DBQ Checklist STEP 1: Deconstruct the Prompt

Contextualization What is the time period of the

Thesis prompt? STEP 2: Write Your Thesis
Don’t forget the time
Evidence From the Documents
STEP 4: Plan Your Body Paragraphs
period!
Uses 2 Document
documents Summary/Analysis
to address the HIPP (Sourcing) (3 Documents)
topic of the prompt
What is the topic of the prompt? Because there are less
Supports an argument using 2
documents, its okay to
documents
only have 2 main points in
Supports an argument using at least your thesis!
Document 1

4 documents
What thinking skill can you use to
Evidence Beyond the Documents
frame your argument?
Uses 1 piece of evidence beyond the
documents
Uses 1 additional piece of evidence
beyond the documents
Analysis and Reasoning
Source (HIPP) 1 document
Source (HIPP) 1 additional
Document 2

document
Demonstrates complexity
STEP 3: Plan Your Contextualization
REMEMBER, context
“sets the stage” for
your argument!

4-5 sentences MAX!

Document 3

Don’t waste all of

STEP 5: Plan Your Outside Information
Reminders! your time on this part.
- Don’t forget those topic sentences!
- Summarize the documents in your own Use words.
concrete terms!
Quoting documents won’t earn you any points.
- Explain how each document supports your
argument – this is analysis!
- Use argument words. − Remember, when
Document 4

sourcing (HIPP), you are looking to explain in 1-2

sentences:
Historical context
Intended audience
Purpose
Point of view
- Outside evidence should be 2-3 sentences in
length. It must be in the same time period of the
Document 5

prompt. You MUST explain how it relates to the

topic of the prompt!