7–10History Elective 7–10 Syllabus (2025)

Figure 1 shows the organisation of History Elective 7–10.

Image long description: Focus on historical approaches and Focus on historical narratives appear from left to right at the top of the diagram. Focus on historical approaches includes the focus areas Aboriginal Country as historical record, Constructed lives, History and archaeology, History and heritage and Public History. Focus on historical narratives includes the focus areas Australian histories, Histories of the ancient world, Histories of the medieval and early modern world, Histories of the modern world, Histories of women and Thematic study. The focus area School-developed option overlaps both groups. Both groups are connected by Thinking and working historically and The nature of history.

The focus areas for History Elective 7–10 are split into 2 groups:

• The group Focus on historical approaches involves the investigation of the different ways history can be explored, interpreted and understood. Emphasis is placed on how tools, methods and forms of inquiry are used to construct historical meaning. This includes decisions around the selection and use of evidence, the representation of voices and perspectives, and the formation of historical interpretations.
• The group Focus on historical narratives involves the investigation of how history is told and the different ways the past is organised and explained. Emphasis is placed on who tells the story, how it is structured, and why some versions of the past are more widely accepted than others. Historical narratives can be organised chronologically, by time periods, themes, or key events. Each approach influences how people understand and connect with the past.

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 Elective 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.

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.