Click links below to choose a primary source. Watch the video to better understand what is a "primary source".
Tutorial: Writing Document Analysis Paragraphs
The ability to identify*, summarize*, and analyze* a source, whether secondary or primary, is a vital skill. As this class progresses, you will be required to write a couple of short, argumentative essays. This type of writing, along with the interpretation required, calls for the incorporation of context from materials we’ve covered in class—i.e. the textbook, lecture slides, and primary sources. The goal is to use multiple sources/examples in one essay. As we build up to that point, I ask students to learn how to write “analysis paragraphs.” One paragraph written about a source or a piece of evidence from class material eventually serves as a building block for a longer essay.
*To identify is to explain the basics such as who created a piece and when/where it was written/spoken/etc.
*To summarize is to convey briefly the key ideas of a source (text, image, audio, etc.), using your own words.
*To analyze is to explain the significance of those key ideas within the context of what we’ve been learning in class, as well as to give your interpretation of specific elements of the text such as audience, style, and use of rhetoric. (Refer to the handout on Interpreting Primary Sources.)
Tips for writing an analysis paragraph with a primary source text: