Year 7
Students in Year 7 complete three units of work and their associated assessment tasks. These units focus on ancient history from the time of the earliest human communities, as well as ancient Egyptian and ancient Chinese society. This course provides the framework for historical enquiry and acts as an introduction to the concept of significance and the skills of comprehension and research.
Stage 4 – Mandatory History
Year 8
The Year 8 Mandatory History course focuses on the different societies spanning the medieval period. The first topic investigates the way of life in Shogunate Japan, including social, cultural, economic and political. The skill associated with this unit of work is source analysis. The second program, Medieval European Society, involves students using a range of written and archaeological sources to explain and communicate information about medieval culture. The final unit of work in the Stage 4 course focuses on the Spanish Conquest of the Americas, which considers the impacts of contact and colonisation on North American indigenous communities using the cause and effect framework.
Stage 5 – Mandatory History
Year 9
The Stage 5 Mandatory History course investigates the key social and economic changes of the 18th and 19th century including industrialisation, nationalism, imperialism, militarism and capitalism. Students gain an understanding on how these continuities and changes impacted on people and their living and working conditions. This then leads in to the development of Australia as a nation, from British settlement, experiences of Indigenous peoples through to Federation and the beginning of World War I. Students consider the concept of contestability when examining the tensions among Europe's great powers and their various contributions to the outbreak of World War I as well as how this event has defined the course of Australian and world history.
Stage 5 – Mandatory History
Year 10
The concept of perspectives and the skill of empathy are the examined through the Year 10 Mandatory History units of work. The study of World War II and the case studies of the Holocaust and the bombing of Hiroshima enable students to consolidate and build upon their understanding of nationalism and imperialism. This unit allows for a sense of connectedness to emerge, as the impacts of the events in the 20th century continue to affect lives in the 21st century. The development of the United Nations and the subsequent struggle for rights and freedoms of various groups within society are also examined in depth.
Mandatory Site Study: Students in Year 10 are also required to undertake a mandatory site study in order to achieve the outcomes of the course and satisfactorily achieve their ROSA. Such sites studied in the past include the Quarantine Station at Manly and the Sydney Jewish Museum in Darlinghurst.
Student Requirements:
The Stage 4 and Stage 5 courses have similar course requirements:
- An exercise or notebook for keeping class notes. A dot point summary book (where applicable) will be provided by the class teacher
- Standard stationary items (pens, pencils)
- A school diary or means of recording assessment tasks and homework (where applicable)
- Internet access (either at home or using facilities in the school library) in order to research, complete assessment tasks and access platforms such as Google Suite (Google Drive, Google Classroom, Google Docs)
Students may supplement or substitute their exercise book with an appropriate device (laptop, iPad, tablet). Mobile phones are not considered an appropriate device for taking class notes or completing assessment tasks.