DBQ Essay Strategies and Techniques

The video tutorial explains how to earn full points on a DBQ by breaking down the process into three steps. It covers understanding the prompt, reading and analyzing documents, and writing the essay. The tutorial provides tips on handling documents, forming a thesis, contextualizing, and using evidence. It also discusses sourcing documents and achieving complexity in the essay. The guidance applies to APUSH, AP World, and AP Euro exams, focusing on the rubric used for scoring.

What is the first step in understanding a DBQ prompt?

• Writing a thesis statement

• Identifying the time period

• Reading the documents

• Grouping the documents

Why is it important to start reading a document at the citation?

• It contains the thesis statement

• It offers critical information about the document's context

• It provides the main idea of the document

• It lists all the sources used in the document

What is a key strategy for grouping documents?

• Grouping by document length

• Grouping by document author

• Grouping by thematic categories

• Grouping by document color

What is the recommended number of categories for grouping documents?

• Three to four

• Four to five

• One to two

• Two to three

What should a thesis statement in a DBQ essay include?

• A list of all sources

• A historically defensible position and line of reasoning

• A detailed description of the time period

• A summary of all documents

What is the purpose of contextualization in a DBQ essay?

• To summarize the documents

• To situate the argument in a larger historical context

• To provide a conclusion

• To list all the sources

What should you do after summarizing a document?

• Move on to the next document

• Quote the document

• List the sources

• Explain how it supports your thesis

How can you earn points for evidence beyond the documents?

• By summarizing the documents

• By quoting the documents

• By listing all the sources

• By providing additional historical evidence not in the documents

What does the 'HAPPY' acronym stand for in sourcing documents?

• Historical context, Audience, Purpose, Point of view, and Year

• Historical context, Audience, Purpose, Point of view, and Your opinion

• Historical context, Audience, Purpose, Point of view, and Yield

• Historical context, Audience, Purpose, Point of view, and Yet

What is one way to achieve complexity in a DBQ essay?

• Writing a longer essay

• Using all seven documents to support your thesis

• Listing all sources

• Quoting each document