Year 7 SyllabusTest
- Rationale
- Aims
- Organisation
- Key Concepts and Skills
- Student Diversity
- Ways of Teaching
- Ways of Teaching Video
- Ways of Assessing
- General Capabilities
- Cross-Curriculum Priorities
- Glossary
- Humanities & Social Sciences Scope and Sequence
Humanities & Social Sciences Scope and Sequence- Humanities & Social Sciences Additional Content
- EAL/D Humanities and Social Sciences Pre-primary to Year 10
- ABLEWA Humanities and Social Sciences Scope and Sequence
- ABLEWA Humanities and Social Sciences Scope and Sequence
Year 7 Syllabus
Year Level Description
In Year 7, Humanities and Social Sciences consists of Civics and Citizenship, Economics and Business, Geography and History.
Students develop increasing independence in critical thinking and skill application, which includes questioning, researching, analysing, evaluating, communicating and reflecting. They apply these skills to investigate events, developments, issues, and phenomena, both historical and contemporary.
Students continue to build on their understanding of the concepts of the Westminster system and democracy by examining the key features of Australia's democracy, and how it is shaped through the Australian Constitution and constitutional change. The concepts of justice, rights and responsibilities are further developed through a focus on Australia's legal system.
An understanding of the concepts making choices and allocation is further developed through a focus on the interdependence of consumers and producers in the market, the characteristics of successful businesses, including how specialisation and entrepreneurial behaviour contributes to business success. Work and work futures are introduced, as students consider why people work. Students focus on national issues, with opportunities for the concepts to also be considered in relation to local community or global issues where appropriate.
The concepts of place, space, environment, interconnection, sustainability and change continue to be developed as a way of thinking and provide students with the opportunity to inquire into the nature of water as a natural resource. The concept of place is expanded through students' investigation of the liveability of their own place. They apply this understanding to a wide range of places and environments at the full range of scales, from local to global, and in a range of locations.
Students develop their historical understanding through key concepts, including evidence, continuity and change, cause and effect, perspectives, empathy, significance and contestability. These concepts are investigated within the historical context of how we know about the ancient past, and why and where the earliest societies developed.
Knowledge and understanding
Civics and citizenship
Designing our political and legal system
The purpose and value of the Australian Constitution (ACHCK048)
The concept of the separation of powers between the legislature, executive and judiciary and how it seeks to prevent the excessive concentration of power (ACHCK048)
The division of powers between state/territory and federal levels of government in Australia (ACHCK048)
The different roles of the House of Representatives and the Senate in Australia's bicameral parliament (ACHCK048)
The process for constitutional change through a referendum and examples of attempts to change the Australian Constitution by referendum, such as the successful vote on the Constitution Alteration (Aboriginals) 1967 or the unsuccessful vote on the Constitution Alteration (Establishment of Republic) 1999 (ACHCK049)
How Australia's legal system aims to provide justice, including through the rule of law, presumption of innocence, burden of proof, right to a fair trial, and right to legal representation (ACHCK050)
How citizens participate in providing justice through their roles as witnesses and jurors (ACHCK050)
Economics and business
Producing and consuming
How consumers rely on businesses to meet their needs and wants (ACHEK017)
How businesses respond to the demands of consumers (e.g. responding to preference for healthy options, environmentally friendly products and packaging, organic food) (ACHEK017)
Why businesses might set a certain price for a product and how they might adjust the price according to demand (ACHEK017)
Characteristics of entrepreneurs, including the behaviours and skills they bring to their businesses (e.g. establishing a shared vision; and demonstrating initiative, innovation and enterprise (ACHEK019)
Why individuals work (e.g. earning an income, contributing to an individual's self-esteem, material and non-material living standards, happiness) (ACHEK020)
Different types of work (e.g. full-time, part-time, casual, at home, paid, unpaid, volunteer) (ACHEK020)
How people derive an income and alternative sources of income (e.g. owning a business, being a shareholder, owning a rental service) (ACHEK020)
The ways people who have retired from employment earn an income (e.g. age pension, superannuation, private savings) (ACHEK020)
Geography
Water in the world
The classification of environmental resources (renewable and non-renewable) (ACHGK037)
The quantity and variability of Australia's water resources compared with those in other continents (ACHGK039)
Water scarcity and what causes it, why it is a problem and ways of overcoming water scarcity (e.g. recycling, stormwater harvesting and reuse, desalination, inter-regional transfer of water, reducing water consumption) including studies drawn from Australia, and one from West Asia or North Africa (ACHGK040)
Place and liveability
The factors that influence the decisions people make about where to live and their perceptions of the liveability of places (ACHGK043)
The influence of accessibility to services and facilities on the liveability of places (ACHGK044)
The influence of environmental quality on the liveability of places (ACHGK045)
The strategies used to enhance the liveability of places, especially for young people, including examples from Australia and Europe (ACHGK047)
History
The ancient world (Egypt, Greece, Rome, India, China)
Overview:
- The location of the ancient civilisations
- The timeframe of the ancient civilisations
Depth study 1: Investigating the ancient past
How historians and archaeologists investigate history, including excavation and archival research (ACDSEH001)
The range of sources that can be used in an historical investigation, including archaeological and written sources (ACDSEH029)
The importance of conserving the remains of the ancient past, including the heritage of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples (ACDSEH148)
Humanities and Social Sciences skills
Questioning and researching
Identify current understandings to consider possible gaps and/or misconceptions, new knowledge needed and challenges to personal perspectives (WAHASS64)
Construct a range of questions, propositions and/or hypotheses (WAHASS65)
Use a variety of methods to collect relevant information and/or data from a range of appropriate sources, such as print, digital, audio, visual and fieldwork (WAHASS66)
Select the best method for recording selected information and/or data (e.g. graphic organisers, such as structured overviews for classifying; mind maps, for identifying relationships and overviews; fieldwork, which may require sketch drawings, a list of observable features and photographs) (WAHASS67)
Identify differences in terms of origin and purpose between primary sources (e.g. a cartoon, speech, artefact) and secondary sources (e.g. reference books, such as a dictionary or encyclopedia) (WAHASS68)
Use appropriate ethical protocols to plan and conduct an inquiry (e.g. seek permission to use personal photos, seek permission when planning a visit to Aboriginal cultural land, use specific formats for acknowledging other people's information) (WAHASS69)
Analysing
Use criteria to select relevant information and/or data such as accuracy, reliability, currency and usefulness to the question (WAHASS70)
Interpret information and/or data to identify key relationships and/or trends displayed in various formats (e.g. change over time in a series of images, identify spatial distributions from a map) (WAHASS71)
Identify points of view/perspectives, attitudes and/or values in information and/or data (e.g. from tables, statistics, graphs, models, cartoons, maps, timelines) (WAHASS72)
Translate information and/or data from one format to another (e.g. from a table to a graph) (WAHASS73)
Apply subject-specific skills and concepts in familiar and new situations (WAHASS74)
Evaluating
Draw evidence-based conclusions by evaluating information and/or data to generate a range of alternatives and plan for action in response to contemporary events, challenges, developments, issues, problems and/or phenomena; make comparisons; evaluate costs (disadvantages) and benefits (advantages); and infer relationships (WAHASS75)
Communicating and reflecting
Represent information and/or data using appropriate formats to suit audience and purpose (e.g. tables/graphs, visual displays, models, timelines, maps, other graphic organisers) (WAHASS76)
Develop texts, particularly descriptions and explanations, using appropriate subject-specific terminology and concepts that use evidence to support findings, conclusions and/or arguments, from a range of sources (WAHASS77)
Reflect on learning to review original understandings and/or determine actions in response to events, challenges, developments, issues, problems and/or phenomena (WAHASS78)
Achievement standard
At Standard, students construct a range of questions and use a variety of methods to select, collect and organise information and/or data from appropriate sources. They develop criteria to determine the usefulness of primary and/or secondary sources for a purpose. When interpreting sources, students identify their origin and purpose, and distinguish between fact and opinion. They interpret information and/or data to identify points of view/perspectives, relationships and/or trends, and to sequence events and developments. Students apply subject-specific skills to translate information and/or data from one format to another, in both familiar and unfamiliar situations. They draw simple evidence-based conclusions in a range of contexts. Students represent information and/or data in appropriate formats to suit audience and purpose. They develop texts using appropriate subject-specific terminology and concepts. Students use evidence to support findings and acknowledge sources of information.
Students describe how democracy in Australia is shaped by the Commonwealth Constitution. They describe the operation of Australia’s federal structure of government and the role of parliament, within the Westminster system. Students identify rights and responsibilities of being a participant in the legal system and describe how the legal system aims to provide justice.
Students describe how the price of goods and services results from interactions between consumers and businesses, as a consequence of making choices. They describe how the specialisation of workers and businesses, including entrepreneurial behaviour, provides benefits to individuals and the wider community.
Students describe the changes caused by interconnections between people, places and natural environments, and the alternative strategies used to manage the changes. They describe the features of liveable places, and how and/or why places are perceived and valued differently.
Students describe the role of groups and the significance of particular individuals in ancient society, and suggest reasons for change and continuity over time. They identify past events and developments that have been interpreted in different ways. Students describe events and developments from the perspective of different people who lived at the time.
Year Level Description
In Year 7, Humanities and Social Sciences consists of Civics and Citizenship, Economics and Business, Geography and History.
Students develop increasing independence in critical thinking and skill application, which includes questioning, researching, analysing, evaluating, communicating and reflecting. They apply these skills to investigate events, developments, issues, and phenomena, both historical and contemporary.
Students continue to build on their understanding of the concepts of the Westminster system and democracy by examining the key features of Australia's democracy, and how it is shaped through the Australian Constitution and constitutional change. The concepts of justice, rights and responsibilities are further developed through a focus on Australia's legal system.
An understanding of the concepts making choices and allocation is further developed through a focus on the interdependence of consumers and producers in the market, the characteristics of successful businesses, including how specialisation and entrepreneurial behaviour contributes to business success. Work and work futures are introduced, as students consider why people work. Students focus on national issues, with opportunities for the concepts to also be considered in relation to local community or global issues where appropriate.
The concepts of place, space, environment, interconnection, sustainability and change continue to be developed as a way of thinking and provide students with the opportunity to inquire into the nature of water as a natural resource. The concept of place is expanded through students' investigation of the liveability of their own place. They apply this understanding to a wide range of places and environments at the full range of scales, from local to global, and in a range of locations.
Students develop their historical understanding through key concepts, including evidence, continuity and change, cause and effect, perspectives, empathy, significance and contestability. These concepts are investigated within the historical context of how we know about the ancient past, and why and where the earliest societies developed.