Rationale and Background Information
This unit, Agents of Change: How American Indians Helped Change the World in Only Seven Years, will use the far-reaching impact of the Seven Years’ War to provide students with the context and evidence to better understand the history of early Indian and European relations. Although the scope of Indian and federal government relations is far too vast to incorporate, this unit, sequenced early in the instructional year, will not only help students grasp how we arrived at the current state of affairs with the continent’s indigenous populations, but also leave them better equipped to more deeply consider these issues when they encounter the related subject matter in subsequent units.
Andres Castillero Middle School (grades 6 though 8) is located in the heart of Silicon Valley and the third-largest city in California (and the 10th largest in the U.S.). A performing arts magnet serving the Almaden Valley neighborhood of San Jose, the school’s numerous elective course offerings draw students from across an array of neighborhoods. The student body of approximately 1,222 students, mainly comprised of white (43%), Hispanic (36%) and Asian (13%), (with thirty-three percent of the student body identified as low socioeconomic), is a blend of white- and blue-collar families.2 Performing arts positively impact the school culture, as students from all economic backgrounds recognize the value of these social, educational, and extracurricular opportunities, and widely embrace them as they develop into well-rounded individuals.
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