Other Worksheets: Artifact, Cartoon, Photograph

 

Written Document Analysis Worksheet

1.

  

TYPE OF DOCUMENT (Check one):

___ Newspaper
___ Letter
___ Patent
___ Memorandum

  

___ Map
___ Telegram
___ Press release
___ Report

  

___ Advertisement
___ Congressional record
___ Census report
___ Other

2.

  

UNIQUE PHYSICAL QUALITIES OF THE DOCUMENT (Check one or more):

___ Interesting letterhead
___ Handwritten
___ Typed
___ Seals

  

___ Notations
___ "RECEIVED" stamp
___ Other

3.

  

DATE(S) OF DOCUMENT:
___________________________________________________________________________

4.

  

AUTHOR (OR CREATOR) OF THE DOCUMENT:
___________________________________________________________________________

POSITION (TITLE):
___________________________________________________________________________

5.

  

FOR WHAT AUDIENCE WAS THE DOCUMENT WRITTEN?
___________________________________________________________________________

6.

  

DOCUMENT INFORMATION (There are many possible ways to answer A-E.)

A. List three things the author said that you think are important:
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________

B. Why do you think this document was written?
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________

C. What evidence in the document helps you know why it was written? Quote from the document.
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________

D. List two things the document tells you about life in the United States at the time it was written:
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________

E. Write a question to the author that is left unanswered by the document:
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________

Designed and developed by the
Education Staff, National Archives and Records Administration, Washington, DC 20408.