Are your AP classes struggling with Document Based Questions? Nip their problems in the bud with this clear and comprehensive presentation, which compares a "dazzling DBQ" to a hamburger, outlining all of the layers therein....

How is an essay like a hamburger? Detailing the "meaty" parts of a well-written essay, this presentation takes students through the process of using a strong thesis statement to write a thorough and engaging response to a Document Based...

Budding historians read six documents related to grievances that led to the writing of the Declaration of Independence. They then craft an essay in which they discuss the perspective of both the colonists and the king. This DBQ could be...

Does the United States parallel the Roman Empire in any way? Young historians work with four documents in order to answer this query as part of a structured DBQ assignment.

The assassination of Abraham Lincoln was a pivotal moment in American history, but what were the immediate effects throughout the newly unified country? A document-based question focuses on the consequences of the first...

“Ich bin ein Berliner.” Here’s the full text of John F. Kennedy’s famous address delivered to the people of Berlin on June 26, 1963. The resource could be used as part of a study of Kennedy’s presidency, of rhetorical devices, or as...

Students evaluate the ship of state metaphor in relation to the historical events in America from the Revolutionary War to the Civil War. They synthesize ideas presented in ten different primary source documents and compose an essay...

Known as the day that will live in infamy, the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941 was a shock to all. But why was the United States unprepared on that December morning? Study a series of primary sources in a document-based question that...

In an age of fake news and photoshopped images, it is vital that 21st century learners development the skills they need to evaluate mass media and assess its validity. A great way to launch such a study is with a carefully crafted lesson...

Planning on using primary source materials? Introduce your class members to SOAPS, a worksheet that models how to analyze and reflect on primary source materials. Readers name the document, identify the subject (S), the...

How much did the King of Siam value education? Why did he believe haste was important? How do his views compare with modern views of education? These are the questions your class will answer after reading an excerpt from the "Royal...

The included excerpt would be a perfect contrary follow-up to reading, Rudyard Kipling's White Man's Burden. Journalist E.D. Morel composed the statement against imperialism in 1920. Black Man's Burden is a wonderful primary source...

Combine literature and history with the poem "The White Man's Burden" by Rudyard Kipling. Pupils read the poem and answer four questions about the text. 

Graphs, charts, maps, diagrams. Reading and comprehending informational text is far more than just decoding the words on a page. Here's a packet that provides young readers with practice answering constructed response questions using...

What is the white man's burden anyway? Kids find out about views from our social past as they read Rudyard Kipling's "The White Man's Burden." They read the poem, then answer four, two-part critical thinking questions that ask them to...

Investigate different types of documents with your middle schoolers. They look at newspapers, letters, maps, reports, etc. and answer a list of questions provided. Introduce them to different primary sources!

Start your class on the Emancipation Proclamation. The entire text of the Proclamation is included here along with two questions to answer. Space is provided to allow pupils to write their responses right on the page. Use this as a quick...

New to constructed response question worksheets? Here's a model that demonstrates how to construct questions that require readers to interpret graphics found in informational text.

Seventh graders complete a unit on the French and Indian War. They conduct an Internet document search and use what they find to complete a document based essay about the war.

Students examine the relationship between Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and Charles Dickens. They read and analyze a manuscript, answer discussion questions, conduct Internet research, and discuss societal and historical context of the...

Using a number of primary source documents, students will assess the validity of a claim. Practice for testing that includes DBQs, and for critical thinking, close reading skills.

[Free Registration/Login Required] This flipchart contains 10 successful strategies for writing DBQ essays and graphic organizers to prepare 8th grade Social Studies students for the New York State assessment.