The Ultimate DBQ Strategy

Plan of
Path to Victory Attack
1. Read Prompt
2. Brainstorm quick list of possible Context topics
3. Read Documents
4. Make brief notes about documents (how did the doc answer the prompt?)
5. Mark out things on Context list that are specifically/directly in the documents
6. Write Context
7. Write Thesis
8. Write body paragraphs: use TEA, then go In-depth afterward (see outline below)
9. Did you include 2 Outside Infos? O. Info can go after you discuss a document or at the end of the body
paragraph. You can start by saying, “Further evidence, not found in the documents, is…”
10. If you still have time, make your conclusion be another thesis statement (but word things differently). This gives
you another chance at getting the thesis point

Battle Plan

 Context: Minimum 3 good sentences (general statement + example = good sentence)

What is the bigger picture? (think SPICE-T themes)
What events led up to the topic in the prompt?
Don’t answer the prompt in any way, don’t be vague

 Thesis: Respond to all parts of the part (include all key phrases, years too)
Don’t be vague!

*Body paragraphs can have the following formats: TEA, TEAEA, TEAEAEA, etc.

 Body paragraph 1
o T (use one of your main points from your thesis)
o E (use evidence from a doc; describe, don’t quote)
o A (explain the evidence – how it proves your T)
o In-depth: (Author’s POV, Audience, Historic situation – any facts that help understand it, combo if
possible)
o Outside info?
o E
o A
o In-depth:
o Outside info?
 Body paragraph 1
o T
o E
o A
o In-depth:
o Outside info?
o E
o A
o In-depth:
o Outside info?