How to Write Valley Forge DBQ Essay March 20th

HOW TO WRITE VALLEY
FORGE DBQ ESSAY
Planning makes perfect!

March 20th 2014
Learning Goal: Students will analyze various primary and secondary documents to determine if they would have quit had they been an American solider in the Battle of Valley
Forge.

STEP ONE CREATE A THESIS
STATEMENT


The thesis statement is your answer to the analytical question: “Would you have quit?”



Your answer being: choose a side- quitting or not quitting!



I would have quit the fight at Valley Forge



I would not have quit fighting for freedom from Britain

THESIS AND ROADMAP/ CHICKEN
FOOT


Your thesis statement and the three reasons why you would either quit or not quit

I would have quit because

3

THESE THREE REASONS BECOME
PARAGRAPH 2, 3, AND 4
These three reasons become your baby thesis's for paragraphs 2, 3, and 4!
 They are the way you start these three paragraphs!  A baby thesis is a paragraph opener!


ORGANIZING PARAGRAPH ONE (1)
Grabber
 Background
 Stating the question with key terms defined
 Thesis and roadmap


CREATE A WORKING TITLE
Dead Cold Eyes
 Dying for a Cause
 Freezing Death
 Valley Forge: where men died for nothing
 Ready to die for Freedom
 Come up with something creative


CREATE A GRABBER


War is hard, but it is not always bayonets and bullets! GIVE THE READER SOME BACKGROUND ON
WHAT VALLEY FORGE WAS!


In a couple of sentences 3 or 4 tell the reader the background of Valley Forge

STATING THE QUESTION WITH KEY
TERMS DEFINED:


“would you have quit?” is changes to something in your own words: “Would you have chosen to go home instead of reenlisting in the war at Valley Forge?”



Chosen to go home and not re-enlist replaces
“quit”

THESIS AND ROAD MAP EXAMPLE:


I will re-enlist for three reasons: the sickness of the men, loyalty to my government, and belief in our cause.

PARAGRAPH #2

Now plug this evidence into your paragraph to give facts to support your argument that you would or would not quit! 

Baby thesis #1 from roadmap



Use evidence from the documents to back up your reason and baby thesis



Example of Evidence: half of the army is too sick for roll call (this came from Doc A)



1800 to 2500 will die from illness (this came from Doc
A)
End paragraph with an argument statement that connects to evidence: Example: “I cant let my friends die for nothing. I must fight for fallen comrades even if continental congress is showing us no support for the war they declared.

PARAGRAPH #3
Baby Thesis # 2 from roadmap Example Baby Thesis: “I will re-enlist because my government deserves loyalty.”


Evidence from documents- committee of congress has stayed with us through much of winter (Doc B)
 End paragraph with an argument statement that connects to evidence


Example of an argument statement: Now I see that the government does support me and I will stay and support my government!

PARAGRAPH # 4
Baby Thesis # 3 on Roadmap
 Evidence
 Argument


PARAGRAPH #5


Conclusion:



Restate your main idea or argument


“I will quit or I will not quit and why”

This is a way to end your essay with organization and let the reader know the essay is over without saying “the end!”
