How do I write a DBQ essay?

Read the Task

4-5 sentences Restate the historical

context in your own words

Thesis statement: What are you going to be discussing in your essay? Last sentence of your

introduction paragraph

Introduction Paragraph

Historical Context

6-10 sentences Topic Sentence: First

sentence of your body paragraph that lets everyone know what the paragraph is about

Transition Sentence: Last sentence of your body paragraph that takes the reader to the next body paragraph

Body Paragraphs

4-5 sentences Sum up your

arguments that you used in your essay

Conclusion Paragraph

Golden Rules for

using documents: NEVER START A BODY

PARAGRAPH WITH A DOCUMENT

NEVER END A BODY PARAGRAPH WITH A DOCUMENT

NEVER USE BACK TO BACK DOCUMENTS

HALF + ONE

Introducing documents into your

essay

Introduce documents by author or title

Examples: Thomas Whatley suggests, “We are not yet

recovered from the War undertaken solely for their protection…a War undertaken for their defense only…they should contribute to the preservation of the advantages they have received” (document 1).

If you are not quoting directly from the document you use the same format, but you do not use quotations

Introducing documents into your

essay

_____________________________,“________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________” (document # ).

Practice introducing documents

_____________________________,“________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________” (document # ).

Practice introducing documents

_____________________________,“________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________” (document # ).

Practice introducing documents

_____________________________,“________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________” (document # ).

Practice introducing documents

_____________________________,“________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________” (document # ).

Practice introducing documents