Australian Curriculum to

NSW History Syllabus- Making it work -

• Look at the main features of the new NSW History syllabus and understand the connection to the Australian Curriculum.

• Look at content of new syllabus, think about topic choices.

• Create a pathway of learning for your school in History 7-10

• Share resources

Part 1

History K-10

‘Australia should by now have a

curriculum common to all students

across the nation, but I fear the

opportunity for achieving it is

already lost’. Sir Harold Wyndham

1982

- help to ensure all young Australians

are equipped with the skills, knowledge

and capabilities that provide a foundation

for successful and lifelong learning and

participation in the Australian community

- make clear to teachers what is to be

taught across the years of schooling

- make clear to students what they

should learn and the quality of the

learning expected of them

http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/History/Curriculum/F-10

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

Australian Curriculum Development

Phase 2

development

2010-2012

Design

Paper

Shape

Papers

Phase 1

development

2008-2010

Phase 3

development

2011-2013

Development of the Learning Areas

Learning areas Timeline

English 2008-2010

Mathematics 2008-2010

Science 2008-2010

Humanities and social sciences

•History

•Geography

•Economics, Business, Civics and citizenship

2008-2010

2010-2012

2011-2013

The arts 2010-2012

Languages 2010-2012

Health and physical education 2011-2013

Design and the technologies 2011-2013

Why a new NSW syllabus?

2003

2010

?

The NSW view of the Australian Curriculum

• NSW has a long history of syllabus development, and quality teaching and learning in History content area.

• Federal legislation does not override state legislation in education.

• NSW has largest candidature in senior History (27000 students).

• NSW will include Australian Curriculum in all new syllabuses it develops – through an agreement made between Minister for Education (Federal) and NSW BOS.

• NSW will keep the same style of syllabus for all subjects.• English, Maths, Science and History (and later Geography)

all have new syllabuses based on the Australian Curriculum.

Problems specific to History

• Too much content in Years 7-10.• NSW is the only state that currently has mandatory

History to Year 10.• NSW schools must teach 50 hours minimum in each

year in History.• ACARA’s curriculum was written for 80 hours!• Vietnam was missing from ACARA’s curriculum, and

lack of specific indigenous content.• There was perceived lack of flexibility and lack of

provision for teaching more contemporary history.• Consultation with stakeholders revealed concerns.

Problems resolved though the development of the new NSW History syllabus

• NSW syllabus incorporates the ACARA Curriculum

• More detail and guidance given

• Some differences in terms of content

NSW History K-10 Syllabus

Underlying

Principles K-10 Curriculum Framework

Statement of Equity Principles -diversity of learners

The Melbourne Declaration on Educational Goals for Young Australians (2008)

- Goal 1: Australian schooling promotes equity and excellence

- Goal 2: All young Australians should become successful learners, confident and creative individuals, and active and informed citizens.

Promoting world-class curriculum and assessment. P.13

Rationale

The History K-10 syllabus emphasises that the study of history is based on interpreting evidence derived from the past using the process of historical inquiry.

History K-10 Syllabus, Rationale p. 10

Rationale and aims

- outline the purpose and structure of the learning area

Content descriptions

- core knowledge, understandings and skills – what students will be taught

Content elaborations

- illustrate and exemplify content

Achievement standards

- describe the quality of learning typically expected of students; descriptions and work samples

Organisation of

learning area

Guide to the new syllabus

http://syllabus.bos.nsw.edu.au/history/history-k10/guide-to-the-new-syllabus/

K-10 History Concepts Continuum

http://syllabus.bos.nsw.edu.au/hsie/history-k10/continuum-of-concepts/

K-10 History Skills Continuum

http://syllabus.bos.nsw.edu.au/hsie/history-k10/continuum-of-skills/

Cross-curriculum prioritiesAboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures

Asia and Australia’s engagement with Asia

Sustainability

General capabilities

Critical and creative thinking

Ethical understanding

Information and communication technology capability

Intercultural understanding

Literacy

Numeracy

Personal and social capability

Other learning across the curriculum areas

Civics and citizenship

Difference and diversity

Work and enterprise History Key.docx

K-6 Content

Main changes 7-10 history

Ensuring a world history approach

A world history approach involves

- the use of broad introductory overviews to provide historical context

- investigating key inquiry questions aimed at addressing big ideas

- tracing continuity and change and cause and effect over time

- depth studies connected to a global context

- Australian history located in a global context

- How many of these world history features are already evident in your history lessons?

- How will you ensure that these world history features will be reflected in your teaching and learning programs for the new syllabus?

Stage 4 –

New ContentNew topics

Following are new areas of content in History for Stages 4 and 5, both mandatory and elective topics.

• Mandatory requirement to complete an Asian topic – India OR China in Depth Study 3

Opportunity to study new areas in

• Renaissance Italy in Depth Study 4

• The Polynesian expansion across the Pacific in Depth Study 5

• Mongol Expansion in Depth Study 6

• The Black Death on an international scale, in Asia, Europe and Africa in Depth Study 6.

Stage 5 –

New Content• Mandatory requirement to complete a 19th century study of ONE of the

following: The Industrial Revolution, The Movement of people or

Progressive ideas and movements in Depth Study 1.

• Opportunity to study an Asian society, its contact with European powers and

its position in the world c.1900 in Depth Study 2

• Opportunity to study ‘The environment movement’ , ‘Popular culture’ and

‘Migration experiences’ in more detail in Depth Study 5

• Opportunity to undertake a school-developed study with content drawn from

either of the Stage 5 Overviews, to create an original Depth Study 6 to meet

the interests and abilities of students.

• Mandatory requirement to complete Depth Study 3 Australians at War and

Depth Study 4 Rights and Freedoms 1945-present.

• The inclusion of Asian history in Stage 4 (mandatory) and Stage 5 (optional) supports the world history approach of the History 7-10 syllabus and addresses the cross-curriculum priority, Asia and Australia’s engagement with Asia.

Stage 4

• Depth Study 3: The Asian World offers electives on India OR China

• Depth Study 5: The Asia-Pacific Worldoffers electives on the Angkor/Khmer empire OR Japan under the Shoguns OR Polynesian Expansion

• Depth Study 6: Expanding contacts offers an elective on Mongol expansion

• Stage 5

• Depth Study 2: Australia and Asia offers the elective Asia and the world (1750-1918) in which students investigate one Asian society such as China, Japan, India or the Dutch East Indies during the relevant period.

• Depth Study 6: Schools may develop a study of an Asian topic on content drawn from either of the Stage 5 Overviews.

History 7-10 Syllabus

• World History

• Australian History

• Overviews

• Depth Studies

How can an

overview be

used to

structure

teaching

and

learning?

• Organise content

• Create cohesion within a unit

of study or across the span

of the curriculum

• Address matters of temporal

scale (intra/across period

scale)

• Address matters of spatial

scale (local, nation, empires,

continents, civilizations or

global

• Address matters of human

scale (from individuals to

humanity as a whole

What is a depth study?

• In addition to the overview, there are three (3)depth-

studies for each historical period

• That means six depth studies in stage 4 and six in stage

5 (12 Depth studies in the syllabus)

• For each depth study, there are up to three electives

that focus on a particular society, event, movement or

development.

• The content in each elective is designed to allow

detailed study of specific aspects of the historical period.

• The order and detail is a school-based programming

decision.

Depends on the topics within each depth study that have been chosen

Decide where the overviews will most logically fit for the chosen topics:

- the beginning of the year

- before and/or after each depth study

- during a depth study or depth studies

Note: the content of the overviews will vary depending on which topics are chosen

Separate – Overview / Depth Study

Integrated - Overview / Depth Study

Overview

The content from the overview may be used as an overall introduction to Depth Studies 1-3 or may be integrated with

these Depth Studies.

Approximately 10% of teaching time

Depth Study 1

Investigating the Ancient Past

(including ancient Australia)

Depth Study 2

The Mediterranean World

Egypt or Greece

or Rome

Depth Study 3

The Asian World

India or

China

Stage 4

The Ancient World

Stage 4

From the Ancient to the Modern World

OverviewThe content from the overview may be used as an overall introduction to Depth Studies 4-6 or may be integrated with these Depth Studies.

Approximately 10% of teaching time

Depth Study 4

The Western and Islamic World

Vikings or Medieval Europe or The Ottoman Empire or

Renaissance Italy

Depth Study 5

The Asia Pacific World

Angkor/Khmer Empire or Japan under the Shoguns or

Polynesian Expansion

Depth Study 6

Expanding Contacts

Mongol Expansion or The Black Death in Asia, Europe and Africa

or Spanish Conquest of the Americas, or Aboriginal and

Indigenous peoples

OverviewThe content from the overview may be used as an overall introduction to Depth Studies 1-3 or may be integrated with these Depth Studies.

Approximately 10% of teaching time

Depth Study 1

Making a Better World?

Industrial Revolution or Movement of Peoples or Progressive Ideas and

Movements

Depth Study 2

Australia and Asia

Making a Nation or

Asia and the World

Core Study - Depth Study 3

Australians at War

(World Wars I and II)

Stage 5

The Making of the Modern World

OverviewThe content from the overview may be used as an overall introduction to Depth Studies

4-6 or may be integrated with these Depth Studies.

Approximately 10% of teaching time

Core Study -Depth Study 4

Rights and Freedoms

(1945 to the Present)

Depth Study 5

The Globalising World

Popular Culture or The environment movement or

Migration Experiences

Depth Study 6

Optional Study(drawn from the Overview)

Australia in the Vietnam War Era or The Holocaust or

Peacekeeping Operations or … etc.

Stage 5

The Modern World and Australia

Overviews –

Potential problems

• No distinction between overview and its related depth studies

• Content-heavy teacher-centred narrative

• Boring textbook narrative

• Few student-centred activities or exercises

• Little use of historical skills or development of historical concepts

Overviews –

Possible solutions

• Design a fixed number of well-planned lessons

• Decide where these lessons will be placed over the semester/year

• Incorporate engaging student-centred activities that are aimed to develop certain historical skills and concepts

• Design appropriate assessment activities (ieassessment for learning)

• Where does the new content fit in with the overview?

• What links does it have to other depth studies?

• Ideas for resourcing

• Share ideas

Activity 1: Programming the Overviews

In allocated groups discuss the four possibilities

for placement of the overviews

What is the time allocation and placement

decision for each overview?

Activity 2: Overview Planning

• In allocated groups divide up the four overviews

among the group members

• Plan the required number of lessons for each

overview

Scootle

Trove

AWM

National Archive

Vroom

HTA

http://www.tale.edu.au/tale/live/teachers/shared/BC/hist_wrld_hist.pdf

Stage 5 – Depth Study 1: Making a

better world?

1B – Movement of People

http://syllabus.bos.nsw.edu.au/hsie/his

tory-k10/content/1045/

Looking at the syllabus

– an example