History Year 7/8
History is about people in the past. History students investigate the lives of people and the events they lived through, using different sources and artefacts that have been left behind. This allows us to look at our world today with an understanding of how events have unfolded over time.
Topics:
Contact and Colonisation: Australia and one other society such as the Aztecs or America
Medieval Societies: Two societies are chosen such as Europe or Japan
Assessment:
One formal assessment task per topic, such as a research assignment or source study; all course work is included in assessment so it is essential to keep up-to-date with class tasks.
History Year 9/10
Mandatory History
Year 9 and 10 History explores Australia's history and our place in the world since 1901.
Year 9 Topics:
- The Making Of The Modern World – Making A Better World?
- Movement Of Peoples and Australians at War (World War I and II).
Year 10 Topics:
- The Modern World and Australia – Rights and Freedoms;
- The Globalising World and a school-developed Depth Study.
Students explore the "big picture" of Australia's history by focusing on the lives and achievements of particular groups and personalities.
Assessment:
One formal assessment task per topic, such as a research assignment or source study; all course work is included in assessment so it is essential to keep up-to-date with class tasks.
Elective History
Elective History is an exciting course offering activities to extend students' interest and skills in the practical methods of historians and archaeologists. Through a framework of structured course work establishing how our view of the past is affected by how others have interpreted and recorded it, students are able to explore individual areas of interest.
Topics:
- Constructing History: the way the past is reflected in different historical constructions such as family History, Historical Fiction, History and the Media, Local History, Historical Reconstructions, Film as History and Museum Studies
- Ancient, Medieval and Early Modern Societies: a choice of societies is studied through archaeology and literature
- Thematic Studies: areas of interest such as Children in History, heroes and Villains, Sport and Recreation, War and Peace, Music through History, World Myths and Legends
This course is tailor-made for students who have enjoyed Ancient and Medieval Societies in year 7 and 8 and want to extend their study of these times, and/or are keen to have the opportunity to explore topics and themes not covered in the Stage 5 Core History course.
Assessment:
One formal assessment task per topic, such as a research assignment or source study; all course work is included in assessment so it is essential to keep up-to-date with class tasks.
Cost:
Approximately $50 cost can be anticipated for excursions
History Year 11/12
Ancient History
"Ancient History" is the period from about 3000 BC to the fall of the Roman Empire in AD 476.
Prerequisites:
An interest in the stories of the past, exploring a variety of ancient societies, events and personalities in depth, developing and applying skills in the use of different types of evidence and the desire to understand more clearly the structure of our world and lessons we can learn if we are not to repeat the mistakes of the past. The most successful History students independently read widely, explore historical websites and enjoy watching historical films, documentaries and following historical issues in the media.
Preliminary Course Description:
- Introduction (approximately 1 term): Learn how archaeologists work to locate, interpret and report on societies, personalities and events in the past through a selection of Case Studies. Popular Case Studies are Ancient Human Remains, Ancient Marine Archaeology and Tutankhamun's Tomb.
- Ancient Societies, Sites and Sources (approximately 2 terms) One Ancient Society is selected from a variety of choices and studied in depth. One individual Historical Investigation is completed with students making their own choice of society. Choices include Greek Drama, Ancient Society and The City of Rome.
HSC Course Description:
- Core Study- Cities of Vesuvius- Pompeii and Herculaneum: the excavation and unearthing of these Roman towns buried in a catastrophic volcanic event is investigated.
- Ancient Societies- one ancient society is studied in depth
- Personalities in Their Times- one ancient personality is studied in depth
- Historical Periods- one historical period is studied in depth
Assessment Procedures
Preliminary: Research Project showing the work of archaeologists at a particular site; Source Analysis of the work of Archaeologists and an Ancient Society; Research Project including a brief oral presentation or participating in an activity such as presenting a scene from an Ancient Greek play; Written Exam.
HSC Internal Assessment: Two Research Projects (25%); Two Source Analysis tasks (25%); two exams (40%). One of the Research Projects has an oral component (10%) that may be a brief presentation or taking part in an activity such as a Forum inquiring into an ancient event.
HSC External Assessment: 3 hour written exam. There are four Questions- one from each part of the course. Two are structured short answers and the other two are essay responses.
Modern History
"Modern History" is the period from about the 15th Century to today.
Prerequisites:
An interest in the stories of the past, exploring a variety of modern events and personalities in depth, developing and applying skills in the use of different types of evidence, and the desire to understand more clearly the structure of our world and lessons we can learn if we are not to repeat the mistakes of the past. The most successful History students independently read widely, explore historical websites and enjoy watching historical films, documentaries and following historical issues in the media.
Preliminary Course Description:
- Case Studies- 2 case studies are selected, from Europe, North America or Australia and the other from Asia, the Pacific, Africa, the Middle East or Central/South America.
- Historical Investigation- an individual or group investigation is selected and completed
- Core Study: The World at the Beginning of the Twentieth Century- complete an investigation into the major issues in the world 100 years ago
HSC Course Description:
- Core Study- Part I: Core Study: World War I 1914–1919
- National Study- one national study is completed in depth selected from a variety such as China or Russia/Soviet Union
- Personalities in the Twentieth Century- one personality is completed in depth in association with the National Study
- International Studies in Peace and Conflict- one area of conflict is completed in depth selected from areas such as Indochina (Vietnam)
Assessment Procedures:
Preliminary Course: Research Project exploring one of the Depth Studies; Source Analysis of material related to the Depth Studies and a Research Project with an oral component to present findings on the World at the Beginning of the Twentieth Century.
HSC Internal Assessment: Two Research Projects (25%); two Source Analysis tasks (25%); two exams (40%). One of the Research Projects has an oral component (10%) that may be a brief presentation or taking part in an activity such as a Forum inquiring into a modern event.
HSC External Assessment: 3 hour written exam. There are four Questions. World War I is examined through student analysis of source material; one question on the National Study requires students to write an essay about a major event and the other requires students to write structured responses about the personality they have studied; an essay question is posed for the International Study in Peace and Conflict.