The learning focus statement provides advice about learning experiences that will assist students to work towards the achievement of the standards at Level 4.

Level 4 standard

Historical knowledge and understanding

At Level 4, students demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of significant events in Australian history including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander history, European settlement, the development of the colonies, the development of the wool industry, the 1850s gold rushes; the moves to self-government, Federation; and World War I. They demonstrate an understanding of the histories of some cultural groups which make up Australia today. They make links and appropriate comparisons with contemporary Australia.

Students demonstrate an understanding of key aspects of an Asian country or countries within the Australian region. They explain significant events and people in the history of that country or countries. They describe aspects of governance, customs, religious traditions and daily life. They explain the values important to other societies and their own and links between other countries and Australia.

They compare and contrast the values and beliefs of Australians and people of other cultures. They compare aspects of different cultures and countries, in both the past and present, and ask questions about their own society. They sequence events and describe their significance in bringing about particular developments.

Historical reasoning and interpretation

At Level 4, students use a range of primary and secondary sources to investigate the past. With support, they frame research questions and plan their own inquiries. They comprehend and question sources and make judgments about the views being expressed, the completeness of the evidence, and the values represented. They use appropriate historical language and concepts to develop historical explanations. They present their understandings in a range of forms.

Progressing towards Level 5, Level 6 and Beyond Level 6

The learning focus statement provides advice about learning experiences that will assist students to work towards the achievement of the standards at Level 5.

Level 5 standard

Historical knowledge and understanding

At Level 5, students analyse and describe key events in ancient and medieval societies. They use a variety of sources to describe key aspects of these societies. They describe aspects of daily life in these societies such as work, the division of labour, family, clothing, housing and education. They explain key features of community life including myths and legends, religious beliefs and practices and cultural expressions such as art and drama. They analyse the ways that ancient and medieval societies were governed, identify political features and explain the nature of the political system, the dominant groups and how they established and maintained power. They describe the roles of key individuals and evaluate their contributions and legacies.

Students analyse change and continuity over time and compare key aspects of past and present societies; for example, aspects of daily life, social and political ideas and structures, and cultural values and beliefs. They demonstrate understanding of key concepts such as democracy, governance, the rule of law, justice, religion, liberty, authority, leadership, culture and feudalism. They explain the influences of ancient and medieval societies on contemporary societies.

Historical reasoning and interpretation

At Level 5, students frame key research questions, plan their investigations, and report on their findings. They use a range of primary and secondary sources including visual sources that record features of the societies in their investigations. They identify the content, origin, purpose and context of historical sources. They evaluate historical sources for meaning, point of view, values and attitudes, and identify some of the strengths and limitations of historical documents. They use relevant historical evidence, concepts and historical conventions such as bibliographies to present a point of view. Students use a variety of forms to present their understanding.

Progressing towards Level 4, Level 6 and Beyond Level 6

The learning focus statement provides advice about learning experiences that will assist students to work towards the achievement of the standards at Level 6.

Level 6 standard

Historical knowledge and understanding

At Level 6, students analyse events which contributed to Australia’s social, political and cultural development. These events could include: European colonisation, the growth of the colonies, self-government, the gold rushes, the development of trade unions, the events leading to Federation, Federation, World War I, World War II, immigration, and the Gulf Wars. Students evaluate the contribution of significant Australians to Australia’s development.

Students evaluate the impact of colonisation on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and the fight for civil and political rights and land rights. They analyse significant events and movements which have resulted in improvements in civil and political rights for other groups of Australians such as the eight-hour day and the right to vote for women, and evaluate the contributions of key participants and leaders in these events. They compare different perspectives about a significant event and make links between historical and contemporary issues.

Students analyse the impact of some key wars and conflicts in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. These could include the world wars, revolutions, the Cold War and post Cold War conflicts. They explain aspects of increasing global interconnections in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. They demonstrate understanding of key ideologies and explain their influence on people’s lives, national events and international relations. They explain why significant social and cultural movements have developed and evaluate their influence on societies. They analyse changes in technology, medicine and communication.

Historical reasoning and interpretation

At Level 6, students frame research questions and locate relevant resources, including contemporary media and online resources. They identify, comprehend and evaluate a range of primary and secondary sources, including visual sources and use historical conventions such as footnotes and bibliographies to document sources. They critically evaluate sources of evidence for context, information, reliability, completeness, objectivity and bias. They recognise that in history there are multiple perspectives and partial explanations. They use appropriate historical language and concepts in historical explanations. They use evidence to support arguments and select and use appropriate written and oral forms to communicate develop historical explanations in a variety of oral, written and electronic forms.

Progressing towards Level 4, Level 5 and Beyond Level 6

Progressing towards Level 4, Level 5 , Level 6