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Goals & Objectives:
The simple goal of a document analysis activity is for students to become
extremely familiar with a single work that holds some value to the overall
goals of the course. Example objectives might include:
After active participation in the document analysis activity, students will...
- Assess the historical value of a given work,
- Summarize or paraphrase the important facts in a given work,
- Formulate a critical analysis of the given work,
- Classify the style of the given work,
- Analyze the handwriting style of a given work,
- Explicate the given poem,
- Determine the artistic vision attempted by a given photograph,
- Examine the historical attributes of a given photograph,
as determined by 80% application of rubric items.
Additional action words that are appropriate include: summarize, describe,
interpret, review, memorize...
Prerequisites:
Often none. In some cases, such as handwriting analysis, students would
need background understanding of the concepts. In hermeneutical or historical
analysis, students would also need background knowledge.
Materials and Resources:
What needs to be prepared in advance by the teacher? - The instructor should
have questions prepared to guide the students analysis. Furthermore, a
rubric for grading the activity based upon potential student answers should
be developed. The instructor may also need to provide the document for analysis
in some cases.
What does the student need to bring to the lesson? - Complete prior readings.
Guiding Questions for this Activity:
The guiding question can differ a little based upon the curriculum. Common
guiding questions may include: Can the student adequately synthesize the
heteroglot encompassed in the given work? What historical point is encompassed
by the given work? What can be said about the person who wrote the given
work? This activity usually tests the student's comprehension of earlier
learned facts in application.
Activity Outline and Procedure:
- Begin with a lesson discussing the principle(s) to be found in the given
document(s).
- Provide students with access to the document(s) and a list of specifc
questions to address.
- Allow 3 days for students to analyze the document(s).
- Students then turn in an analysis of the document(s) in which they specifically
address the questions asked.
- Students can peer review the analysis of other students.
- Provide your own additional comments in summary.
Teaching Strategies:
- In many cases, professional analysi(/e)s of the given document(s) may
be available to share with the students after the activity.
- Multiple types of documents can be analyzed in a single activity.
Accommodations:
What accommodations may be needed for students with disabilities or other
special needs? For some disabilities, this activity will not be possible.
For example, a blind person will not be able to analyze visual elements of
a work such as handwriting. Other works may require audio or Braille versions,
which is not as difficult for this activity since important works are generally
utiilized that are more likely to be in alternative formats. Visual elements
may need an alternative activity as well.
Timeline:
Typically, about 3 days should be provided at a minimum between the time
the document is presented and the time that the assignment is due. However,
in some cases, this may be used as a testing activity, in which students
are only given 10 minutes to an hour to make their analysis.
Ideas for Activity Evaluation and Teacher Reflection:
How did the students like the lesson? End of semester evaluations should
ask about the usefulness and learning accomplished through such activities.
How was student learning verified? An assessment should be performed on
the quality of the analysis. Discussion on the process that the student used
to come upon his/her analysis can also be performed.
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