Materials

Student Materials

• Rotating Responses Handout
• Unit 6 Context, Thesis, Grouping, VIEWing Documents Deconstructed DBQ Graphic Organizer
• Document Set (choose 1):
  • Unit 6 Deconstructed DBQ Assignment Sheet and Document Set
  • Scaffolded Deconstructed DBQ Assignment Sheet and Document Set
    • Documents contained within both sets include:
      • Document A: Excerpt from a young woman working in the Lowell Mills (1830s or 1840s)
      • Document B: Excerpt from Angelina Grimké’s “Letter to Catharine Beecher” (1837)
      • Document C: Excerpts from “Letters from an Immigrant” by Johan Schütz (1840s)
      • Document D: Excerpt from the Seneca Falls Declaration of Sentiments (1848)
      • Document E: The County Election by George Caleb Bingham (1852)
      • Document F: Excerpt from Frederick Douglass’ What to the Slave is the Fourth of July? Speech (1852)
      • Document G: Excerpt from Henry David Thoreau’s Walden (1854)
• America In Transition Video

Teacher Materials

• Unit 6 Deconstructed DBQ Document Set and Teacher Context Teacher Resource
• Unit 6 Model Organizer and Scoring Guide Teacher Resource
• Unit 6 Slide Deck 

Teacher note: There are two versions of the deconstructed DBQ documents. The original version includes light scaffolding and is intended for assessment. The second version is more scaffolded and is intended for using the deconstructed DBQ as a learning activity. The two versions can also be used for different levels of learners in the same class.

Facilitation Notes

• This mini-lesson reinforces the skill of providing context, which was introduced in Unit 5.
• This mini-lesson is intended to take 45-60 minutes and focus on a specific skill. It was created to accompany the mini-lesson teacher slide deck.
• This lesson was created to build upon the previous Deconstructed DBQ lessons. However, it can be implemented in isolation with additional supports. Modify the lesson by using the scaffolding notes to fit your classroom.

Anticipate (Optional)

Deconstructed DBQ skill Video Intro

• Assign, or watch as a whole group, the supplementary Deconstructed DBQ skill video for the unit.
  • The video will introduce a new primary source from the time period, give historical context and analysis, and then lead students through using the source to answer the Deconstructed DBQ question with a thesis statement.
  • Pause the video at the processing questions embedded in the video to prompt reflection and discussion.

Teacher Note: The Deconstructed DBQ videos work as a pre-teaching tool, but can also be used as a scaffolding support later in the mini-lesson. The video is based on a source not included in the Deconstructed DBQ document set, so that this video can be used as a resource in classrooms using the DBQ for skills building, assessment, or both.

Engage

Rotating Responses

• Transition: Distribute the Rotating Responses Handout.
• Instruct students to work independently on the handout to prepare for the activity.
  • Students will read the background information and carefully view the image.
  • Then, they will answer the questions and craft a follow-up question for each.

Scaffolding note: Providing a time limit for this stretch of independent work time can help keep the pace of the class. The handout could also be assigned for homework the day before.

• When time has elapsed, or students have completed the handout, assign a number from 1 to 4 for each student. This will create groups of 4, with each student having an assigned number.
• Then use one group, or volunteers, to conduct a practice round demonstration before allowing groups to discuss independently.

Scaffolding note: This is a repeated activity from the Unit 5 deconstructed DBQ, intended to give students more autonomy in the activity. If this is your first time using the Rotating Responses activity, you may want to do the whole activity as a demonstration with one group conducting the activity. Flex the method to fit your students.

• Each student in the group is assigned a role in the discussion.
  • Student 1: Reading the question
  • Student 2: Answering the question
  • Student 3: Providing praise and encouragement
  • Student 4: Asking a follow-up question
  • All students then discuss the follow-up question informally
• Students use their roles to answer the first question, then rotate for the second question, continuing until they answer all four questions and have had all four roles.
• Use the slide deck to support this activity, it contains a slide the guides students through each round of the activity.

Introduce the Deconstructed DBQ

• Tell students: “Today we will investigate how Americans and democratic institutions responded to the rapid economic changes of the early nineteenth century.”
• Distribute the deconstructed DBQ document set and allow students 3-5 minutes to skim them and ask any questions they may have.

Scaffolding note: There are 7 documents in this primary source set. Scale the set to fit the needs of your students if needed. 3-4 documents is a good place to start.

Teacher note: There are slides in the teacher deck to facilitate a whole-group discussion or reading if your students need more support.

Explore 

Grouping Sources  

• Transition: Distribute the Unit 6 Graphic Organizer. 
• Students group documents based on shared themes, common attributes, constitutional principles (e.g., separation of powers, individual rights), or any other categories they decide. 
• Encourage students to justify their groupings in writing using evidence from the documents. 
• Sample groupings:  
  • Group 1: Hope, Opportunity, and Democratic Expansion 
    • Document C (Immigrant letter) 
    • Document E (The County Election) 
    • Document G (Walden) 
    • These sources reflect optimism, opportunity, and the broadening of American identity and participation. 
  • Group 2: Protest, Reform, and Unmet Promises of Democracy 
    • Document A (Mill worker) 
    • Document B (Grimké) 
    • Document D (Seneca Falls) 
    • Document F (Douglass) 
    • These documents show how many Americans responded to rapid economic change by pointing out injustice and calling for reform. 

Teacher note: Additional support for this skill and an example are available in the teacher slide deck.

Review Context 

• Tell students: “Context is: The “who, what, when, where, why, and how” of the document. It explains the world around the source, helping the reader understand its significance within the time period. It should also tie the source to the DBQ question.” 
• Students then use the graphic organizer to collect and store information about 3-4 sources from the document set.  
  • Students can use their prior knowledge, the source, or research to complete the organizer.  
• When students complete the organizer, they will write a context summary in the bottom box.  The summary should cover 1 document that they analyzed, explaining its significance and connecting it to the DBQ question.  
  • For example: Document A: The Lowell Mills employed young women in grueling factory conditions during the early Industrial Revolution, reflecting both new economic opportunities and exploitative labor practices. 

Scaffolding note: If needed, complete one row of the context organizer together with your students before releasing them to complete the rest of the organizer independently.

Optional: Document Analysis Using VIEW

• Prompt students to continue on to the next organizer on the same page.  
• Students should use the same documents they analyzed in the context organizer.  
• Ask them to fill in the E-Environment row of the organizer first, using what they put in the context organizer.  
• Then students should fill in at least two more boxes of the organizer for each of their 3-4 documents. 
• Use the review slides if needed to refresh students on the purpose of document analysis, provide thought prompts, and preview the organizer.

Optional: Thesis Writing & Organizer Completion

• Students use their grouped sources to draft a thesis that answers the guiding question. 
• Example structure:  
  • Americans and democratic institutions responded to rapid economic changes of the early nineteenth century by [reason 1], [reason 2], and [reason 3].  
• Example:  
  • Americans responded to industrial changes by forming new social movements, like the women’s rights movement and abolition to address social issues. 
• Students write their thesis on the graphic organizer and complete any remaining sections of the Deconstructed DBQ organizer. 

Teacher note: Review and example slides are available in the teacher slide deck on hidden slides if re-teaching or specific skill instruction is needed. There are also additional thesis examples in the notes of the slides.

Scaffolding note: Students needing more of a challenge could be given the opportunity to turn their Deconstructed DBQ into a written response at this stage. This could be a paragraph, or multiple paragraph essay depending on the amount of challenge needed.

Assess 

• Students complete their graphic organizer and submit for assessment. 
• Collect organizers to assess whether students:  
  • Provided context surrounding several documents. 
  • Accurately analyzed sources using VIEW. 
  • Grouped sources based on logical connections. 
  • Created a clear, defensible thesis. 

Reflect 

Peer Review

• Have students share their organizer with a partner. 
• Using the prompts from the slide deck, ask students to review their partner’s organizer. 
  • Ask students to focus on one aspect or review all three depending on your time. 

Scaffolding note: The peer review could be completed before students submit their graphic organizers for assessment for a formative assessment.  

Optional Debrief Questions:  

• How does analyzing the context surrounding sources help shape your thesis?
• What challenges did you face when grouping the sources?
• How do you create a thesis that answers the question fully, without becoming too long?