Year 9, Ringwood Secondary College

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An Integrated Approach to English and Humanities

• Year 9, Ringwood Secondary College
• Marjan Mossammaparast, Year 9 CHALLEN9E Leader
• Kate Stevens, Year 12 English Team Leader

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What is it?

• A new integrated English/Humanities subject at
  year 9 (combines domains of English, History and
  Geography)
• Allocated 9 x 73 minute periods per fortnight
• This time allocation means that we have between 4
  and 5 sessions with our class per week
• Benefits and drawbacks?

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Key Elements

• Instead of being traditionally focused on skills
  as the starting point for studies, the subject
  teaches these core skills through the lens of an
  essential question each semester
• Semester 1 What does it mean to be an
  Australian?
• Semester 2 What are the forces at work in our
  world?
• Develops key English skills of reading, writing
  and speaking and listening
• Students learn physical and human geography and
  the interaction between these two systems, as
  well as geospatial skills
• Students undertake a broad study of the history
  of Australia and focus on particular time
  periods, including
• the history of migration and how it has shaped
  (and continues to shape) the nation
• pre-contact Australia and the effect (continuing)
  of the encounter between British and Aborigines
• the Gold Rush and the Chinese in Australia
• the development of the Melbourne

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Staffing

• 10 teachers (including ESL stream), including
• 4 VCE English teachers (including Head of
  English)
• 2 core Geography teachers
• 2 core History teachers
• Work in strong team meet at the start of each
  term to map out the details of classes and divide
  responsibilities for common assessment tasks
• Team leader (CHALLEN9E Leader) attends English,
  History and Geography faculty meetings to report,
  discuss and disseminate, and represents the
  program on Curriculum Committee
• PD for staff working outside their key areas of
  strength eg. History/Geography PD offered to
  staff to highlight key skills needed in VCE
  History and Geography (to ensure continuity of
  learning)

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Context Rationale Year 9 CHALLEN9E Program

• The new integrated English/Humanities subject was
  a response to the restructuring of year 9 in
  light of the new CHALLEN9E Program, implemented
  in 2010
• Purpose of CHALLEN9E to meet the needs of young
  people in an increasingly complex world by
  fostering
• choice and student agency
• empowerment and responsibility
• academic rigour and accountability
• character development
• connected to school and community
• transformation and transition

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CHALLEN9E Program Structure

• Students in CHALLEN9E work in one of 9 tutor
  groups, each guided by an interGREAT tutor
• They work through an integrated program of core
  studies incorporating the subjects of
• English/Humanities
• Maths and Science (both taught by the same
  teacher)
• interGREAT (whole day Wednesday)
• Physical Education
• There is also a comprehensive elective program
  covering subject areas such as creative and
  performing arts, design and technology, LOTE and
  Duke of Edinburgh
• Students experience most classes with key
  teachers, one of whom doubles as the interGREAT
  tutor, enhancing the Pastoral Care program
• Year level is structured into 3 communities and
  student welfare and management is provided by one
  of 3 Community Heads

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interGREAT

• A key feature of CHALLEN9E is the weekly
  interGREAT program
• Each Wednesday, students are guided by their
  interGREAT tutor through a structured program
  with many varied focuses, including
• Guest speaker presentations eg. Boori Pryor
• Values education and pastoral care eg. ethics
• Curriculum based excursions eg. Chinatown
  Excursion, Hampton Beach Excursion
• Student leadership eg. CHALLEN9E Student Council
  Tutor Group Assembly Presentations
• Goal setting and guided reflection on learning
  progress, inc. regular completion of Learning
  Portfolio
• Personal and Community Projects (focus on civics
  and citizenship in action)
• Literacy, Numeracy and ICT skills toolbox
  sessions eg. NAPLAN preparation
• Interest based workshop
• Weekly Extension Series and support sessions (run
  through Eng, His, Geo, Maths and Science
  faculties)
• Each term, all learning activities are based
  around the overarching themes of
• The Self
• The Self in the Community
• The Self in the World
• Future Self

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Sample Community Project
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CC Course Outline

• Semester 1 What does it mean to be an
  Australian?
• Term 1
• This term students will undertake a study of
  coastal systems and the impact of human
• interaction with these systems. They will
  consider how Australias natural
• environment has shaped the identity and
  activities of Australians in the past, including
• its indigenous populations, and how it influenced
  the establishment and development of
• British settlement. They will explore how
  Australias natural environment, especially the
  coastal
• nature of the continent, continues to shape the
  population distribution and culture of modern
• Day Australia.
•  
• Tasks this term will focus on consolidating
  mapping skills developing historical analysis
  skills
• through the completion of document studies
  developing oral skills through a persuasive oral
• presentation developing personal, narrative and
  imaginative writing skills and using the language
• of descriptions. Students will also take part in
  a coastal fieldtrip to Hampton Beach and complete
• a geographic fieldtrip report.

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CC Course Outline

• Term 2
• This term students will undertake a study of the
  history of migration (commencing with a broader
  look
• at the process of colonization) and its impact in
  shaping Australian society. They will focus
  particularly on
• the impact of migration on indigenous cultures
  and explore issues arising from this encounter.
• They will also analyze the impact of the arrival
  of Chinese migrants during the Gold Rush period
• and trace the roots of Australias multicultural
  composition, as well as its consequences on the
• development of migration policies, including the
  White Australia policy.
•  
• Tasks this term will focus on developing
  historical essay writing through the study of the
  film text Ten
• Canoes analyzing the use of language to
  persuade and position an audience examining
  primary and
• secondary sources and completing document studies
  and historical research. Students will also take
  part in a
• fieldtrip to Chinatown and complete a fieldtrip
  report.

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CC Course Outline

• Semester 2 What are the forces at work in our
  world?
• Term 3
• This term students will study the physical forces
  and the non-physical forces that operate in both
• the inner and outer world and exert an influence
  over human beings. Students will undertake a
• textual study of the novel The Killers Tears
  set in Chile, and will use this text as a
  springboard
• for the geographic study of the forces of nature
  through a tectonics unit. More broadly, students
• will examine the force of urbanization that pulls
  populations to the cities, and will consider both
• the benefits and the challenges that ensue by
  using the city of Melbourne as a case study and
• focusing on the history of its development. This
  provides a strong foundation for the City
• CHALLEN9E experience (the formal project of which
  is assessed through the subject of
• interGREAT), which constitutes a week spent in
  the city towards the end of term.
• Tasks this term will focus on utilizing the
  geographic SHEEPT analysis tool to formulate an
• understanding of the history of the development
  of Melbourne city, a writing folio based on
• the text The Killers Tears that explores the
  nature of the forces at work in our worlds, a
  dramatic
• persuasive oral presentation that engages with
  contentious issues such as
• urban sprawl/capital punishment (link to both
  The Killers Tears and Ned Kelly), and a
  comparaitive

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CC Course Outline

• Term 4
• This term students will study the text Of Mice
  and Men and use this as a springboard to
  consider
• the forces that motivate us, including the power
  of dreams, the importance of goals and the
  significance
• of work in imparting a sense of identity, purpose
  and fulfillment in life. Historically, they will
  examine
• the life of the early settlers in Australia,
  especially women, through a study of a collection
• Australian short stories, including Henry
  Lawsons The Drovers Wife.
• Tasks this term will focus on analysis of the use
  of language to persuade and developing text
  response
• writing skills.

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Assessment at Work

• Within both semesters we provide various tasks
  that are largely English skills based with a
  choice of a close focus on Historical or
  Geographical components
• Within these tasks there are options for students
  to address either Historical or Geographical VELS
  components and be assessed on their ability to
  write/speak/write about reading and on their
  geographical or historical knowledge and
  understanding
• We also provide straight tasks, that assess
  Historical/Geographical/English standards
  specifically and separately, and are common tasks
  given to all students
• Having such tasks ensures that each of the VELS
  strands are taught and assessed

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SEMESTER ONEWhat does it mean to be an
Australian?

• Common Assessment Tasks 
• 15 Task 1 Craft of Writing Persuasive Essay
  (on historical issue)
• 15 Task 2 Oral Presentations Factors
  influencing identity (inc. geographical factors)
• 30 Task 3 Reading and Responding Ten
  Canoes Text Response History Document Study
• 20 Task 4 Research Migration Timeline
• 10 Task 5 Fieldwork Coastal Fieldwork
• 10 Task 6 Tests/class work Coastal
  Geography relevant class work

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SEMESTER TWOWhat are the forces at work in our
world?

• Common Assessment Tasks
• 15 Task 1 Craft of Writing Forces Writing
  Folio
• 10 Task 2 Oral Presentations The Killers
  Tears Dramatic/Persuasive
• 30 Task 3 Reading and Responding Of Mice and
  Men Text Response Language Analysis
• 15 Task 4 Research SHEEPT Analysis of
  Melbourne City (focusing on history of city)
• 10 Task 5 Fieldwork Comparative Urban Field
  Work Historical Chinatown Fieldwork
• 10 Task 6 Tests/class work Urbanisation Test,
  Violent Earth Test relevant class work

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How can History help us to understand what makes
an Australian?

• Sample from Term 1
• What is my History?
• How has my History shaped who I am today?
• What is the History of the space I inhabit?
• What are the conflicts and events that have
  shaped the people around me?
• Is there only one History?
• How can I understand and trust History?

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Future Directions The Australian Curriculum

• Points to remember
• Can be incorporated into integrated programs
• Does not constitute whole curriculum of the
  school room left for local interests and
  pursuits
• General Capabilities (addressed primarily through
  interGREAT)
• Critical and creative (and caring) thinking
• Self management, teamwork and social competence
• Intercultural understanding
• Ethical behaviours
• Literacy
• Numeracy
• ICT

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The Australian Curriculum Eng/Humanities

• Years 7-10 of the Australian Curriculum focus on
  Australian History within a regional and world
  context
• Year 9 The Making of the Modern World
  (1750-1918)
• Period of industrialisation
• Rapid change in way people lived, worked and
  thought
• Era of nationalism and imperialism
• Colonisation of Australia as part of expansion of
  European power (culminating in World War I)
• Key inquiry questions
• What were the changing features of the movements
  of people from 1750 to 1918?
• How did new ideas and technological developments
  contribute to change in this period?
• What was the origin, development, significance
  and long-term impact of imperialism in this
  period?
• What was the significance of World War I?

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Overview Year 9

• Identifies important features of the period
  (1750-1918)
• Enables studies to understand broad patterns of
  historical change
• Provides broader context for teaching of depth
  study
• Constitutes 10 of total teaching time
• Content for Year 9
• nature and significance of Industrial Revolution
  and how it affected living and working conditions
  (including in Australia)
• nature and extent of movement of peoples in the
  period (eg. slaves, convicts, settlers)
• extent of European imperial expansion and
  different responses
• emergence and nature of significant economic,
  social, and political ideas of the period,
  including nationalism

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Depth Studies Year 9

• Making a Better World (3 electives)
• Progressive Ideas and Movements
• Industrial Revolution
• Movement of Peoples
• Influence of Industrial Revolution eg.
  unbanisation and increase in crime in English,
  leading to transportation of convicts and
  establishment of penal colony of Australia
• Experiences of people who moved and changes in
  way of life eg. convicts, free settlers, women
• Impact of movement of people eg. contact with
  indigenous population
• Australia and Asia (2 electives)
• Asia and the World
• Making a Nation
• Extension of settlement and effects of contact
  eg. contact with indigenous populations
• Experience of non-Australians in Australia prior
  to 1900s eg. Chinese diggers
• Key events and ideas in development of Australian
  self-government and democracy eg. Federation
• Legislation eg. Immigration Restriction Act
• World War I
• World War I
• Causes and reasons for enlisting

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Historical Skills Year 9

• Chronology, terms and concepts
• Timelines
• Contestability of terms
• Historical questions and research
• Developing questions
• Locating sources
• Analysis and use of sources
• Explaining contextual significance
• Synthesising information from various sources
• Understanding reliability and usefulness
• Perspectives and interpretations
• Provisional nature etc.
• Explanation and communication
• Developing historical argument
• Using ICT

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Critical Learnings and Reflections

• Need for overarching narrative both in
  curriculum design and in teaching
• Need for focus and tolerance of fragmentation
• Need for both consistency and flexibility between
  classes
• Importance of providing literacy support so that
  students who struggle with English can still
  succeed in this subject
• Remembering that this is a NEW subject not
  trying to cram 3 syllabi into shortened time
  frame
• Importance of sharing and collaboration working
  with strengths of the team
• Need for PD both in-house and through external
  sources
• Getting rubrics rights
• Balancing depth as well as breadth
• Continual reassessment of how the subject fits
  into the overall structure and direction of the
  school ie. importance of embedding subject into
  systems of the school
• Evaluating student feedback continuity of
  learning? Effectiveness?

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Questions?

• Thank you for your time.
• Marjan mmossammaparast_at_ringwoodsc.vic.edu.au
• Kate kstevens_at_ringwoodsc.vic.edu.au