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F-6/7 Humanities and Social Sciences

The Australian Curriculum: Humanities and Social Sciences (HASS) from Foundation to Year 6/7, provides students with opportunities to: actively shape their lives through an expanding sense of themselves and their community; make reflective, informed decisions; value their place and role in a diverse and dynamic society; and positively contribute locally, nationally, regionally and globally. HASS gives students a deep understanding of the world they live in from a range of perspectives, past and present, online and offline, and supports them to develop an appreciation and respect for social, cultural and religious diversity as well as a sense of identity and belonging. Students develop their ability to question, think critically, solve problems, communicate and interact respectfully and make decisions in order to contribute to Australia’s cohesive society and stable democracy.

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Researching

Content descriptions with elaborations:

Locate and collect information and data from different sources, including observations (ACHASSI053)

  • locating sources suited to learning about the past (for example, photographs, interviews, newspapers, stories and maps, including those online)
  • collecting information about the changing composition of their community from sources, such as census data, cemetery observations, interviews with older people or surveys
  • interviewing people to seek information about feelings, preferences, perspectives and actions (for example, to find out how people feel about places; how people celebrate and commemorate; how decisions are made in different situations; how and why people participate in their community)
  • acquiring geographical information from schools in geographically contrasting parts of Australia and/or neighbouring countries

Civics and Citizenship

Content descriptions with elaborations:

Who makes rules, why rules are important and the concequences of rules not being followed (ACHASSK070)

  • making a decision as a class by allowing everyone to have a say and a vote
  • building empathy by reflecting on how it feels to be included or excluded from making decisions and identifying situations when it is fair for decisions to be made without taking a majority vote (for example, by teachers or parents)
  • identifying places and situations in communities where decisions are made democratically

Researching

Content descriptions with elaborations:

Locate and collect information and data from different sources, including observations (ACHASSI074)

  • identifying the types of sources suited to historical, geographical, civic and cultural inquiry and discussing why suitable sources might be different
  • identifying sources for a historical study, such as sites, paintings (or their representations), maps, written records/accounts, database information, traditional ballads and stories
  • brainstorming ways that information might be collected for an inquiry (for example, surveys, interviews, tallying) and choosing, with teacher guidance, the most effective sources of data (for example, the internet, thematic maps, photographs, satellite imagery, field data collection)

Evaluating and Reflecting

Content descriptions with elaborations:

Interact with others with respect to share points of view (ACHASSI059)

  • respecting ways to ensure others’ points of view are shared in group situations (for example, adhering to and defending strategies that enable turn-taking and eliminate talking over others)
  • valuing for and against arguments when making personal and group decisions

Evaluating and Reflecting

Content descriptions with elaborations:

Interact with others with respect to share points of view (ACHASSI080)

  • participating in role-plays and simple debates which allow for equal presentation of viewpoints
  • exploring and sharing, through a facilitated role-play, the experiences and/or feelings of different people involved in a past event (for example, the points of view of Aboriginal People, convicts, guards, women and children on settling at Botany Bay) or the different views about a current event (for example, the views of farmers, activists and government decision-makers about a road going through an endangered habitat)
  • participating in cooperative strategies that enable decision-making about roles and responsibilities (for example, using de Bonos’ hats)

Researching

Content descriptions with elaborations:

Locate and collect information and data from different sources, including observations (ACHASSI053)

  • locating sources suited to learning about the past (for example, photographs, interviews, newspapers, stories and maps, including those online)
  • collecting information about the changing composition of their community from sources, such as census data, cemetery observations, interviews with older people or surveys
  • Interviewing people to seek information about feelings, preferences, perspectives and actions (for example, to find out how people feel about places; how people celebrate and commemorate; how decisions are made in different situations; how and why people participate in their community)
  • acquiring geographical information from schools in geographically contrasting parts of Australia and/or neighbouring countries

Record, sort and represent data and the location of places and their characteristics in different formats, including simple graphs, tables and maps, using discipline­ appropriate conventions (ACHASSI054)

  • using information technologies to record and organise information in tables, databases and digital concept maps (for example, creating a consequence chart to show what happens when school rules are not followed, or when human settlement damages a component of the natural environment)
  • creating tables or picture and column graphs to show patterns in data collected from observations or other sources (for example, to show similarities and differences between places; the results of class votes on issues or decisions, participation in community activities, number of local monuments)
  • placing graphs and other data on electronic maps to visualise differences between types and patterns of settlements
  • Constructing and annotating maps (for example, to show the natural and human features of Australia) using the appropriate cartographic conventions including map symbols, title and north point

Analysing

Content descriptions with elaborations:

Interpret data and  information displayed in different formats, to identify and describe distributions and simple patterns (ACHASSI057)

  • interpret data to identify patterns of change over time using graphic organisers (for example, a Venn diagram using data collected from different times and groups to compare Australia Day celebrations over time; a scattergram of cemetery headstone information to make inferences about changing life expectancy)
  • identifying differences in the representation of a place on a map, in an aerial photo and in a satellite image and discussing how different methods of representation give different information about distributions and patterns
  • interpreting cartographic information such as titles, map symbols, north point, compass direction, grid references and major lines of latitude
  • using maps, ground and aerial photographs and satellite images or a digital application (for example, European Space Agency, NASA World Wind or Google Earth), to identify, locate and describe geographical patterns and distributions (for example, different types and patterns of settlements in Australia and Asia)

Communicating

Content descriptions with elaborations:

Present ideas, findings and conclusions in texts and modes that incorporate digital and non-digital representations and discipline-specific terms (ACHASSI061)

  • arguing a point of view on a civics and citizenship issue relevant to their lives (for example, the consequences of breaking school rules, the value of contributing in their community, the need to preserve an endangered species) and making effective use of persuasive language such as ‘I think’ and ‘I dis/agree that’ to gain the support of others

Researching

Content descriptions with elaborations:

Locate and collect information and data from different sources, including observations (ACHASSI074)

  • identifying the types of sources suited to historical, geographical, civic and cultural inquiry and discussing why suitable sources might be different
  • identifying sources for a historical study, such as sites, paintings (or their representations), maps, written records/accounts, database information, traditional ballads and stories
  • brainstorming ways that information might be collected for an inquiry (for example, surveys, interviews, tallying) and choosing, with teacher guidance, the most effective sources of data (for example, the internet, thematic maps, photographs, satellite imagery, field data collection)

Record, sort and represent data and the location of places and their characteristics in different formats, including simple graphs, tables and maps, using discipline­ appropriate conventions (ACHASSI075)

  • constructing maps, graphs or tables to display data and information (for example, changes in the distribution of different types of vegetation; the loss of native species; the movement of peoples over time; the population of places over time; resource distribution in places that have been colonised; social, cultural and religious groups in Australia’s society) using digital applications as appropriate
  • recording and sorting collected information using tally sheets, murals, surveys, graphs and tables, databases or spreadsheets

Analysing

Content descriptions with elaborations:

Examine information to identify different points of view and distinguish facts from opinions (ACHASSI077)

  • exploring different points of view about a familiar event (for example, Australia Day, National Sorry Day) or issue (for example, a school issue, an environmental issue)                                    
  • exploring different stories associated with a past event to discover the experiences, thoughts or feelings of the people at that time (for example, the points of view of male, female and child convicts, soldiers, free settlers, some Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the early colonial era)
  • identifying differing viewpoints and considering their related ethical implications when discussing the past and present (for example, personal preference versus respecting
  • exploring different viewpoints about the sustainable use of a place(for example, environmental management laws and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples’ practices) sharing aspects of their cultural identity and considering how it might be similar and different to the cultural identity of others the law such as personal freedom versus following the legal requirement to wear a bike helmet; different views over time about people’s character such as convicts who stole food were sinful)                                   
  • identifying stereotypes presented in texts and pictures, such as generalisations about gender roles, and talking about who is advantaged by stereotypes and who is disadvantaged

Communicating

Content descriptions with elaborations:

Present ideas, findings and conclusions in texts and modes that incorporate digital and non-digital representations and discipline-specific terms (ACHASSI082)

  • composing, in a range of different text types, information to communicate findings and conclusions (for example, information presented as imaginative recounts, biographies, journals, reports)
  • selecting appropriate representations to suit and enhance their communication, including graphs, tables, timelines, photographs and pictures, in digital and non-digital modes