Analysis:

The authors of the Migration CD-ROM have sought to reproduce the main steps in historical analysis through five modes of analysis:

Formulate issues — select priorities for study of the past, and historical questions for study. Write a research agenda.

Sift evidence — describe, assess, and categorize available evidence. Write a review of evidence.

Critique interpretations — assess the interpretations inherent in each document, including the outlook of its creator. Write a historiographical essay.

Construct narrative — conduct an analysis and present it in written form. Write a historical narrative.

Connect patterns — analyze historical connections and explain them to readers. Write a global interpretation.

Each Unit analysis is based on one of the previous modes and is composed of three levels of questions.

Level 1 calls on students to describe the document. Much of the background information appears in the description of the document.

Level 2 asks students to interpret each document in two ways: with emphasis on the mode of analysis for the unit, and with focus on the unit question. The same document could be explored within the remaining modes of analysis, and with other interpretive questions.

Level 3 combines the lessons from individual documents into an overall survey of the issue. At this level, students must consider the consistency and gaps in the evidence.

Answering the questions in Analysis:
Questions are posed for eight documents in each unit: a total of 77 questions for each unit, or 1001 for the Migration CD-ROM. From these models, users should be able to pose their own questions about other documents and other interpretive issues. Level 1 and Level 2 questions are multiple choice. The users write short answers for Level 3 questions and one of the Level 2 questions. At the end of Level 3, students write an essay in their Notebook.

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