Writing the dbq – teaching point of view

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WRITING THE DBQ – TEACHING POINT OF VIEW

Students must obtain points to get “to the gate”
Most often missed point is “Point of View”
Possible to obtain Expanded Core points ONLY if students obtain ALL Basic Core points

Point 4 – Analyzes “Point of View” in at least TWO documents
Tends to be “Killer Point” for students, since many simply have not been taught “Point of View”

Getting to the gate on DBQ then is based on how well a student can demonstrate “Point of View” or “Bias”
Remember that students must demonstrate it at least two times
Demonstrating “Point of View” or “Bias” indicates student is capable of writing in-depth paper

In the simplest of terms, “Point of View” or “Bias” is prejudice or influence
“Why” author said what he/she said
“Why” includes factors that influenced author’s position
Keys to these factors found:

Several factors influence determination of Bias or Point of View: Name, Position, Nationality, Document Date and/or Document Type

Relating authorial “Point of View” to author’s place in society
Evaluating reliability of the source
Recognizing that different types of documents were authored to serve different purposes

Is author male, female? Government official? From a particular social class?
How might author’s “position” or title have influenced what was written or said?
Is document an “official” pronouncement, a newspaper article, a speech, or maybe a diary or private letter?

Source: Zong Mi, a leading Buddhist scholar, favored by the Tang imperial household, essay, “On the Nature of Man,” early ninth century C.E.
“Confucius, Laozi, and Buddaha were all perfect sages. They established their teachings according to the demands of the ages and the needs of various beings. They differ in their approaches in that they encourage the perfection of good deeds, punish wicked ones, and reward good ones; all three teachings lead to the creation of an orderly society and for this they must be observed with respect.”

Author was Buddhist scholar, “favored” by the Tang ruler
A Buddhist scholar “in high position” in a time when Buddhism was being threatened would expectedly extol the virtues of Buddhism
Ties Buddhism to traditional Chinese philosophies of Confucius and Laozi

There are a variety of ways for students to include point of view in their paper; some are more sophisticated than others
As a Buddhist scholar in a time when Buddhism is being threatened in China, it is expected that Zong Mi would closely tie Buddhism to Confucianism in order to keep his “favored” position at the imperial court.

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