Document Based Question - Theory

The DBQ Layout:

Okay, so here’s how it works. Basically, you will be given an essay prompt, a set of primary source
documents and only 40 minutes to come up with a well written, clear and coherent essay response.
The general rule is to dedicate about 10 of those precious minutes to reading and planning and the
last 30 to writing. That may seem a little overwhelming, but it is totally doable! Especially with these 6
easy steps!
1. Read the Question.
Then figure out what the question is asking you. I can’t stress this enough, figuring out what the
prompt is asking you is critical. No matter how good of a writer you are, or how much of the topic you
may know, if you don’t answer the question, you are in trouble. A neat tip might be to write out in your
own words what the question is asking.
As you are reading the question, be on the lookout for which skills they are trying to test you on.
Every DBQ is looking to test your skills of historical argumentation, use of historical evidence (used
the documents), contextualization (locate the world timeline), and synthesis (precise and concise).
These things are outlined in the rubric and are consistent parts of every good DBQ. In addition to
these critical skills, a DBQ will be looking to analyze one of a number of certain skills. These include:
causation, change/continuity over time, comparison, interpretation, or periodization. Don’t waste too
much time trying to figure this out, and don’t get so caught up in it that you forget to answer the actual
question, just be sure to keep it in mind as you plan out your answer.
That probably seems like an insanely long first step, but all of that will really only take a couple of
minutes and set you up to breeze through the rest of the process. Once you have thoroughly read
and interpreted the question, you are ready for step number 2!
2. Dig into the Sources
While you want to make sure that you read each document, don’t waste your time on too focused of a
reading. Underline or highlight things that stand out, and make notes out to the side. One suggestion
is to write a quick sentence or two that summarizes the main idea of each document. And again, this
is all just part of the 10-minute planning period; so don’t get too caught up on any document. You are
just looking for main ideas and details that really stand out. To take this one step further, you can
organize the documents into groups based on their main point. (For highest score possibilities, make
sure to use either all of the primary source documents).

3. Make an Outline.

Sample DBQ Outline

1. Introduction
a. Thesis. The most important part of your intro!
b. Contextual information
i.Any outside historical/contextual information
2. Body 2p - First point
a. Documents & analysis that support the first point
3. Body 3p - Second point
a. Documents & analysis that support the second point
4. Be sure to mention your outside example if you have not done so yet!
a. Conclusion
b. Re-state thesis
c. Draw a comparison to another time period or situation (synthesis)
First decide on a thesis, and from there think about how you want to use your primary source
documents to support that thesis. Think about what kinds of outside information you might want to
bring in to further support your argument, and where it will fit into your essay as a whole. Once more,
don’t get stuck mapping out every single thing that you are going to say, but be sure that you include
documents where they fit in the response. This will make it much easier to incorporate them into your
answer. Hopefully it has only been 10 minutes or less at this point and you are now ready to write!
4. Start Writing!
Most of your highly intensive, critical thinking type stuff should already have happened and now it is
just all about putting those thoughts into words. If you played your cards right and made good use of
the first 10 minutes, this part of the process should be pretty straightforward. Start with a brief
introduction that gives a little context to the subject matter and shows that you know some of the
details surrounding the subject matter. Introduce your thesis, then a few of your main ideas that
support your thesis.
5. Keep Writing!
As you get going on some longer paragraphs and stringing together lots of sophisticated and smart
sounding sentences, it can be easy to lose sight of the main points of your paper. I have said it a
couple times already, but it is absolutely essential that you answer the question!
A few key things to keep in mind as you write your body:
1. Use specific references from your documents, and always show where you are getting the
information. At the same time, don’t just use huge block quotes to take up a bunch of space. Use
what you need to answer the question.
2. Make sure you use some outside knowledge to support your argument, along with your
documents. Specific examples that aren’t on the documents are super helpful in making your
argument stronger, and just showing that you know what you are talking about.
3. Don’t forget to contextualize. Things that happen in history and literature are not isolated events,
and the circumstances surrounding things matter. Don’t forget to address that.
6. Wrap it up with conclusion.
Don’t draw it out and don’t introduce new ideas in the conclusion. Make it short and to the point.
Summarize what your main thesis and arguments were and leave it at that. Don’t try to be too clever
or witty or common and you actually don’t have to use the term “In conclusion” every time you write a
conclusion. (Mind blown, I know).
So how is it graded?
Total Possible Points: 100

Thesis and Argument Development: 20 points

This strand of the rubric targets your historical argumentation skills. To do well on this strand, you
must:
• Write a thesis that is “defensible” (i.e. that you can back up with accurate arguments. In
other words, you must use facts)
• Respond to ALL parts of the question
• Use this thesis to develop a persuasive argument that takes into account evidence AND
demonstrates a relationship between different types of evidence
• Do not restate the question, answer it. Make sure you use a complete, complex,
compound sentence.

Remember, the question will be complex and it will ask about relationships between different types of
evidence (documents).
You may be asked to demonstrate how different types of evidence contradict one another,
corroborate or strengthen one another, or change one another. The important thing is that you
demonstrate a strong understanding of all the evidence as well as how each piece is related to the
other.
A few more helpful tips…
You may be used to writing a standard five-paragraph essay with one opening paragraph, of which
the thesis is the last line. Forget this style.
For a DBQ, you must locate your thesis in either the introduction OR conclusion of your essay, but
remember: your intro and conclusion can be LONGER than one paragraph. This flexibility gives you
room to write a thesis that explicitly addresses all parts of the question, makes an accurate and well-
supported argument, and uses complex reasoning to illustrate relationships and reasoning. In other
words, a thesis for a DBQ will never look like a weak child-like answer, as “World War One started on
July 28, 1914.” You can expect your thesis to be longer than that, and in fact, the evaluator takes into
account that your thesis may well be longer than one sentence.
Document Analysis ( 30 points)
This strand of the rubric targets your ability to analyze evidence and use the evidence to support the
argument laid out in your thesis.
The DBQ is comprised of multiple documents. These can include primary sources, secondary
scholarship, images, text… You may not be familiar with all of the documents, but you must be able
to use what you know (either background information or context clues from the documents
themselves) in order to make a coherent historical argument that supports your thesis.
Of all the documents you must be able to explicitly explain most of the documents. An explicit
explanation can comprise a discussion of:
• The point of view exhibited in the document (what argument does this document support
or negate?) WHAT FOR?
• The author’s purpose (what was the creator’s aim in writing or disseminating this
document?) WHY?
• The historical context (where is this document coming from? What was it used for?)
WHEN?
• The audience (who was meant to see this document, and why?) FOR WHOM?

Again, all discussions of the documents must demonstrate that you can use the documents
to strengthen your argument and support your thesis.

Using Evidence Beyond the Documents: 30 points

This skill targets your ability to contextualize and argue historically.
There are two strands here. https://www.albert.io/blog/how-to-earn-the-contextualization-point-on-the-apush-
dbq/Contextualization means that you must locate your argument within a larger historical or literary
context; i.e. you must explain how the argument connects to other historical or literary events or
processes.
So if the question is about, for example, conflict during the Civil War versus the French and Indian
War, you must give enough background information about one or both of those events to convince
the grader that you know what you are talking about when you make claims about one or both of
those processes. These could mean that all the conflicts had in common the division of region for the
benefit of a social class.
Take note:
• When contextualizing, you will be using information you already know. You cannot
merely summarize the information that is already in the documents, but must instead give
 an account of the relevant historical time periods or evidence. This is not the moment to
google your question because it is not based on all the web, it is based on your knowledge
and perspective.
• To properly contextualize, you will need to write more than just one sentence. The
evaluator expects at least a paragraph of contextualization, if not more.

Related to contextualization is your ability to give evidence from beyond the documents themselves.
In other words, though you may have used outside evidence in the previous strand (Document
Analysis), you must now refer to additional evidence that explains the documents and their
relationship to your broader established argument. Don’t just summarize information you have
already given, please don’t do it. Again, to do this properly, you must be able to write at least a
paragraph giving additional context on the specific documents. One sentence will not cut it.

Synthesize – conclusion (20 points)

The final strand is your ability to synthesize. This just means that you can show a relationship
between your argument and a different type of argument.
Those different “types” of argument can comprise of:
• A relevant development in a different time period, situation, area, or era. (For example, if
the argument is about President Lincoln’s suspension of certain liberties during the Civil
War, you might want to point to President Adams’ Alien and Sedition Acts of 1798,
President Roosevelt’s Alien Enemies Act, which was in fact an extension of the 1798 Alien
and Sedition Acts, and the continuing argument over government usurpation of civil
liberties in the present day. These are relevant to one another and show continuity even
though they happened in vastly different time periods in response to different issues.)
• A different approach to history (i.e. if your argument focuses on economic history, you
may want to synthesize this with a social approach to history)

As with contextualization, you can only earn points for synthesis if your synthesis is well-developed
and clear. In other words, you must do more than merely refer to a different historical time period,
development, process, or approach.
You must instead write a well-thought-out paragraph (at least) that demonstrates that you are familiar
both with the event/issue about which you are writing the essay as well as the
event/issue/process/approach you are attempting to synthesize.
Go do it!
The DBQ can seem intimidating. You are supposed to be able to juggle multiple skills (argumentation,
contextualization, periodization, synthesis… as well as actual content knowledge) and use them all at
once to make a concrete argument.
Some helpful tips…
Though this question tests your ability to think and describe relationships and arguments in context of
one another, there is no replacement for content knowledge.
Flashcards that list the salient facts about a big event (or relevant document) can be very helpful
here.
Don’t get hung up on trivia like dates or names; it’s more important to be able to describe the point of
the Alien and Sedition Acts than to be able to list the date they were passed.

Sources:

https://4.files.edl.io/c35b/06/26/19/185936-12d2a9f1-2569-4436-b8d0-63741501c3b9.pdf
https://www.albert.io/blog/understanding-new-ap-us-history-dbq-rubric/
https://blog.prepscholar.com/what-is-a-dbq-document-based-question
https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/pdf/ap-2020exam-sample-questions-us-history.pdf
DBQ EXAMPLE
The true purpose of the United States of America’s independence

Was independence a necessity or a luxury?

The independence of the United States of America was a necessity because of the way England treated the
thirteen colonies that made up this country. This process started on July 4th 1776, followed by eight years of war
between England and the North American colonies. This movement was not only one of the most important
events in the history of the USA, but also of England’s and of the entire world. This was a key movement that
inspired the French Revolution, and the independences of other various countries around the world, such as
ours. Such a representative movement showed the world everyone has unalienable rights, and their pursuit is
something everyone should do.

In the Declaration of Independence presented to the Congress on July 4th 1776, it is first stated that “all men are
created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life,
Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” This evidence presents the idea that this revolutionary act did not search
the benefit and luxury for certain people that suited them, it was in pursuit of the compliance of the rights that
each one of its inhabitants had. But, because of England this was not possible, their government inspired abuse,
usurpations and “absolute Despotism”, and the “patient sufferance of these Colonies” was more than valid motive
to search for a different government system. And this is what brings me to my outside example; the independence
of the USA (and later the French Revolution) inspired the independence of other countries like Guatemala’s, a
country in which most of its population suffered what the Colonies were suffering in their time, but this territory
because of Spain. Their independence was proof that if you fought hard enough to get what you deserve, you
can achieve it, making Guatemala and a lot of countries fight for their own independence.

The independence movement spread throughout the colonies, and began to be supported by all kinds of citizens.
An example can be Phyllis Wheatley’s “His Excellency General Washington” poem, in which General Washington
is admired for fighting for independence thorough the entire poem, bringing hope to the citizens (“See the bright
beams of heaven's revolving light, Involved in sorrows and the veil of night!”) and encouraging them to join the
fight (“Thee, first in peace and honors—we demand, The grace and glory of thy martial band.”) Another example
can be the “Common Sense” pamphlet by Thomas Paine, a corset maker, sailor, and teacher who became fond
of the Independence and became a prominent pamphleteer. “Credited with uniting average citizens and political
leaders behind the idea of independence, “Common Sense” played a remarkable role in transforming a colonial
squabble into the American Revolution.” (Quote obtained from the document “Thomas Paine publishes Common
Sense 1776”)

The independence of the United States of America was a necessity because of the way England treated the
thirteen colonies that made up this country. This movement represents that everyone is created equal and
everyone should be treated equal, a mentality that the world is still fighting for. Nowadays, there are still people
suffering oppression because of their gender, ethnicity, skin color, beliefs and much more. We still have to fight
for everyone’s rights to be accomplished, and fulfill what the independence of the USA searched for: Life, Liberty
and the pursuit of Happiness.
HISTORY DOCUMENT BASED QUESTION (DBQ) RUBRIC EXAMPLE
Maximum possible points: 7
Reporting Category Scoring Criteria Decision Rules Responses not Earning the Point

THESIS/CLAIM 1 pt. To earn this point, the thesis must make a claim • The intended thesis or claim is not
(0–1 pt.) that responds to the prompt rather than restating or
Responds to the prompt with a rephrasing the prompt. The thesis must identify a historically defensible
1/1 historically defensible relevant development(s) in the period. The thesis
must be the last sentence in the introduction.
• The intended thesis or claim only
 thesis/claim that establishes a restates or rephrases the prompt
line of reasoning. The thesis or claim must either provide some • The intended thesis or claim does
indication of the reasoning for making that claim OR
by establishing analytic categories of the argument not respond to the prompt
• The intended thesis or claim offers no
indication of a line of reasoning

• The intended thesis or claim is

overgeneralized

CONTEXTUALIZATION 1 pt. The response must accurately describe a context • Provide an overgeneralized
(0–1 pt.) relevant to the topic of the prompt to broader
0.8/1 When you say the “the Describes a broader historical
context relevant to the prompt.
historical events, developments, or processes that statement about the time period
occur before, during, or continue after the time frame referenced in the prompt
way they were treated colonies”
you could have been a lot more of the question.
vivid and descriptive, especially • Provide context that is not relevant
because you know about the abuse The context provided must be more than a phrase
of taxes and violence. However it
was a great essay. or reference. to the prompt
• Provide a passing phase or

reference

EVIDENCE Evidence from Docs To earn one point, the response must accurately • Use evidence from less than three
(0–3 pts.) 1 pt. describe —rather than simply quote — the content
Uses the content of at least two from at least two of the documents. • of the documents
2/2 documents to address the topic of
the prompt. To earn two points, support an argument in response • Misinterpret the content of the
OR
2 pts.
to the prompt by accurately using the content of at
least THREE documents.
• document
Supports an argument in response
to the prompt using at least The three documents do have to be used in support of • Quote, without accompanying
THREE documents. a single argument, but they can be used across sub- • description, the content of the
Evidence beyond Docs
arguments or to address counterarguments
To earn this point, the response must use at least one
• documents
1/1 1 pt. specific piece of historical evidence relevant to the
Uses at least one additional piece argument. • Address documents collectively
of specific historical evidence • rather than considering separately
• The evidence provided must be more than a phrase
(beyond that found in the
documents) relevant to an or reference.
• the content of each document
argument about the prompt. • This additional piece of evidence must be different
from the evidence used to earn the point for
contextualization.
ANALYSIS AND
REASONING (0–2 pts.)
1 pt. To earn this SOURCING point, the response must • Explain sourcing for less than
For at least three explain how or why (rather than simply identifying) three of the documents
documents, explains the document’s point of view, purpose, historical
how or why the situation, or audience is relevant to an argument
1/1 document’s point of about the prompt for each of the three documents • Identify the point of view,
purpose, historical situation, and/or
view, purpose, historical sourced.
situation, and/or audience audience but fail to explain how or
is relevant to an To earn this COMPLEXITY point, a response why it is relevant to an argument
argument. may demonstrate a complex understanding in a
variety of ways, such as: • Summarize the content or
argument of the document without
1 pt. • Explaining nuance of an issue by explaining the relevance of this to
Demonstrates a complex analyzing multiple variables the point of view, purpose, historical
understanding of the situation, and/or audience
historical development
that is the focus of the • Explaining both similarity and difference,
1/1 prompt, using evidence or explaining both continuity and change,
or explaining multiple causes, or explaining
to corroborate, qualify, or
modify an argument that both cause and effect
addresses the question. • Explaining relevant and insightful
connections within and across periods
• Confirming the validity of an argument
by corroborating multiple perspectives
across themes
• Qualifying or modifying an argument by
considering diverse or alternative views or
evidence
This demonstration of complex understanding must
be part of the argument, not merely a phrase or
reference.

TOTAL: 6.8/7 (score*14.3) 97/100

DOCUMENT BASED QUESTION: Was Lincoln’s purpose upon freedom for the United States of
America abridged after his assassination?
A)

B)
Assassination of President Abraham Lincoln
On the evening of April 14, 1865, while attending a special performance of the comedy, "Our American
Cousin," President Abraham Lincoln was shot. Accompanying him at Ford's Theatre that night were his wife,
Mary Todd Lincoln, a twenty-eight year-old officer named Major Henry R. Rathbone, and Rathbone's fiancée,
Clara Harris. After the play was in progress, a figure with a drawn derringer pistol stepped into the presidential
box, aimed, and fired. The president slumped forward.

The assassin, John Wilkes Booth, dropped the pistol and waved a dagger.
Rathbone lunged at him, and though slashed in the arm, forced the killer to the railing. Booth leapt from the
balcony and caught the spur of his left boot on a flag draped over the rail, and broke a bone in his leg on
landing. Though injured, he rushed out the back door, and disappeared into the night on horseback.
A doctor in the audience, Dr. Charles Leale, immediately went upstairs to the box. The bullet had entered
through Lincoln's left ear and lodged behind his right eye. He was paralyzed and barely breathing. He was
carried across Tenth Street, to a boarding-house opposite the theater, but the doctors' best efforts failed. Nine
hours later, at 7:22 a.m. on April 15th, Lincoln died.

At almost the same moment Booth fired the fatal shot, his accomplice, Lewis Powell (alias Lewis Paine, Lewis
Payne), attacked Lincoln's secretary of state, William Henry Seward, at his home on Lafayette Square. Seward
lay in bed, recovering from a carriage accident. Powell entered the mansion, claiming to have a delivery of
medicine from the secretary's doctor. Seward's son, Frederick, was brutally beaten while trying to keep Powell
from his father's door. Powell slashed the secretary's throat twice, then fought his way past Seward's son
Augustus, an attending hospital corps veteran, and a State Department messenger.

Powell escaped into the night, believing his deed complete. However, a metal surgical collar saved Seward
from certain death. The secretary lived another seven years, during which he retained his seat with the
Johnson administration, and purchased Alaska from Russia in 1867.

There were at least four conspirators in addition to Booth involved in the mayhem. Booth was shot and
captured while hiding in a barn near Bowling Green, Virginia, and died later the same day, April 26, 1865. Four
co-conspirators, Powell, George Atzerodt, David Herold, and Mary Surratt, were hanged at the gallows of
the Old Penitentiary, on the site of present-day Fort McNair, on July 7, 1865.

C) Lincoln issues Emancipation Proclamation

1862 September 22
On September 22, 1862, President Abraham Lincoln issues a preliminary Emancipation Proclamation, which
sets a date for the freedom of more than 3 million black slaves in the United States and recasts the Civil
War as a fight against slavery.
When the Civil War broke out in 1861, shortly after Lincoln’s inauguration as America’s 16th president, he
maintained that the war was about restoring the Union and not about slavery. He avoided issuing an anti-
slavery proclamation immediately, despite the urgings of abolitionists and radical Republicans, as well as his
personal belief that slavery was morally repugnant. Instead, Lincoln chose to move cautiously until he could
gain wide support from the public for such a measure.

In July 1862, Lincoln informed his cabinet that he would issue an emancipation proclamation but that it would
exempt the so-called border states, which had slaveholders but remained loyal to the Union. His cabinet
persuaded him not to make the announcement until after a Union victory. Lincoln’s opportunity came
following the Union win at the Battle of Antietam in September 1862. On September 22, the president
announced that slaves in areas still in rebellion within 100 days would be free.

On January 1, 1863, Lincoln issued the final Emancipation Proclamation, which declared “that all persons held
as slaves” within the rebel states “are, and henceforward shall be free.” The proclamation also called for the
recruitment and establishment of black military units among the Union forces. An estimated 180,000 African
Americans went on to serve in the army, while another 18,000 served in the navy.

After the Emancipation Proclamation, backing the Confederacy was seen as favoring slavery. It became
impossible for anti-slavery nations such as Great Britain and France, who had been friendly to the
Confederacy, to get involved on behalf of the South. The proclamation also unified and strengthened Lincoln’s
party, the Republicans, helping them stay in power for the next two decades.

The proclamation was a presidential order and not a law passed by Congress, so Lincoln then pushed for an
antislavery amendment to the U.S. Constitution to ensure its permanence. With the passage of the 13th
Amendment in 1865, slavery was eliminated throughout America (although blacks would face another century
of struggle before they truly began to gain equal rights).

Lincoln’s handwritten draft of the final Emancipation Proclamation was destroyed in the Chicago Fire of 1871.
Today, the original official version of the document is housed in the National Archives in Washington, D.C.
 OUTLINE

1. Introduction
1. Thesis. The most important part of your intro!
2. Contextual information
1. Any outside historical/contextual information

2. Body 2 - First point

1. Documents & analysis that support the first point

3. Body 3 - Second point

1. Documents & analysis that support the second point
2. Be sure to mention your outside example if you have not done so yet!

4. Conclusion
1. Re-state thesis
2. Draw a comparison to another time period or situation (synthesis)

HISTORY DOCUMENT BASED QUESTION (DBQ) RUBRIC

Maximum possible points: 7
Reporting Category Scoring Criteria Decision Rules Responses not Earning the Point
THESIS/CLAIM 1 pt. To earn this point, the thesis must make a claim • The intended thesis or claim is not
(0–1 pt.) that responds to the prompt rather than restating or
Responds to the prompt with a rephrasing the prompt. The thesis must identify a historically defensible
historically defensible relevant development(s) in the period. The thesis • The intended thesis or claim only
thesis/claim that establishes a must be the last sentence in the introduction.
line of reasoning. restates or rephrases the prompt
The thesis or claim must either provide some • The intended thesis or claim does
indication of the reasoning for making that claim OR
by establishing analytic categories of the argument not respond to the prompt
• The intended thesis or claim offers no
indication of a line of reasoning

• The intended thesis or claim is

overgeneralized

CONTEXTUALIZATION 1 pt. The response must accurately describe a context • Provide an overgeneralized
(0–1 pt.) relevant to the topic of the prompt to broader
Describes a broader historical historical events, developments, or processes that statement about the time period
context relevant to the prompt. occur before, during, or continue after the time frame referenced in the prompt
of the question.
• Provide context that is not relevant
The context provided must be more than a phrase
or reference. to the prompt
• Provide a passing phase or

reference

EVIDENCE Evidence from Docs To earn one point, the response must accurately • Use evidence from less
(0–3 pts.) 1 pt. describe —rather than simply quote — the content than three
Uses the content of at least two from at least two of the documents.
documents to address the topic of • of the documents
the prompt. To earn two points, support an argument in response
OR to the prompt by accurately using the content of at • Misinterpret the
2 pts. least THREE documents. content of the
Supports an argument in response
to the prompt using at least The three documents do have to be used in support of
• document
THREE documents. a single argument, but they can be used across sub-
arguments or to address counterarguments • Quote, without
Evidence beyond Docs To earn this point, the response must use at least one accompanying
1 pt. specific piece of historical evidence relevant to the • description, the content
Uses at least one additional piece argument. of the
of specific historical evidence
(beyond that found in the • The evidence provided must be more than a phrase
• documents
documents) relevant to an or reference.
argument about the prompt. • This additional piece of evidence must be different • Address documents
from the evidence used to earn the point for collectively
contextualization. • rather than considering
separately
• the content of each
document
ANALYSIS AND
REASONING (0–2 pts.)
1 pt. To earn this SOURCING point, the response must • Explain sourcing for
For at least three explain how or why (rather than simply identifying) less than three of the documents
documents, explains the document’s point of view, purpose, historical
how or why the situation, or audience is relevant to an argument
document’s point of about the prompt for each of the three documents • Identify the point of
view, purpose, historical sourced. view, purpose, historical situation,
situation, and/or audience and/or audience but fail to explain
is relevant to an To earn this COMPLEXITY point, a response how or why it is relevant to an
argument. may demonstrate a complex understanding in a argument
variety of ways, such as:
• Summarize the content
1 pt. • Explaining nuance of an issue or argument of the document
Demonstrates a complex by analyzing multiple variables without explaining the relevance
understanding of the of this to the point of view,
historical development purpose, historical situation,
that is the focus of the • Explaining both similarity and/or audience
prompt, using evidence and difference, or explaining both
to corroborate, qualify, or continuity and change, or explaining
modify an argument that multiple causes, or explaining both cause
addresses the question. and effect
• Explaining relevant and
insightful connections within and across
periods
• Confirming the validity of an
argument by corroborating multiple
perspectives across themes
• Qualifying or modifying an
argument by considering diverse or
alternative views or evidence
This demonstration of complex understanding must
be part of the argument, not merely a phrase or
reference.