Download DBQ Body Paragraph writing

World History
Mr. Hannigan
Unit 3 Skills Curriculum: DBQs
Writing the DBQ
Steps in Writing a DBQ
1. Planning: How will you organize your essay based on the prompt?
2. Gathering information: Reading each document to understand how it best helps answer the
prompt
3. Identifying: In which body paragraph does each document fit? Which document will I use
for POV?
4. Setting the stage: Writing your thesis
5. Now you’re ready to write!
Writing a Body Paragraph
Body paragraphs are strong when they accomplish the following:
1. They begin with a strong topic sentence. This identifies the topic and describes the
conclusions you’ve already made about it.
2. They incorporate at least two documents by correctly citing and interpreting them.
3. They address POV (if your outline says so).
Body paragraphs are very structured. You should never wonder what type of sentence to write
next. Only 5 types of sentences should ever appear in your body paragraphs:
A. Topic Sentences (always first)
B. Citing Evidence (using a document)
C. Analyzing Evidence (showing how the document supports your conclusions)
D. Analyzing POV
E. Concluding Sentences (restating your topic sentence at the end of the paragraph)
So, for example, a body paragraph that uses two documents as evidence and analyzes POV in
one, would look like: A, B, C, B, C, D, E.
A body paragraph that uses three documents and doesn’t analyze POV would look like: A, B,
C, B, C, B, C, E.
Here is an example body paragraph. Label each sentence with A, B, C, D, or E.
Social life in the European Middle Ages was very harsh and rigid. Each person
belonged to a strict social class, and most were peasant serfs (Doc 1). Because the social
hierarchy was controlled by the Church and Kings in power, serfs could not change their
status, so life was rigid. William Langland, an English priest and author of the poem Piers
Plowman, described peasant life as extremely hard between trying to pay the lord’s rent and
still care for children (Doc 3). Therefore, most Europeans lived in very harsh conditions that
were imposed upon them by the upper classes. While Langland did write about firsthand
experiences, he is likely to feel bad for the poor as a Christian priest whose job it was to tend
to the less fortunate. Finally, no matter what social class one was in, chances are they were
affected by the Black Death, which caused family members to abandon one another since the
chances of dying were so high (Doc 4). As Agnolo di Tura’s firsthand experience with the
Plague shows, medieval social life was cruel and dangerous. Overall, the conditions of
feudalism and the Black Death in the Middle Ages made social life in Europe very harsh and
rigid.
1. What do you notice about how the documents are cited?
2. How should you refer to documents as you write about them?
3. Do the analysis sentences help support the topic sentence? How so?
Ready for a game? Try to piece together this paragraph about politics in the Middle
Ages.
Writing Your Own
Ok, now your turn. Write the last body paragraph for this essay about economics in the Middle
Ages:
Political life in the European Middle Ages was mostly decentralized, except for the
unifying power of the Catholic Church.
In the feudal system, kings were the highest power, and their vassals included church officials,
nobles, and knights (Doc 1).
However, kings only ruled over small territories and often went to war with one another,
keeping Europe as a whole decentralized.
True political power was held by the religious institution, the Catholic Church, which collected
taxes, influenced kings, and played a role in the common person’s life (Doc 6).
Therefore, the Pope truly represented political power that unified all Europeans.
Finally, the Church was a political power because it was able to declare war on the Islamic
Empire during the Crusades, which left a bad impression on Muslims (Doc 10).
Arab warriors were left with the impression that political leaders in Europe were courageous at
war, but nothing else.
The Arab’s point of view maybe skewed because the two cultures were at war, and Arab
culture particularly valued education.
In conclusion, feudalism kept European power decentralized, but the Church was able to
provide some unity.