1. DBQ Elements
AP World History

2. Working from the Rubric…
AP World History

3. Grouping At Least 3 groups in each DBQ
Groupings should be based on the different responses to Buddhism.
Be as specific as possible in descriptions of groupings.
Look for some characteristic that more than one document share, then create a group under the title of that characteristic.
All Documents must be used at least once.
Documents can be used in more than one grouping!
At least two documents in each group.

4. Grouping Examples
Unacceptable: “Doc’s 2, 3, and 4 all support Buddhism, while Doc #1 opposes it.” A single document cannot be a group. Find some characteristic that 2 or more documents share, and then group those documents under that characteristic.
Acceptable: “Doc’s #2, 3, and 4 all support Buddhism, while Doc’s #1 and 6 oppose it. Doc #5 bridges the two, supporting Buddhism while implicitly acknowledging the growing opposition to Buddhism in Chinese society.” Note: A single document CAN belong to more than one group.
Excellent: Superb examples could include multiple groupings, comparisons of specific qualities of documents, or synthesizing info. in the documents.

5. Thesis A good thesis does three things:
1). Specifically address the Question (answer what they’re asking “Analyze the Responses to the Spread of Buddhism” NOT “Spread of Buddhism.”
2) Takes a position on the question.
3) Set out categories for discussion (this relates to the document groupings).

6. Thesis Statements What Your Thesis/Intro Paragraph Needs to Have:
Time (if given)
Region(s)
Topic
Groups
Previews (brief descriptions of groups)
What your Thesis/Intro Paragraph Should NOT Have:
References to specific documents.
Quotes from specific documents.

7. Thesis Examples
Unacceptable: “There were many responses to the introduction of Buddhism into China.” Too vague; doesn’t take a position.
Also Unacceptable: “Buddhism had a large impact on China.” question asks the reader to focus on the type of responses, NOT the amount of impact.
Minimally Acceptable: “Chinese reacted to Buddhism in both positive and negative ways.” There are at least 2 categories, but good historical analysis should be more descriptive than just ‘good’ and ‘bad.’

8. Thesis Examples (cont.)
Acceptable: “Chinese peasants responded positively toward Buddha’s message, but aristocrats and those with a vested interest in the status quo rejected Buddhism.”
Excellent: “Although Chinese peasants initially welcomed Buddhism, as it gave them shelter during politically uncertain times, as imperial security improved government authorities increasingly saw Buddhism as a threat to their political power and moved to discredit it.” Similar to the structure of a CCOT thesis; incorporates socio- economic awareness (peasants vs. upper class); eligible for Expanded Core points

9. Thesis/Intro Paragraph Structure
Introductory Sentence (1)
Covers the time, region, and/or topic by minimally addressing the prompt.
Thesis Statement (2)
Addresses questions, takes specific position, and sets out categories or groups for discussion.
(if time allows) Body Paragraph Preview (3, 4, 5)
This is where you would summarize the main points of your body paragraphs/groupings (i.e. the topic sentences) that you’ll use to support your thesis. This takes some time and practice to do well.

10. Body Paragraph
Topic Sentence (explains the topic for this particular grouping of documents. Linked from the thesis paragraph-- the topic is still addressing the prompt).
For each document:
1) Demonstration of Understanding (can be combined with Evidence/Analysis/POV component).
2) Evidence/Analysis
3) POV**
Missing POV/Document
**On the AP exam, you would just analyze POV once per group instead of for every document.

11. Evidence/Analysis

12. Point-of-View
Point-of-View statements should analyze how aspects of the author’s character/background or time period influence their statements in the given primary source.
Time-period, Background, Type of Document, class, religion, race, gender.
Must have at least THREE Point of View Statements (one per grouping).

13. Tips for Writing POV Statements
WHY does the author have this opinion?
What informs the author’s opinion or target audience?
Is the document trustworthy? Why or why not?

14. Examples of POV Statements
Unacceptable: Zhi Dun (Doc #2) is biased because he is a scholar.
Why this is wrong: You must go beyond a mere description of the individual and explain WHY this fact is significant in the analysis of the document.
Plus, there is nothing intrinsically wrong with having bias, so this statement doesn’t say much of anything.

15. Examples of POV Statements
Acceptable: “As an English scholar, D’Avenant would certainly have wanted to support England’s own economic gain and any Parliamentary movement that would accomplish this.”
Excellent: He Qiaoyuan, a Ming court official, wrote to the emperor that the trade ban should be lifted because there are very high prices for Chinese goods on the market. His motives are suspicious since goods from his native provinces are desirable and he stands to gain from the lift of the ban, but this also shows a changing attitude of the Chinese on trade with foreigners.”
----- Meeting Notes (11/21/11 09:49) -----

16. Missing Doc/POV Need to recommend at least one additional document
More than one could help you get into an expanded core if done correctly.
Does NOT have to be a specific author or title of document.
Can be placed anywhere in your essay. Easier to include at the end of each Body Paragraph.

17. Question for Missing Doc/POV
Whose voice is missing from this discussion? What could that additional voice tell you about the topic?
Ex: views on Bernie Sanders: Wall St. hedgefund manager vs. Farmer from Vermont.
Should NOT be someone who is similar to the given author.
Should NOT be someone who is similar to the other given sources.

18. Examples of Additional Document
Unacceptable: “It would be good to have a document from a peasant.”
Does not explain WHY it would be good to hear from a peasant? How do you think a peasant might have thought about these issues differently from any of the given authors?
Acceptable: “It would help to have a document from a Japanese merchant, to see if the effects of the silver trade affected the Japanese economy as much as it did the Chinese and Spanish.”
Description and explanation provided.

19. Examples of Thesis Statements
Unacceptable: “There were many social and economic effects of the global trade in silver around the world.”
Only restates the question  Vague
Barely Acceptable: “The global silver trade from the mid-16th century to the early 18th century produced profound social changes in Spain, Ming China, Tokugawa Japan, England and the Netherlands, and greatly reshaped the world economy.”
Ok, but so vague that it really doesn’t demonstrate a strong understanding of the topic.

20. Examples of Thesis Statements
Acceptable: “The global flow of silver between 1500 and 1750 CE had many social and economic effects, such as increasing class distinctions in China and Europe, as well as hurting Spain’s economy.”
More specific, with distinctions between social and economic effects.
Excellent: “The increased flow of silver during the mid-16th century to the early 18th century caused social and economic effects in all regions connected with the trade by increasing the integration of Europeans in the globalization of world trade and creating greater economic opportunities but also growing social divisions within China.”
Sums up different social and economic effects facing different regions, and also previews the POV several documents will be analyzed by later in the essay. This thesis would likely be eligible for the “Expanded Core” as a “clear, analytical, comprehensive thesis.”

21. Outline for DBQ 1st Paragraph: Thesis 2nd Paragraph: First Group
Additional document can go anywhere  most people put it in conclusion or at the end of body paragraphs.
Should have at least one POV in each body paragraph
Do not analyze docs in Intro or Conclusion
Do NOT refer to sources by anything other than title or author. Cite sources in Parentheses. Ex: (Doc #5)
Outline for DBQ
1st Paragraph: Thesis
2nd Paragraph: First Group
3rd: Second Group
4th: Third Group
5th: Conclusion

22. Outline for DBQ
1st Paragraph: INTRO: Background Statement + Thesis + Body Paragraph Previews
2nd Paragraph:
First Group: Document Analysis/POV/Additional Doc
3rd: Second Group
4th: Third Group
5th: Conclusion: Restate Thesis