Sixth Period: 1:42pm to 2:32pm
Mexican-American War DBQ Documents
In 1846 the United States went to war with México. Like several wars the United States has fought, this war had its strong supporters and critics. Compared to the Civil War, which was fought just fifteen years later, the Mexican War sometimes seems like a small thing. But it was not! Thousands of Mexicans and Americans died, and half of the country of México was taken by the United States as a war prize. This DBQ asks the simple question: Was the United States justified in going to war with México?
Before writing, the class will go over the attached documents to help you and your peers better formulate your arguments as to whether or not you think the United States was justified in going to war with México.
Mexican-American War DBQ Essay
Now you are ready to start writing. You will be formulating an argument based on the overall DBQ question—make sure you have done your prewriting and understand the question before starting! Your essay will need to include five paragraphs (one introduction, one conclusion, and three body paragraphs) and must be typed in MLA format. Hand written essays will not be accepted and essays not formatted properly will lose points. Once you finish writing, you also need to highlight certain elements, please watching the example video below so you know what to highlight. Below is the rubric for DBQ essays:
Spelling & Grammar (20 points)
Format (5 points)
Thesis Statement (5 points)
Introduction & Conclusion (5 points)
First Body Paragraph (5 points)
Second Body Paragraph (5 points)
Third Body Paragraph (5 points)
Please note that highlighting is REQUIRED:
In the introductory paragraph:
Full thesis statement (yellow)
Reason #1 that corresponds with Body Paragraph #1 (blue)
Reason #2 that corresponds with Body Paragraph #2 (red)
Reason #3 that corresponds with Body Paragraph #3 (green)
In each body paragraph:
Baby Thesis where you restate the reason for the paragraph (yellow)
Fact/Piece of Evidence #1 with citation (blue)
Fact/Piece of Evidence #2 with citation (red)
Fact/Piece of Evidence #3 with citation (green)