AP World History Exam Review

AP World History Exam Review

DBQ Practice

DBQ Tips

• Make sure you know the rubric and requirements:

DBQ Tips

• Thesis is THE MOST important piece of the essay

• Be sure to fully address all parts of the prompt

• Follow the B.A.R. model

– Background (restate of periodization, location, etc…)

– Argument (thesis statement addressing prompt)

– Roadmap (introduce your three groupings)

• You will need to write a full thesis paragraph, but the actual “thesis point” will come from your one or two (consecutive) sentences that address the prompt.

DBQ Tips

• When developing your thesis, look for THREE specific ways you can group your documents

• You need to have EVERY document included in a grouping (docs can be used in more than one group)

• Two documents constitute a grouping

DBQ Tips

• Must address and show understanding of all documents

– Need to use attribution of the author/creator of doc.

– Ie… Document one, a letter from a Han government official to local officials, shows the advanced understanding of aqueduct engineering and awareness of the need to monitor their usage.

DBQ Tips

• Do not just address ALL the documents, but you must use EVERY document to support your thesis point

– These are the evidence points (up to 2 pts for using all documents)

DBQ Tips

• Also remember to analyze the POV of at least ONE document in each grouping

• Remember – POV requires you to examine WHO created the document and WHY they may have created it with a particular bias, slanted-view, or intention.

– Ie… Of course the author would depict Tu Shih as a generous man since the author was writing the document as an official government-sponsored history and he would not want to offend the Han officials.

DBQ Tips

• Lastly – do not forget to request an additional document for each of your groupings that would offer an alternative or differing POV or support for you thesis point

• Be sure that these “additional documents” are not the same or similar to other provided documents.

– Must come from a “missing voice”

DBQ Essay Template

• Paragraph One – Thesis

– B.A.R.

– Three groupings

• Paragraphs Two-Four – each addresses one thesis pt

– Show understanding and use each document in grouping to support your thesis point of each paragraph

– Include POV of at least one document per paragraph

– Request an additional document to support thesis pt.

• Paragraph Five – Conclusion

– Restate full thesis and conclude essay

– Request additional document if not done earlier

2007 DBQ Practice

• The 2007 DBQ asked students to analyze the Han and Roman attitudes towards technology.

• You will be given a full ten minute reading period and then an additional ten minutes to write out your full thesis paragraph

– Using the B.A.R. model

– Write your thesis paragraph on the back page of the document booklet

2007 DBQ Thesis Statements

• We are going to look at a number of thesis statements from students who wrote the 2007 DBQ. For each one, determine whether it would have earned the thesis point or not when the reader graded the essay.

• For those that DO NOT earn the thesis point, be prepared to explain WHY it would not qualify


• Statement #1

• The Han dynasty was proud of the efficiency and quality of their tools, as well as their ability to use technology to prevent natural disasters. On the other hand, the Romans marveled at their civilization's advancements while scorning those who made a living working with tools and crafts.


• Statement #1

• Yes – this is an excellent thesis statement and provided a qualitative analysis for both empires


• Statement #2

• All of the documents in this set are about the similarities and differences of the Han and Roman attitudes towards technology.


• Statement #2

• There is no thesis here because the writer is only rephrasing the question--attitudes are by definition positive and negative.


• Statement #3

• The Chinese and Romans held both positive and negative attitudes toward technology.


• Statement #3

• Yes

• This thesis statement was a very common one--and though it is not flashy, it works. It deals with both empires, it is directed at attitudes about technology and qualifies the attitudes. You don't have much time on the AP Exam and you sometimes just need to get the minimum down for the point.


• Statement #4

• Government officials, common people, and philosophers all contributed to Han and Roman attitudes toward technology. Each empire held different views.


• Statement #4

• No

• There is not qualitative statement about what the attitudes were.


• Statement #5

• Attitudes towards technology in the Han and Roman empires differed greatly in terms of importance to survival and life. The Roman Empire thought that technology was beneficial but not necessary. The Han Empire thought that tools and water systems were a necessity in reducing labor. Rome was more worried about how technology would make them look than about actually making things.


• Statement #5

• Yes

• You should be able to see why….

• The first sentence addresses both Roman and Han attitudes and the subsequent sentences went on to explain the differences between those attitudes.


• Statement #6

• Both the Han and Roman empires used technology to improve the standard of life and make it easier to get access to water. New tools just made life a lot more easier.


• Statement #6

• No

• This writer is focusing on technology and not on the attitudes toward technology--a very common error among students in 2007. Remember, you MUST ANSWER THE QUESTION THAT IS ASKED!


• Statement #7

• The two empires, Han and Roman, had a division of attitudes about technology. Han Chinese appreciated the utility, benefit, and importance of a wide-range of technology while the Romans appreciated primarily civil technology that benefited the empire and at the same time considered the work and technology of craftsmen to be vulgar.


• Statement #7

• Yes – a very nice thesis.


• Statement #8

• Both Han and Rome had positive attitudes toward technology.

• Yes - Though this is somewhat low bar, it is enough to earn the thesis point because the writer focused on attitudes and had a qualitative statement about them--they were positive.


• Statement #9

• Han and Roman attitudes about technology are different in some ways and alike in other ways.

• No - The writer does not offer any qualitative ways in which attitudes were different or alike.


• Statement #10

• The Han attitude toward manufacturing and labor was more open and positive than the Romans. The Romans were a class-divided society and so they thought that people who performed labor and used technology were lower class.

• Yes – It’s all about the attitude!!!

AP World History Exam Review

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