Syracuse City School District Grade 7 Active Citizenship Framework
Exploration II: Who are the First Americans? (October/November)
Who cares? (Background & Rationale)
Through the process of historical inquiry and chronological reasoning, SCSD students embark on a historical investigation of the indigenous peoples of
North America and their encounters with the first European settlers. By historically investigating key indigenous groups such as the Haudenosaunee,
SCSD students begin to grasp the understanding that no historical event or development occurs in a vacuum; each one has prior conditions and causes,
and each one has consequences. Historical thinking involves using evidence and reasoning to draw conclusions about probable causes and effects,
recognizing that these are multiple and complex. It requires understanding that the outcome of any historical event may not be what those who are
engaged in it intended or predicted, so that chains of cause and effect in the past are unexpected and contingent, not pre-determined. Along with claims
about causes and effects, historical arguments can also address issues of change over time, the relevance of sources, the perspectives of those involved,
and many other topics, but must be based on evidence that must be used in a critical, coherent, and logical manner.
Developing historical knowledge in connection with historical investigations about America’s First Peoples not only helps students remember the
content better because it has meaning, but also allows students to become better thinkers and true active citizens in regards to present day issues related to
Native Americans and its clear impact on American society as a whole.
New York State Social Studies Standards Connection:
Standards: 7.1, 7.2 Themes: MOV, GEO, ECO, TECH, EXCH
Common Core Connection:
Reading Standards: RI.7.2, RI.7.3, RI.7.4, RI.7.5, RI.7.8
Writing Standards: W.7.1, W.7.4, W.7.5, W.7.9
Language Standards: L.7.1, L.7.2, L.7.3, L.7.4, L.7.5
Shift 1: Developing Questions That Matter:
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Who are the First Americans?
o How did the First Americans adapt to their environments?
o How did Europeans explore and establish settlements in the Americas?
o What is a nation and what identifies the Onondaga as a nation??
o What morals and ethics are revealed in the Peacemaker Story and how did it shape the confederacy?
o Who are the Haudenosaunee?
Syracuse City School District Grade 7 Active Citizenship Framework
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Sourcing: What historical events were recorded using wampum and what details of the events can are revealed?
What is the structure of the Onondaga Nation governing body, how was it developed, and how are decisions made and implemented in
the community?
What are the characteristics of the Onondaga culture and how has it changed over time?
Sourcing: What are the purpose, audience, context and tone of the Thanksgiving Address?
Why is the depiction of Native Americans (indigenous peoples) as mascots defamatory to the Haudenosaunee?
College, Career, and Civic ready students:
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Explain the significance of the technological developments and scientific understandings that improved European exploration such as the
caravel, magnetic compass, astrolabe, and Mercator projection.
Examine the voyage of Columbus, leading to the Columbian Exchange and the voyages of other explorers such as Champlain, Hudson, and
Verrazano.
Compare and contrast British interactions with the Wampanoag, Dutch interactions with the Mohicans, French interactions with the Algonquin,
and Spanish interactions with the Pueblo peoples. Students will investigate other Native American societies found in their locality and their
interactions with European groups.
Explain the major reasons Native American societies declined in population and lost land to the Europeans.
Examine the various Native American culture groups located within what became New York State including Haudenosaunee (Iroquois), and the
influence geographic factors had on their development.
Explain how the Haudenosaunee, like thousands of Native American nations and communities across the continent, have their own history and
culture.
Examine the Peacemaker story, which explains how the Confederacy came into being, is the civic and social code of ethics that guides the way in
which Haudenosaunee people live-how they treat each other within their communities, how they engage with people outside of their
communities, and how they run their traditional government.
Understand that the Haudenosaunee people give thanks every day, not just once a year. In addition they will be able to explain the Thanksgiving
Address serves as a daily reminder to appreciate and acknowledge all things. It reinforces the connection that people have to the world around
them.
Examine Haudenosaunee culture and how its dynamic characteristics have changed over time.
Identify and understand the terms Migrate, Environment, natural resource, culture, cultural region, Bering Land Bridge, indigenous,
Haudenosaunee, confederacy, League of 5 Nations (SCOOMT), matrilineal, Columbian Exchange, slavery, conquistadors, colony,
missionaries, coureurs de bois, nation, oral tradition, tree of peace, ethics, democracy, alliance, creator, sovereign, matrilineal, clans,
address, confederacy, indigenous, ethnic, depiction, defamatory
Syracuse City School District Grade 7 Active Citizenship Framework
Shift 2 Evaluating Sources & Using Evidence: SCSD Students make these connections by:
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Formulating a hypotheses about the origins of American Indian artifacts.
Analyzing ways in which American Indians of eight cultural regions adapted to their environments by sourcing key primary sources.
Identifying the motives behind European exploration of the Americas by sourcing, contextualizing and corroborating primary sources.
Explaining and debating how Europeans established territorial claims in the Americas in class discussion by examining primary and expository
text as data and evidence to identify social, political, economic and cultural and geographic impacts (SPEC-G).
Sourcing and explaining which ethics and morals are revealed in the Peacemaker Story
Sourcing and Contextualizing readings and maps to describe the location and characteristics of the different Huadenosaunee nations.
Connecting Wampum belt descriptions to Social, Political, Economic, and Cultural factors in the Onondaga nation (SPEC)
Sourcing and Contextualizing primary and secondary sources that allow students to analyze the structure of Onondaga nation governing body
Sourcing primary and secondary sources that allow students to analyze elements of Onondaga culture (Sports/ games, Clothing/ dress,
Homes/longhouses, food, music, ceremony) and discuss the change Onondaga culture had seen over time.
Analyzing the Thanksgiving Address using adapted (SPEECH) analysis strategy.
Corroborating and collect data and information from multiple sources and create an argumentative response to the question “Why is the depiction
of Native Americans (indigenous peoples) as mascots defamatory to the Haudenosaunee?”
Shift 3: SCSD Students Take Informed Action By: (Products & Assessments)
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Presenting on Haudenosaunee culture and history, (its features or a particular issue such as land dispute, racism, the mascot issue, preserving
cultural heritage and or environmental issue) to others to reach audiences and venues outside the classroom using print and oral technologies
(e.g., posters, essays, letters, debates, speeches, reports, and maps) and digital technologies (e.g., Internet, social media, and digital
documentary).
Organizing a cultural exhibition within their school community to inform and educate others on cultures of indigenous peoples in the United
States.
Writing a an argumentative letter to a political figure in your local community in regards to a particular issue facing the Haudenosaunee and
your own local community such as the Mascot Issue and or the Onondaga Lake Clean Up Project.
District – Wide Assessment: Writing an argumentative essay (DBQ Project): Cabeza de Vaca: How Did He Survive?