Written Response Guide
DBQ (Document Based Questions)
DBQs will usually have you read a prompt and analyze 7 documents which may be used to support your argument or perspective regarding the historical question posed.
In order to ensure that you can present a clear written response, you must follow a set of steps. These steps don’t have to be followed in a strict order and can vary from person to person; however, having a proper approach can definitely save you some hassle.
Recommended steps:
Understand the prompt: DBQs might provide some context and will provide a question to guide your analysis. DBQ questions tend to ask the student to evaluate different aspects of historical developments including but not limited to change and continuity over time, compare and contrast, and cause and effects. Other less common questions tend to have the student evaluate a historical argument, evaluate the presence of themes, and the development of historical events/ideas.
Analyze Documents: Take time to familiarize yourself with the context of each document and how it relates to the prompt. For example, a text written by Frederick Douglas will most likely argue against slavery while another one written by John C. Calhoun will argue for slavery. Skimming strategies can vary from person to person, but it is generally useful to highlight key information and organize thoughts about each document as you read through (HAPP). This can help in identifying relevant quotes and evidence that support your arguments.
Develop a Thesis Statement: Craft a clear and concise thesis statement that encapsulates your main argument and reflects your understanding of the documents. This statement will serve as the foundation for your response and guide the direction of your analysis. Considering different perspectives of your argument (through qualification and counterargument) may help you get some complexity, but you should tend to focus on getting your argument across first.
Plan Your Essay: Group your documents by category and determine which ones you would like to use to develop the arguments you want to present in your essay. After that determine the order in which you would like to present your arguments; this allows for proper flow and organization of claims and evidence.
Write Your Essay: Wish you the best of regards in this step! It should be a simple step. Start off with an intro that presents good context related to the prompt. Although it is simple, it is important that you make sure to get down essential information first regarding your main argument before attempting to elaborate on the complexities or nuances of other perspectives. Watch out for grammatical errors too and if you have time, consider revising and proofreading.
Congrats you’re done!
LEQ (Long Essay Question)
The LEQ is significantly different from the DBQ. With the unavailability of source documents, you will have to rely on your own knowledge in order to craft an argument based on the prompt provided.
Steps you should follow when writing an LEQ include
Understand the Prompt: Just like the DBQ, it's critical to thoroughly read and analyze the prompt to determine what specific question is being asked and what key themes or historical concepts should be addressed in your response.
Brainstorm and Plan: Write down different historical developments connected to the question presented in the prompt and organize them into coherent arguments that will support your thesis statement.
Write a strong thesis: Based on the information you have on hand, craft a clear and concise thesis statement that directly answers the prompt and outlines your main arguments.
Organize your arguments: Plan out how you will present your essay; you will want to organize your subclaims and your evidence so that you can keep a clear structure.
Start writing your Essay: Begin with an introduction that provides significant context related to the prompt; it doesn’t have to be too specific, but it is strongly discouraged that you just make bland references. Also, make sure your context doesn’t get mentioned as evidence.
Make sure to write your evidence and analysis carefully
Analyze, don’t just describe: Don’t just summarize your evidence, state why it’s important to your thesis.
Address a thinking skill: If you have a hard time figuring out analysis, consider using thinking skills such as causation, change, comparison, etc.
Proofread and revise: If there’s time, read through your essay and resolve grammatical errors. You can also revise and attempt to add more analysis into your evidence. Maybe you can even start adding different perspectives that will contribute to complexity.
Congrats. You’re done!
DBQ and LEQ Sentence Stems
Context:
For context…
In the context of [Historical development] …
At the time [Individual or group] was experiencing [Historical Development] …
The [Time period] was marked by [trend or event], which influenced…
Evidence (DBQs):
According to Document #…
The author of Document # states…
Document # reveals that…
Graph in Document # illustrates
The image in Document # depicts
Based on the data in Document #, it is evident that…
Evidence (LEQs)
Evidence this argument includes…
For instance, [historical development] demonstrates…
A in example of this can be seen in…
This is evident in the case of…
SAQ (Short Answer Question)
The SAQ is probably the easiest type of FRQ, as it requires brief responses that directly address the question without the need for extensive elaboration. Just make sure to present a thesis, evidence, and some analysis connecting your evidence to your argument. The only thing that might make SAQs complicated is that you will have to know context regarding the prompt to provide a comprehensive answer with historical evidence.