Before examining the actual document, introduce the following criteria for students to consider when looking for clues and drawing conclusions:
• Detailed and specific: the identified clues and conclusions should indicate the idea with as much precision as the document allows. For example, can we tell if the document is addressed to a weak or powerful prime minister?
• Imaginative: the identified clues and conclusions should goes the beyond the obvious to reveal more subtle or unexpected interpretations.
• Consistent with clues in the historical document: conclusions must be consistent with evidence from the primary source. For example, it would not be accurate to indicate that the authors believed that the Chinese were being given preferential treatment in British Columbia as the documents clearly indicate otherwise.
