The first DBQ essay will analyze the writings of four authors. Each author has a specific argument that is influenced by the ideas or events of the time period in which the author wrote. Students will compare and contrast the documents and the supporting evidence. Read the essay prompt carefully. The first part of the prompt is a guide. It indicates the types of information and questions to ask of the documents. Then, students will evaluate their findings to answer the two questions found at the end of the prompt. Read documents 110, 111, 112, and 121 (Washington, Du Bois, Wells, and Terrell) and consider the “boundaries” of freedom discussed in the four documents. What is the main problem that needs to be addressed, according to each of the authors? Compare and contrast the authors’ arguments, their supporting evidence, and perspectives. Do the authors agree or disagree with one another? Which argument(s) do you find the strongest? Explain why. Guidelines for Paper Organization and Formatting: The essay will use paragraph format. Your essay should include the following components. 1. A short introductory paragraph introduces the historical topic and clearly states the paper’s main argument. The main argument or thesis statement is an argument that is supported by the evidence and the analysis found in your paper. 2. The body of the paper answers each of the questions posed in the essay prompt based on knowledge of the historical topic and specific evidence found in the documents. Each paragraph should have a specific focus and demonstrate the student’s analysis of the primary source documents. 3. A concluding paragraph offers final thoughts on the topic and summarizes the student’s findings presented in the paper. The last two questions in the essay prompt focus on analysis and suggest an organization for the paper. Use the first question to structure the paper. Make a list of similarities or differences. Pick 3 or 4 from your list to be the main idea of each paragraph. Use the second question to construct the paper’s conclusion. Apply the ACAPS method to examine each of the primary sources. Use the document headnotes by Eric Foner and the textbook, Give Me Liberty!, for information on the author and the context. The essay should be clearly written and include your own insights. Be specific! Demonstrate that you have read the documents and thought about what the authors have said. The ultimate goal of the DBQ essay is to foster analytic thinking and hone problem solving skills for each student. The page length is 3-to-4 pages of text, not counting a cover page. (A cover page is preferred but not required.) All text will be 11 or 12 point font, double spaced, with standard margins. Proofread carefully! See the DBQ Scoring Rubric for how the essays will be graded Citations: The use of citations indicates the sources that you used in a sentence or paragraph. Citations should ALWAYS be included after a direct quote. At the least, students must cite the author’s last name when using a direct quote. (The document number is NOT an adequate citation.) See the citations included with each document in Voices of Freedom for a full citation. For example, the following three sentences describe Booker T. Washington’s “Address at the Atlanta Exposition” (1895). Which sentence(s) need a citation for the purposes of the DBQ essay? 1. Washington begins his speech with a statistic. 2. Throughout his speech, Washington constructs a metaphor by repeating the line, “Cast down your bucket where you are.” 3. Washington was an advocate for education, specifically what he called “industrial education” or vocational training

Category: Uncategorized