7–10History 7–10 Syllabus

Figure 1 shows the organisation of History 7–10.

The History focus areas consist of Historical context studies and Depth studies.

Image long description: In Stage 4, 3 focus areas are listed under the heading ‘Historical contexts (core)’. The focus areas, The ancient past Historical context (core) and The medieval world Historical context (core) are linked to a box under the heading ‘Depth studies (options)’. The box is labelled ‘Depth study (select at least 2 from 16 options). The third focus area under the heading ‘Historical contexts (core)’ in Stage 4, The era of colonisation, is linked to the Depth study (core): Aboriginal Peoples’ experiences of colonisation. A line surrounds the Stage 4 focus areas, the Depth studies (core) and Depth studies (options), and links to 2 boxes labelled ‘1 case study’ and ‘1 site study’. In Stage 5, 2 focus areas are listed under the heading ‘Historical contexts (core)’. The focus area, The making of the modern world is linked to 2 Depth studies (core): Australia: making a nation from Federation to WWI and Australia at war – WWII. The second focus area, The modern world is linked to the Depth study (core) Human rights and freedoms. The 3 Depth studies (core) are linked to a box under the heading ‘Depth studies (options)’. The box is labelled ‘Depth study (select at least 1 from 10 options)’. A line surrounds the Stage 5 focus areas, the Depth studies (core) and Depth studies (options), and links to 2 boxes labelled ‘1 case study’ and ‘1 site study’. The focus areas for Stage 4 and Stage 5 are encircled by a line labelled ‘Historical concepts’ at the top of the diagram and ‘Historical skills’ underneath the diagram representing integration as part of the historical inquiry process.

NESA is committed to working in partnership with Aboriginal Communities and supporting teachers, schools and schooling sectors to improve educational outcomes for young people.

It is important to respect appropriate ways of interacting with Aboriginal Communities and Cultural material when teachers plan, program and implement learning experiences that focus on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Priorities.

Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property (ICIP) protocols need to be followed. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples’ ICIP protocols include Cultural Knowledges, Cultural Expression and Cultural Property and documentation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples’ Identities and lived experiences. It is important to recognise the diversity and complexity of different Cultural groups in NSW, as protocols may differ between local Aboriginal Communities.

Teachers should work in partnership with Elders, parents, Community members, Cultural Knowledge Holders, or a local, regional or state Aboriginal Education Consultative Group. It is important to respect Elders and the roles of men and women. Local Aboriginal Peoples should be invited to share their Cultural Knowledges with students and staff when engaging with Aboriginal histories and Cultural Practices.

The development of the History 7–10 Syllabus follows Recommendation 2: ‘Clarify and strengthen writing content in syllabus documents’ from Teaching Writing: Report of the Thematic Review of Writing (NESA 2018).

Creating written texts facilitates learning as it promotes explicitness, encourages the integration of ideas, supports reflection, fosters personal engagement and aids learners to think about the significance and implication of ideas. Each subject has particular and specific writing demands relevant for communicating within and about the discipline. Writing about content enhances understanding across subjects and stages.

The secondary curriculum includes:

• systematic development of expectations for creating written texts which align with the English K–10 Syllabus (2022)
• explicit writing content to support students to become fluent creators of texts and to deepen their understanding of the subject area
• opportunities to practise the process of creating written texts to develop and communicate knowledge, understanding and ideas
• a focus on development of word consciousness and precise use of subject-specific terminology.

Creating written texts refers to the act of composing and constructing a text for a particular purpose, audience and context.

Various methods of transcription may be employed, and a student’s preferred communication form(s) should be considered when teaching.

The outcomes describe the knowledge, understanding and skills that students are expected to demonstrate as a result of teaching and learning. Teachers should use the outcomes to determine the scope of learning for the content included in each focus area.

The amount of content associated with a given outcome is not necessarily indicative of the amount of time spent engaging with the respective outcome. Teachers use formative and summative assessment to determine instructional priorities and the time needed for students to demonstrate expected outcomes.

The content groups are not intended to be hierarchical. In considering the intended learning, teachers make decisions about the sequence and emphasis to be given to particular groups of content based on the needs and abilities of their students.