Primary Source Analysis Worksheet Generator
Describe or paste in a primary source and build a printable OPTIC or SOAPSTone worksheet, plus a matching answer key built from your own notes.
Lets you save more than one worksheet (e.g. one per source you analyze).
A sentence or two is enough — this is what students see printed above the questions. Since this is a static site, there's no image upload; describe it in words (an optional image link is below).
One word per line, with an optional definition after a colon: austerity: extreme plainness. Prints as a glossary box under the source.
If the image is hosted somewhere online, paste its link and it will appear on the worksheet. Leave blank to rely on the description only.
Embeds the file directly in this worksheet's saved data — no hosting needed. Takes priority over the Image URL above if both are set.
Large photos are automatically resized (long edge capped at 1600px) before they're saved, to keep this worksheet from eating too much of the browser's storage.
Print two sources side by side with shared sourcing questions, plus a comparison block: where do they agree, where do they disagree, and which is more reliable. Stays inside this one worksheet — for three or more sources, see the DBQ / Source Packet Builder instead.
Off by default — when unchecked, the worksheet prints exactly as it does without this section. Turning it on adds a teacher-typed summary and/or a plain-language paraphrase of the source text. Pairs well with “Number each line” above, so students can point back to the exact line in the original wording.
Same source, same framework, same questions — the level only changes how much scaffolding prints around them. Honors is the baseline and prints exactly what this tool has always printed.
Prints Academic, Honors, and Honors GT back to back, each tagged with its level at the top and bottom of the set so you can sort the piles. Works for the answer key too.
Pick up to four short excerpts from the pasted source text. Each one gets a numbered marker in the text and a matching “look closely” question underneath. Type the excerpt exactly as it appears in the source.
Save a source on its own, tagged by unit, topic, or era, and pull it into any worksheet later instead of retyping it. Stays in this browser like everything else here.
Comma separated, e.g. Unit 3, Reconstruction, 1870s.
Number of blank lines printed under each step's questions on the student worksheet.
Fill these in once per step. They stay hidden on the student worksheet and only appear when you print the answer key.