Tower Summer 2022

Students in Mr. Handʼs class working on their DBQ
“The first thing we do is discuss the “hook” exercise where
they go through samples that they have to choose from,”
said Mr. Hand. “After they choose one, they have to get
together and basically defend why their view is the best.
It’s like a debate and it really helps them learn how to
analyze the story and use the history they have learned to
prove their points. It’s also a great team-building exercise!”
After their debate, students must continue to analyze the
four documents given and write an essay. An outline is
given to the student to follow and write the essay along
with the rubric on what they will be graded on. The book
given to the students goes through all the details on the
“road map” of building their thesis to then writing the essay
that in the end is what they are fully graded on. “We give
them everything for them to craft their analysis into an
essay and even source everything,” said Mr. Hand.
From the fourth grade students’ perspective, some
believe that it has made them feel comfortable when
articulating discussions in front of the class. “It’s helping
me put my essay in order and together,” said one of
Mr. Hand’s students.
“The biggest thing that I see is that they are more
comfortable with a project like a research paper,” said
Mr. Hand. “Since they have done DBQs for a while, when
they get to Upper School, the anxiety level on writing a
research paper lowers a lot.”
DBQs have impacted many students that have crossed
the Lower School at MVA. From discussions, to analyzing
data, and learning how to properly write an essay, these
students not only learn the practicalities of how to properly
create an essay, but also learn valuable information about
Florida’s history, hurricanes, how to use their critical
thinking skills, and more.
“DBQs influence and help structure critical thinking.
Students must understand potential bias – who wrote
the journal, who edited the journal, and how the person
editing could influence how a particular historical figure
might be viewed,” said Jayne Beucher, Associate Dean of
the Lower School. “Also, in paintings you ask who painted
the picture, what message did the artist want to express,
was it a positive viewpoint or a negative viewpoint? DBQs
also support critical thinking in learning through real-life
materials such as journals, paintings, ships logs, diaries,
maps, cultural norms of the time in which something took
place, and even the philosophical questions that people
might ask themselves during hardships. To me this is
the benefit of DBQs – really getting our students to think
and form opinions or answers based on real facts and
understanding how one person can sway a viewpoint –
understanding where these biases might lie and how to
interrupt what they see, read, and review.”
THE TOWER | SUMMER 2022 23