U.S. National Archives and Records Administration
 www.archives.gov February 4, 2004 

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.

Page URL:  http://www.archives.gov/digital_classroom/lessons/analysis_worksheets/document.html
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