Summarize the essence of NAFTA. First, students will discuss the document based on a brief summary or listing of its goals. Outline the basic arguments for and against NAFTA so that students have a starting point for discussion.
Divide the class into economic and populist/humanitarian "camps." Supporters of the agreement cited free trade and laissez-faire theory. The idea is that increased free trade, with less tariffs and restrictions, would be for the greatest good. Populist perspectives, for each nation, were essentially that the "free trade" would deplete jobs and revenue from "our country" to another one. The most pressing concern was the far lower wages in Mexico than in the U.S. An argument against NAFTA was that it would entice American companies to abandon U.S. workers in favor of Mexican employees. Have the class conduct a spirited -- but civil -- debate about the merits and demerits of NAFTA's goals.
Assign each student to read a portion of the document. Let students distinguish between NAFTA's summary and its detailed content. Bias on the instructor's part may present NAFTA as simplistically "good" or "bad," thus skewing the debate discussed in the previous step. Realistically, students will not have time and patience to fully read and process every document that affects their lives. Making judgments and decisions based on compressed summaries is a realistic and unavoidable part of life.
Discuss the NAFTA text. Mention ambiguous terms such as "fair" or technical legal language, such as "arbitration." Students can summarize how they interpreted their assigned portion of the document. Many students will consider it dull and boring. Comment on the feasibility of accurately translating between English, Spanish and French -- the dominant languages of nations participating in NAFTA.
Encourage, if not require, students to offer a revised perspective after reading and discussing the text of the agreement. Probe whether revised perspectives were due to a better understanding of NAFTA itself or points brought up during discussion.