As part of our focus on immigration, we have worked extensively on utilizing Document Based Questions (DBQ) in the classroom. DBQs are simple: students receive select primary sources, analyze the documents, create a thesis after having synthesized the documents, which then answers an essential question.
After ample time doing DBQs in which I created/found/prepared for the students, the tables have been turned. All students now are in the process of creating their own DBQ based on immigration trends/events from the 1980s – present. Each student needs to create an essential question, research and analyze 6 primary source documents, and then create a thesis which pulls together the documents to answer the essential question.
Below are two article explaining what a DBQ is and its purpose in today’s educational system.
I was fortunate to be in the room when students shared their essential questions. I could not formulate thoughts at such a high level until 11th grade. I am so excited to see where this research and writing process takes our students.