Draft National Senior Secondary Curriculum

Ancient History

May, 2012

NSW Curriculum and Learning Innovation Centre

ACARA has developed draft senior secondary Australian Curriculum in the four learning areas of English, mathematics, science and history.

ACARA has specified content and achievement standards for different subjects within each learning area.

Curriculum, assessment and certification authorities in each state or territory (Board of Studies in NSW) are responsible for the structure and organisation of their senior secondary courses, as well as assessment and certification.

NSW Curriculum and Learning Innovation Centre

• Each subject has been divided into four units.

• Each unit runs for about 50-60 hours, including assessment, i.e. one half-year semester per unit.

• Units may be studied singly, in pairs (over a year) or as four units (over two years).

• Each unit identifies particular learning outcomes for students and content descriptions that outline the teaching and learning included in the unit.

NSW Curriculum and Learning Innovation Centre

• Draft senior secondary subjects, including content and achievement standards, will be available for national consultation until 20 July 2012.

• NSW has not yet committed to using the senior secondary Australian Curriculum for English, mathematics, science and history.

• ACARA has said that current courses not covered by their proposed subjects, e.g. Extension courses, can still be offered by states.

NSW Curriculum and Learning Innovation Centre

The Ancient History curriculum continues to develop student learning in history through the two strands of:

historical knowledge and understanding and

historical skills.

This strand organisation provides an opportunity to integrate content in flexible and meaningful ways.

NSW Curriculum and Learning Innovation Centre

The two strands are interrelated and the content has been written to enable integration of the strands in the development of a teaching and learning program.

NSW Curriculum and Learning Innovation Centre

The Historical skills strand includes skills that are used in historical inquiry. There are five key skill areas that build on those learned in

K-10 History curriculum and which continue to be developed in the Senior Ancient History curriculum.

Chronology, terms and concepts

Historical questions and research

Analysis and use of sources

Perspectives and interpretations

Explanation and communication

NSW Curriculum and Learning Innovation Centre

The Historical knowledge and understanding strand provides the context through which particular skills are to be developed.

The same set of historical skills has been included in each of the four units to provide a common focus for the teaching and learning of content in the historical knowledge and understanding strand.

NSW Curriculum and Learning Innovation Centre

NSW Curriculum and Learning Innovation Centre

NSW Curriculum and Learning Innovation Centre

NSW Curriculum and Learning Innovation Centre

Unit 2:

Movements for Rights and

Recognition in the 20th century

Students study 2 of the following 20th

century movements

Topic ElectivesNew Kingdom EgyptPersia 560-445 BCArchaic Greece 9-600 BCAthens 490-445 BCRome 133-63 BCRome 63 BC – AD 14Late Han & Three Kingdoms AD 184-280

IndividualsHatshepsutThutmose IIIAkhenatenDarius IXerxesSolonThermistoclesCimonPausaniusMariusSullaPompeyCaesarAntonyAugustusLiu BeiZhuge Liang

NSW Curriculum and Learning Innovation Centre

NSW Curriculum and Learning Innovation Centre

1. Is the structure and content consistent with the rationale?

2. Are there a variety of logical connections between the units to provide sound patterns of study?

3. Is the unifying concept for each unit historically sound?4. Are the options proposed within each unit appropriate?5. Are the content descriptions for each of the options

historically appropriate and accurate?6. Do the content descriptions for each of the options

provide a sound basis for programming and teaching?

NSW Curriculum and Learning Innovation Centre

ACARA documents ACARA documents The national draft Modern History and Ancient History curriculum documents and the survey can found at: http://www.acara.edu.au/curriculum/draft_senior_secondary_australian_curriculum.html

ACARA consultation: Before 20 July 2012ACARA consultation: Before 20 July 2012To provide your feedback directly to ACARA, go to

http://consultation.australiancurriculum.edu.au

NSW Curriculum and Learning Innovation Centre

Contact details available on the NSW Curriculum and Learning Innovation Centre website.http://clic.det.nsw.edu.au/aust_curriculum/contact.htm