· Web viewHow to DBQ . AP World 2016-17. Section I: General Advice for All Essays. Exam Overview. The AP World History Exam features short-answer, document-based, and essay questions

How to DBQ AP World 2016-17

Section I: General Advice for All Essays

Exam Overview

The AP World History Exam features short-answer, document-based, and essay questions that ask

students to demonstrate historical content knowledge and thinking skills through written responses.

Multiple-choice questions will ask students to use content knowledge to analyze and interpret primary

and secondary sources.

Exam Format

Section I: Part A

Multiple Choice — 55 Questions | 55 Minutes | 40% of Exam

Score

● Questions appear in sets of 2 to 5.● Students analyze historical texts, interpretations, and

evidence.● Primary and secondary sources, images, graphs, and

maps are included.

Section I: Part B

Short Answer — 4 Questions | 50 Minutes | 20% of Exam

Score

● Questions provide opportunities for students to explain the historical examples that they know best.

● Some questions include texts, images, graphs, or maps.

10 Minute Break between Part 1I and II

Section II: Part A

Document Based — 1 Question | 55 Minutes (includes 15-

minute reading period) | 25% of Exam Score

● Analyze and synthesize historical data.● Assess written, quantitative, or visual materials as

historical evidence.

Section II: Part B

Long Essay — 1 Question | 35 Minutes | 15% of Exam Score

● Students select one question among two.● Explain and analyze significant issues in world history.● Develop an argument supported by an analysis of

historical evidence.

Mandatory Reading Period When the Essay section begins, you’ll receive a green booklet containing all three essays. You have 15 minutes to read all the questions, including the Sources for the DBQ, take notes, and begin to plan your essays. You are allowed to begin writing the actual essays during these 15 minutes. Note: You can (& probably should) take MORE than 15 minutes, though probably no more than 20 minutes total during the exam period.

Big Mistake #1: Wasting 15 min Reading/Planning Period

One of the biggest mistakes students make during the AP Exam is not using the 15-min mandatory reading/planning period to plan and outline their essays. Too often students simply stare into space, think about what they’re going to do after school, etc. The time is a great opportunity to: 1. brainstorm evidence 2. Write an outline of your essays’ paragraph structure 3. Write a 1st draft of your essays’ theses. As the next two hours unfold, you can then look back over your notes and outline to make

sure you write as good an essay as possible.

Maximizing your Score IF you Plan More, you CAN Write Better

You do not have to write the DBQ first. You can write the essays in any order. There’s no “trick” for which to write first, last, etc. Also note that while the exam proctor will remind you during the writing time that “you have x minutes remaining,” you can spend as much or as little time as you want on each essay, so you’ll need to be self-disciplined in order to write three high-quality essays in the time allowed.

Maximizing your Score Each point on an Essay is worth more than 2.5 Multiple Choice questions!

Section II: The DBQ (Evidence Based Question)

Purpose of the DBQ The purpose of the DBQ is to test students’ ability to do what professional historians actually do: use and interpret historical Sources to make conclusions based on those Sources. It is NOT a test of students’ prior knowledge. You’re not expected to know anything about the topic before the exam, but rather a test of students’ skills to perform a variety of analytical tasks. Why is this important to realize? When you first read an DBQ question, you will most likely have absolutely no idea about the topic. Relax! That’s normal. No one is expected to know anything about the topic. That’s what makes an DBQ a “level playing field.” No one has any advantage over anyone else.

Maximizing your Score Don’t panic when you read the DBQ Question! You’re not expected to know anything about the topic.

The purpose of the DBQ is to test your skills, not your knowledge.

Argument and Thesis Development2 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, either in the introduction or the conclusion.

● Develops and supports a cohesive argument that recognizes and accounts for historical complexity by explicitly illustrating relationships among historical evidence such as contradiction, corroboration, and/or qualification.

Document analysis2 points

Targeted Skill: Analyzing evidence,: content and sourcing, and argumentation

● Utilizes 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, author's purpose, historical context, and/or audience for at least four documents

Using evidence beyond the documents2 points

Targeted skill: contextualization and argumentation● Contextualization : Situates the argument by explaining the

broader historical events, developments, or processes immediately relevant to the question.

● Evidence beyond the documents: provides an example or additional piece of evidence beyond those found in the document to support or qualify an argument.

Synthesis1 Point

Targeted Skill: Synthesis● Extends the argument by explaining the connections

between the argument and one of the following:○ A development in a different historical period,

situation or geographical area○ A course theme and /or approach to history that is

not the focus of the essay (think SPICE)○ A different discipline or field of inquiry (such as

economics, government and politics, art history or anthropology)

Big Mistake #2: The Purpose of the Rubric = Scoring Guide for the Reader

NOT Writing Guide for the Author

The Rubric is meant as a guide for essay Readers to score the essay, not as an outline for students in how to write the essay. The Rubric lists six characteristics, but

that does NOT mean that students should write the essay in the order of these characteristics. (e.g. Do NOT write a separate ¶ for “Point of View,” then a “Grouping”

¶, etc.)

Big Mistake #3: The Minimum Requirements of the Rubric

When the Rubric gives a minimum requirement (e.g. “at least two Sources,” or “two or three ways,” the Teacher chooses the minimum, not the student.6 So how many should you do? Aim high. A good general rule is the “Rule of 3.” If it says “two or three,” assume you should give three. If it says, “at least two,” give three because the required minimum can’t be any lower than two, but could be higher.

Section III: The Question

The Question:Based on the following Sources, analyze the responses to the spread of Buddhism in China. What additional evidence would you need to evaluate the extent of Buddhism’s appeal in China?

1. Now analyze the question. Break it down so that you know exactly what it’s asking. Be Specific!

Verb/Task?What’s the questionasking you to do?

What?What’s the topic?

Where? When?

Verb/Task?What’s the questionasking you to do?

Analyze

What?What’s the topic?

Responses to the spread of Buddhism

Where?

In China

When?Not relevant (but will

be clear after you read the Historical

Background info & Sources

Big Mistake #4: Not Answering the QuestionTHE biggest and most common mistake that students do not …

Answer the QuestionSeems pretty simple, doesn’t it? “Don’t most students answer the question?,” you maywonder. Surprisingly, the answer is “No.” Instead of answering the question, studentsanswer a question related to or similar to the question, or what they wish the questionasked, but not the question that is actually written on the paper. This is a huge “no-no.”

• “Analyze” is DIFFERENT than “summarize.” Most students merely summarize ratherthan analyzing.

“Summarize” = “what happened” “Analyze” = “why it happened.”• Another tactic to help yourself answer the question is to break the question into it’sspecific parts. Each question has a what, a where, and a when. Every sentence in youressays must relate to the question. You must not get off track and talk about a slightlydifferent where, or a when that you heard a great story about, or a what that you knowa ton of information about. Anything you write that does not “answer the question” isirrelevant, and will not help your score, no matter how well written or informative.In this Reader’s experience at least 30% of all the words students write are irrelevantto the question. Don’t waste your time writing irrelevant information!

Plan MORE, write BETTER.

Teachers: Getting students to analyze rather than merely summarize is perhaps one of the greatest challenges in teaching. My students are so accustomed to summarizing that they unconsciously and repeatedly slip back into “Book Report” or “Summarization” mode unless they make a deliberate effort to think at a higher level. I used to be very critical of them for this behavior until I tried to imagine how I would feel if I were writing an DBQ for the first time. They’ve been instructed to ‘Read and summarize” for their entire academic career. Now suddenly along comes this crazy AP World History teacher who says, “I assume you can do those simple tasks. I want you to do something different, something more challenging. I want you to analyze.” The trouble is that student usually don’t even know what the verb “analyze” means!

Big Mistake #5: Summarizing SourcesThe purpose of any essay is to Answer the Question. Too often students’ DBQs sink to a mere summarization of the Sources. The DBQ is NOT “about the Sources,” it’s just a “normal” essay question. The Sources are not “the point” of the DBQ. The Sources are merely raw materials to help students answer the question.

Imagine for a second that your teacher did NOT give you any historical sources. If you had ONLY the question (“Analyze the responses to the spread of Buddhism in China”) and a month of time in which to find historical sources that address this question would you should be able to answer the question, right? When you were finally done researching started writing your research paper, would you write sentences like this?:

One book I read said blah blah blah.

The author of book Yada Yada said blah blah blah.

In another book I read about a Chinese Emperor who said blah blah blah.

Of course not! You’d write an essay where the subject of each sentence would be “a response to the spread of Buddhism,” and at the end of each sentence you’d have a footnote documenting where you found that response just in case your reader wanted to check it. Each body paragraph would be organized around one specific response to the spread of Buddhism in China that you found in multiple books. So do the same thing for an DBQ, except easier. You won’t need to write footnotes. At the end of any sentence that references information you found in one of the sources, just write “(Source #).” This is a kind of “quick & easy informal footnote.”

Section IV: The Historical Background

The DBQ can be on any topic from any time period and any geographical region. Intimidating, right? NO! Remember the purpose of the DBQ? (To assess students’ skills at doing what professional historians do, NOT whether students know what historians know.) Fight the instinct to panic and show your reader how well you can read, think, and write!

Big Mistake #6: Historical BackgroundThe Historical Background paragraph is there to help you. Don’t ignore it! The exam writers have given it to you for a reason. Make sure you know how the historical background relates to the question and how to use the background information to help you better answer the question.

The exam writers know that students need some hints to help them place the DBQ question into the larger context of “everything” in world history. That’s exactly what the Historical Background is: the exam writers’ gift to you. It helps by:• “Jogging your memory,” calming and reassuring you during the high-pressure of the exam.(“Oh yeah, now I’m beginning to remember when we studied this general topic/era/region.”)• Giving valuable hints that suggest connections you should make in your essay.

Historical Background: Buddhism, founded in India in the sixth century BCE, was brought to China by the first century C.E., gradually winning converts following the collapse of the Han dynasty in 220 C.E. Buddhist influence continued to expand for several centuries. Between 220 C.E. and 570 C.E., China experienced a period of political instability and disunity. After 570 C.E., the imperial structure was restored.

1. What theme(s) does the HB’s information relate to? How do those theme(s) relate to the theme of the question?HB Theme(s)______________________________________________________________________

Question Theme(s)_________________________________________________________________

2. Are there any hints in the HB paragraph that will influence how you read, interpret, and categorize the Sources? Based on the information in the HB, how are you going to read the Sources any differently than you would if you hadn’t read the HB? After all, the writers went to some effort to give you the HB information. What use will you make of it?

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3. Make a timeline of the information in the HB ¶.

Info from HB

Date of Source #1 Date of Source #6

Info fromSources

Section V: Reading and Analyzing the SourcesHistorians don’t “just read” documents, they engage with them, asking all sorts of questions. Here are some good questions to ask when studying historical documents.

Category Good Questions to Ask

Content • What point(s) is the document trying to make?• What does the document not say, e.g., does it selectively include and/or exclude information?• What of its content is usable by a historian?

Authorship • Who wrote the document?• What was the author’s position in society?• Do I know anything about this person beyond what is provided in the source that would affect the reliability of the document?

Purpose • Why did the author create the source?• Why was the document created at this time?• Why has it survived to the present?• How does its purpose affect its reliability or usefulness?

Format • What is the format of the source: archaeological artifact, text, art, newspaper article, letter, etc.?• What is the intent of the medium?• Does the source’s format/genre add meaning to what the source explicitly states?

Audience • Who was the source created for?• How might the audience have affected the content of the source?• How might the audience have affected the reliability of the source?

Context • When and where was the source produced?• What contemporaneous events might have affected the author’s viewpoint and/or message?• How does the context affect the reliability of a source?

Author's point of view (POV)

• What was the author’s point of view?• Does the author’s point of view undermine the explicit purpose of the source?• How can you tell, if at all, what other beliefs the author might hold?

Limitations • What does the document not tell me?• What might have limited the knowledge of the author (e.g., social status or position, education)?• What other kinds of sources might fill in the content gaps?• What other documents might offer alternatives to the author’s point of view?• What other documents might help to better understand the author’s own POV

Additional Evidence SourceAfter you read a source, you’ll be able to use information in the source to help answer the question, but no single source contains everything needed to answer the question fully. No matter how much information a source contains, it will never provide the answer to all parts of the question, and in fact it will often raise new questions.So, what kinds of information would you like to have to help answer the question better? You don’t have to name a specific actual source, but you must do two things with this Additional Evidence Source:1. Describe the kind of information you’d like to see in an additional source.2. Explain of how that information would help a historian answer the question more completely. (“…because it would help,” is not an acceptable answer. You must describe how “it would help.”) What

would you do with such information? What conclusion could you make with “Information x” that you can’t make now?

Characteristics Shared with Other Sources (aka “Grouping”)After you’re finished reading all the sources, look back over your notes written. Do you notice any characteristics that more than one source share? These characteristics are vitally important to note because they will become the topic sentences of your essay’s body paragraphs.

Note: You won’t be able to complete this part of analyzing the sources until you finish reading all the sources. So, after you read each individual source and note that source’s characteristics, go back for a “2nd pass” at all of the sources and look for characteristics that appear in more than one source. Examples of the kinds of shared characteristics might (hypothetically) include:

• Buddhism became less popular after imperial structure was restored in 589 C.E. (as seen in Source #4 by Han Yu and Source #6 by Emperor Wu)

• Government officials frequently tried to influence imperial attitudes toward Buddhism. (as seen in Source #4 by Han Yu and Source #5 by Zong Mi)

• Chinese often didn’t trust Buddhism because it was “foreign” or “unfamiliar” (as seen in Source #3 by the Anonymous scholar and Source #4 by Han Yu)

• Chinese often relied on Buddhism to provide a spiritual sanctuary from the cares of everyday life. (as seen in Source #2 by Zhi Dun or Source #5 by Zong Mi)

Maximizing your ScoreCompare sources to each other. For example: Zhi Dun (Source #2) and Zong Mi (Source #5) were both Buddhist scholars, but Zhi Dun favored Buddhism exclusively, while Zong Mi spoke favorably about Buddhism, Confucianism, and Daoism. Why the difference?

Context (aka “Point of View” or POV)The purpose of the DBQ is to test students’ ability to do what professional historians actually do. Well, what do professional historians do? One essential task is to interpret historical sources. History is not just facts, a large part is also interpretation of facts. This is one area that makes history both fun and controversial, because different historians interpret identical sources differently.

So as you read and interpret each source, what clues are there that any particular source means anything other than the literal words on the paper? Are there any reasons why although a source says “x” it should be interpreted as meaning something more, less, or different? All the intangible circumstances surrounding a source that influence how one should interpret that source comprise what is called the “Context.”

If this concept seems vague or meaningless to you, imagine that two people tell you exactly the same words. Would you interpret and respond to each person identically, or would you take each person’s identity into account when you weigh whether to take their words seriously? For instance:

Source 1

“If you park your car there, you’ll get in trouble,” says your six-year-old sister.

Source 2

“If you park your car there, you’ll get in trouble,” says the police officer.

You’d interpret these two statements very differently, wouldn’t you? Obviously the identity of the source makes a huge difference in how seriously one interprets the Source. Note, however, that one should not automatically come to the conclusion that Source 1 is “wrong” while Source 2 is “right.” (Can you think of any circumstances that might make your sister be correct? Just because she’s six years old doesn’t mean she’s automatically wrong, it just means that you’d probably want some more information re: the context of your sister’s comments before you render judgement on her words. After all, she might have just heard your parent say, “If that car isn’t moved out of the middle of the street [your name] will be punished!”)Context is far more subtle than simply labeling Sources as “right” or “wrong.” You have to be very specific in deciding to what degree a Source should be interpreted about a certain topic. Ultimately you should be able to place each Source on a spectrum of the Source’s “trustworthiness.”

Value Limitations

What characteristics strengthen/enhance the value of this Source? What characteristics limit/reduce

the value of this Source?

So, how does one interpret the context surrounding a Source? See the “Good Analysis Questions” table on p. 6. Ultimately, if you’re looking for a single, simple way to analyze POV, it boils down to:

Maximizing Your Score: Context/POVAnswer this question re: each Source:

Why did this person create this Source at this time?

Big Mistake #7: Point of View … “View” or “Opinion”Too many students misunderstand what a “Point of View is, thinking that

“Point of View” is the same as “View.” (or “Opinion”)

If you’re not sure if you’ve correctly interpreted a source’s Point of View, after you’vewritten a POV statement, try substituting the word “opinion” instead of “point of view.”Does the sentence still make sense? If yes, then you have NOT done it correctly.

Fish Justice Even if you write, “The Point of View of the biggest fish is ‘the world is just,’” you will NOT earn the POV credit.

Simply calling something “Point of View” doesn’t make it a Point of View.

Small Fish Medium Fish Big Fish

View The small fish thinks the world is unjust.

The medium fish thinks the world has some justice.

The big fish the world is just.

Point of View

Background Characteristic

… because being the smallest fish

… because being the medium fish

… because being the largest fish

Result/effect … caused him to be in great danger of being eaten

… Caused him to be in less danger of being eaten, and also allowed him to be able to eat a smaller fish

… caused him to be in no danger of being eaten

Big Mistake #8: Misuse of “Bias”Too many students attempt to interpret the value or limitation of historical sources by using the term “bias.” While it is entirely legitimate to analyze bias in historical Sources, most students do it so poorly that it actually hurts their score. (Students think they’ve interpreted more than they really have, and smugly stop trying to think any deeper.)

The term “bias” can be used effectively, but only IF you answer these 4 questions:

1) The specific topic/issue about which the source/author is biased. (Is the author biased toward everything?)2) In what direction is the Source biased? Remember that bias can be positive and/or negative. Is the Source/author in favor of a particular issue, or against it? If you just say, “the author is biased,” your reader won’t know whether the author is biased for or against something.3) How much bias does the Source contain? Someone can be strongly biased in favor

of their favorite sports team or slightly biased against a political philosophy, etc.4) Why is the Source (or Source’s author) biased? (Cannot simply repeat a word in the source’s background info. Bias must “connect” a specific characteristic of the context behind the source to a specific characteristic in the text of the source.)

Source #1Source: According to Buddhist tradition, “The Four Noble Truths,” the first sermon preached by the Buddha (563 BCE-483 BCE), India, fifth century BCE.

The First Noble Truth is the Noble Truth of Sorrow. Birth is sorrow, age is sorrow, disease is sorrow, death is sorrow, contact with the unpleasant is sorrow, separation from the pleasant is sorrow, every wish unfulfilled is sorrow.

The Second Noble Truth is the Noble Truth of the Arising of Sorrow, it arises from craving, which leads to rebirth, which brings delight and passion, and seeks pleasure-the craving for sensual pleasure, the craving for continued life, and the craving for power.

The Third Noble Truth is the Noble Truth of the Stopping of Sorrow. It is the complete stopping of that craving, so that no passion remains, leaving it, being emancipated from it, being released from it, giving no place to it.

The Fourth Noble Truth is the Noble Truth of the Way that Leads to the Stopping of Sorrow.

1. Summarize the overall meaning of this Source. (In one sentence. Think of it as a “1-sentence book

report.”) You may paraphrase the Source, but don’t quote from it.

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2. List 3 specific concepts, vocabulary terms, or phrases unique to this Source? (NOT found in Sources #2-6.) You’ll need to read every other Source first before you can come back and answer this question. These examples don’t have to be super-complex. They can be just a short phrase, or even a single word.

a. __________________________________________________________

b. __________________________________________________________

c. __________________________________________________________

3. Look at the shaded section of the box above the document. What possible reasons can you think of that would explain WHY this author created this document at this time? (Why didn’t some other author create some other document at a different time?)

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4. Now combine #1-3 above all into ONE sentence that summarizes the document’s overall meaning, (Step #1) using a specific piece of evidence, (Step #2) to explain a reason WHY this author created this document at this time. (Step #3)

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Source #2

Source: Zhi Dun, Chinese scholar, author, and confidant of Chinese aristocrats and high officials during the period when northern China was invaded by central Asian steppe nomads, circa 350 CE.

Whosoever in China, in this era of sensual pleasures, serves the Buddha and correctly observes the commandments, who recites the Buddhist Scriptures, and who furthermore makes a vow to be reborn without ever abandoning his sincere intention, will at the end of his life, when his soul passes away, be miraculously transported thither. He will behold the Buddha and be enlightened in his spirit, and then he will enter Nirvana.*

*Nirvana: the extinction of desire and individual consciousness

1. Summarize the overall meaning of this Source. (In one sentence. Think of it as a “1-sentence book report.”) You may paraphrase the Source, but don’t quote from it.

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2. List 3 specific concepts, vocabulary terms, or phrases unique to this Source? (NOT found in Sources #1, 3, 4, 5, or 6.) You’ll need to read every other Source first before you can come back and answer this question. These examples don’t have to be super-complex. They can be just a short phrase, or even a single word.

a. __________________________________________________________

b. __________________________________________________________

c. __________________________________________________________


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Source #3Source: Anonymous Chinese scholar, “The Disposition of Error,” China, circa 500 CE.

Question: If Buddhism is the greatest and most venerable of ways, why did the great sages of the past and Confucius not practice it? In the Confucian Classics no one mentions it. Why, then, do you love the Way of the Buddha and rejoice in outlandish arts’? Can the writings of the Buddha exceed the Classics and commentaries and beautify the accomplishments of the sages?Answer: All written works need not necessarily be the words of Confucius. To compare the sages to the Buddha would be like comparing a white deer to a unicorn, or a swallow to a phoenix. The records and teachings of the Confucian classics do not contain everything. Even if the Buddha is not mentioned in them, what occasion is there for suspicion?Question: Now of happiness there is none greater than the continuation of one’s line, of unfilial conduct there is none worse than childlessness. The monks forsake wives and children, reject property and wealth. Some do not marry all their lives.Answer: Wives, children, and property are the luxuries of the world, but simple living and inaction are the wonders of the Way. The monk practices the Way and substitutes that for worldly pleasures. He accumulates goodness and wisdom in exchange for the joys of having a wife and children.


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a. __________________________________________________________

b. __________________________________________________________

c. __________________________________________________________


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4. Now combine #1-3 above all into ONE sentence that summarizes the document’s overall meaning, (Step #1) using a specific piece of evidence, (Step #2) to explain a reason WHY this author created this document at this time. (Step #3)________________________________________________________________________________________

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Source #4Source: Han Yu, leading Confucian scholar and official at the Tang imperial court, “Memorial on Buddhism,” 819 CE.

Your servant begs leave to say that Buddhism is no more than a cult of the barbarian peoples spread to China. It did not exist here in ancient times.Now I hear that Your Majesty has ordered the community of monks to go to greet the finger bone of the Buddha [a relic brought to China from India], and that Your Majesty will ascend a tower to watch the procession as this relic is brought into the palace. If these practices are not stopped, and this relic of the Buddha is allowed to be carried from one temple to another, there will be those in the crowd who will cut off their arms and mutilate their flesh in offering, to the Buddha.Now the Buddha was a man of the barbarians who did not speak Chinese and who wore clothes of a different fashion. The Buddha’s sayings contain nothing about our ancient kings and the Buddha’s manner of dress did not conform to our laws; he understood neither the duties that bind sovereign and subject, nor the affections of father and son. If the Buddha were still alive today and came to our court, Your Majesty might condescend to receive him, but he would then be escorted to the borders of the nation, dismissed, and not allowed to delude the masses. How then, when he has long been dead, could the Buddha’s rotten bones, the foul and unlucky remains of his body, be rightly admitted to the palace? Confucius said: “Respect ghosts and spirits, but keep them at a distance!” Your servant is deeply ashamed and begs that this bone from the Buddha be given to the proper authorities to be cast into fire and water, that this evil be rooted out, and later generations spared this delusion.


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a. __________________________________________________________

b. __________________________________________________________

c. __________________________________________________________

3. Look at the shaded section of the box above the document. What possible reasons can you think of that would explain WHY this author created this document at this time? (Why didn’t some other author create some other document at a different time?)________________________________________________________________________________

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4. Now combine #1-3 above all into ONE sentence that summarizes the document’s overall meaning, (Step #1) using a specific piece of evidence, (Step #2) to explain a reason WHY this author created this document at this time. (Step #3)________________________________________________________________________________

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Source #5Source: Zong Mi, a leading Buddhist scholar, favored by the Tang imperial household, essay, “On the Nature of Man,” early ninth century CE.

Confucius, Laozi and the Buddha were perfect sages. They established their teachings according to the demands of the age and the needs of various beings. They differ in their approaches in that they encourage the perfection of good deeds, punish wicked ones, and reward good ones; all three teachings lead to the creation of an orderly society and for this they must be observed with respect.


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d. __________________________________________________________

e. __________________________________________________________

f. __________________________________________________________

3. Look at the shaded section of the box above the document. What possible reasons can you think of that would explain WHY this author created this document at this time? (Why didn’t some other author create some other document at a different time?)________________________________________________________________________________

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4. Now combine #1-3 above all into ONE sentence that summarizes the document’s overall meaning, (Step #1) using a specific piece of evidence, (Step #2) to explain a reason WHY this author created this document at this time. (Step #3)________________________________________________________________________________

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Source # 6Source: Tang Emperor Wu, Edict on Buddhism, 845 CE.

We have heard that the Buddha was never spoken of before the Han dynasty; from then on the religion of idols gradually came to prominence. So in this latter age Buddhism has transmitted its strange ways and has spread like a luxuriant vine until it has poisoned the customs of our nation. Buddhism has spread to all the nine provinces of China; each day finds its monks and followers growing more numerous and its temples loftier. Buddhism wears out the people’s strength, pilfers their wealth, causes people to abandon their lords and parents for the company of teachers, and severs man and wife with its monastic decrees. In destroying law and injuring humankind indeed nothing surpasses this doctrine!Now if even one man fails to work the fields, someone must go hungry; if one woman does not tend her silkworms, someone will go cold. At present there are an inestimable number of monks and nuns in the empire, all of them waiting for the farmers to feed them and the silkworms to clothe them while the Buddhist public temples and private chapels have reached boundless numbers, sufficient to outshine the imperial palace itself. Having thoroughly examined all earlier reports and consulted public opinion on all sides, there no longer remains the slightest doubt in Our mind that this evil should be eradicated.


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2. List 3 specific concepts, vocabulary terms, or phrases unique to this Source? (NOT found in Sources #1, 3, 4, 5, or 6.) You’ll need to read every other Source first before you can come back and

answer this question. These examples don’t have to be super-complex. They can be just a short phrase, or even a single word.

g. __________________________________________________________

h. __________________________________________________________

i. __________________________________________________________


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Section VI: Pulling It All TogetherNow that you’ve analyzed all the Sources individually, it’s time to start the fun part of analyzing the characteristics of each Source and comparing those characteristics across Sources.

Organizing Evidence

This Characteristic

Appears in these sources As shown by this specific word/phrase

Now, look at your characteristics list on the previous page.Congratulations!

You may not realize it, but you’ve just outlined/organized the body paragraphs for your essay! Simply change the titles on the table’s columns:.• The characteristic in the left column = Paragraph’s topic sentence.• The middle column list of which sources/authors share the characteristic = the Sources/authors to discuss in that paragraph.• The right column citing the specific words = the specific evidence that supports that paragraph’s topic.

So take another look at the table on the previous page, this time with different titles for each column.

Outline of my essay

Topic sentence Must be “a response…”

Sources to include Examples to use as evidence that support your interpretation of the Source

Section VII: The Thesis

OK, so now you’ve spent considerable time reading, sifting, and analyzing these Sources. Can you still remember WHY you did all this work? Oh yeah, it was in order to ANSWER THE QUESTION!

Based on the following sources, analyze the responses to the spread of Buddhism in China.

● Your task is to write an essay that answers this question, drawing on all the Sources you’ve read and analysis you’ve already done. The hardest part is actually coming up with a good thesis statement. Look back on your notes in the “Organizing the Evidence” table (p. 18)

○ How do you interpret the evidence reflected in the Sources?○ What do the characteristics that you’ve detected in the Sources add up to?

Maximizing your Score: ThesisWrite your Thesis after you’ve analyzed all the evidence in the Sources.

Your thesis should be the first thing the Reader reads,but it should be one of the last things the writer thinks.

If you choose a thesis in a knee-jerk manner when you first read the question, your thesis will almost certainly fail, as you will tend to selectively favor only the evidence that supports your thesis and ignore any contradictory evidence. The DBQ is designed to test your ability to interpret all relevant evidence and develop a thesis that reflects that evidence. There is no single “right” thesis to any essay question. There is more than enough information in the Sources that could be interpreted multiple “correct” ways.To write your thesis before examining all of the evidence is to fail the DBQ before you even start. This is a fundamental error. Even professional historians struggle to maintain the objectivity when examining the complexities of all relevant evidence.11The whole purpose of the DBQ is to test your ability to do what historians actually do: Develop arguments that are supported by evidence.

Here’s a guide to the most common mistakes students make when attempting to write a thesis.

Mistake Example How to fix it

No thesis Pre-writing organization. Read the question, then plan/outline your response before you begin to write.

Plan More, Write Better

Thesis is not related to the question

Most Chinese are BuddhistsChina has over a billionpeople today …Buddhists like to meditate …Buddhism had a large

● Identify the verb in the question. What is the question asking you to do?

● Identify the “key words” of the question that specify the topic, location and time period. (The “What, When, and Where”) Make sure every sentence in

impact on China your essay is relevant to the topic, time, and place that the question asks.

Thesis repeatsor just paraphrasesthequestion

There were many responses to the spread of Buddhismin China.

Try to “argue” your thesis. Could you take an“opposite” position? If not, then the thesis isn’t an acceptable thesis.

Thesis is too things, a lot, big, large, huge, etc.) vague

Avoid the “thesis killer” words.12 (very, many,Thesis is too things, a lot, big, large, huge, etc.)

MentioningindividualSources

or

GroupingSources

Some Chinese rejected Buddhism. (Source #4 and #6)

The sources can be grouped in several ways: Sources #1& #5 favored Buddhism, Sources #4 & #6 opposedBuddhism.

This isn’t “wrong” so much as just unnecessary and a poor use of time. Your reader already knows the Sources. If you eliminated the “Source #4 & #6” would the sentence be any worse? How will telling your reader which Sources you’ll use to do x, y, or z help your score?

The Thesis is supposed to be your overall conclusion of all the sources. Mentioning individual Sources in the Thesis is too detailed.

OK, now pull together everything you’ve done: your reading & understanding of the Sources; their content; author’s characteristics; etc. Write your thesis statement. (1-2 sentences)

My Thesis (Argument)

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The rest of the Thesis Paragraph (How will you prove your Argument?)Now summarize the main points that you’ll use to support your thesis. (This part of the Thesis Paragraph should preview the topic sentences of your later body paragraphs.) This takes some time and a lot of practice to do well, but if you can learn to plan your thesis and outline your essay, it will

make the actual writing TONS easier. By the time your reader finishes the Thesis Paragraph, s/he should know WHAT your thesis is, and have an idea of HOW what evidence you will use to prove it.

Main Point / Body #1 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Main Point / Body #2 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Main Point / Body #3 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Main Point / Body #4, etc._____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Section VIII: The Additional Evidence SourceOK, so you’ve answered the question using the Sources as evidence to support your thesis. The problem is that there are only a handful of Sources. They can’t possibly represent EVERY Conceivable piece of relevant evidence. Are there any pieces of evidence relevant to the question that AREN’T already represented in the Sources? You can add the “Additional Evidence” suggestion at virtually any point in your essay. It’s most common to add it at the end of the essay, or at the end of the thesis paragraph, but the best essays call for Additional Evidence in every body paragraph to supplement the evidence supporting that paragraph’s topic sentence.

“In order to [describe what interpretation/conclusion you’d like to be able to draw] historians would need [describe what kind of evidence/information desired].”

Missing Information /Additional Evidence

• HOW would this Evidence would help answer the question more completely?• HOW would an historian use this Evidence?

• What CONCLUSION could historians make using this Evidence that isn’t possible to make now?

Big Mistake #7: Additional EvidenceThe most common mistake is that students simply forget to even ask for AdditionalEvidence. Even when they do, students don’t explain how/why such Evidence is necessary. The most common unsuccessful types are:

“It would help to have Evidence from a peasant.” HOW would it help? Same for Evidence written by a woman, someone from Greenland, etc.

“It would help because there isn’t any Evidence written by a peasant.” Maybe, but …so what? How/why do you think a peasant’s perspective would help historians answerthe question? This isn’t a “poll” surveying public opinion re: Buddhism. (To use aridiculous example: There isn’t any Evidence written by illiterate left-handed giraffes,either, but I doubt anyone is seriously tempted to request Evidence contributed by anilliterate left-handed giraffe.

Don’t describe the person the Evidence should come from, describe the Evidence itself, and what historians might do with such evidence.

Section IX: Synthesis

This skill involves the ability to develop meaningful and persuasive new understandings of the past by applying all of the other historical thinking skills, by drawing appropriately on ideas and methods from different fields of inquiry or disciplines, and by creatively fusing disparate, relevant, and sometimes contradictory evidence from primary sources and secondary works. Additionally, synthesis may involve applying insights about the past to other historical contexts or circumstances, including the present.

Proficient students should be able to … ● Draw appropriately on ideas and methods from different fields of inquiry or disciplines. ● Combine disparate, sometimes contradictory evidence from primary sources and secondary

works in order to create a persuasive understanding of the past. ● Apply insights about the past to other historical contexts or circumstances, including the present.

Synthesis extends the argument of the essay by explaining the connections between the argument and ONE of the following:

a. A development in a different historical period, situation, era, or geographical region.b. A course theme and/or approach to history that is not the focus of the essay.c. A different discipline or field of inquiry (e.g. economics, government and politics, art history,

or anthropology)

DO!● Include it in your conclusion paragraph.● Extend the argument consider: geographic

region, historical era, situation, course theme or discipline

● Explain the connection of your synthesis statement to the thesis or relevant argument.

NEVER DO!● Fail to connect your synthesis to your thesis and argument. A

simple reference to another geographic region, historical era, situation, course theme, or discipline is NOT enough for a point.

Brainstorming activity:

Documents

· Web viewHow to DBQ . AP World 2016-17. Section I: General Advice for All Essays. Exam Overview. The AP World History Exam features short-answer, document-based, and essay questions