What should history curriculum look like?

1
What should history curriculum look like?
2
Whats in the History paper?

• A rationale for history (paras 2 12)
• Objectives of history (paras13-19)
• Historical thinking mastery of the methods,
  procedures and tools which constitute the
  discipline of history (paras 20 23)
• What good history looks like sequenced,
  substantial and flexible, depth and overview,
  content and process (paras 24 30)
• Time 10 of primary, 400 lessons in junior
  secondary( para 68)

3
What is proposed for Primary history?

• Introduced to history as a distinct discipline
  (para 32)
• Introduces students to traditions, stories, myths
  and legends that connect them with values,
  beliefs and socio-cultural elements of past
  societies ( para 33)
• Build from direct experience to more abstract
  understanding but with relevant global and
  national connections ( para 35)
• Key topics for inquiry in middle and upper
  primary (para 38)

4
Primary

• Consistency with national Statements of Learning
  in Civics and Citizenship
• and Outline model curriculum framework.
• Significant events in the development of
  Australian democracy, key events,

5
Statements CC Year 5 examples

• Historical perspectives
• social organisation of Aboriginal peoples prior
  to 1788.
• why Australia was colonised by Britain and how
  Australia was governed from colonisation to
  federation.
• histories of cultural groups within their
  community
• ways in which cultural diversity has influenced
  Australian identity over time.
• Citizenship in a democracy
• Social and political links between Australia and
  the countries in the Asia-Pacific
• Impact of global issues on Australia

6
Whats in Junior history (Years 7 10)?

• Sequence of four units
• History from the time of the earliest human
  communities to the end of the Ancient period (c.
  60,000BC c. 500AD)
• History from the end of the Ancient period to the
  beginning of the modern ( c.500 1750)
• Modern history ( c. 1750 present)
• Australian history ( c. 1901 present)
• ( paras 39-48)

7
Junior history - emphases

• First three units taught as world history
  (comprehending 5 continents)
• The first three units emphasise breadth and
  comparison and include Asian, African and
  American perspectives as well as European
• History of human activity in Australia would be
  part of the first three components and include
  Aboriginal, imperial and colonial history

8
Junior history ( 7-10)

• Each Unit will contain overview, bridging and
  depth components i.e.
• broad patterns of change
• contexts for depth studies
• opportunities to use the skills of historical
  thinking in well-defined events of particular
  significance.

9
What sort of Australian history?

• To draw on the Guide to the Teaching of
  Australian History in Years 9 and 10
• Will include Federation,
• WW 1, the Depression, WW11, immigration, womens
  rights, Vietnam war, Indigenous rights,
  contemporary political history

10
What about Senior Secondary history?

• Options to pursue more advanced studies in the
  histories taught in Years 7 10.
• Units in Years 11 and 12 in Ancient and Modern
  History ( from 1750 to the present) and
  Australian History. ( para.49)
• Extension studies ( a la NSW) extended
  research, exploring traditions of research and
  writing including historical debates ( para 50).

11
Group questions

• 1. Primary years
• Do you agree with the approach outlined in the
  initial advice for the teaching of history in the
  primary years to the end of Year 6? (paragraphs
  32 38)
• 2. Years 7-10
• Four units are suggested and described for Years
  7-10 (paragraphs 40-48). To what extent do you
  support this organisational structure?

12
Group questions

• 3. Senior secondary
• To what extent do you support the proposed
  approach in senior secondary and the suggested
  option for advanced studies (paragraphs 49-50)?
• 4. Australian history
• To what extent do you support the proposed
  approach to Australian history in the curriculum?
  (Paragraph 47)