Document Based Questions were rarely found outside of AP history exams.They are now used in social studies classes across grade levels, so you will have to take a test at some point.Background knowledge of the time periods and geographical areas on which you will be tested is required for the test.The major subjects and themes of your class are reflected in your documents.The key to success is to use the provided documents to support an argument in response to the essay prompt.While the tests are rigorous, they allow you to actually do historical work.Put on your historian hat and start investigating.
Step 1: The documents should be looked at for 10 to 15 minutes.
You have 15 minutes to review the prompt and document if you are taking an AP exam.During this initial reading period, you will carefully read the essay prompt, analyze the included documents, and develop your argument.45 minutes is the amount of time you have to write an essay for an AP exam.Document analysis is the first step in allDBQ essays and the exact times may vary for other exams and assignments.For an AP exam, you will need to include a thesis, set the prompt's historical context, use 6 documents to support an argument, describe 1 piece of outside evidence, and discuss the point of view or context of at least 3 of the sources.As you review and outline these elements, label them so you don't forget.
Step 2: The prompt has two assigned tasks.
You need to know what evidence to look for in the documents and what your essay needs to accomplish.Circle or underline words such as evaluate,analyze, and compare and contrast, as well as information about the time period and society in question.You might need to use primary sources to compare and contrast differing attitudes if you are asked to analyze or explain the causes of a historical development, such as, "Explain how the Progressive Movement gained social, political, and cultural influence from the 1890s to the 1920s in the United States."To compare and contrast differing attitudes, you need to identify your sources, categorize their points of view, and figure out how attitudes changed over time.
Step 3: Take note of your documents' authors, points of view, and other details.
Don't just skim for information, read the sources critically.For each document, identify the author, their audience, point of view, who influenced them, and their reliability.When writing your essay, underline key phrases and take notes in the margins.The diary entry is suppose to be one of the documents.There are passages in the entry that show her point of view.The newspaper article was written around the same time that opposed speach.For documents such as letters, pamphlets, and newspaper articles, you need to identify the author's likely readers, because a diary entry might not have an intended audience.Political cartoons, photographs, maps, and graphs are likely to be found in most of your sources.A guide to reading specific primary source categories is offered by the U.S. Library of Congress.
Step 4: The essay prompt has you place your sources into categories.
Determine how each document relates to your prompt, and figure out how to use the sources to support your argument.If you are comparing and contrasting differing attitudes, you should categorize your sources based on the opposing ideologies they represent.You might have a letter from one suffragist to another about the methods used to get the right to vote.You can use this document to figure out how attitudes vary among the movement's supporters.The opposing attitude is helped by a newspaper article that depicts suffragists as unpatriotic women who would sabotage World War I for the United States.A 1917 editorial about the treatment of imprisoned suffragists and an article about major political endorsements for women's suffrage are possible sources.In 1917, you would think that the role women played on the home front during World War I would lead to broader support for speach.
Step 5: You should include relevant information in your essay.
You have to include at least one piece of evidence beyond the provided documents for an AP exam.You will need to describe how that event, policy, publication, person, or other piece of historical evidence supports your claims.In 1916, the National American Woman Suffrage association decided to prioritize a constitutional amendment over state-by-state suffragy.Your claim that the stage was set for a 1917 turning point in popular support for women's speach is supported by the mention of this switch to a more aggressive strategy.When you think of outside evidence during the planning stages, make a note of it so you can reference it when you write your essay.There is a good place to put a document that relates to outside information.
Step 6: After reading the documents, form a perspective by reviewing the prompt.
When you have learned more about the topic, return to the prompt and come up with a response.You aren't just forming an opinion based on gut instincts.You can use the information you have gathered from the documents to form a well-reasoned opinion.After looking at the documents related to women's suffragy, identify the opposing attitudes, how they differed, and the way they changed over time.The opposition saw suffragettes as unpatriotic and unfeminine.The suffragists had differing attitudes between conservative and confrontational elements.By the end of World War I, the role of women in society changed.
Step 7: Make a tentative thesis out of your rough argument.
A thesis is a summary of your argument.Your thesis should respond to the prompt, but not simply restate it.A weak thesis would be, "The roles women played in the workforce and in support of the war effort contributed to growing popular support for the suffragist movement."
Step 8: An outline of your argument is needed.
Start with your tentative thesis and then list roman numerals.The letters are A, B, and C.Write a claim or a step in your argument for each letter.List a few bullet points that support your argument.This section will explain the 1890s concept of the New Woman, which rejected traditional characterizations of women as dependent and fragile.You will argue that this set the stage for changing attitudes during and after World War I.During the reading portion of the test, you can start planning your essay.Take around 5 minutes out of the writing portion to finish your argument.
Step 9: The citations should be plugged into the outline.
The documents included in the prompt must be cited.If you want to reference quickly, make notes in your outline.It is important to stay organized if you are taking an AP exam, you will need to include 6 out of 7 documents.For instance, under I.In the 1890s, a pamphlet praising women who ride bicycles was seen as unladylike."(Doc 2)" is an article that defends the traditional view that women should remain in the household.This document will be used to explain the opposing views that set the context for suffragist debates in the 1900s and 1910s.
Step 10: Make an outline for your thesis.
Make sure that your argument structure and supporting evidence support your tentative thesis.Double check that your thesis is clear, doesn't include any fluff or unnecessary words, and completely responds to the prompt.The roles women played in the workforce and in support of the war effort contributed to growing popular support for the suffragists.
Step 11: Plan your time and keep an eye on the clock.
If you take an AP exam, you will have 45 minutes to write an essay.It's a good idea to plan out how much time you can spend on each section of your essay.You should leave at least 2 or 3 minutes at the end to make revisions.5 minutes is enough to make an outline if you have 45 minutes to write.If you have an introduction, 3 main points that cite 6 documents, and a conclusion, plan on spending 7 minutes or less on each of these 5 sections.If you need more time, you will have to serve as a buffer.As you write, check the time to make sure you stay on target.
Step 12: Your introduction should include your thesis and 1 to 2 sentences of context.
If you don't relate the prompt to its broader historical context, you'll lose 1 point on the AP history exam.If you want to start your essay with context in mind, use the first 1 to 2 sentences of your introduction to discuss it.The Progressive Era, from 1890 to 1920, was a time of political, economic, and cultural reform in the United States.If you want to get straight to the point, start your introduction with your thesis, then set the context.You don't have much time to write a long introduction, so get straight to analyzing the documents instead.
Step 13: Write your body paragraphs.
Your body paragraphs should be placed in a logical order.You could explain how women joined the workforce and supported the war effort after discussing the attitudes toward women's suffrage in the decades leading to World War I.New roles gave credibility to advocates of women's rights and led to broader popular support.Each body section should have a topic sentence to let the reader know that you are moving to a new piece of evidence.For example, begin the first section with, "The 1890s saw shifts in perception that set the stage for the major advances in women's suffrage during and following World War I." Be sure to cite your documents to support each part of your argument.If at all, include direct quotes, and prioritize analysis of a source over merely quoting it.Women who were not suffragists but still supported the movement wrote letters discussing their desire to help if you add parentheses and the number at the end of the sentence.
Step 14: It's important to show how each body paragraph connects to your thesis.
You won't get points if you just mention sources.You have to connect the documents, the inferences and the thesis.You can demonstrate that you have developed a critical understanding of your sources by focusing on what they mean.A private diary entry dismissing suffragists as morally corrupt is not a reflection of broader public opinion.There's more to consider than just what it says.A major newspaper article on the 1916 Democratic and Republican national convention would detail the growing political and public support for women's speach.The diary entry conveys an attitude that was becoming less popular.
Step 15: In your conclusion, weave together your arguments.
Your conclusion shouldn't just restate or rephrase your thesis.Take the opportunity to connect your argument to a broader historical context and remind the reader of how you proved your claims.In your essay on World War I and women's speach, you could state that the war impacted womens voting rights on an international scale.
Step 16: Make sure you read your essay for spelling and grammatical mistakes.
You should leave about 5 minutes after writing your essay to make final edits.Look for spelling mistakes, missing words, and sloppy handwriting.Minor errors are acceptable if they don't affect your argument.Spelling mistakes will not result in a loss of points if the scorer still understands the word.
Step 17: You need to include all required elements.
If you can, try to add any elements that are missing.It is not practical to rewrite a section or make major organizational changes with 3 minutes left.To get 7 out of 7 points on the AP exam, you need to include these elements.The prompt has a broader historical context.6 of the included documents are used to support your argument.Explain one piece of historical evidence other than the included documents.3 of the documents have points of view.A complex understanding of the topic can be demonstrated by discussing causation, change, continuity, or connections to other historical periods.
Step 18: Your names, dates, and other facts should be accurate.
Make sure you cite names, dates, places, and points of view in the documents.Double check that you have cited the right document and presented it correctly.Minor errors are acceptable if the scorer knows what you mean.If you write that a source supports suffragism when it doesn't, you'll lose points.