the civil war document based questions and essay answer key

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How to Write the Document Based Question (DBQ)

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What is the document based question, steps to writing an effective dbq, how do ap scores affect my college chances.

If you’re taking a history AP exam, you’ll likely encounter the Document Based Question (DBQ). This essay question constitutes a significant portion of your exam, so it’s important that you have a good grasp on how best to approach the DBQ. In this post, we’ll cover what exactly a document based question is, and how to answer it successfully.

A Document Based Question (DBQ) is a measure of the skills you learned in your AP classes in regard to recalling history and analyzing related documents. These documents can be primary or secondary sources, and your responses are expected to be in the form of an essay. Your ability to relate the context of documents to concepts beyond the given text and creating meaningful connections between all your sources will help demonstrate your skills as a knowledgeable writer.

The number of documents for a DBQ varies from exam to exam, but typically will fall between five to seven documents. The following AP exams will require you to write a DBQ:

AP U.S. History

AP European History

AP World History

We’ve listed the formats for each exam below, and keep in mind that the number of documents is prone to changing from year to year:

• Up to seven Documents
• One hour recommended time (includes 15-minute reading period)
• Up to seven Documents 
• 25% of total exam score

With that in mind, let’s jump right into how to craft a strong DBQ response!

We’ve summarized how to write an effective DBQ into the following five steps:

1. Read the prompt first

Though you may be tempted to jump into the documents right away, it’s very important that you first look at what exactly the prompt is asking for. This way, when you eventually look at the documents, your focus will be narrower. A DBQ tests your reading comprehension and analysis skills more than the content itself, making it very important to understand your prompt thoroughly.

2. Skim the document titles

Each document will contain vital information regarding the context, and it’s important to scout key words regarding dates, authors, and anything pertaining to the general sense of what the documents are about. Skimming through your documents like this could save time and allow you to form a more structurally sound thesis.

Let’s take a look at the following graph and figure out how to skim the figure:

This document was in a real exam from the AP World History free response questions in 2019. It’s important to pay attention to data provided and what context can be drawn from it. In this case, we’re provided with a graph that displays the life expectancy of a country in relation to the GDP per capita of said country. Being able to skim this graph and notice the common trends in the data points could provide convenient information into the context of the document, without any further intensive reading. 

For example, seeing how countries with a GDP below 4,000 to 5,000 have lower life expectancies already gives us a potential correlation between the two factors. We can use this information to start formulating a thesis, depending on what the prompt is specifically asking for.

Remember, just skim! Don’t worry about reading the entire document yet; this strategy can keep you calm and level-headed before tackling the rest of the document. Methods like this can make acing the AP World History DBQ less intimidating! 

3. Formulate a tentative thesis

A thesis is a statement that should be proved and discussed upon. It’s important to have a strong thesis as the foundation of your DBQ, as it guides the rest of your response in relation to the context. Understanding the difference between weak and strong theses will be imperative to your success, so here is an example of a weak thesis:

“The Cold War originated from some scenarios of conflict between Soviets and some groups of oppressors.” 

Such a thesis can be considered weak for its lack of specificity, focal point, and usability as a constructive tool to write further detail on the subject. This thesis does not take a clear stance or communicate to the reader what the essay will specifically focus on. Here’s how the same thesis can be restructured to be stronger and more useful:

“The Cold War originated from tense diplomatic conflicts relating to propaganda and conspiratorial warfare between the United States and the Soviet Union.”

The information that’s been included into the second thesis about the two groups involved with the Cold War gives you more room to build a structured essay response. In relation to the rubric/grading schema for this DBQ, forming a structurally sound thesis or claim is one of the seven attainable points. Being able to contextualize, analyze, and reason off of this thesis alone could provide for two to four points – this means that five out of seven of your points revolve around your thesis, so make sure that it’s strong! Doing all of this in your fifteen minute reading period is crucial as once this is set, writing your actual response will be much easier!

4. Actively read the documents

Simply reading a document doesn’t normally suffice for creating a well-written and comprehensive response. You should focus on implementing your active reading skills, as this will make a huge difference as to how efficient you are during your work process. 

Active reading refers to reading with an intention to grab key words and fragments of important information, usually gone about by highlighting and separating important phrases. Annotations, underlining, and circling are all great ways to filter out important information from irrelevant text in the documents. 

An example of where you might find important information via active reading is the description. Circle important names or dates to contextualize the document. If you still can’t find contextual value from the title, that’s totally fine! Just scope out the rest of the document in relevance to your thesis – that is, pinpoint the specific information or text that best supports your argument. Finding one or two solid points of interest from one document is usually enough to write about and expand upon within your essay. 

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5. Make an Outline 

If you like outlines, making one before writing your essay might prove helpful, just be aware of the time limit and act accordingly. 

Start with your introduction, then work on the rest of your essay. This way, you can make sure your thesis is clear and strong, and it will help the graders form a clear view on what the general consensus of your paper is. Make sure to include evidence with your thesis within each paragraph and cite only relevant information, otherwise your citations could come across as filler as opposed to useful content. Every commentary or point you make should be tied in some way to the documents.

Format each body paragraph and organize your essay in a way that makes sense to you! The graders aren’t really looking at the structure of your essay; rather, they want to see that you analyzed the documents in a way that is supportive of your essay. As long as you have content from the documents which prove your thesis, the order or manner in which you present them doesn’t matter too much. What’s more important is that your essay is clear and comprehensive. As you write practice DBQs, try having someone else read your essays to make sure that the format is easy to follow.

Keep all these key details in mind as you construct your own DBQ response, and you’re well on your way to writing an effective essay!

Your chances of admission are actually not really impacted by your AP scores; however, the AP classes you take are more important than the exam scores themselves, meaning the impact of your AP scores isn’t as big as you think . 

Instead, focusing on the AP classes on your transcript and the relevance of those classes to your future major is more impactful. For a further detailed understanding of the role AP classes play in regards to your college admissions, use CollegeVine’s free Admissions Calculator , which takes into account your GPA, standardized test scores, and more. 

Additional Information

To dive deeper into DBQs, AP classes, and learning how to tackle each exam check out other resources at CollegeVine:

• Acing the Document Based Question on the AP US History Exam
• Acing the AP World History Document Based Question
• Ultimate Guide to the AP U.S. History Exam
• Ultimate Guide to the AP European History Exam
• Ultimate Guide to the AP World History Exam

Related CollegeVine Blog Posts

The Civil War: Document Based Questions and Essay

HISTORICAL CONTEXT By 1860 the northern states and the southern states were sharply ​ divided over a number of issues, including slavery. The election of Abraham Lincoln to the presidency finally broke the country apart. Fighting began in April 1861. After four years of civil war, northern troops defeated the Confederacy and brought an end to slavery.

Directions: Read and analyze the following documents. Underline key phrases or write notes in the ​ margins to help you understand each document. Then answer all of the questions in complete sentences. Once you complete the reading questions, answer the essay prompt in a formal, 5 paragraph essay. BRING A TYPED, DOUBLE SPACED AND PRINTED COPY TO THE FIRST DAY OF CLASS.

Document 1:

“...when this Government was first established, it was the policy of its founders to prohibit the spread of slavery into the new Territories of the United States , where it had not existed. ... All I have asked or desired any where is that it should be placed back again upon the basis that the fathers of our Government originally placed it upon. I have no doubt that it would become extinct, for all time to come, if we but readopted the policy of the fathers by restricting it to the limits it has already covered-restricting it from the new Territories.” -Abraham Lincoln, debate speech in Jonesboro, Illinois, Sept 15, 1858

1. What policy toward the continuation of slavery does Lincoln support? 2. Why does he support that policy?

Document 2:

From the beginning, we have only asked to be let alone in the enjoyment of our plain, inalienable rights, as explicitly guaranteed in our common organic law. We have never aggressed upon the North… They have robbed us of our property, they have murdered our citizens while endeavoring to reclaim that property by lawful means… they have declared their unalterable determination to exclude us altogether from the Territories, they have nullified the laws of Congress, and finally they have capped the mighty pyramid of unfraternal enormities by electing Abraham Lincoln on a platform and by a system which indicates nothing but the subjugation of the South and the complete ruin of her social, political and industrial institutions. - New Orleans Daily Crescent November 13, 1860

3. Who does the author of this editorial blame for the tensions between the North and the South? How is this opinion supported? 4. What consequences does the author believe that Lincoln's election will have for Southern States?

Document 3: A cartoon from Harper’s Weekly - June, 8, 1861 ​

5. What do the two main figures in the cartoon represent? 6. What is the primary message of the cartoon?

Document 4:

The whole South is in a state of revolution, into which Virginia, after a long struggle, has been drawn; and though I would have pleaded to the end for redress of grievances, real or supposed, yet in my own person I had to meet the question whether I should take part against my native State.

With all my devotion to the Union, and the feeling of loyalty and duty of an American citizen, I have not been able to make up my mind to raise my hand against my relative, my children, my home. I have, therefore, resigned my commission in the Army, and save in defense of my native State (with the sincere hope that my poor services may never be needed) I hope I may never be called upon to draw my sword.

I know you will blame me, but you must think as kindly as you can, and believe that I have endeavored to do what I thought right. -Robert E. Lee - letter to his sister, April 1861

7. According to this letter, what did Lee decide to do? Why? 8. How do Lee’s words contrast with the image of southerners as depicted in the cartoon in Document 3? Document 5: Cartoon from Harper’s Weekly, October 11, 1862 ​

9. What does the person in the tree represent? 10. What does the artist suggest is going to happen?

Document 6:

. . the more I learn of the cursed institution of Slavery, the more I feel willing to endure, for its final destruction . . . After this war is over, this whole country will undergo a change for the better . . . abolishing slavery will dignify labor; that fact of itself will revolutionize everything. —Union Sergeant Phineas Hager, in an letter, 1864

I do not fight or want to fight for Lincoln’s Negro proclamation one day longer than I can help, . . . In fact the whole Army is discouraged and very much dissatisfied in consequence of Lincoln’s Proclamation which fell like a thunderbolt among the troops. I am sorry the old man forgot himself and took such bad advice. —Union Colonel Marcus Spiegel in a letter, 1863 ​

I think Lincoln’s proclamation will produce dissensions and trouble at the North, and will thus indirectly benefit our Cause. The Democratic party there is not willing to go headlong into any abolition war. And the elections will show that Lincoln’s policy will be condemned. —Confederate Major General Mansfield Lovell in a letter, 1862

11. How did the Union soldiers respond to the Emancipation Proclamation? 12. How did the Confederate soldiers respond to the Emancipation Proclamation?

Document 7:

3. Then the Northern people began to preach, to lecture, and to write about the sin of slavery . . . And when the territories were settled they were not willing for any of them to become slaveholding. This would have made the North much stronger than the South; and many of the men said they would vote for a law to free all the negroes in the country. The Southern men tried to show them how unfair this would be, but still they kept on.

4. In the year 1860 the Abolitionists became strong enough to elect one of their own men for president. Abraham Lincoln was a weak man, and the South believed he would deprive them of their rights. So the Southern states seceded, and elected Jefferson Davis for their President. This so enraged President Lincoln that he declared war, and has exhausted nearly all the strength of the nation, in vain attempt to whip the South back into the Union. Thousands of lives have been lost, and the earth has been drenched with blood; but still Abraham is unable to conquer the “Rebels” as he calls the south. The South only asked to be let alone, and divide the public property equally. It would have been wise in the North to have said to her Southern sisters, “If you are not content to dwell with us longer, depart in peace. We will divide the inheritance with you, and may you be a great nation.”

—Geographical Reader of the Dixie Children textbook for schoolchildren in the Confederacy, 1863

13. According to this textbook, how could the Civil War have been avoided? 14. What do you think the students studying this textbook believed about the Civil War?

Document 8: Photo of Atlanta, Georgia, September 1864 ​

15. What do you think happened in Atlanta before this picture was taken? 16. How does this photo symbolize what was happening to the Confederacy in September 1864?

Final Assessment: Using information from the documents in Part A and your knowledge of U.S. history, write an essay in which you will compare and contrast viewpoints held by northerners and southerners about the ​ Civil War.

DIRECTIONS Write a well-organized 5 paragraph essay that includes an introduction, 3 body ​ paragraphs, and a conclusion. Use evidence from at least four documents in Part A to support your response. You may draw on any additional knowledge you have acquired about the Subject. *If you use outside sources, please cite them.

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Reconstruction

11.4 civic literacy document based essay task, aligned to content from units 11.1 - 11.4.

U.S. History

Framework Aligned Unit Assessment Bank developed in partnership with CUNY Debating US History: 11.4 Civic Literacy Document Based Essay Task

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6 Primary Sources from the American Civil War

Sign up today to receive a packet of reprinted primary sources that matches this lesson plan.

Each of these documents examines an important moment or principle the events and experiences of the American Civil War. Starting with secession, highlighting turning point battles, examining one of the most famous speeches in U.S. History, featuring a soldier’s last letter, and including a paper that symbolized the end of the war for many soldiers, this packet provides an opportunity to look at Civil War history up-close.

Below, you’ll find everything you’ll need to customize a lesson or pick and choose what’s most helpful to your student’s interests and learning needs. 

Common Core Standards and National Council for Social Studies Standards related to the documents and resources of this lesson plan are included at the end of the page.

On December 20, 1860, the state of South Carolina passed an ordinance of secession, declaring itself separate from the rest of the United States. Following decades of growing tension over slavery between regions, the nation was tearing apart. Four months later on April 12, 1861, the first shots of the American Civil War were fired at Fort Sumter in Charleston, South Carolina, and with hindsight the secession ordinances of the southern states, sparked the most costly conflict in U.S. History.

As you examine the document and historical context resources, these questions may be helpful: 

• What type of response do you think the publisher wanted with this headline?
• Does the newspaper give a reason for secession? Does it give a lot of background?
• What would your reaction be if someone handled you this newspaper page in 1861? 

Transcription

• View PDF here

Primary Source Background

• Charleston Mercury

Historical Context Articles

• Trigger Events of the Civil War: Decades of Division
• The Gathering Storm: The Secession Crisis
• Voices of Secession
• What Caused the Civil War?
• Fort Sumter Animated Map
• Charleston & Fort Sumter Virtual Tour

Additional Primary Sources

• Secession Acts of the Thirteen Confederate States

By the late spring of 1863, the city of Vicksburg in Mississippi was the last Confederate stronghold on the Mississippi River. Union General Ulysses S. Grant prepared a siege to capture the city and the Confederate defenders led by General John C. Pemberton. As the siege dragged on for weeks, civilians were caught in the fighting and tried to seek safety by living in underground burrows or caves. On July 4, 1863, Vicksburg surrendered to Grant, marking on the turning point victories for the Union cause during the Civil War.

• Who does the newspaper seem to be encouraging? 
• What are some of the hardships reported in the newspaper?
• If you got to write the final paragraph to this newspaper, what would you say? (see Primary Source Background)
• The Daily Citizen

Historical Context

• "No Ingress or Egress": Refugees of the Siege of Vicksburg
• 10 Facts: The Vicksburg Campaign
• Vicksburg Campaign In4 Minutes
• Vicksburg Animated Map
• Vicksburg Virtual Tour
• Grant Remembers the Surrender and Victory at Vicksburg

During the summer of 1863, Confederate General Robert E. Lee took his approximately 72,000 soldiers north into Maryland and Pennsylvania. Meanwhile, the Union army got a new commander, General George G. Meade , and hurried to pursue the Confederates and block their access to Washington D.C. On July 1-3, 1863, the two armies clashed at the crossroads town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. 

The Battle of Gettysburg was a Union victory and marked the turning point of the Civil War. With more than 50,000 estimated casualties, the three-day engagement was the bloodiest single battle of the conflict.

• Imagine you are reading the headlines in 1863, how do you think you feel about the quickly reported news?
• Does the paper get the essential details correct? What can you identify as rumor or simply wrong information? (Historic Context and Videos will help with this)
• Aside from reading a newspaper, what are some other ways that people might have learned about the Battle of Gettysburg or what happened to their soldiers?
• The New York Tribune
• 10 Facts: Gettysburg
• How Well Do You Know The Battle of Gettysburg?
• The Battle of Gettysburg In4 Minutes
• Gettysburg Virtual Tour
• Gettysburg Animated Map
• General Order, No. 66
• Letter from Gen. Robert E. Lee to Confederate President, Jefferson Davis
• E. P. Alexander at Gettysburg

On November 19, 1863, during the dedication of Gettysburg National Cemetery, President Abraham Lincoln delivered one of the most famous speeches in U.S. History. Known as the Gettysburg Address, it briefly summarized the president's hopes for the future and his meaning for the soldiers' sacrifices during the Battle of Gettysburg four months earlier.

• What did Lincoln credit the Founding Fathers with creating?
• What difficulties did Lincoln say the nation was facing?
• What vision did Lincoln offer for the future of the United States? Do you think that vision has been fulfilled?
• Lincoln's Gettysburg Address
• Versions of the Gettysburg Address
• Abraham Lincoln
• 7 Gettysburg Myths and Misconceptions
• Gettysburg National Cemetery
• The Gettysburg Address In4 Minutes
• The Gettysburg Address: The Two-Minute Speech That Saved America
• Gettysburg Address Document Based Questions

Many Civil War soldiers wrote letters about their experiences and thoughts about the war. Some of the saddest letters are the last ones that these soldiers wrote. In November 1863, a Confederate soldier named Sam Davis had been captured and charged for espionage. He wrote a farewell letter to his family before his execution, reflecting on his love for his parents and siblings. (See "Additional Primary Sources" for another soldier's letter not related to a spy execution.)

• What is seems to be most important to Davis as he writes this last letter?
• Did Davis admit he was guilty of spying or claim to be innocent?
• Do you think Davis might have written a different letter before going into battle?
• Sam Davis's Short Life as a Soldier and Spy
• Sam Davis - Biography
• Spy Executions during the American Civil War
• Civil War Irregular Operations
• Soldier Life during the Civil War  In4 Minutes
• Experiences of the Civil War's Common Soldier
• Civil War Soldier Gear In4 Minutes

Sullivan Ballou Letter

• Civil War Music: Just Before The Battle, Mother

On April 9, 1865, the General Robert E. Lee surrendered the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia to Union General Ulysses S. Grant at the village of Appomattox Court House. Included in the terms of surrender was parole for Confederate soldiers, allowing them to return home and not be harassed or captured on their journey. 

• If you received one of these parole slips in 1865 at the end of the Civil War, would you return home or go build a new life somewhere else?
• Do you think the Parole Pass symbolized a type of freedom for Confederate veterans or a reminder of the war that they had to carry with them for their safety from arrest?
• Do you agree with the surrender terms that Grant and Lee negotiated at Appomattox? (See resources in Historic Context and Videos for more details)
• View printable file of Appomattox Paroles here
• Appomattox Parole Passes
• Appomattox Court House
• 10 Facts: Appomattox Court House
• To The Bitter End: Final Months of the War
• Appomattox: The Surrender
• Appomattox Court House Virtual Tour
• 1865 Animated Map
• Civil War Music: When Johnny Comes Marching Home Again
• Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant’s Terms of Agreement Entered into with Gen. Robert E. Lee at Appomattox Court House, Virginia, April 9, 1865, and Supplementary Terms April 10, 1865
• Gen. Robert E. Lee's Farewell Address
• The Last Salute of the Army of Northern Virginia

Common Core:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.1 Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.2 Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary of the source distinct from prior knowledge or opinions.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including vocabulary specific to domains related to history/social studies.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.9 Analyze the relationship between a primary and secondary source on the same topic.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.6-8.7 Conduct short research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question), drawing on several sources and generating additional related, focused questions that allow for multiple avenues of exploration.

NCSS Standards for Social Studies:

1—Culture 2—Time, Continuity, and Change 3—People, Places, and Environment 5—Individuals, Groups, and Institutions 10—Civic, Ideals, and Practices

Antietam 360: Natural and Man-made Features Middle School Lesson Plan

The Civil War Animated Map: Traditional Middle School Lesson Plan

The civil war animated map: traditional high school lesson plan, you may also like.

During the first two years of the Civil War—when it appeared that the Confederacy was a formidable opponent—President Lincoln grew concerned that a Union defeat could result in the westward expansion of slavery. Thus, he hoped to facilitate the westward movement of White settlers who promoted the concept of free soil, which would populate the region with allies who opposed slavery. To encourage this process, Congress passed the Homestead Act and the Pacific Railway Act in 1862. The government also constructed and maintained forts that assisted in the process of westward expansion.

Farmers who were able to invest a significant amount of capital in starting up large farms could acquire necessary supplies with ease. They also had access to new, technologically advanced farm machinery, which greatly improved efficiency and output. Such farmers hired migrant farmers to work their huge amounts of land. These “bonanza farms” were often quite successful, whereas family farms—unable to afford the supplies they needed for success, let alone take advantage of the technological innovations that would make their farms competitive—often failed.

In the cases of both mining and cattle ranching, diminishing resources played a key role. In mining, the first prospectors were able to pan for gold with crude and inexpensive materials, and therefore, almost anyone could head west and try his luck. Similarly, the quantity of cattle and the amount of grazing land meant that cowboys and would-be cattle barons had ample room to spread out. But as the easiest minerals were stripped away and large-scale ranchers purchased, developed, and fenced off grazing land, opportunities diminished. It took significantly more resources to tunnel down into a mine than it did to pan for gold; instead of individual prospectors, companies would assess a site’s potential and then seek investment to hire workers and drill deep into the earth. Likewise, as the cattle trails were over-grazed, ranchers needed to purchase and privatize large swaths of land to prepare their cattle for market.

In all three cases, White settlers felt that they were superior to these ethnic groups and morally correct in their exploitation of the groups’ land and labor. Whether mining sacred Sioux reservation lands for gold or forcing Chinese immigrants to pay a special fine to mine for gold, White settlers were confident that their goal of Manifest Destiny gave them the right to do as they wished. Hispanic Americans, unlike Chinese immigrants and Native Americans, were allowed citizenship rights, although racist laws and corrupt judges severely curtailed these rights. Chinese immigrants were ultimately denied entry to the United States through the Chinese Exclusion Act.

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Essential Question

In what ways did the Civil Rights Movement mark a turning point in United States history?

In this activity, students examine ten primary source documents to consider the extent to which the Civil Rights Movement altered the trajectory of United States history. This activity is based upon a Document-Based Question (“DBQ”), which is an assessment method commonly used in upper division and advanced placement courses. In a DBQ, students are presented with 6-10 documents from varied sources, and are asked to synthesize the documents with their own knowledge to write a coherent thesis-driven essay. The goal of the activity is to challenge students to think critically and to consider viewpoints that are frequently inconsistent and contradictory.

The documents for this activity are drawn from those that might be typically found on an advanced placement history test, supplemented by materials featured in Teachrock lessons. As such, this activity may be used as a means to prepare students for an advanced placement test, or as an assessment tool at the end of a Civil Rights unit. A variety of approaches are provided that allow teachers to use the documents to engage their students in the classroom.

Upon completion of this activity, students will:

• W.E.B. Du Bois’ “A Negro Nation within a Nation”
• Charles Wesley’s “The Negro Has Always Wanted the Four Freedoms”
• Sam Cooke’s song “A Change is Gonna Come”
• Martin Luther King Jr.’s March on Washington Address
• James Brown’s “Say it Loud, I’m Black and I’m Proud”
• Bayard Rustin’s “From Protest to Politics”
• The Kerner Commission Report
• Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Going On?”
• The Beatles’ involvement in the Civil Rights Movement
• Segregation in the South
• Students will evaluate how Americans responded to the United States’ engagement  with Vietnam by analyzing a variety of historical documents.
• Pass out to students Handout 1 – “The Civil Rights Movement as Turning Point: A Document-Based Question.” Teachers may then choose from a variety of activities that draw upon the handout:

Activity 1:  AP Test Preparation

• Students follow the directions on the handout and individually craft an essay in the allotted time.

Activity 2:  The DBQ Timeline

• The Voting Rights Act
• The Montgomery Bus Boycott
• The March on Washington
• Integration of Ole Miss
• Busing riots in Boston
• The Watts Riots
• The Children’s March in Birmingham
• Any other civil rights milestones your class studied
• On the whole, did the Civil Rights movement make progress during this time period? Support your response with at least three pieces of evidence from your timeline.
• How did musicians’ views on race change over the course of the Civil Rights era? Find examples from the documents that support your response.

Activity 3: HIPPO Analysis

• Split the class into 3-5 groups, and assign each group 1-2 documents from Handout 1. In addition, pass out Handout 2 – “The HIPPO Technique for Analyzing Documents.”
• Ask student groups to analyze the document(s) assigned to them using the HIPPO process.
• Have each group explain their document(s) to the class, based upon their HIPPO analysis.

Activity 4: The Cocktail Party

• Cut out the documents and give each student a single one.
• Who created it? (Students should research the authors’ backgrounds if possible.)
• When was it created? Was it created in response to any particular historical events? What kind of civil rights issues still existed at this time? What successes had been achieved?
• Where was it created? Is there any significance to that place?
• What is the content of the primary source? What is the author’s main point? Is there anything surprising?
• Tell students they may write notes on their primary sources to help them remember the key points, but encourage them to become ‘experts’ on their documents.
• After the eight minutes have expired, it is time for the cocktail party. Students will circulate amongst themselves in order to learn about the documents from one another.
• Meet in pairs only
• The person with the earliest birthday discusses his/her document first
• No talking to yourself . . . or someone who read the same document as you did
• At the end of one minute, it is time to move on. (Teacher should monitor time and give a 30-second warning.)
• How did intellectuals and writers feel about the progress of the civil rights movement? Were there significant differences between their opinions?
• How did the musicians react to and promote the civil rights movement? Were there differences in their opinions?
• Was there a significant change over time, as evidenced in the documents, in the reactions to the civil rights movement? Why do you think those changes occurred or failed to occur?

Handout 1 – The Civil Rights Movement as Turning Point: A Document-Based Question Handout 2 – The HIPPO Technique for Analyzing Documents

Common Core State Standards

College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards for Reading (K-12)

Reading 1 : Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; cite specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text.

Reading 6 : Assess how point of view or purpose shapes the content and style of a text.

Reading 8 : Delineate and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, including the validity of the reasoning as well as the relevance and sufficiency of the evidence.

Reading 9 : Analyze how two or more texts address similar themes or topics in order to build knowledge or to compare the approaches the authors take.

College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards for Writing (K-12)

Writing 1 : Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.

Writing 7 : Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects based on focused questions, demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation.

Writing 9 : Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.

College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards for Speaking and Listening (K-12)

Speaking and Listening 1 : Prepare for and participate effectively in a range of conversations and collaborations with diverse partners, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.

Speaking and Listening 2 : Integrate and evaluate information presented in diverse media and formats, including visually, quantitatively, and orally.

Speaking and Listening 3:  Evaluate a speaker’s point of view, reasoning, and use of evidence and rhetoric.

National Curriculum Standards for Social Studies — National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS)

• Theme 1 : Culture
• Theme 2 : Time, Continuity, and Change
• Theme 4 : Individual Development and Identity
• Theme 5 : Individuals, Groups, and Institutions

National Standards for Music Education — National Association for Music Education (NAfME)

Core Music Standard: Responding

• Analyze : Analyze how the structure and context of varied musical works inform the response.
• Interpret : Support interpretations of musical works that reflect creators’ and/or performers’ expressive intent.
• Evaluate : Support evaluations of musical works and performances based on analysis, interpretation, and established criteria.

Core Music Standard: Connecting

• Connecting 11 : Relate musical ideas and works to varied contexts and daily life to deepen understanding.
• Trace It Back - People
• AP/Honors/101
• Elementary 3-6
• Ethnic Studies
• General Music
• Physical Education
• Social Emotional Learning
• Social Studies/History