Walker Library: TPS Home: Analysis Worksheets & Graphic Organizers

Analysis Worksheets and Graphic Organizers

Library of Congress Analysis Worksheets and Guides

For TEACHERS: The Library of Congress has developed a helpful Teacher's Guide to its basic Primary Source Analysis Tool. These guides include guiding questions to prompt students as they move through the observe, reflect, and question columns. The Teacher's Guides can be accessed from the Using Primary Sources section of the Library of Congress Teacher's Page.

Primary Source Analysis Tool for Students

Additional Analysis Worksheets

E-S-P Analysis Worksheet
Analyze the economic, social, and political traits of a primary source.
HIPPO Analysis Worksheet
This analysis worksheet challenges students to ask historical thinking questions when examining a primary source such as historical context, intended audience, point of view, and perspective.
HAPPY Analysis Worksheet
Analysis guide that explores question of historical thinking
Image Analysis Form
This analysis worksheet asks students to record objective vs. subjective observations of an image along with previous background knowledge and deductions.
Primary Source Investigation
Similar to the Library's Primary Source Analysis Tool. This worksheet allows students to organize their analysis response to up to seven primary sources.
Writing from Documents Worksheets
Analyze text-based primary sources along with other formats of sources to answer investigative questions
25 Questions to Ask Your Primary Source
Before you begin to examine primary sources, learn some essential questions that you must ask about any item you find in an historical archive.
Text-Context-Subtext
Adapted from Bruce Lesh, Why Won't You Just Tell Us the Answer?, this analysis delves into the main sourcing questions.
Text-Context-Subtext in 3 Columns
A version of Bruce Lesh's analysis model that is also influenced by the Library of Congress primary source analysis tool.
Thinking Like a Historian checklist
Adapted from Sam Wineburg's work by our TPS partners at University of Northern Colorado, this is a great introduction to historical thinking skills.
Fishbowl Anaylsis Activity
This activity uses the Library of Congress primary source analysis model and incorporates classroom discussion with each student assigned active roles throughout the activity.
Compiled by Teaching with Primary Sources Program at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
Synthesizing Sources
Synthesize up to 4 sources in order to answer an investigative question.
Thinking about Songs as Historical Artifacts
An analysis guide previously offered by the Library of Congress that provides a way to use songs as artifacts.
Thinking about Poems as Historical Artifacts
An analysis sheet previously offered by the Library of Congress that provides a framework for using poems in the classroom.
Constructing a Historical Argument: Claim - Reasoning - Evidence
Helps students support their claims with reasons and their reasons with evidence.

Graphic Organizers

Analyzing Multiple Perspectives Worksheet
Compare and contrast the perspectives of two primary sources, using the skills of both differing perspectives and multiple texts.
Graphic Organizer Worksheets
Created by Teaching with Primary Sources consortium member Barbara Stripling, these worksheets focus on: Main ideas and supporting evidence, Multiple perspectives: point/counterpoint, Connecting ideas across texts, and Causes and effects
T-Chart Worksheet
Compare two sources and summarize analysis
Venn Diagram Worksheet
Analyze three primary sources at once to see where they connect and where they differ.