DBQ Graphic Organizer
The Break-Down
How do you learn how to write the Essay for the Document Based Questions on the Regents Exams?
The #1 Thing to do....
Learn how to use a graphic organizer to organize and focus on what you want to wright about.
What is a Graphic Organizer?
Click on the Picture Below to see some examples.........
As a quick review, read these Tips for Success!
When reading the practice tests, carefully read the Tasks first so when they are completing the following document questions they can keep their eyes open for answers to the questions. Use the following steps to guide you through this section of the Regents exam, but also use it to help you organize your graphic organizer, from beginning to end of the document-based questions, to create an outline for you essay question.
- Carefully read the essay question, while considering what you already know about the topic and jot down some of your thoughts related to the question, or how you would answer the question with no other information provided to you, other than the essay question such as the 8-10 Documents provided in this section.
- Be sure to accurately analyze and address all the aspects of the Task and interpret and incorporate information from at least four of the 8-10 documents, along with relevant facts of knowledge you have obtained in Social Studies.
- Move to the beginning of the document’s, read carefully while underlining words or key phrases that address the document-based question, and use the margin on the page to take any brief notes or phrases that may help you frame your essay.
- Use your previous knowledge on the information along with the information that you found while completing the documents, develop a thesis that is directly focused on the main points and direct answers to the essay question.
- Continue to write a well-organized essay consisting of the information that you wrote down in your thesis, while taking the directly focused points that you made in the thesis and explaining these points in a logical format. The essay should consist of at least 4 paragraphs, with an intro, body (2 paragraphs), and end where you sum up the information you wrote about. The intro should restate your point of the essay, in at least 3 sentences, while explaining the point you are planning to make, using the information you gathered from the previous documents along with your previous knowledge or (ROI) Relevant Outside Information.
- Use part of the question in your opening paragraph (introductory paragraph), be sure to state your idea, and the point of the essay.
- Include a closing paragraph by concluding the information you wanted to go beyond a simple sentence that is only restating the question, Task or Context.
- Support your organized essay by following a logical framework by establishing a Graphic Organizer as a framework to create a clear plan of the point of your essay.
- Use transition words between paragraphs.
- Edit your essay. Check your essay for errors such as: capitalization, punctuation, spelling, run-on sentences, and grammar,
DBQ Essay Task(s): Practice for Ancient Civilizations DBQ
- Be sure to accurately analyze and address all the aspects of the Task and interpret and incorporate information from at least four of the 8-10 documents, along with relevant facts of knowledge you have obtained in Social Studies and Ancient Civilizations during the Golden Ages.
- Include details and examples: from the previous documents and your previous knowledge to write a well-organized essay on social studies, using your experiences to identify similarities of cultures you see in the United States cultures compared to similar Ancient cultures.
