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EDUCATION QUEENSLAND
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Issue: 1, July 2012
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This issue introduces the Australian Curriculum:
History, one of four discrete subjects in the Australian
Curriculum learning area of Humanities and social
science.
In 2013, Queensland schools will commence
implementation of the Australian Curriculum: History
from F (Prep) to Year 10.
The remaining SOSE strands of Place and space,
Political and economic systems and Culture and identity
will continue to be taught until the implementation of
the remaining Australian Curriculum Humanities and
social science subjects.
The remaining three Australian Curriculum subjects
within Humanities and social science are: Geography,
Civics and citizenship, and Economics and business.
Curriculum into the classroom (C2C): History support
materials are being developed in collaboration with
the QSA for use in schools. These materials identify
where concepts are introduced and where they are
reinforced. The materials and assessment are aligned to
the Australian Curriculum version 3.0. C2C materials are
also being developed for multi-level classes.
The C2C: History materials are designed to develop
both historical knowledge and understanding and
historical inquiry skills such as: chronology; historical
questions and research; analysis and use of sources;
perspectives, interpretations and contestability;
In the spotlight
− The Australian Curriculum: History
− Historical inquiry
Curriculum into the classroom (C2C)
− An insight into C2C: History
− Assessment in History
− Differentiating C2C: History
− ICT capability in History
− Library Services C2C resource lists
− Contemporary practice sessions
Other initiatives
− OneChannel programs
Date claimers
communication and historical narrative.
With planning and resource examples to support the
Australian Curriculum depth studies — part of the content
structure of History for students from Years 7–10 — C2C
materials give students the opportunity to develop and
apply the concepts and skills of historical understanding
to events, periods, people and societies of particular
significance.1 A depth study is a sustained, concentrated
and resource-rich learning experience, which can lead
to a deep understanding that Hattie2 considers to be an
important influence on student achievement.
So how does historical inquiry fit into this and why is it
important? How can we differentiate our teaching and
assess Australian Curriculum: History? And how can we, as
instructional leaders and teachers, best ready ourselves to
teach the subject History?
In this issue, we’ll provide information, practical examples
and readings to help you prepare to teach the Australian
Curriculum: History in 2013. The C2C: History fact sheet on
OnePortal also provides useful information.
1
Shape of the Australian Curriculum: History — 2009, National
Curriculum Board, p. 4.
Hattie, J. (2009) Visible learning: A synthesis of over 800 metaanalyses relating to achievement. Routledge, New York.
2
Jason Henry © The State of Queensland
In the spotlight
The Australian Curriculum: History
The development of History as a stand-alone subject was informed
by The Melbourne Declaration on Educational Goals for Young
Australians.
Australian Curriculum: History, as a discipline, has its own methods
and procedures which make it unique in understanding human
experience.
Students identify a range of sources, extract meaning from sources,
analyse sources, form conclusions about the issues under study,
and test these against additional evidence as well as ideas of other
historians (from Rationale of the Australian Curriculum: History).
Australian Curriculum: History is different from SOSE in that
Figure 1: Two interrelated strands and three components
it is a stand-alone subject, whereas SOSE is an integrated
approach to broader social science concepts and skills. The Time, continuity and change strand of SOSE is replaced by
the Australian Curriculum: History from 2013.
The Australian Curriculum: History has two interrelated strands — Historical Knowledge and Understanding, and
Historical Skills. These strands are informed by the three components of historical skills, historical understanding and
historical knowledge.
Historical inquiry
1
Shape of the Australian Curriculum: History — 2009, National
Curriculum Board, p. 4.
2
ACARA, The Australian Curriculum: History, 2011.
Teacher preparation and support
You can visit the Australian Curriculum: History to
read and hear about the subject. The Queensland
Studies Authority’s P–10 History Australian Curriculum
and resources page is also useful. Other resources
are available from The National Centre for History
Education.
Contact your regional office to find out about
professional learning sessions.
A comprehensive range of information sessions on
History are scheduled on OneChannel. Further support
is also available through the C2C home page on
OnePortal.
The C2C home page and C2C: History FAQs on OnePortal
provide further detail on preparation and support.
Josh Kelly © The State of Queensland
Historical inquiry involves the retrieval, comprehension
and interpretation of sources, and judgment, guided by
principles that are intrinsic to the discipline. According to
the Australian Curriculum, historical inquiry is the process
of investigation undertaken in order to understand the
past.1
To inform decisions and create new knowledge, students
need to study evidence sources using more than simple
comparisons.
Australian Curriculum: History includes inquiry questions
from Prep to Year 10 within the strand of Historical Skills.
Students start to identify their own questions to inform an
historical inquiry from Year 5 onwards. Skills in framing an
historical inquiry are described within the Achievement
standards from Years 5–10.2
The C2C: History materials align with the Australian
Curriculum: History intent to develop student skills in
historical inquiry. The materials prompt students to ask
questions and develop capacity in the procedures, tools
and methods of thinking that make up the discipline of
History, including: sources (P–6)/evidence, continuity
and change, cause and effect, perspectives, empathy,
significance and contestability.
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Curriculum into the classroom (C2C)
An insight into C2C: History
The C2C materials draw on a rich collection of historical
sources which increase in complexity. Students are
provided with opportunities to engage in the “doing” of
history, such as investigating historical sites, re-enacting
historical events from differing perspectives or researching
an aspect of historical significance.
The materials feature Year level plans, Unit plans, teacher
lesson plans and assessment items (task and marking
guide). Resources will also include independent student
learning materials and teacher/tutor notes. Aligned with
the Australian Curriculum: History 3.0, they frame Content
descriptions within a chronological framework and connect
them by an historical narrative.
Using the C2C materials, students develop their
understanding of the purposes of historical writing, for
example learning to chronicle. Students also develop
reports, arguments, descriptions and historical narratives
in a range of modes (for example spoken, visual, and
written).
The unit-based design of the C2C: History materials
allow for flexible classroom delivery according to other
curriculum planning needs. For example, the unit can be
taught across one or two semesters. Refer to question 8.10
How can C2C: History materials be used in schools? in the
C2C: History FAQs on OnePortal.
Further information on curriculum intent, sequencing and
organisation is provided in FAQ 8.6 What will be taught in
each year level of History?
Jason Henry © The State of Queensland
Contemporary practice sessions
• Wednesday 25 July 3.15 pm
History ICT capability
• Wednesday 25 July 3.30 pm
History Resources — SLQ
• Tuesday 24 July 3.30 pm
EQ History Resources
Student Channel live programs
• Thursday 26 July 2012 11.00 am
Olympic History Online Quiz
Josh Kelly © The State of Queensland
Assessment in History
The C2C: History materials will provide opportunities
for students to demonstrate their achievement over
the year within the categories of a collection of work,
supervised assessment and research, in a variety of
modes (spoken/signed, written, multimodal) and in a
range of conditions.
In 2013, schools will adopt or adapt the C2C: History
assessment items (tasks and marking guides). The
C2C assessment items allow teachers to build a
shared understanding about the quality of student
work and how they relate to particular elements of the
Achievement standard.
Teachers can enhance the consistency of their
judgment about the quality of students’ responses to
C2C assessment tasks through ongoing school-based
moderation.
To report on student learning in History, teachers make
an on-balance judgment about the quality of student
work against those elements of the Achievement
standard that have been taught and assessed during
the reporting period. Then a level of achievement is
awarded using a five-point scale.
• Tuesday 31 July 9.15 am
Cool ICT tools for history
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Differentiating C2C: History
Teachers can differentiate C2C: History lesson plans through content, process, product or learning environment.
Note: Content differentiation refers to what students learn aligned to the Australian Curriculum Content descriptions and
Achievement standard for their year level.
Examples from an excerpt of a differentiated lesson plan are provided. They are qualitatively rather than quantitatively
different, because it is the type of task that is differed, not the amount of work required. The differentiated tasks require
students to work through levels of thinking by engaging in challenging learning.
Figure 2: A model of differentiation (Adapted from Tomlinson & Maker (1982))
Differentiated lesson example
Learning area: History Year 8 Unit 1: The Black Death
An excerpt from Lesson 6: Causes of the Black Death — Medieval explanations
A selection of suggested tasks is provided from a lesson about Medieval perspectives on causes of the Black Death.
Suggested differentiation strategies for students requiring support and extension are included.
Example learning sequence
Suggested differentiation strategies
Discuss possible causes of the
Black Death
Differentiating the environment and process
• Offer possible causes of the
Black Death.
• List and discuss possible
causes of the Black Death.
This edStudio supports this learning sequence. The space caters for the learning needs
of all students by adjusting:
•
•
•
•
group size
explicit teaching
scaffolded access to resources
pace of lesson.
Please add extra information and resources to suit the needs of your students.
The edTube album Medieval History (Access key A48428735) supports this studio —
please use it or create your own album.
Activity 1: Brainstorm
Place students in up to 5 groups. Students work collaboratively in their groups and
brainstorm possible causes of the Black Death. One student acts as a scribe and edits
their group’s text box on the page: Causes.
This brainstorm provides a visual record that will be revisited at the conclusion of the
inquiry to evaluate learning.
edStudio is a secure authoring space on the Learning Place that allows you to create lesson and project activities by
combining media from edTube and other C2C resources. Staff and students collaboratively work in these studios.
An edStudio has been created for this differentiated activity. Teachers can copy the Black Death studio and contextualise
it for their class. Access key: S49869912
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Examine Medieval beliefs about
the causes of the Black Death
Differentiating the content and process
Activity 2: Role play
Explain to students they will assume a character from Medieval times.
Examine sources representing
the perspectives of different
Working in their groups, give each student a separate historical character card.
characters from Medieval times
Explain that each character has a perspective about what caused the Black Death. Ask
on what caused the Black Death:
students to:
• an ordinary citizen
• read their allocated character card
• King of England
• access the edStudio
• French doctor: Guy de
• click on their character image
Chauliac
• explore their character page.
• Switz Gilg Tshudi
Each character is depicted as a page in the Studio with rich multimedia and website
• Italian Petrach
links. The resources will deepen students’ understandings of their character.
• Danish bishop
• Muslim historian: Ibn Al-wardi Students requiring support can use the resources that support their individual learning
needs. Suggested resources include:
•
•
•
•
audio recording of explicit instructions
images
learning objects
modified texts.
Students requiring extension can use the resources to develop, consolidate and share
their historical skills and knowledge. Invite students to work on the character task
independently. They work on the same activity modified for independent and selfdirected learning to:
•
•
•
•
•
analyse and use sources
develop explanations from the evidence
monitor their understanding
locate additional sources
access the usefulness of these sources.
Invite students to use a digital concept map or graphic organiser to record their
evidence.
Explore their allocated character Differentiating the environment and product
Present to their group in role
what they thought caused the
Black Death.
Activity 3: Present their character’s perspective
Students requiring support:
In role, students present their character perspective and may choose to refer to a
supporting resource for example, audio or image.
The multimedia resources within the edStudio provide students with historical
knowledge, enabling them to present confidently to their group.
Students requiring extension:
Students:
• use the digital concept maps within the edStudio to evaluate the usefulness of these
resources.
• present their character’s perspective.
• in role, simulate a round-table Medieval debate justifying their perspective.
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Affirm the view in each source or Differentiating the environment and product
Activity 4: Respond to the perspectives
question it
Understand the importance
of identifying credentials of
sources to assess their value.
Ask students to respond in their groups (or class) to each character presentation in role
— either affirming their view or questioning it.
Discuss:
Invite students to share their responses with the class.
Stress the importance of identifying credentials of sources to assess their value.
Medieval beliefs about the Black Differentiation idea: Group members respond to the Medieval character presentations
Death.
through a discussion forum, providing affirmation or seeking clarification in the forums
online comment.
How useful are sources in
answering this question?
A discussion forum records the insights of each presentation and allows all class
Why do we find some
explanations more acceptable
than others?
members, access to read and evaluate everyone’s perspectives.
Provide reasons for
explanations.
Reflect on explanations
regarding the causes of the
Black Death
Revisit the list of suggested
causes of the Black Death from
activity one.
Add to the list the Medieval
perspectives on the causes of
the Black Death.
Write a reflection explaining
the usefulness of sources
in providing a Medieval
explanation to the causes of the
disease.
Differentiating the environment and product
Activity 5: Reflecting on their learning
Students requiring support can digitally record their reflections. This gives them
an alternative mode of demonstrating their historical understandings for example,
podcast.
Students requiring extension can use the previously constructed digital concept map
or graphic organiser to compare the usefulness of sources.
Students can upload their reflections to the class digital drop box (accessed by
teacher).
Copy the online responses into a word cloud so students can see the visual
representation of their research and understandings.
ICT capability in History
Information and communication technologies (ICT)
can support students as they develop and consolidate
historical knowledge, understanding and skills.
Opportunities are most evident in research, explanation
and communication. This includes the use of digital
resources and technology to:
• identify and explore a range of historical sources,
including digitised and online sources from national,
state and local library websites
• discuss and debate historical questions and issues,
using secure online forums and web conferences
© The State of Queensland
• locate information in sources (Years 3–6) and
assemble information from a range of sources (Years
7–10), using digital concept maps
• represent ideas and create responses, using digital
products, multimedia, web conferencing, blogs and
wikis
• sequence events, including use of electronic
timelines
• develop texts, particularly descriptions, explanations
and arguments using word processing and
presentation software.
• organise information using databases and
spreadsheets or identify historical trends using digital
graphic organisers
Here are some practical examples and resources of how
ICT is being used within C2C units:
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Students in Prep could participate in virtual tours of online art galleries and use painting tools to create portraits of
people past and present. They could create digital multimodal products to compare past and present using their life
now in comparison to that of their grandparents.
Quality assured website resources accessed through the Learning Place:
• Queensland Art Gallery and the Gallery of Modern Art (8–12)
• Queensland Art Gallery, Gallery of Modern Art. Children’s Art Centre (P–7)
This section of the Queensland Art Gallery site promotes exhibitions and activities designed to cater for primary aged
children.
• Artsonia (P–12)
This is an online art gallery dedicated to showcasing children’s art work from around the world. Children’s art work can be
uploaded to the site, forming an art museum comprising millions of exhibits.
• National Gallery of Australia (P–12)
The gallery concentrates on Australian, Aboriginal, Torres Strait, Indian, Asian and international art, decorative arts,
photography and sculpture. The ‘Education’ section offers an online educational newsletter, access to collections and
exhibitions, visitor and travelling exhibitions information and classroom activities.
• Tell it digitally competition (Studio key S366350)
An edStudio designed for the Tell it digitally competition 2011. Use the ‘Year 4–7 entries’ tab to view some examples of
local area history.
Year 7 students could link to the Queensland Museum to access digitized three-dimensional artifacts from ancient
Australia and investigate their origins, nature, purpose and significance.
Quality assured website resources accessed through the Learning Place:
• Australian History Museum (7–12)
Australia’s history from pre-colonisation to the present. Website includes links to the ‘Australian History Museum
Database’, ‘Oral Histories’ and ‘Virtual gallery’.
• Australian Journeys (9–12)
This resource contains objects and stories from the Australian Journeys gallery at the National Museum of Australia. The
gallery explores Australia’s interconnections with the world, looking at the social, political and economic consequences
of journeys beginning in the period before colonisation in Australia and continuing through to the 21st century.
• BM & AG for kids (P–7)
This interactive site of the Birmingham Museums and Art Gallery, introduces primary students to civilisations of the
Roman Empire, Ancient Greece and Ancient Egypt, among other History topics. Students can read information via an
interactive timeline and complete activities pertaining to each culture. Also includes information on the Victorian era and
World War II.
• Primary History (5–7)
This is a subpage of the BBC History site and is an excellent collection of resources linked to Year 7 History. There are
interactive activities, games, timelines, photos, movies, learning objects and fun facts. This is a fantastic collection of
resources to accompany many areas of study. Each section begins with an interactive timeline and then has areas of
study the user can select from. There are some games, animations and movies.
Year 9 and 10 students could use ICT to create digital multimodal products and presentations on a diverse range of
topics including the industrial revolution, progressive ideas and movements, popular culture and the environmental
movement.
OneChannel on-demand (recorded) programs:
• Literacy and Multimodal Texts
This is the first program of a series of five which focuses on an overview of multimodal texts delivered as traditional print
and digitally.
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Students in Year 3 could create digital interactive calendars to sequence and order significant events celebrated
within the Australian community. They could use word processing software to compose a narrative to represent
continuity and change.
Learning Objects in the Learning Place:
• Timeline Tool (4, 5)
This interactive timeline tool allows students to create, name, save and print timelines, across a day, week, month, year
or more than a year. Students can choose a horizontal or vertical layout for the timeline and add text descriptions to
events.
Year 8 students could create a digital journal to present the life of an individual from the renaissance. This could
include character profiles, status updates, acquaintances, images and photographs.
Quality assured website resources accessed through the Learning Place:
• The Renaissance connection (5–8)
An interactive stroll through Renaissance art, based on the Allentown Art Museum’s art collection. Art history and
information about everyday life in the Renaissance period are dispensed with humour. Pop-up glossary and fact boxes
and interactive quizzes make this site a lively and informative experience.
• Renaissance Europe — online exhibition (8, 11, 12)
An online exhibition of items in the British Museum from the Renaissance period in European history. Introduced by a
historical overview of the period, the resource contains two online tours focusing on Michelangelo and an exhibition
of 50 objects including clocks, coins and medals. Each object is described and explained. Most are accompanied by a
slide show of related objects, and all are linked to two virtual galleries in the museum. Some have links to one or more of
seven related articles.
• Exploring Leonardo (6–8)
This fascinating interactive site explores the diverse nature of Leonardo da Vinci’s talents. It is also a study of
Renaissance Italy.
Year 8 students could participate in WebQuests to locate information relating to Vikings.
Learning Objects in the Learning Place:
• Web designer: Viking Britain: level 1 (5–9)
Browse jumbled web pages, which are all connected with Vikings. Match material to the type of website it belongs to:
History, tourism or sci-fi movie. Identify features of the texts. For example, identify past tense verbs such as ‘came’,
‘became’ and ‘settled’. Match up the title, main body text, graphics and animation.
• Web designer: Viking Britain: level 2 (5–9)
Browse jumbled web pages, which are all connected with Vikings.
Quality assured website resources accessed through the Learning Place:
• Primary History: Vikings (8, 11, 12)
Viking origins, daily life, raiding, trade, exploration, gods, sagas, towns and settlements are covered simply and
entertainingly. Photographs of artefacts, quizzes, activities and ‘Fun facts’ complement the text.
Library Services C2C resource lists
Library Services develop lists of classroom resources to support teachers to find relevant C2C and Australian Curriculum
history texts.
Search the online Library Services catalogue or go directly to these prepared text lists:
• Texts supporting C2C History Year 8 Medieval Europe
• Texts supporting C2C History Year 9 World War I
• Texts supporting Australian Curriculum history
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Other initiatives
Date claimers
OneChannel programs
• Wednesday 18 July 3.30 pm
Australian Curriculum: History
• Monday 23 July 3.30 pm
C2C History year plans: P–2
• Tuesday 24 July 3.30 pm
C2C History year level plans: 3–6
• Wednesday 25 July 3.30 pm
C2C History year level plans: 7–10
• Thursday 26 July 3.30 pm
C2C History: Multi-level
• Wednesday 1 August 3.30 pm
Historical understandings
• Wednesday 8 August 3.30 pm
Historical Inquiry
• Tuesday 21 August 3.30 pm
History Assessment P–6
• Wednesday 22 August 3.30 pm
History Assessment 7–10
Draft Civics and Citizenship Shape paper
10 August 2012
Read and provide feedback on the draft Shape of the
Australian Curriculum: Civics and Citizenship paper.
Online Literature Festival
20 August to 7 September 2012
Supported by the State Library Qld and Brisbane Writers’
Festival, the Online Literature Festival offers the opportunity
for teachers and students to meet and work with their
favourite authors and illustrators.
School Wide Positive Behaviour Support Queensland
conference
17–19 September 2012
Registration is open for the 2012 3rd Queensland Conference
in SWPBS, Linking Behaviour to Academic Success
Community environmental grants
28 September 2012
Submissions for the first round close.
Music Count Us In 2012
1 November 2012 — 11.30 am
Register now to participate. Schools all over Australia will
learn, rehearse, then perform on the same day, at the same
time.
Maryborough Music Conference 2013
4 July to 8 July 2013
See website for more information.
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Connections
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