History
Introduction
History is the study of the past from ancient civilisations to today’s news. Learning in the History domain provides students with knowledge, skills and behaviours to understand themselves and their world, to apply their understanding in their present lives and consider futures they desire.
The past is a great narrative of people’s lives, events both trivial and major, ideas and ways of thinking. The past gives students inspiration and alternatives for their own lives. It helps them understand how the world has changed in the past and how it might be changed again in the future. It assists students to distinguish between the ephemeral and what is of lasting worth.
The study of History encompasses the broad time sweep of human history from ancient and medieval times to today. It develops in students an understanding of cultures, ideas and values that are important to other societies as well as their own. It considers the way societies have changed and also the significant continuities which exist. Key concepts include time, continuity, change, motivation, cause and effect as well as concepts that relate to particular historical contexts.
Students learn that all history, including Australian history, reflects multiple influences and connections to an array of other countries, cultures and times. They learn about the key events in the history of the Australian nation and how it has evolved over time. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (ATSI) history is an integral perspective within Australian history.
Students learn about the histories of the various people who live in Australia today, the diverse heritages, experiences, perspectives and aspirations. They learn that Australian identity is dynamic, has changed over time and is evolving still. This provides the basis for developing a sense of personal, cultural and national identity in a diverse multicultural nation and provides the understanding to develop perspectives on our nation, our region and our world.
Students explore the ATSI perspectives in Australian history and develop an understanding of traditional life encompassing social, political, economic and spiritual dimensions. They learn about the impact of, and response to, enforced change and the dynamism of current ATSI societies.
The study of history develops particular historical understanding – key concepts and skills that are fundamental to the everyday lives of students. These include skills in analysing and evaluating a range of primary and secondary sources such as artefacts, written documents, graphics, film, the Internet and media. Students learn that there are many perspectives on events and that explanations are often incomplete and contested. They develop skills in research and critical inquiry: framing questions, organising inquiries, identifying the origins of sources, identifying values and beliefs underpinning them and using the language of history. They demonstrate their understanding in a variety of forms such as timelines, oral presentations, reports, essays, narratives, multimedia presentations and film.
Structure of the domain
The History domain is organised into three sections, one for each level of achievement from Levels 4 to 6. Each level includes a learning focus statement and a set of standards organised by dimension.
Learning focus
Learning focus statements are written for each of Levels 4, 5 and 6. At Levels 1 to 3, basic concepts related to history, geography and economics are included under the general umbrella of ‘The Humanities’. Learning focus statements outline the learning that students need to focus on if they are to progress in the domain and achieve the standards at the levels where they apply. They suggest appropriate learning experiences from which teachers can draw to develop relevant teaching and learning activities.
Standards
Standards define what students should know and be able to do at different levels and are written for each dimension. In the Humanities, standards for assessing and reporting on student achievement are introduced at Level 3. These focus on historical and geographical knowledge and understanding. Specific standards for History apply from Level 4.
Dimensions
Standards in the History domain are organised in two dimensions:
- Historical knowledge and understanding
- Historical reasoning and interpretation.
Historical knowledge and understanding
The Historical knowledge and understanding dimension focuses on particular concepts and contexts of history. Students learn the concept of time: chronology and sequencing; change and continuity; past, present and future in a range of historical contexts. Through studying the past they learn about change and its impact on people’s lives and the significance of continuity - how aspects of past societies have been preserved. They learn about cause and effect, the relationship between events and people’s actions and intentions. They learn about identity, personal, cultural, and national and the contributions of people past and present to that identity. They learn about evidence and the range of sources of information about the past.
Students gain a balanced coverage of historical content, including knowledge about Australian history, to provide a sense of chronology and to help them understand their present and shape their future.
Historical reasoning and interpretation
The Historical reasoning and interpretation dimension focuses on the nature of historical thinking. Students learn to frame questions in the light of their own knowledge and experiences and to develop research and inquiry skills. These include gathering and documenting evidence from a variety of sources, including artefacts, documents and graphics, and interpreting evidence.
Students develop skills in making judgments about sources of evidence, including the ideas and voices expressed, the culture and values represented and the literal and symbolic meanings expressed. They learn that there are multiple, conflicting and often partial interpretations of events.
Students learn the language of History including using terms such as primary and secondary sources and terms relevant to particular periods of history such as medieval and revolution. They communicate their understanding of History using the conventions of a range of forms of representation such as timelines, media reports, multimedia presentations, oral presentations, posters, photographic and written essays.
Stages of learning
The VELS take account of the developmental stages of learning young people experience at school. While student learning is a continuum and different students develop at different rates, they broadly progress through three stages of learning. General statements about characteristics of learners in these three stages are available at Stages of learning.
The following statements describe ways in which these characteristics relate to learning experiences and standards in each of the three stages of learning in the History domain.
In the Humanities – History domain students progressively develop knowledge, skills and behaviours to understand themselves and their world, to apply their understanding in their present lives and consider futures they desire. The past provides a great narrative of people, events, ideas and ways of thinking and helps students understand how the world has changed in the past, how it might change in the future and the significant continuities that exist.
In Years Prep to 4, history learning takes place through the general Humanities domain. Students are introduced to history in local and familiar contexts such as the family and the local community as well as stories and key events which introduce them to events in the far past. In Years 5–8 students become more complex thinkers and begin to develop independent inquiry skills. They are introduced to events in Australia, their region and the broad sweep of human history in ancient and medieval times. In Years 9 and 10, students are encouraged to be more oriented and aware of the world beyond school and increasingly independent in their learning. They analyse the impact of a range of events in national and global history, conduct independent inquiries to deepen their knowledge and evaluate links between the past and contemporary events.
Years Prep to 4 – Laying the foundations
Children begin schooling with knowledge, skills and a sense of time which are developed in the family learning environment. Learning historical skills begins in familiar contexts of home, school and community. Students are introduced to chronology and change, narrative and evidence though activities such as creating a family or personal timeline, sharing stories and examining artefacts such as photographs, baby books and houses and considering differences between ‘then’ and ‘now’. Through sharing information and experiences with others, students begin to learn about experiences that are different from their own and cultural groups that are represented in their class.
Students are introduced to the broader community and ideas and events beyond their immediate experience through listening to personal accounts, reading and listening to narratives, considering symbols such as the national flag and the Australian anthem and participating in school celebrations of events such as Anzac Day. They begin to learn about the history of Australians, significant events and people in the history of their nation. They begin to develop simple descriptions which explain the significance of events.
Years 5 to 8 – Building breadth and depth
Students in Years 5–8 progressively develop greater cognitive ability and skills and become more complex thinkers. They are introduced to a broader understanding of Australian history, including the establishment of the Australian nation and key events in its growth. They increase their understanding of the culture and history of groups that make up Australia and become increasingly aware of the complexity and diversity of their nation. Students also become aware of the range of cultures, beliefs and histories through a study of one or more countries in the Australian region. They are introduced to the far past and the broad sweep of human history through the study of ancient and medieval civilisation.
Students are increasingly independent, flexible and self-motivated, and can organise their thinking and understand inquiry processes. They are supported to develop skills in questioning historical sources and making judgments about points of view, the completeness of the evidence and the values represented. They deal with an increasing range of historical sources including oral, visual and written and online sources. They are supported to plan historical inquiries and begin to work independently and with others to develop deep understanding of particular events and issues.
Students develop understanding of the conventions of historical explanation including citing evidence and using a bibliography. They are able to use a range of forms to present explanations including oral, written and electronic. They understand that explanations may be partial and incomplete and that there are a range of views that must be taken into consideration.
Years 9 to 10 – Developing pathways
In these years students are more oriented to the future and aware of the world beyond school. They are beginning to think of themselves as adults. They are more independent as learners and able to assume greater responsibility for their learning.
Students are more focused on developing skills of critical understanding, analysis and evaluation. They examine and recognise the significance of events in the Australian history and world history in the twentieth and twenty–first centuries. They analyse aspects of global interconnections past and present and make links and comparisons with contemporary events and issues. They reflect on key ideologies, social and cultural movements and their effects on people and nations and analyse human rights issues in a range of contexts.
Students explore events and issues in depth through inquiries related to their interests. They frame and refine questions for historical inquiry, locate resources and actively engage in independent research. They critically evaluate sources and recognise multiple interpretations and partial explanations. They use conventions such as footnotes and bibliographies. They present historical explanations with arguments based on evidence and justify interpretations of events. They evaluate the effectiveness of their work.
National Statements of Learning
The Victorian Essential Learning Standards (VELS) incorporate the opportunities to learn covered in the national Statements of Learning (www.mceetya.edu.au/mceetya/statements_of_learning,22835.html). The Statements of Learning describe essential skills, knowledge, understandings and capacities that all young Australians should have the opportunity to learn by the end of Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 in English, Mathematics, Science, Civics and Citizenship and Information and Communication Technologies (ICT).
The Statements of Learning were developed as a means of achieving greater national consistency in curriculum outcomes across the eight Australian states and territories. It was proposed that they be used by state and territory departments or curriculum authorities (their primary audience) to guide the future development of relevant curriculum documents. They were agreed to by all states and territories in August 2006.
During 2007, the VCAA prepared a detailed map to show how the Statements of Learning are addressed and incorporated in the VELS. In the majority of cases, the VELS learning focus statements incorporate the Statements of Learning. Some Statements of Learning are covered in more than one domain. In some cases, VELS learning focus statements have been elaborated to address elements of the Statements of Learning not previously specified. These elaborations are noted at the end of each learning focus statement.
Pathways to VCE, VCE VET and VCAL
Post-compulsory pathways from History
As students approach the end of the compulsory years of schooling they begin to make choices about their preferred areas of and pathways for learning. Students choose studies from the Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) or recognised vocational training through either a Vocational Education Training (VET) program or the Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning (VCAL).
Learning in the History domain provides students with the knowledge, skills and behaviours required for understanding themselves and their world, applying their understanding in their present lives, and considering possible futures. It provides knowledge and skills which prepare students for a number of VCE, VET and VCAL studies as well as lifelong learning essential for understanding Australia’s history and the challenges of a globalised world. History also provides the basis for developing a sense of personal, cultural and national identity in a pluralist and multicultural nation.
The History domain encompasses the broad sweep of human history and includes key events, ideologies and social movements that have shaped the contemporary world. Students learn about change over time and significant continuities that exist. History develops an understanding of culture and the values and ideas important to societies. Students learn about events in the history of Australia and other nations. They develop an understanding of the relationship between time and place and are encouraged to consider diverse perspectives and interpretations of events.
Through the study of history, students develop a range of reasoning and interpretation skills including the evaluation and analysis of sources, the location and documentation of evidence, and research skills, including making judgments, forming arguments and presenting understanding based on evidence.
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Pathway |
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Lifelong learning |
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VCE |
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VET |
The generic skills in reasoning, analysis, evaluation and presentation developed in history support student learning in a range of VET studies. The content and concepts of history support student learning specifically in:
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VCAL |
VCE History can contribute to a VCAL program as a general credit. Each VCE unit will contribute one credit to a VCAL program. A VCAL program must have a minimum of ten credits including at least one unit in the four compulsory strands listed above. For further information please contact the VCAL Coordinator at your child's school.
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More information about VCE (www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/vce)
More information about VET (www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/vet)
More information about VCAL (www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/vcal)
Downloads
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The Humanities − History booklet (
PDF - 131KB)
This booklet includes an introduction to this domain, a description of the structure of the domain, and the learning focus statements and standards at each level.
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The Humanities − History standards table (Doc - 40KB)
This document provides the standards in this domain in table format to enable quick teacher reference. It includes descriptions of the dimensions and the standards from Levels 1 to 6. It does not include learning focus statements.
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Victorian Essential Learning Standards by Level
Level 4 ( PDF - 751KB)
Level 5 ( PDF - 755KB)
Level 6 ( PDF - 788KB)
These booklets include the information for every domain at the relevant level. Each level publication includes:- the relevant stage of learning statement
- the relevant level statement
- introductions to each of the three strands
- introductions to every domain
- learning focus statements and standards for every domain.
