Artifact Analysis Worksheet

You have a box in front of you. Each member of the group should choose one item from the box to analyze. As a group, talk about the answers you come up with to the questions below. Since you’re choosing items from the same box, these items will have a lot in common.

1. List three things immediately that you find surprising, striking, noteworthy or important:

2. Location can be complicated. Can you identify a location associated with this artifact – where it was originally created? Where it refers to or depicts? Where it has been published? Where it has been stored in the past?

3. With the type of artifact in mind, identify who you think the audience might be? How can you tell? Use specific examples from the artifact to justify your claim.

4. Who created this artifact and why did the creator of this artifact choose this means of communication? What is particularly compelling about this format of communication? Did the creator want to inform or persuade?

5. Can you detect any bias or prejudice from the creator? Is there language or visual cues that indicate bias?

6. Now, list three or more questions you have about the artifact:

7. How would you go about learning the answers to these questions? Where is that information kept?