ABSTRACT
This chapter describes the activity of key words in a nutshell, aim of the activity, need of the activity, time required for the activity, how the activity works and the advantages of the activity. It analyses the importance of a key text, diary entry or memoir by asking small student subgroups to identify what they think are the three most important, poignant or powerful words in the passage. The activity is aims to increase students' powers of documentary analysis and to encourage students to pinpoint, and then explain, the significance and importance of key words in a set passage. Humanities and social science subjects revolve around texts: poems, extracts from key texts and speeches, government documents, diary memoirs, eye-witness reports, newspaper editorials and the like. Students will have to concentrate on a key passage and be inducted into skills very relevant to answering documentary analysis questions.
