Primary Documents Worksheet

Examine your primary documents, and then answer the following questions (use the back of this worksheet if you need more room).

1. Who wrote the documents? _________________________________________________

2. What are the documents (diary entries, letters, etc.)? ____________________________

3. How old do you think the author is? Why? ______________________________________

4. What can you tell about the author from these documents? For example, did she live on a farm? Was she well traveled?

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5. Does seeing the author’s handwriting help you understand her and the documents?

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Read the biography of the author and answer the following questions.

6. How does the biography help you understand the author?

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7. How does the biography help you understand the primary documents? 

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8. What information do you still need to answer your questions about the author and the documents? Where can you find this information? ________________________________

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9. How do primary and secondary sources work together to help historians understand people and events? _________________________________________________________

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