Research essay with the research already researched!
The key is to make an argument (your thesis) & support it with evidence
Time is short and worry wastes time.

14. Rule #1: DON’T FREAK OUT! READ! (Continued)
Read quickly (SCAN)
Make notes in the test booklet as you read
Place documents in Categories as you read

15. DBQ Tips Be sure to answer the question
This begins by gaining a clear understanding of what the question is asking
Read the question three times & write it on your own words
Pay attention to all parts of the question, especially the verb (compare, evaluate, assess, to what extent, etc.) & time frame (stay inside the era)

16. ATQ Decide what the question is asking.
Pay particular attention to the verbs in the question. (NEXT SLIDES)
Consider the nature and scope of the question. Should your answer be chronological or topical?
Should it be based on social, political, cultural, diplomatic, intellectual, or economic history?
Look within the question for an implicit structure for your essay.

17. DBQ Tips: Verbs for EURO/ APUSH ESSAYS
The prompts for the free-response questions in the AP Exam usually contain important words that identify the task of the essay that is to be written. Students should learn to recognize these words and respond appropriately. Students who understand what the question is asking them to do will almost always write better essay responses.
Analyze: Determine the nature and relationship of the component parts; explain the importance of; break down.
Assess: Judge the value or character of something; appraise; evaluate; decide how true or false a statement is.
Compare: Examine for the purpose of noting similarities and differences, focusing more on the similarities.
Contrast: Compare to show the unlikeness or points of difference.
Criticize: Make judgments as to merits and faults; criticism may approve or disapprove or both.
Define: Give the meaning of a word, phrase, or concept; determine or fix the boundaries or extent.
Describe: Give an account; tell about; give a word picture of.
Discuss or Examine: Talk over; write about; consider by argument or from various points of view; debate; present the different sides of.

18. DBQ Tips: Verbs for EURO/ APUSH ESSAYS (Cont.)
Enumerate or List: Mention or itemize separately; name one after another.
Evaluate: Give the good points and the bad; appraise; give an opinion regarding the value of; discuss the advantages and disadvantages.
Explain: Make clear or plain; make known in detail; tell the meaning of; make clear the causes or reasons for.
Illustrate: Make clear or intelligible by using examples.
Identify: Cite specific events, and/or phenomena, and show a connection.
Interpret: Explain the meaning; make plain; present your thinking about.
Justify: Show good reasons; present your evidence; offer facts to support your position.
Prove: Establish the truth of something by giving factual evidence or logical reasons.
Relate: Show how things connect with each other or how one causes another.
Summarize: State or express in concise form; give the main points briefly.
To what extent: Tell how far something goes on an imaginary continuum; another way to envision this directive is as a balance. Does the scale tip one way or the other? A lot or just a little?
Trace: Follow the course.

19. OTHER ADVISE
List the “magic words” for the topic. Figure out what the “magic dates” signify. Remember that a
magic word is “that without which there is no X.” For example, you cannot write an excellent essay on the Reformation without mentioning Martin Luther.

20. Social, Political, Economic, Religious, Militaristic
Political, Economic, Religious, Social, Intellectual, Artistic trends of the era
DBQ Tips
Brainstorm & outline your essay
Before you look at the docs or write your essay, take time to jot down what you know about the topic (PERSIA)
What is your gut response to the question? This is usually your thesis (argument)
What outside information do you remember about the topic?
Social, Political, Economic, Religious, Militaristic

21. OTHER GROUPING METHODS
The DBQ requires students to group the documents in three different ways.
There are various ways in which the documents may be organized.
When responding to a DBQ, your groupings need to be relevant and valid. You many not merely discuss authors whose last names all begin with Q and receive credit for a valid grouping.
When grouping documents, take the following criteria into consideration.
Documents can be grouped by their
• Type (e.g., letter, book, diary, political platform, government
document, statistics, newspaper account, business records, etc.)
• Period in which the documents were written
• Point of view (e.g., you may also make a group of two or more documents whose points of view disagree with each other; the idea is to show that you can combine and juxtapose the ideas and you recognize that the documents are “talking” to each other.)

22. OTHER GROUPING METHODS
• Gender
• Education, occupation, or social or economic class
• Nationality
• Religion
• Location (e.g., rural, urban, Paris, etc.)
• Ideology

23. DBQ Tips Organize your essay:
Chronological arguments are effective for questions that ask (or imply) change-over- time
Similarity/difference arguments are appropriate for comparison questions; Making direct comparisons within paragraphs is much more analytical than separate descriptive paragraphs about each item

24. DBQ Tips
Documents
Do NOT quote, or re-describe documents. The essay reader already knows what the docs say/ Use them as evidence
Do NOT laundry list (an essay that merely describes what the docs say without analysis)
Use all the docs, unless you don’t understand one
Cite documents…

25. NEVER begin with: In Document G…
Citing Documents
Thomas Paine, in his pamphlet, Common Sense (Doc 1), said: “…”
Jethro Tull, inventor of the hoe (Doc 2), agreed…
The 19c historian, Jacob Burkhart, believed... (Doc. 3)
NEVER begin with: In Document G…

26. DBQ Tips Documents (cont’d)
The order in which the docs appear is almost always helpful / Usually a Pattern
Sometimes the docs “talk” to each other by presenting counter-arguments or can be grouped together by theme
The source of the doc is important & often can reveal more than the text itself
Write doc notes in the margin

27. You may not know much about the topic.
Things to be Remember:
You may not know much about the topic.
You are being judged on your ability to analyze documents.
You don’t need to use all of the documents.

28. Before you start writing:
Read and Analyze the Documents for Reference and Use
APPARTS

29. Analyze using the “APPARTS” Method
A: Author
P: Place and Time
P: Prior Knowledge
A: Audience
R: Reason
T: The Main Idea
S: Significance
You know….
AP-PARTS?

30. As you write. . . . Stick to your thesis (topic).
Follow your outline but be willing to adjust.
Stay organized.
It’ll BE OK!

31. APPLYING POV/ Point of View
The AP Readers require evidence that proves students understand POV in at least three explicit instances.
Even if you group documents by POV, you must discuss POV in three separate documents. In general the idea is to analyze the motivation or reliability of the sources.
You can write, “The author thinks (or says) X because the author wants (or needs or believes) Y.” When dealing with POV on the DBQ, you should explore how the author’s gender, occupation, class, religion, nationality, political position, or ethnic identity may have influenced the views expressed in the document.

32. Demonstrating (POV) / Bias
Attribution: cite the author by name, title, or position, if possible.
Why is this person and document selected?
How does it help me answer the question?

33. Demonstrating (POV) / Bias
EXAMPLES:
John Tyler, an English writer, said: “...”
A Dominican monk in Florence described….

34. Demonstrating (POV) / Bias
Authorial Point of View: you show awareness that the gender, occupation, class, religion, nationality, political position or ethnic identity of the author could influence his/her views.
How does this apply to the question?
Why has the author written what he/she has?

35. Demonstrating (POV) / Bias
EXAMPLE:
Balthasar Rusow, a Lutheran pastor, was naturally upset by the celebration of a Saint’s Day, since Lutherans don’t venerate saints.

36. Demonstrating (POV) / Bias
Reliability and accuracy of each source referenced: you examine a source for its reliability and accuracy by questioning if the author of the document would be in a position to be accurate.
How might this help you answer the question?

37. Demonstrating (POV) / Bias
EXAMPLE:
Niccolo Machiavelli’s book on the political tactics of a Renaissance prince was probably accurate as he observed the behavior of the prince, Cesare Borgia, for many years.

38. Demonstrating (POV) / Bias
Tone or Intent of the Author: you examine the text of a document to determine its tone (satire, irony, indirect commentary, etc.) or the intent of the author. Especially useful for visual documents, like art work or political cartoons.

39. Demonstrating (POV) / Bias
EXAMPLE:
In his great sculpture of “David,” Michelangelo wanted to convey the confidence, and even arrogance, of Renaissance Florence at the peak of its cultural influence in 16c Europe.

40. Demonstrating (POV) / Bias
Grouping of Docs. by Author: you show an awareness that certain types of authors, simply by their authorship, will express similar views when you group documents by type of author.

41. Demonstrating (POV) / Bias
EXAMPLE:
As Northern Renaissance humanists, Erasmus, Sir Thomas More, and Cervantes all poked fun at the foibles and scandals of late medieval society as well as of their own.

42. NEVER begin with: In Document 3, …..
How to Reference a Document
in Your Essay
Baldassare Castiglione, in The Handbook of the Courtier, said: “………………….”
Erasmus of Rotterdam, a northern Christian humanist, agreed with…
The 19c historian, Jacob Burkhardt, felt that …………………. (Doc. 9)
NEVER begin with: In Document 3, …..

43. AP LINK: ON POV

44. The “Top Bun” of your essay!
The Introductory Paragraph
The “Top Bun” of your essay!
4-6 sentences

45. The Introductory Paragraph
Establish TIME & PLACE.
Create a clear, THESIS STATEMENT. [underline or highlight it!] (can be 2 sentences if need be) – THESIS MUST STATE WHAT WILL BE IN YOUR MAIN BODY
Allude to the SUB-TOPICS or categories or groups you will discuss to support your thesis statement
Focus on the question at hand—do NOT begin with a “flowery” sentence!
No “laundry list!”

46. INTRODUCTORY PARAGRAPH
Using the key words from the prompt will help the student address all parts of the prompt.
A very stiff thesis, yet one which fits the requirements, might be something like: The causes of [EVENT IN HISTORY] were A and B, while the reactions to it were C and D.
The student could alter this and perhaps receive expanded core points for their thesis for something like: The causes of [EVENT IN HISTORY] were A and B, both of which stemmed from economic issues; social class divided the reactions to reactions to [EVENT IN HISTORY] with the nobility reacting with C and the peasants reacting D.

47. The “tasty” part of your essay! 8-12 sentences+ per paragraph
The "Meat" Paragraphs
The “tasty” part of your essay!
8-12 sentences+ per paragraph

48. The "Meat" Paragraphs
Identify your sub-topic or category in the first sentence.
Include the documents that are relevant to support the ideas in the paragraph.
Use most of the documents given [70%].
Be sure to indicate Point-of-View (POV)/bias.
Bring in supportive outside information [o.i.]. This is critical!!
Why were these documents selected?

49. The “Bottom Bun” of your essay! It holds it all together!
The Concluding Paragraph
The “Bottom Bun” of your essay!
It holds it all together!
3-4 sentences

50. The Concluding Paragraph
Start with a “concluding phrase.”
Restate your thesis statement a bit differently.
Put your essay answer in a larger historical perspective.
End of some trend/movement/idea, etc.
Beginning of some trend/movement/idea, etc.
End of one & beginning of another.
Do NOT end on the note that this is the reason we are where we are today!