The last step in analysis is to figure out how the pieces relate to each other--and what "big picture" is created by the parts. This step usually requires you to draw a conclusion or make a generalization (a general statement about a set of details). Here's what all three steps look like when we apply them to Resolution 440.
| Identify a document's parts--and each part's purpose. | We divided the statements in the resolution into parts or sections, based on the type of information provided. One section explained how Cinco de Mayo is celebrated, another described what happened during the battle, and a third made a connection between the United States and Mexico. |
| Look closely at (ask questions about) each part. | We read each part carefully--and found some facts that differed from what we learned from another source. Resolution 440 makes it seem as though Cinco de Mayo is as big a deal in Mexico as it is in the U.S., which is different from one of the main points in the documentary video. Also, the resolution doesn't mention the bloody war between the U.S. and Mexico just a few years prior to Cinco de Mayo, in which Mexico lost most of its territory. |
| Figure out how the pieces fit together--and make some general statements about the big picture. | We haven't done this step yet. To generalize about the picture that a source builds with its parts, ask yourself these kinds of questions: What understanding have you gained from taking the pieces apart? What cause-and-effect relationships do you see? What questions were answered? What questions still remain? Seeing beyond a document's parts to the big picture it suggests is often the hardest part of analysis, because it requires coming up with your own original ideas based on the evidence you found. |
The worksheet below will help you with the last step in analysis. Click on the Activity button to download the worksheet, and answer the questions provided. Make sure you include quotes from Resolution 440 to support all of your responses, and don't forget to put your name on your paper!
