Scotch College

HISTORY Year 7 – 2011

Rationale

This course aims to enable students to:

• develop enquiry skills relevant to the study of history

• gain experience in using evidence to provide ‘answers’ to issues in history (photographs, objects, drawings, slides, videos, artifacts)

• explore the nature of change and continuity in the study of a large time span of human history

• form an understanding of the development of civilisation

• develop empathy, ie. an understanding of the essential humanity of people of all ages and cultures

• enjoy exploring the rich narrative sources that survive

Students should develop an understanding of:

• the common themes of government, housing, religion, education and lifestyle in Ancient Sumer, China, Egypt, Greece and Rome

• cultural achievements of each civilisation

• chronology and cultural similarity of some of these civilisations

• why people study history and what history is

• how our own culture is similar or different to those studied

Course content

• Investigating the Past

• River Valley Civilisations (Part 1. Sumer)

• River Valley Civilisations (Part 2. China)

• Egypt

• Greece

• Rome

Skills

The use of evidence: using/investigating a variety of primary source material (pictorial, photographic,artifacts, maps, documentary)

Enquiry skills: practising and developing the following skills: organisation of material, reading/comprehension, research skills, writing skills, interpretation of material and weighing evidence.

The formation

of generalisations: learning to form generalisations on the basis of material examined on the different themes.

Communication: researching and communicating ideas clearly in both oral and written form. Listening to others’ viewpoints and thinking before answering.

Thinking: learning to question material used, to think creatively about civilisations, lifestyles and use our imagination to explore what it would have been like to live then.

Assessment

Time-lines Interpreting Evidence

Note-taking Research Activity

Oral skills