Course Overview
The aim of the History course is to stimulate students’ interest in and enjoyment of exploring the past, to develop a critical understanding of the past and its impact on the present, to develop critical skills of historical inquiry and to enable students to participate as active, informed and responsible citizens.
Course Content
The course will cover:
- Movement of Peoples - The Movement of Peoples engages students with the beginning of the Industrial Revolution and how this led to the introduction of the Slave Trade in the Americas and convicts and free settlers to Australia. Students learn about this mass movement of people in a detail scope, including analysis of sources.
- Australians at War - Students will learn about Australia’s involvement in World War I and World War II. They will engage in meaningful discussions from why men enlisted to women’s involvement and prisoners of war. There will be a wide look at battles from Gallipoli to Tobruk, ending with the legacy of both wars.
- Rights and Freedoms - Rights and Freedoms studies the Aboriginal story from the European arrival in 1788 to current events. Students will debate historical content and engage in source analysis. There is also a small focus on the Civil Rights Movement in the USA and how this impacted Australia.
- Australia and the Vietnam War Era - Australia’s involvement in the Vietnam war was one of the longest time periods of war. Students learn about the Cold War and the threat of communism and how this led to Australia in Vietnam. Following on from this, students will engage in an analysis of life in 1960s Australia. Here, they will learn about fashion, music, technology, housing and how outside influences from the United States and United Kingdom greatly impacted Australian society.
Course Assessment
- In Year 9 students will engage in source analysis and empathy tasks to really gain an understanding of content. They will complete a comparison task between the world wars and engage in class tests.
- In Year 10 students will move to assessment tasks and build on the skills learned in Year 9. There will be a range of tasks including research, source analysis, creating an advertisement and an examination.
Possible Pathways in Stage 6
History is mandatory in Stage 5 and solid achievement in this course will open doors to success in a range of HSIE subjects including Ancient and Modern History, Business and Legal Studies and Geography.