Document Based Question How-To

A document-based question (DBQ) is an essay question that addresses a specific

theme or topic in history. Following the question are a variety of documents; most are
primary sources with eye-witness reports from people who actually lived at the time.
Your job will be to write a document-supported answer to the question.
The steps below will help you do the work of a historian when presented with a DBQ.

First, carefully read the question. Be sure that you know what is being asked.

Ask yourself: How would I answer this question if I had no documents to

examine? You have learned about this topic in class, so youre not starting from
scratch. REMEMBER - you are NOT writing an essay ABOUT the documents!
Instead, you are USING the documents to PROVE you are right.

Before you examine the documents, take a few minutes to jot down what you
already know about the topic and the question. Include names, dates, events,
vocabulary and other items.

Now, read the question again, and then carefully read each document.
Underline things of special importance, and write brief notes in the margin. Ask
yourself: How does this document help to answer the question? What is the main
idea? How credible/believable is it? How does it change or reinforce my beliefs
about the topic?

Now, develop a thesis statement that directly answers the question. A thesis
statement is the claim you are trying to prove. In one sentence, take a stand
and state a position one that both your preexisting knowledge and the
documents support.

Briefly outline your essay so that you prove your thesis with supportive evidence
and information both from the documents and from knowledge you already
have from class.

Write your introduction following the Six-Sentence Introduction format.

1. Bold statement
2. Set the time and place
3. Define key terms in the question
4. THESIS STATEMENT
5. ROADMAP FOR YOUR ESSAY (What are the topics of each body
paragraph?)
6. Transition sentence

Carefully write the rest of your essay. Cite supporting evidence from documents
within your essay in a way that strengthens your thesis. Refer to these documents
and other evidence smoothly. For instance, dont say: As document 1 states
Instead, say : As President Kennedy said in his inaugural address (Be sure to
put the document number in parenthesis after sentences in which you
summarize the main idea of a document.)

1. TOPIC SENTENCE: Ties the topic of the paragraph to the thesis statement
2. SPECIFIC INFORMATION FROM CLASS (AND
You should do this in each body paragraph

WHY IT PROVES YOUR THESIS STATEMENT)

3. PARAPHRASE AN IMPORTANT IDEA IN THE DOCUMENT (Doc. #)

*******(THE ANCHOR)*******

4. EXPLAIN WHY THE DOCUMENT PROVES YOUR

THESIS STATEMENT

5. SPECIFIC INFORMATION FROM CLASS (AND

WHY IT PROVES YOUR THESIS STATEMENT)

6. TRANSITION SENTENCE: Ties the paragraph to the thesis statement and the next paragraph
EXAMPLE BODY PARAGRAPH: Factory workers were treated quite poorly during the industrial
revolution in the U.S. in the late 1800s. Statistics show that in 1882, an average of 675 workers
were killed in work-related accidents each week; such a large number of deaths on the job
clearly demonstrates the negative impact that industrialization had on the nation. One
cartoonist at the time expressed his view that the wealthy industrialists of the age, like
Vanderbilt and Gould, were only wealthy because of the protection their workers provided
them during hard times. (Doc. #?) The negative results of industrialization, like long hours and
low pay, were felt by the laborers in factories, not the owners. Workers also experienced
boredom on the job, as the repetitive nature of assembly line work took the joy out of work
that many trained craftsman had done before going to work on the line. These negative
impacts on workers were actually made worse when workers tried to fight back by forming
unions.