Rubric for DBQ Essay A. Thesis 2 Points B. Document Analysis 2 points Targeted Skill: Argumentation Presents a thesis that makes a historically defensible claim and responds to all parts of the question. The thesis must consist of one or more sentences located in one place, the introduction Develops and supports a cohesive argument that accounts for historical complexity by illustrating relationships among historical evidence such as contradiction, corroboration, and/or qualification. (Counter-argument) Targeted Skill: Analyzing Evidence Utilizes the content of at least six of the documents to support the stated thesis or a relevant argument. Explains the significance of the author s point of view (POV), author s purpose, historical context, and/or audience (CAP) for at least FOUR documents. C. Using Evidence Beyond the Documents 2 Points Targeted Skill: Contextualization & Argumentation Contextualization: Situates the argument by explaining the broader historical events, developments, or processes immediately relevant to the question. Scoring Notes: Context requires using knowledge not found in the documents to situate the argument within broad historical events or processes immediately relevant to the question. This requires an explanation of multiple sentences connecting to the topic of the prompt. Evidence Beyond the Documents: Provides an example of additional piece of specific evidence beyond those found in the documents to support or qualify the argument. Scoring Notes: This example must be different from the evidence used to earn other points on this rubric. This point is not awarded for merely a phrase or reference. Responses need to explain how the evidence supports or qualifies the argument. D. Synthesis Targeted Skill: Synthesis Extends the argument by explaining the connections between the argument and ONE of the following: a) A development in a different historical period, situation, era, or geographical area. b) A course theme and/or approach to history that is not the focus of the essay (such as political, economic, social, cultural, or intellectual history). Scoring Note: The synthesis point requires an explanation of the connections to different historical period, situation, era, or geographical area, and is not awarded for merely a phase or reference.
Skill: How many times must it be demonstrated: Average Thesis: ATP = Addresses the Prompt - all parts Excellent Thesis: In addition to the above Recognizes historical complexities, contradictions, disparities and diverse perspectives in any argument Pts Where? Writing tips/ May sound like 1 Intro. para. AND try again in conclusion 2 Make sure you directly and completely answer the prompt. Use topic words in the question. If prompt asks to analyze something then explain HOW or WHY something is happening. Include because due to or any other word or phrase that shows cause and effect. Begin with WADE: While, Although, Despite or Even though to bring in argument and counter-argument together in one sentence. Thesis may be more than one sentence. Arguments should illustrate relationships between the documents and evidence beyond the documents to demonstrate contradiction, corroboration and/or qualification. Document Analysis: 7X Use all 7 documents - individually Document Analysis: 4X let s go for 6X In addition to the above PAAC the Document P = Purpose What is the speaker hoping to accomplish by delivering this message? A = Author s POV A = Audience - Who is the speaker directing his/her words to. Context or Occasion = What is happening when this document is created? Can t go wrong if you combine P+A+A+C: Why is this particular person delivering this particular message to this particular audience at this particular time? 1 Body Paras. 2 Body Paras. Don t quote or cut and paste language of the document. It does not show you understand what it says. Summarize what the document is and says: in your own words. You may want to begin by saying something like According to (Author s name). Finish this by writing whatever part of the source you will go back and use for your POV or CAP. Cite document number in parenthesis before providing your own analysis or POV. For example: (Doc 6). Analyze document by showing how it supports your argument. You may want to say something like This shows that This is significant because This proves that because Eventually you want to blend summary and analysis together to show understanding of each document. Write your PAACs after analyzing and citing a document and before going on to your next document. Look carefully at all the information they provided for you on the source and think about how that source (speaker) is tied to the topic he/she is writing about while also looking at who he/she is addressing (audience), and what is happening at the time (occasion). Connect the dots by using the years and historical background to help you learn more about the occasion. For you to earn your point, you will need to add to what has already been provided. For example, if the source reads: William Jennings Bryan speech, campaign for the presidency, 1900, you WILL NOT GET POINTS for saying: This is a credible source because it comes from a presidential candidate. Instead, trying saying something like Because this is coming from a at a time when he/she/it/they may be trying to by saying This example allows you to address speaker, occasion, audience and purpose. See POV Handout for more ideas.
Contextualization: You must place the topic of the prompt and your thesis on that topic in a BROADER CONTEXT (Like your vocabulary assignments). You must bring in OUTSIDE KNOWLEDGE in order to show you know that this specific topic is happening within a bigger historical EVENT, DEVELOPMENT or PROCESS that is occurring NATIONALLY, REGIONALLY or GLOBALLY. You are then going to draw your own CONCLUSION by CONNECTING this DBQ to those broader things going on outside the question. Contextualization In addition to the above Synthesis 1 Intro. or Body Para. This point may not be awarded for merely writing a phrase or reference. It will require that you write multiple sentences identifying and describing outside knowledge that shows a bigger picture and then connect your thesis to this broader topic. Therefore, it may be a good idea to DEDICATE AN ENTIRE PARAGRAPH TO CONTEXTUALIZATION INSTEAD OF INCLUDING IT IN THE INTRODUCTION PARAGRAPH. It requires that you 1. Bring in OUTSIDE KNOWLEDGE by FULLY EXPLAINING an event, development or process that is occurring nationally, regionally or globally. 2. MAKE A CONNECTION between the outside knowledge you just explained and the topic and argument of this DBQ. In other words, draw a conclusion by explaining how the two are connected. 2 Body Para. Identify an additional piece of specific evidence that goes beyond what was provided and EXPLAIN HOW that evidence would support or qualify your argument. This point will not be awarded if you simply provide a phrase or reference. You will need several sentences. Choose a specific argument and ADD YOUR ADDITIONAL DOCUMENT TO THE END OF THE BODY PARAGRAPH WHERE YOU ARGUED THAT POINT. You may identify 1. A missing voice and what that voice would likely say on a particular topic, and if it would cast doubt by contradicting what was said in one of the documents provided. Or, if it would lend support and therefore verify the accuracy of a document provided. 2. A missing type of document and the information it would give. Again, you would explain the importance of the information you d expect to find in this document in helping you determine the validity or accuracy of one or a group of the documents provided. Hint: If documents are all talking about a particular social class or ethnicity or person and the target of their criticism is not heard from, then that may be a good additional document. 1 Conclusion Extend your argument by ONE of these ways: 1. IDENTIFY and DESCRIBE developments in a DIFFERENT HISTORICAL ERA or REGION and CONNECT this OUTSIDE INFORMATION with YOUR ARGUMENT FOR THIS ESSAY. This will EXTEND your argument beyond the prompt. 2. IDENTIFY and DESCRIBE a different THEME that IS NOT PART OF THE PROMPT and CONNECT this additional THEME with those in your argument that addressed the prompt. This will EXTEND your argument beyond the prompt. For example, if the essay only asked you to analyze political and religious causes of something, you may want to EXTEND that prompt by making a claim that there were also economic reasons for this event and explain that point.
AP U.S. History 2016 DBQ Outline Introduction Paragraph: B = Background sentences. CONTEXTUALIZE the topic of the question. You will need several sentences in order to do a thorough job. You may choose to dedicate an entire paragraph before your conclusion paragraph just for the contextualization. A = Argument. (Thesis, use W.A.D.E.) R = Roadmaps. Come up with a minimum of two but try for three or four. These are more precise arguments that help explain your main argument above. They are called roadmaps because they lead the reader back to your main argument. You will build a paragraph on each of these arguments. The A + R s together will make up your THESIS. Body Paragraph #1: Begin with one of your roadmap arguments, which is the topic sentence of the paragraph. Next, begin using the documents upon which you created your argument one at a time. Spend several sentences summarizing and analyzing your first document. Next, provide POV or CAP for that document. Next, provide a connecting sentence that links that document to the next document you will be discussing. Follow the same steps for this next document. Use all the documents that support this argument. Next, bring closure to your body paragraph by restating the argument that you just proved and provide a lead towards your next argument. Body Paragraph #2 and beyond: Repeat the same pattern as above. You may build an argument on just one document. This is different from past years when all argument had to be built on a group of documents. Contextualization Paragraph - last paragraph before your Conclusion: Contextualize the topic of the question. Go for the two points by identifying an additional piece of evidence not in the documents provided and EXPLAIN HOW or WHY it would help your answer. Conclusion Paragraph - include Synthesis: Restate the thesis. Trust your ideas and do not copy word for word what you wrote in your introduction. After having written out the entire essay you are now much clearer about the topic, so your thesis may be more elaborate and comprehensive than in the beginning. Include your synthesis by extending your thesis beyond the parameters of the prompt.
Background (In a DBQ = Context of time period) Argument/Thesis Roadmap/Categories Argument/Thesis X. However, A, B, C. Therefore, Y. Or Although X, Y because ABC. (W.A.D.E) While Although Despite Even though Y represents the position you will be taking in other words, your stand on the prompt. X represents the strongest point against your argument OR explanation of the topic. This is your expansion portion of your thesis. Make sure your X has a specific fact or example. A, B, and C represent the three strongest points for your argument. (strongest one first!). This is your list of themes (broad categories) for each of your body paragraphs. Your introduction is essentially your thesis nothing more. Just your thesis (2-5 sentences) Additional Tips NEVER REWRITE THE PROMPT AS PART OF YOUR INTRODUCTION Write in the THIRD PERSON and in the PAST TENSE Prompt: Explain the causes of the development of the institution of slavery in the period from 1607 to 1750. Example: The institution of slavery was caused by the end of indentured servants, the keeping of slave children, and the un-humanlike treatment of slaves between 1607 and 1750. -or- Although slavery developed from the economic need for hard labor, it was expanded and solidified through the religious and moral rationalizations of slaveholders and law makers. Contextualization: One can also attribute the rise in slaves with the constant wars in Africa between tribes and the triangle trade promoting the sale of war prisoners as slaves. Africans were still in tribal groups in the early 1600s and were very undeveloped. Thus, when early settlers formed a triangle trade between America, Europe, and Africa, Africans saw a way to make money by selling war prisoners as slaves so they could purchase war goods like guns. This led to an influx in the slave supply, therefore, Americans could buy them for cheap pay. Africans could then get European weapons to fight tribal conflicts. All Europe had to do was sell guns to both sides in the tribal wars to keep Africans at a stalemate. Outside Piece of Evidence Beyond the Docs.: The middle passage, the horrific journey from Africa to the Caribbean, provided a traumatic experience for Africans as they were eventually shipped onto the shores of the colonies. The crowded conditions made for a harrowing journey. -or- Cash crops are at the heart of making money. The British introduced several lucrative crops to the Americas, including indigo, rice, sugarcane, cotton, and especially tobacco.
POV Ideas: POVs should be unique to each document. This means that you should not be able to apply a POV you wrote for one document to any of the other documents. You may write a single POV that applies to two documents if both seem to have come from the same type of source and have the same POV on a topic. However, this will count only as 1 POV not 2. For visuals, art, political cartoons, charts, graphs: 1. The political cartoon has a point of view towards by distorting and making it look like Key Words: Hopeful, Positive, Negative, Optimistic, Pessimistic, Cynical, Sarcastic 2. Although statistics/data are supposed to be objective, these numbers may have been manipulated in order to show since they came from who would want to show. 3. The image reflects a point of view by focusing on and depicting it as.in order to show For author s point of view: 4. The author s use of the word/phrase is meant to show a point of view towards by emphasizing 5. The author might say because he/she due to. 6. The author uses a tone because he/she due to. 7. The author s point of view is. because due to. 8. Surprisingly, the author, as a. does not but instead. 9. One would expect the author to because 10. Because the author is addressing (identify the audience) he/she is most likely trying to (come up with the purpose behind the words) in order to (come up with a reason). 11. The author is saying this now (occasion) because. 12. The author s use of the word clearly shows a. point of view towards because. 13. Even though the author sounds like his real motives may be to because If you are going to use bias 14. Clearly, the author is biased towards/against because and shows it in the document by 15. The obvious bias of the author towards/against is most likely due to and is evident when he/she If you are going to use credible 16. The author is credible because as a. he/she. and therefore would know about 17. This source most likely shows an accurate account of because it comes from who would naturally know about because 18. The source is most likely accurate because who better than to know about since DO NOT SOUND LIKE THIS: He is biased because he is the emperor. He is credible because he is a scholar. Because he/she was there when the event occurred then they would be a credible source.