Year 7
Year 7 Humanities develops on four key subjects:
- Civics and Citizenship
- Economics and Business
- History
- Geography
Each subject includes the two interrelated strands of knowledge and skills.
In History students learn about the ancient world from the time of the earliest human communities to the end of the ancient period, approximately 60 000 BC (BCE) – c.650 AD (CE). The study of the ancient world includes the discoveries (the remains of the past and what we know) and the mysteries (what we do not know) about this period of history, in a range of societies in places including Australia, Egypt, Greece, Rome, India and China.
Geography includes two units of study:
- ‘Water in the world
- ‘Place and liveability
‘Water in the world’ focuses on water as an example of a renewable environmental resource. This unit examines the many uses of water, the ways it is perceived and valued, its different forms as a resource, the ways it connects places as it moves through the environment, its varying availability in time and across space, and its scarcity. Water is investigated using studies drawn from Australia, countries of the Asia region, and countries from West Asia and/or North Africa.
‘Place and liveability’ focuses on the concept of place through an investigation of liveability. This unit examines factors that influence liveability and how it is perceived, the idea that places provide us with the services and facilities needed to support and enhance our lives, and that spaces are planned and managed by people. The liveability of places is investigated using studies drawn from Australia and Europe.
Civics and Citizenship provides a study of the key features of Australia’s system of government and explores how this system aims to protect all Australians. Students examine the Australian Constitution and how its features, principles and values shape Australia’s democracy. They look at how the rights of individuals are protected through the justice system. Students also explore how Australia’s secular system of government supports a diverse society with shared values.
Economics and Business study gives students the opportunity to further develop their understanding of concepts by exploring what it means to be a consumer, a worker and a producer in the market, and the relationships between these groups. Students explore the characteristics of successful businesses and consider how entrepreneurial behaviour contributes to business success. Setting goals and planning to achieve these goals are vital for individual and business success, and students consider approaches to planning in different contexts, while also considering different ways to derive an income.
Year 8
Year 8 Humanities develops on four key subjects:
- Civics and Citizenship
- Economics and Business
- History
- Geography
Each subject includes the two interrelated strands of knowledge and skills.
History curriculum provides a study of history from the end of the ancient period to the beginning of the modern period, c.650– 1750 AD (CE). This was when major civilisations around the world encountered each other. Social, economic, religious and political beliefs were often challenged and significantly changed. It was the period when the modern world began to take shape.
Geography has two units of study:
- ‘Landforms and landscapes
- ‘Changing nations
‘Landforms and landscapes’ focuses on investigating geomorphology through a study of landscapes and their landforms. This unit examines the processes that shape individual landforms, the values and meanings placed on landforms and landscapes by diverse cultures, hazards associated with landscapes, and management of landscapes. These distinctive aspects of landforms and landscapes are investigated using studies drawn from Australia and throughout the world.
‘Changing nations’ investigates the changing human geography of countries, as revealed by shifts in population distribution. The unit explores the process of urbanisation and draws on a study of a country of the Asia region to show how urbanisation changes the economies and societies of low- and middle-income countries. It investigates the reasons for the high level of urban concentration in Australia, one of the distinctive features of Australia’s human geography, and compares Australia with the United States of America. The redistribution of population resulting from internal migration is examined through case studies of Australia and China, and is contrasted with the way international migration reinforces urban concentration in Australia. The unit then examines issues related to the management and future of Australia’s urban areas.
Civics and Citizenship provides a study of the responsibilities and freedoms of citizens and how Australians can actively participate in their democracy. Students consider how laws are made and the types of laws used in Australia. Students also examine what it means to be Australian by identifying the reasons for and influences that shape national identity.
Economics and Business gives students the opportunity to further develop their understanding of concepts by exploring the ways markets – including traditional Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander markets – work within Australia, the participants in the market system and the ways they may influence the market’s operation. The rights, responsibilities and opportunities that arise for businesses, consumers and governments are considered along with the influences on the ways individuals work now and into the future. The emphasis in Year 8 is on national and regional issues, with opportunities for the concepts to also be considered in relation to local community or global issues where appropriate.
Year 9
Year 9 Humanities develops on four key subjects:
- Civics and Citizenship
- Economics and Business
- History
- Geography
History develops on the making of the modern world from 1750 to 1918. It was a period of industrialisation and rapid change in the ways people lived, worked and thought. It was an era of nationalism and imperialism, and the colonisation of Australia was part of the expansion of European power. The period culminated in World War I, 1914–1918, the ‘war to end all wars’.
There are two units of Geography:
- ‘Biomes and food security
- Geographies of interconnections
‘Biomes and food security’ focuses on investigating the role of the biotic environment and its role in food and fibre production. This unit examines the biomes of the world, their alteration and significance as a source of food and fibre, and the environmental challenges of and constraints on expanding food production in the future.
These distinctive aspects of biomes, food production and food security are investigated using studies drawn from Australia and across the world.
‘Geographies of interconnections’ focuses on investigating how people, through their choices and actions, are connected to places throughout the world in a wide variety of ways, and how these connections help to make and change places and their environments. This unit examines the interconnections between people and places through the products people buy and the effects of their production on the places that make them. The distinctive aspects of interconnection are investigated using studies drawn from Australia and across the world.
Civics and Citizenship builds students’ understanding of Australia’s political system and how it enables change. Students examine the ways political parties, interest groups, media and individuals influence government and decision-making processes. They investigate the features and principles of Australia’s court system, including its role in applying and interpreting Australian law. Students also examine global connectedness and how this is shaping contemporary Australian society.
Economics and Business gives students the opportunity to further develop their understanding of concepts by exploring the interactions within the global economy. Students are introduced to the concept of an ‘economy’ and explore what it means for Australia to be part of the Asia region and the global economy. They consider the interdependence of participants in the global economy, including the implications of decisions made by individuals, businesses and governments.
Year 10
Year 10 Humanities develops on four key subjects:
- Civics and Citizenship
- Economics and Business
- History
- Geography
History provides a study of the modern world and Australia from 1918 to the present, with an emphasis on Australia in its global context. The twentieth century became a critical period in Australia’s social, cultural, economic and political development. The transformation of the modern world during a time of political turmoil, global conflict and international cooperation provides a necessary context for understanding Australia’s development, its place within the Asia-Pacific region and its global standing.
There are two units for Geography:
1. Environmental change and management
2. Geographies of human wellbeing
‘Environmental change and management’ focuses on investigating environmental geography through an in-depth study of a specific environment. The unit begins with an overview of the environmental functions that support all life, the major challenges to their sustainability, and the environmental world views – including those of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples – that influence how people perceive and respond to these challenges. Students investigate a specific type of environment and environmental change in Australia and one other country.
‘Geographies of human wellbeing’ focuses on investigating global, national and local differences in human wellbeing between places. Students explore spatial differences in wellbeing within and between countries and evaluate the differences from a variety of perspectives. The distinctive aspects of human wellbeing are investigated using studies drawn from Australia, India and across the world as appropriate.
Civics and Citizenship develops student understanding of Australia’s system of government through comparison with another system of government in the Asian region. Students examine Australia’s roles and responsibilities within the international context, such as its involvement with the United Nations. Students also study the purpose and work of the High Court. They investigate the values and practices that enable a democratic society to be sustained.
Economics and Business gives students the opportunity to further develop their understanding of concepts by considering Australia’s economic performance and standard of living. The ways governments manage economic performance to improve living standards is explored, along with the reasons why economic performance and living standards differ within and between economies. Students examine the consequences of decisions and the responses of business to changing economic conditions, including the way they manage their workforce.
