Gammell on Riel

Topic: Canadian History, Metis History

Historical Thinking Skills: Close Reading

Time Period: 1870s

This assessment provides insight into student’s ability to closely read a document. Close reading requires students to adopt a analytical approach to reading sources, analyzing them closely rather than simply skimming or accepting them at face value. Through sourcing, contextualizing, and close analysis of tone, word choice, and structure close readers can identify perspectives and develop a more nuanced understanding of the relationship between evidence and interpretations.

In “Gammell on Riel”, students are asked to evaluate two inferences and identify which is most plausible based on their close reading of a source.