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Democratizing the DBQ
A System-wide Approach to Historical Thinking and Writing in Grades 4-12
Beth [email protected]
Core Beliefs of the DBQ Project
1. All students need to learn how to think.
2. Learning to think requires practice.
3. Clear thinking is hard work.
4. Thinking is clarified by writing.
5. Thinking is for everyone.
Elements of a Proficient DBQ Essay
DBQ Curriculum Materials
The DBQ Project Method
Step 1: Engaging the students – The Hook
Step 2: Building Context – The Background Essay
Step 3: Clarifying the Questions – Defining Key Terms
Step 4: Understanding the Documents – Close Analysis
Step 5: Grouping the documents – Bucketing
Step 6: Writing – From thrash-out to essay
Quick Literacy Strategies
• Number paragraphs/get organized• Pre-teach Vocabulary: prefixes, roots• Context Clues• Idioms or figurative language• Read Aloud/Think Aloud
Habits for Analyzing Documents
• Source the document• Note the Note• Closely Read the Document– Be a detective: interrogate the document– Pause, think, discuss the document
• How does it answer the question?– Which words or phrases carry the most punch?
• Check for Understanding (use EV)
Bucketing
• Give Students the Bucket Titles (easiest)– They fill the buckets
• Give student filled buckets (a challenge)– They find the bucket titles
• Give students no hints (most challenging)– They act as detectives to fill buckets and identify
the analytical category
How Can We Get Students Past the SCARY Transition?
THRASH OUT!Rules of Thumb:IF there are only two main sides, thrash out BEFORE you bucket.IF there are more than two sides, bucket and THEN thrash out!
Elements of a Proficient DBQ Essay
Sample Document:Valley Forge: Would You Have Quit? (Enhanced Version)
Common Core Standards AddressedReading Standards 1) Read closely to determine what the text says
explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; cite specific textual evidence… to support conclusions drawn from text. 2) Determine central ideas or themes of a text and analyze their development the key supporting details and idea.
3) Delineate and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, including the
validity of the reasoning as well as the relevance and sufficiency of the evidence. 4) Interpret words and phrases as they are used in a text… and analyze how specific word choice shape meaning or tone. 6) Assess how point of view or purpose shapes the content and style of a text.
Writing Standards: 1) Write arguments to support claims in an
analysis of substantive topics or texts suing valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.
Sample Mini-Q:
Going from Single Document to Synthesizing Multiple DocumentsCommon Core Standards Addressed
(In addition to the aforementioned)
Reading Standards 7) Integrate and evaluate content presented in diverse formats and media, including visually, and quantitatively, as well as in words. 9) Analyze how two or more text address similar themes or topics in order to build knowledge or to compare the approaches the authors take.
Language Standards 4) Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases by using context clues… 5) Demonstrate understanding of figurative language,
word relationships and nuances in word meaning 6) Acquire and use accurately a range of general academic and domain-specific words and phrases…
Writing Because students are reading for the purpose of writing, several writing standards are also addressed in this step of the DBQ process. Subsequent slides will address writing standards.
Sample Essay Outline:Supporting students through the Writing Process
Common Core Writing Standards Addressed
1) Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts using valid reasoning
and relevant and sufficient evidence. 2) Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content. 4) Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. 5) Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting… 7) Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects based on focused question, demonstrate understanding of the subject under investigation. 8) Gather relevant information from multiple… sources, assess the credibility and accuracy of each source and integrate the information while avoiding plagiarism. 9) Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
Things to Remember
Teaching Students to Read
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Teaching Writing
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“In a persuasive essay, you can select the most favorable evidence, appeal to emotions, and use style to persuade your readers. Your single purpose is to be convincing”… Argument, on the other hand, is mainly about logical appeals and involves claims, evidence, warrants, backing, and rebuttals…”
From: Teaching Argument Writing By George Hillocks, Jr.
What Caused the Salem Witch Trial Hysteria?
Mini-Q vs Mother-Q
Mini-Q’s
• Hook activity embedded in student materials
• Between 4-6 documents per unit
• Two versions: clean vs enhanced
• Enhanced version has lots of scaffolding embedded in student materials
• Document excerpts are short and to the point
• Due to the small number of documents, buckets are a little more self-evident
• Norming essays provided
Mother-Q’s
• Hook activity provided in the “Teacher’s Toolkit”
• Two versions: short vs long• Short version has between 8-
12 documents• Long version has up to 18
documents• Document excerpts can be a
little longer• Scaffolding support provided
in the “Teacher’s Toolkit”• The larger number of
documents makes the bucketing process more complicated
Say Something
• With your partner, decide who will say something first.• When you say something, do one or more of the following:
– make a predictionI think that… I wonder if …
– ask a questionWhy did … what does … mean?
– make a commentThis is important because … This is interesting because …
– make a connectionThis reminds me of …
– clarify something you had misunderstoodI originally thought that… but now I think
• If you can’t do one of those five things, then you need to reread.
