- comprehension – chronology, terms and concepts
- analysis and use of sources
- perspectives and interpretations
- empathetic understanding
- research
- explanation and communication
Resources
The History K–10 Syllabus focuses on the development of historical skills and understanding of the key historical concepts through a process of historical inquiry rather than an integrated approach.
Historical concepts and skills
- continuity and change
- cause and effect
- perspectives
- empathetic understanding
- significance
- contestability
When programming the Historical concepts and skills resource (DOCX 445KB) will assist you to:
- implement the history strand of the human society and its environment key learning area using the NESA history K-6 syllabus
- understand the difference between historical concepts and skills
- recognise the implications of the historical concepts and skills continuums in enhancing student achievement
- utilise the historical concepts and skills to provide quality teaching in human society and its environment K-6 lessons for history to support students' engagement and understanding of the procedures, tools and methods of thinking which constitute the discipline of history.
Historical inquiry process
These resources can be used together to enhance planning, programming and assessment opportunities in history.
History K-6 sample learning sequences
The following sample learning sequences cover a number of Early Stage 1 to Stage 3 topics from the History K-10 Syllabus. Teachers may adapt these learning sequences to suit the needs of individual students and their local school context.
| Stage | Syllabus focus | Syllabus content | Learning sequence |
|---|---|---|---|
ES1 |
Personal and family histories |
Stories other people tell about the past |
|
ES1 |
Personal and family histories |
What is my history and how do I know |
|
1 |
The past in the present |
How changes in technology have shaped our daily lives |
|
1 |
The past in the present |
What remains of the past are important to the local community and why |
|
1 |
The past in the present |
What aspects of the past can you see today, and what do they tell us |
|
1 |
Present and past family life |
Family structures and roles, daily lives past and present |
|
1 |
Present and past family life |
Describe the sequence of time |
|
2 |
Community and remembrance |
How has our community changed |
|
2 |
Community and remembrance |
Who lived here first and how do we know |
|
2 |
Community and remembrance |
How and why do people choose to remember significant events of the past |
|
2 |
First contact |
What was life like for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples before the arrival of the Europeans |
|
2 |
First contact |
Why great journeys of exploration occurred |
|
3 |
The Australian colonies |
Lives of people in Australia's colonial past |
|
3 |
The Australian colonies |
Significant events and people that shaped Australian colonies |
|
3 |
The Australian colonies |
Reasons (economic, political and social) for the establishment of British colonies in Australia after 1800 |
|
3 |
The Australian colonies |
Impact of significant events on the Australian colony, for example, internal exploration, frontier conflict, rail expansion |
|
3 |
Australia as a Nation |
How did Australian society change throughout the twentieth century |
|
3 |
Australia as a Nation |
Why and how did Australia become a democracy |
|
| 3 | Australia as a Nation | Contribution of significant individuals and groups to the development of Australian society | Significant Australians (DOCX 457KB) |
| 3 | Australia as a Nation | Stories of groups of people who migrated to Australia and the reasons they migrated | Migration stories (DOCX 1470KB) |
History program evaluation
Tool for evaluating a teaching and learning program for history K-10 (DOCX 43KB)
Using quality literature in history
- Guide to using picture books in history K-10 (PDF 1.94 MB) - supports teachers to integrate picture books to enhance their history teaching and programming. It provides examples of learning activities for picture books selected for their historical and literary value.
- Using picture books for intercultural understanding: Learning across the curriculum (PDF 1.55MB) - is a resource for geography, history, English, creative arts K-10. The resource suggests learning activities based around picture books selected for their value in developing intercultural understandings and their literary worth.
Learning across the curriculum content
The following resources may also assist your programming of K-6 history using a cross-curriculum approach.
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures (DOCX 116KB) - this K-10 cross-curriculum resource provides teaching and learning activities and links to resources to integrate the teaching of the key concepts of Country/Place, Culture and People with the K-6 content and outcomes.
- Sustainability (DOCX 84KB) - this K-10 cross-curriculum resource provides ideas to embed the cross-curriculum priority of sustainability within a history program through learning snapshots with links to resources across a number of K-6 topics.
- Asia and Australia's engagement with Asia (PDF 903 KB) - this K-10 cross-curriculum resource provides snapshots of learning for each stage with case studies that support teachers to include the diversity of Asia, achievements and contributions of peoples of Asia and Asia-Australia engagement in geography.
- Civics and citizenship (DOCX 480KB) - this resource provides sample teaching and learning activities that align to the Civics and citizenship assessment framework. For Year 6, the civics and citizenship teaching and learning supports the topic of Australia as a nation in the History K-10 Syllabus.
Other resources
- History terminology continuum K-10 (DOCX 53.28KB) - the history terminology continuum provides a list of essential vocabulary required of the NSW syllabus for the Australian curriculum K-10 history.