Written Document Analysis Worksheet

1. TYPE OF DOCUMENT (Check one):

___ Letter ___ Passenger List ___ Passport / Transit Pass
___ Memorandum ___ Prisoner List ___ Report
___ Death Records ___Other  

 

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

___ Interesting letterhead ___ Notations
___ Handwritten ___ "RECEIVED" stamp
___ Typed ___ "SECRET" stamp
___ Seals ___ Other

 

3. DATE(S) OF DOCUMENT: _________________________________________

4. AUTHOR (OR CREATOR) OF THE DOCUMENT (IF KNOWN): _______________________

POSITION OR TITLE (IF KNOWN): _____________________________________________

5. FOR WHAT AUDIENCE WAS THE DOCUMENT WRITTEN? ______________

_______________________________________________________________

6. DOCUMENT INFORMATION (There are many possible ways to answer Questions 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 the experiences of refugees in Europe at the time it was written:

____________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

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

____________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

Adapted from the Written Document Analysis Worksheet of the National Archives and Records Administration, Washington, DC 20408.