Understanding the DBQ

Part of knowing what to write on a DBQ is knowing what you are being asked to do.

Here's some information about the words used on DBQ essays, to help you understand what you are expected to produce. This information comes from the website www.fdmurphy.com


Analyze. Here you break something down into parts in order to understand it. A coach may play a tape of a game and analyze specific plays by running them over an over.

Analyze the reasons for the United States involvement in Vietnam.

Compare. When you compare, you are looking for similarities in separate issues or occurrences. Parents will often compare their children to look for common behavior patterns.

Compare the long-range causes of WWI and WWII

Contrast. Show the differences between two things. You may wish to contrast your recent performance with that of your friend, who is failing a certain class.

Contrast the beliefs of Hinduism and Islam.

Define. Here you tell exactly what something is. It can be as simple as word definition like peninsula, and as complicated as the definition of racism.

Define the term Totalitarianism.

Describe. When you describe, you tell about the parts of something. You can describe how a car looks, or you could describe the causes of WWII.

Describe the key factors that lead to global warming.

Develop. When you show development, you show how something came about; how it grew and came to be. When you develop an argument, it grows because of the specific things that you wish to say. (The difference between seed and a flower.)

How did the Jim Crow Laws develop in America?

Discuss. When you discuss, (rather than yell or become belligerent), you formulate an argument around certain well thought facts, details and reasons. These are the bricks in your wall. Without them, your argument is literally transparent.

Discuss the reasons for the American Revolution

Evaluate. Once you have presented facts, details, opinions, then you are able to evaluate the strength of your information. You can evaluate a teacher’s performance, but it would be unfair to do so after the first ten minutes of your first class. It would be equally unfair
to be evaluated for a marking period because of a grade on one homework assignment.

Evaluate America's success in the war on terrorism

Explain. Give reasons for something. Demonstrate what something is or how something works. Explaining why the sky is blue to a child is difficult.

You can explain how the system of Mercantilism worked.

Show. Make information presentable to someone. You can show how a vacuum cleaner works, and that would be easier than describing how it worked.

Show how Napoleon made errors concerning his invasion of Russia.