Analyzing+a+DBQ+Exemplar

**Analyzing an Exemplar**
 * Practice Activity for Writing DBQ’s**

The purpose of this activity is to show you how to construct a DBQ response that meets or exceeds the A.P. scoring requirements. When you have finished, use the attached scoring sheet to figure out what score this answer deserves. (Assume that each document is correctly interpreted.)

THERE ARE 11 TOTAL DOCUMENTS.

 * 1) 1st sentence: Does it set up the general context for this question by indicating where and when the issue arose?


 * 1) Neatly outline the thesis statement. (You may include more than one sentence if you are absolutely sure that an essential part of the thesis can only be found in another nearby sentence.)


 * 1) Analyze the thesis to find out if it meets the 3 requirements for a good thesis statement: (a) it addresses the key concepts asked for in the question; (b) it suggests the general idea of an answer; (c) it sets up the groups that will organize the subsequent paragraphs.


 * 1) Circle the topic sentence in each of the following paragraphs. Does each topic sentence contain some word or phrase that appears in the original thesis statement?


 * 1) Count the number of documents in each section. What is the total number?


 * 1) How many POV’s can you find in this essay? Do NOT count statements that merely summarize the main idea of a document. The point is to explain why this person would likely to hold this particular view of the poor.


 * 1) Calculate the final grade of this DBQ by using the scoring sheet that is attached. First figure out if the person has met the six basic requirements. Then determine if the person has earned any “bonus points” to receive a score higher than an 86 to 88. Don’t guess about this. Find specific things in the essay that qualify for bonus points. What’s final score for this essay?