Aims
The Australian Curriculum: Humanities and Social Sciences aims to ensure that students develop:
- a sense of wonder, curiosity and respect about places, people, cultures and systems throughout the world, past and present, and an interest in and enjoyment of the study of these phenomena
- key historical, geographical, civic, business and economic knowledge of people, places, values and systems, past and present, in local to global contexts
- an understanding and appreciation of historical developments, geographic phenomena, civic values and economic factors that shape society, influence sustainability and create a sense of belonging
- an understanding of the key concepts applied to disciplinary and/or cross-disciplinary inquiries
- the capacity to use disciplinary skills, including disciplinary-appropriate questioning, researching using reliable sources, analysing, evaluating and communicating
- dispositions required for effective participation in everyday life, now and in the future, including the ability to problem-solve critically and creatively, make informed decisions, be a responsible and active citizen, make informed economic and financial choices, and reflect on ethics.
Structure
The Australian Curriculum: Humanities and Social Sciences is presented in year levels from Prep to Year 10.
Humanities and Social Sciences comprises 4 subjects:
- History (Prep – Year 6)
- Geography (Prep – Year 6)
- Civics and Citizenship (Year 3 – Year 6)
- Economics and Business (Year 5 – Year 6)
Content is organised under 2 strands:- Knowledge and Understanding
- Skills.
Further information can be found at the Australian Curriculum website.
Humanities and Social Sciences – Understanding This Learning Area: Click Here Experiences
Prep
Students learn how science works through exploration and observation, building wonder and curiosity by observing everyday objects.
Year 1 & 2
Students learn to investigate by observing and exploring the world around them and by posing and answering questions. They learn to organise their observations, look for patterns and make predictions about their world.
Year 3 & 4
Students develop their understanding about how science relates to their lives. They pose and answer questions and investigate in a more systematic way. They develop understanding of fair testing in order to explore relationships between system components.
Year 5 & 6
Students look for patterns and relationships. They recognise the important role of variables in investigations. They develop explanations based on evidence.