1. Finding Documents that point your Reader in the right direction
DBQ Project
Finding Documents that point your Reader in the right direction

2. Tip #1: Know the answer that you would give to the essay question
The key to finding good documents that will help your theoretical student answer the essay question is to have a general idea of how YOU would answer the essay question
Remember, you will have to actually answer this essay question on your “Chicken Foot Thesis” and “Bucketing the Documents” pages so it’s a good idea to know your answer
If YOU can’t answer your own question, how will someone else be able to do it?!
Create your Chicken Foot Thesis NOW!

3. Tip #2: See the whole picture (or puzzle)
Now you should have a general idea of the big picture, or in other words, you should know how this essay should be written by a student
You should be able to see the main components to this question. Let’s use a metaphor of a puzzle… you have now put the puzzle together!

4. Tip #3: Find documents that are the individual puzzle pieces… and will lead a student to see your completed puzzle
Finding documents that will create your “big picture” is the KEY! You want to lead your hypothetical student to the same conclusions that you know to be true
Documents are the students puzzle pieces to put the picture together, and EVERY document needs to be meaningful!
You only have 5 shots at getting this hypothetical student to figure out the answer— be as helpful to them as possible! If they end up sounding crazy, off-topic, or completely wrong… it’s because YOU messed up!
Remember, in a real AP History class, the student has to use every document in their essay so it would be cruel and unusual to add random documents

5. Tip #4: Check the sources of your documents
You want credible and academic sources for your information, so check to make sure that the website that you’re using is legitimate
Crazy and/or weird blogs from conspiracy theorists, racists, and others are not credible sources of information!
You will cite your source on the document page, so make sure you write down or save your website so you can get back to the document if needed

6. Tip #5: Ensure that you meet requirements
MUST have 5 documents for your DBQ. Remember, a student should be able to write a 5-paragraph essay by using these documents.
AT LEAST 2 of the documents should be primary sources, written or created by someone from the specific event or time period. The rest of your documents can be a combination of primary or secondary sources.
Documents must be a variety of sources—AT LEAST 4 different varieties! Examples include speeches, government documents, newspaper articles, radio addresses, TV commercials, journal/diary entries, textbook passages, political cartoons, biographies, song lyrics, etc.
For each document, you must do the following:
Label the document (Document A, B, C, D….)
Provide the source—
If it is a written source, provide the name of the author, where it was published, and the year it was published
If it is a visual source, provide the name of the creator/illustrator, where it was published, the year it was published, and the title of the visual (if there is one)
Write a 6-8 sentence summary of the document, including the point of view of the author and a general explanation of what the document is about. The summary should also include how a student could use the document to answer the essay question.