Theme
Social justice and equity are the cornerstone to the theme of this ITU. Through an investigation of the context information one can summarize that a large majority of the student population at Valley High School is made up of minority students. Many of these minority races and cultures have undergone racial discrimination and are heavily judged based on stereotypes. A look into course textbooks also illustrate another alarming fact. Few heroic figures from minority backgrounds are discussed and those that are discussed are done so briefly. This causes students to feel disconnected with the American heroes they are often taught about such as George Washington, Abraham Lincoln and Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Therefore social justice and equity are essential to this ITU because as a class students will learn about heroes from all minority backgrounds such as Latino, African-American, Asian, LGBTQ and women.
Social Science
Throughout the course of this ITU students will investigate historical figures from a multitude of racial, cultural, sexual and gender backgrounds. The following historic heroes are some of the figures students will learn about during the course of this ITU
- Abraham Lincoln (Traditional Hero)
- Franklin Delano Roosevelt (Traditional Hero)
- Caesar Chavez (Latino Hero)
- Roberto Clemente (Latino Hero)
- Martin Luther King Jr. (Black Hero)
- Jackie Robinson (Black Hero)
- Eleanor Roosevelt (Female Hero)
- Susan B. Anthony (Female Hero)
- Mahatma Gandhi (Asian Hero)
- Harvey Milk (LGBTQ Hero)
Language Arts
Throughout the course of this ITU students will investigate literary heroes. While the literary heroes discussed may not come from the varied backgrounds of those covered in social studies they will have a common feature. All the literary figures will at some point make sacrifices towards a greater good, give to the less fortunate and/or appear strong in the face of adversity. These qualities are critical in the process of this ITU because the are the true characteristics of heroes and directly answer an essential question. Literay heroes that will be covered include but are not limited to
- Robin Hood - Gave back to the less fortunate
- Atticus Fitch - Made great sacrifices to a population less fortune
- Jane Eyre - Appeared strong in the face of extreme adversity