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DOCUMENT ANALYSIS WORKSHEET:
A CLASSROOM EXERCISE

1. Type of Document: (check one):

___ Letter ___ Diary entry ___ Notebook entry ___ Newspaper
___ Memorandum ___ Report ___Telegram ___ Other

2. Unique Physical Qualities of the Document (check one or more):

___ Drawings ___ Notations ___ Handwritten
___ Typed ___ Tears in paper

3. Date(s) of document: ____________________________________

4. Author (or creator) of document: __________________________________________

    Author's position: ______________________________________________________

5. For what audience was the document written? ________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

6. Document information:

    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?

    _____________________________________________________________________________

    _____________________________________________________________________________

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

      1.

      2.


    E. Write a question to the author (or creator) that is left unanswered by the document:

    _____________________________________________________________________________

    _____________________________________________________________________________

Adapted from a worksheet developed by Pam Carpenter and Chuck Moss
for their students at the Louisa County Middle School, Mineral, Virginia.


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