Year 7 Humanities

Over the Year 7 course, students will study a range of topics across the areas of Geography and History. In doing so they will be exposed to concepts relating to Civics and Citizenship, and Economics and Business, as well as completing a specific unit on Consumer and Financial Literacy.

Water in the world

Students will learn about:

Environmental resources and the forms that water takes as a resource.
Ways that flows of water connect and affect places as they move through the environment.
The quantity and variability of Australia’s water resources compared with those in other continents.
The nature of water scarcity and the role of humans in creating and overcoming it.
The spiritual, economic, cultural and aesthetic value of water for people, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and peoples of the Asia region, that influence the significance of places.
Causes of an atmospheric or hydrological hazard and its impacts on places.
Human responses to an atmospheric or hydrological hazard to minimise harmful effects on places in the future.

Place and Liveability

Students will learn:

Factors that influence the decisions people make about where to live and their perceptions of the liveability of places.
Influence of accessibility to services and facilities, and environmental quality, on the liveability of places.
Environmental, economic and social measures used to evaluate places for their liveability, comparing two different places.
Influence of social connectedness and community identity on the liveability of places.
Strategies used to enhance the liveability of places, especially for young people, including examples from Australia and Europe

Geographical Concepts and Skills

Students will learn to:

Explain processes that influence the characteristics of places.
Identify, analyse and explain spatial distributions and patterns and identify and explain their implications.
Collect and record relevant geographical data and information from useful primary and secondary sources, using ethical protocols.
Select and represent data and information in different forms, including by constructing appropriate maps at different scales that conform to cartographic conventions.
Analyse maps and other geographical data and information, to develop identifications, descriptions, explanations and conclusions that use geographical terminology.
Use digital and spatial technologies as appropriate to represent and/or analyse data and information.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and cultures

Students will learn about:

How physical or geographical features influenced the development of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ communities, foundational stories and land management practices.
The significant beliefs, values and practices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and cultures including trade with other communities, causes and effects of warfare, and death and funerary customs.
The nature of sources of evidence about ancient Australia and what they reveal about Australia’s ancient past, such as the use of resources.
The importance of conserving the remains of the ancient past, including the heritage, culture and artefacts of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

One or more civilisations from the ancient period (from 60,000 BCE to c.650 CE)

Students will learn:

How physical features influenced the development of civilization.
Changes in society and the perspectives of key groups affected by change including the influence of law and religion.
Significant beliefs, values and practices with a particular emphasis on changes to everyday life, cause and effect of warfare, and perspectives of death and funerary customs.
Causes and effects of contacts and conflicts with other societies and/or peoples, resulting in developments such as the expansion of trade, colonisation and war, and spread of beliefs.
The role and achievements of a significant individual in an ancient society.
The different methods and sources used by historians and archaeologists to investigate history and/or a historical mystery.
The significance and importance of conserving the remains and heritage of the past.

Historical Concepts and Skills

Students will learn about:

Chronology – Sequence significant events in chronological order to analyse the causes and effects and identify continuities and changes.
Historical sources as evidence. - Analyse the different perspectives of people in the past.
Continuity and change - Identify and explain patterns of continuity and change in society.
Cause and effect – Analyse the causes and effects of significant events that caused change and/or a decline over the period.
Historical significance – Evaluate the role and achievement of a significant individual, development and/or cultural achievement that led to progress

Financial and consumer literacy

Students will learn:

The rights and responsibilities of consumers and businesses in terms of financial and economic decision making.