View Cart
1 min read
AP® World History: How to DBQ
As we get closer to the AP® World History Exam, students will begin to stress about the required essays they will write as part of the exam. The...
1 min read
Many teachers consider the Document Based Question (DBQ) of the AP® European History Exam to be one of the more challenging aspects of the course. Students are faced with a variety of tasks that they must complete in one hour.
This is a lesson that I use in order to teach students how to organize their thoughts when writing a DBQ. I typically use a prompt from the AMSCO® coursebook; however, the structure of the lesson can be applied to any DBQ that you have available. I usually have students use this method for the first two to three DBQs that they write; however, I have also used this same lesson omitting Task 7 to help students practice the DBQ without actually writing a DBQ.
The goal is for students to leave this lesson with a better understanding of how to plan, organize, and write a DBQ.
Lou Gallo is a College Board AP® European History and United States History consultant who leads summer institutes nationally. He currently teaches both courses at West High School in Knoxville, Tennessee, and also teaches AP® European History online at Dwight Global, based in New York City. He has also served in a leadership role at the AP® European History reading since 2000 and is a Senior Reviewer of the AP® European History coursebook by AMSCO®.
Related blog posts
1 min read
Nailing the 5 and Shooting for the 6 on an AP History DBQ
Join AP experts Brandon Abdon, Colin Baker, and Bob Topping to discover scaffolded approaches to teaching the APUSH, AP Euro, and AP World History...
1 min read
Scaffolding Skills and Writing in AP History for AP Euro Students
One of the greatest rewards of teaching history is when students can show that they can make effective arguments supported by historical evidence....
1 min read
APUSH: Start Small, Finish Strong—the SAQ
Early in a school year it can be a real challenge to know how to begin teaching students critical skills they need to score on the AP® U.S. History...
1 min read
Working for the Finish Line (AP Histories Webinar)
This interactive webinar focuses on scaffolded approaches to the finishing touches necessary for higher-level success on the LEQ and DBQ portions of...
1 min read
Homestretch Moves for the AP® Government Test
As the AP® U.S. Government and Politics exam approaches, students are in the final stretch, and how they use this time can make all the difference....
1 min read
Pole Vaulting Your Way Through the DBQ
Teaching a young, eager, and naive student how to write a sophisticated DBQ is like teaching a similarly inexperienced athlete how to successfully...
1 min read
You've Got This! A Message for our AP® Human Geo Teachers
The AP® Human Geo test is fast approaching. But don't stress! Author David Palmer offers words of encouragement and advice for seeing your students...
1 min read
AP® Lang: Understanding a Line of Reasoning
Guide students through an engaging activity that stresses the importance of the thesis & topic sentences to structure the line of reasoning. Students...
1 min read
Corroborating, Qualifying and Modifying a Historical Argument in AP History
This lesson aims to show teachers and students how to develop a historical argument using Document-Based AP History (DBQ) documents. We will use...
1 min read
Before You Teach History, Teach Students How Historians Think
Every August, AP® History teachers face the same challenge. We spend the first day introducing the course, reviewing the syllabus, discussing summer...
1 min read
Teaching the APUSH Long Essay Question
The Long Essay Question (LEQ) on the AP U.S. History exam offers students an opportunity to construct a sophisticated historical argument, supported...