Government

Student-Created DBQ

CCSS.11-12.RI.7: Integrate and evaluate multiple sources of information presented in order to address a problem or question.CCSS.11-12.2.RH: Determine central ideas and accurate summaries of key ideas and details.CCSS.11-12.W.2: Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey concepts.Objective: I can demonstrate mastery of a selected concept by designing a Document Based Question based on previously introduced primary sources and new sources of information.

"If you would not be forgotten, as soon as you are dead and rotten; Either write things worthy of reading, or do things worthy of writing.” -Benjamin Franklin, 1758

CREATE YOUR OWN DBQ PROJECTProject  Overview:Students will have three 50-minute class periods to brainstorm, research, and create their own Document Based Essay Question and sample essay.

Beginning on day one, students will brainstorm their knowledge of a self-chosen topic relating to this course:

Athenian Democracy, the Roman Republic, and the Development of American Democracy

Enlightenment Philosophers and the Development of American Democracy

American Ideology and the Basic Principles of American Democracy The Constitution and American Democracy Federalism and the Separation of Powers with American Democracy The Constitutional Basis of Federalism within American Democracy The Powers of Congress and the Reflection of American Ideology in

American Democracy The Powers of the Executive and the Reflection of American Ideology

in American Democracy

The Powers of the Judicial branch and the Reflection of American Ideology in American Democracy

Public Opinion and Political Action in American Democracy Interest Groups in American Democracy Political Parties in American Democracy

Next, choose 6 primary documents (minimum), 1 of which must be a visual source, from reliable sources that have been approved by Ms. Mendoza.  4 of the primary sources must come from the primary source list provided. One excellent source for photos can be found on the Library of Congress web site (hint: there are plenty of pictures to use).

https://www.archives.gov/https://catalog.loc.gov/

Next, Identify a single, unifying topic suggested by those documents from which to construct a documents-based question. Formulate an analytical question to pose about the selected topic: The question must ask students to think critically and to connect all documents in a way which illustrates high-level-thinking and mastery of concepts. It must be one that requires an answer that uses both the documents selected and brings in outside knowledge and contextual interpretation. The prompt can be any of the usual types: compare and contrast, analyze, assess the validity, evaluate, to what extent, or discuss.

**You may not duplicate a question from a previous examination, or one that has already been posted online by any organization, teacher, student, or students. Duplication is considered plagiarism and will result in an automatic 0 for the assignment and recommendation for suspension.**

In addition, students will complete a SOAPS evaluation of each of their chosen documents.  (SOAPS handout attached)

Provide contextual information to your topic; usually, a 5-6 sentence summary will suffice. You will place this historical context at the beginning of your DBQ.

Place the selected documents in chronological order, noting both source and date

With your question in hand, copy and paste (or where necessary, retype) a 4 to 6 sentence excerpt from each document in chronological order into the

template provided  For visual images, paste the entire picture, graph, chart, map, or table into the space provided.

The final step for the DBQ creation process is to include 1-3 “Part A” questions for each document (A-F). These questions are intended to guide readers through the analysis process and should illustrate a deep understanding of the relevance of the material to the posed question.

The next step is to write a sample essay to serve as an exemplary response for the question students have written. This means that it should completely answer the question, provide an acceptable thesis, use the given documents to support their answer, incorporate outside information into their response, and model good grammar, spelling, and conventions.

The final step of the project is to organize all of the required elements together into a clear, bound folder and submit them to be graded.

**Any individual student may earn up to 25 recovery credit points towards the course for responding to another student's DBQ and including their response in the DBQ folder of the student whose DBQ they responded to.**

To Do: To Turn In: Brainstorm possible topics

and create a cluster chart for your selected topic

Decide on topic for your essay and formulate analytical essay question

Locate appropriate supporting documents. (Must include at least 5 primary source passages and one visual resource, no more than 8 documents total).

Complete a SOAPS analysis of each selected primary document

Write a sample essay to serve as exemplary model response to the essay

Graphic Organizer with Brainstormed list and essay question.

Microsoft Word document including a copy of each of your primary documents (cut-and-paste) and its source information

SOAPS analysis form completed for each primary document.

Sample Essay

question. Compile all required

elements and place them in a folder to be submitted for grading.

Due Date:  Each project must be submitted for grading no later than 2:35pm on Monday, May 1st. LATE WORK WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.

Grading Rubric:  

CATEGORY 4 3 2 1Brainstorming Organizer

Graphic organizer has been fully completed identifying a wide variety of information on selected topic. All supporting details have been provided.

The student has mostly completed the brainstorming organizer, though it may be missing some supporting details.

The student has partially completed the brainstorming organizer, though it is missing numerous main concepts.

The student has submitted a brainstorming organizer, though it is mostly incomplete or irrelevant.

Essay The student The student The student The student

Question has created an analytical question that is relevant and appropriate.

has written a relevant question, though it may be superficial in its treatment of the content.

has written an essay question, though it may be irrelevant to the course, difficult to comprehend, or grammatically incorrect.

has written an irrelevant or incorrect question.

Document Analysis (x 6)

Relevant, telling, quality details give the reader important information that goes beyond the obvious or predictable. All parts of the analysis have been completed.

Supporting details and information are relevant, but one key issue or portion of the analysis is unsupported or incomplete.

Supporting details and information are relevant, but several key issues or portions of the analysis are unsupported or incomplete.

Supporting details and information are typically unclear, not related to the topic, or incorrect.

Document Selection

The primary sources are relevant to the question, not just the topic, vary in format, and include all vital source information.

Most of the primary sources are relevant, generally vary in format, and may include all or most of the vital source information.

Some of the primary sources are missing or irrelevant to the question. They may vary in format and include some of the source information.

The student has selected some primary sources, though they may be irrelevant, all of the same format, or missing source information.

Sample Essay - Content

The sample essay has been fully

The sample essay uses outside

The sample essay uses either the

The sample essay merely mentions the

supported with outside information and effectively incorporates the provided documents into its response.

information and the provided documents in answering the question.

provided documents or outside information, or uses both ineffectively.

provided documents or outside information with no attempt to support a position.

Grammar, Spelling, and Fluency

Writer makes no errors in grammar or spelling that distract the reader from the content. All sentences are well-constructed with varied structure.

Writer makes 1-2 errors in grammar or spelling that distract the reader from the content. Most sentences are well-constructed with varied structure.

Writer makes 3-4 errors in grammar or spelling that distract the reader from the content. Most sentences are well-constructed but have a similar structure.

Writer makes more than 4 errors in grammar or spelling that distract the reader from the content. Sentences lack structure and appear incomplete or rambling.

Sample Essay - Thesis

The thesis provided completely answers the question, takes a defensible position, and goes beyond what is inherent in the question.

The thesis generally answers the question, takes a defensible position, and goes beyond what is inherent in the question.

The thesis answers the question, takes a defensible position, or goes beyond what is inherent in the question.

No thesis can be identified, or it fails to respond to the entire question and merely restates the question.

SOAPS Analysis Handout

Title, Author, and Date of the primary source: _________________________________________________________________

Type of primary source: (painting, photograph, map, letter, autobiography, speech, newspaper article, video clip, piece of pottery…)

Subject — What does the source say? (Brief summary: general topic, content, and ideas) Why is this source important? What is its historical significance? What inferences can you draw from this document? Ask yourself, “So what?” in relation to the question asked.

Occasion — When and where was the primary source created? What is the historical context surrounding the creation of the document? How might this affect the meaning of the source?

Audience — For whom was the source created or performed? How might this affect the reliability of the source?

Purpose — Why was this source produced at the time it was produced? Why was it written (or drawn or made)? What motivated the author? What did he or she seek to accomplish?

Speaker—Analyze the author or speaker’s point of view. Consider the author’s personal frame of reference (economic class, occupation, gender, religion, nationality, social status, level of education, etc.), whether they are observing from outside the situation or inside the situation, and the impact of the historical context. Put everything together and explain why this person would be producing this piece of information at this time.

DBQ Template:

Honors GovernmentPart A (Suggested writing time – 45 minutes)

Directions: The following question requires you to construct a coherent essay that integrates your interpretation of Documents A-F and your knowledge of the period referred to in the question. High scores will be earned only by essays that both cite key pieces of evidence from the documents and draw on outside knowledge of the period.

Historical Context: This is where you will give the background information to your topic. Include any key details that will be imperative in creating the DBQ in bold.

Task: Using information from the documents and your knowledge of civics and the time period, answer the questions that follow each document in Part A. Your answers to the questions will help you write the Part B essay in which you will be asked to

PROMPT HERE

Document ATitle, Author, DateSource: Background info about the source, Example:Source: Benjamin Jowett, trans., The History of Thucydides, Book II, Tandy-Thomas

1.

2.

Document BTitle, dateSource: Background info about the source

1.

2.

Part B

Essay Directions: Write a well-organized essay that includes an introduction, several paragraphs, and a conclusion. Use evidence from at least five documents in your essay. Support your response with relevant facts, examples, and details. Include additional outside information.

Historical Context: This is where you will give the background information to your topic. Include any key details that will be imperative in creating the DBQ in bold.

Task: Using information from the documents and your knowledge of civics and the time period, answer the questions that follow each document in Part A. Your answers to the questions will help you write the Part B essay in which you will be asked to

PROMPT HERE

Guidelines: In your essay, be sure to• Develop all aspects of the task • Incorporate information from at least five documents • Incorporate relevant outside information • Support the theme with relevant facts, examples, and details • Use a logical and clear plan of organization, including an introduction and a conclusion that are beyond a restatement of the theme