1. Doing the dbq… How to write a Document Based Question essay…
How is this different from a Free Response Essay…
What do I do with this kind of prompt…

2. What is the dbq?
The DBQ, or Document Based Question is an essay that requires you to respond to a prompt and in addition to your own knowledge, incorporate information from a series of documents into your response
The DBQ prompt itself will look just like a Free Response Essay prompt
You MUST blend together information you get from the documents AND your own knowledge (OUTSIDE INFORMATION)
A DBQ response can not be ALL documents or ALL outside information…it has to include BOTH

3. The prompt
Again, the DBQ prompt will look just like any other prompt that you could answer without using documents.
For example:
To what extent had the colonists developed a sense of their identity and unity as Americans by the eve of the Revolution?
Use the documents and your knowledge of the period to answer the question.
As you can see, the only difference here is the addition of the “documents”

4. The documents
You will generally have about 10 documents that accompany the DBQ prompt
These documents can be from a variety of sources; historians, primary sources, charts, political cartoons, pictures or drawings
They can be documents that you are unfamiliar with, but sometimes can be written by historical figures you do know
Analysis of the documents is important…you will need to figure out EXACTLY what information each document can give you about your essay topic

5. DBQ Assignment Part 1:
Normally, you would NOT analyze the documents FIRST
However, since this is our first look at writing the AP US DBQ, we will take this in steps, so the first thing to do is look at the documents
What you will be doing:
 Look at each document that accompanies the DBQ prompt that you have been given
 On the chart you are given, write out all the information that you get from each document
* what type of document is it?
* who is the author?
* what is the source?
* what is the information that is being explicitly stated?
* what information can you infer from the document? (what isn’t explicitly stated, but what other info does the document lead you to?)
Do not write on the documents please!

6. The pre-writing process
**On all other occasions (except for this one) you will do the following BEFORE looking at the documents**
Analyze the essay prompt (ALWAYS DONE FIRST)
Develop your thesis with categories
Do a pre-write and come up with as much info as you can to support your thesis in your categories
This is JUST like a regular essay to this point…treat it as such
NOW, look at the documents and analyze them
 Which ones can you use? (and for which categories?)
 Which ones give you information you already had listed?
 Which ones lead you to more outside information you can add in to your response?

7. Using the documents
The documents are to be used just like sources you would use in a research paper
Use them implicitly – don’t quote from them or describe them or write, “In Document B, Edmund Burke stated…”
You should cite them, just like you would any source you were using in a research paper:
 “Benjamin Franklin urged colonial unity during the Albany Congress which took place at the beginning of the French & Indian War. (Doc A).”
You DO NOT have to use ALL the documents. Do not force a document…either it works or it doesn’t for your argument
Documents are ONLY used in your body paragraphs
REMEMBER – you must have information in your essay to support your thesis that DOES NOT come from the documents!

8. Last things to think about:
This is simply a Free Response Essay with some documents accompanying it that you use as sources
You still need a strong intro and a thesis with categories, clear topic sentences and specific instances of support
This must be a blend of information from the documents AND outside information (Docs and OI)
You should use a majority of the documents given (half plus one)
You must CITE all documents that you use

9. DBQ Assignment: Part 2
Read the directions on the back of the paper you did your Document Analysis and make sure to do the following:
 Recopy the DBQ question and analyze the prompt
 Formulate your thesis with categories
 Do a pre-write that incorporates your outside information AND the documents you would use
 Write your INTRO with a strong THESIS
 Write ONE body paragraph (make sure to follow all directions about using your documents)
 Write out topic sentences for remaining body paragraphs