How can I teach students how to answer the Document-Based Question (DBQ)?
Teachers should regularly use primary text documents to reinforce students¿ understanding that primary source material from a culture can help explain many historical-context questions surrounding works of art. Most art history textbooks include examples of primary texts that illuminate selected art-historical periods, artists, and objects. Examples of primary or firsthand text are letters, diaries, and narratives. Teachers should expect that one of the seven short-essay questions will assess responsibility for text and primary sources. This primary source could appear as a written or visual document or a combination of both. Teachers can look to the AP Central AP Art History Exam page for DBQ examples drawn from recent AP Exams to show students different ways of solving the problem of linking text with a specific image.
