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:

  1. ______________________________________________________________
  2. ______________________________________________________________
  3. ______________________________________________________________

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.

Teaching With Documents

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