NSC Senior School Subject Selection Handbook

VCE: Humanities

Accounting, Business Management, Geography, History, Legal Studies

Accounting

Unit 1: Role of Accounting in Business

This unit explores the establishment of a business and the role of accounting in the determination of business success or failure. In this, it considers the importance of accounting information to stakeholders. Students analyse, interpret, and evaluate the performance of the business using financial and non-financial information. They use these evaluations to make recommendations regarding the suitability of a business as an investment.

 

Areas of Study:

  • The Role of Accounting
  • Recording financial data and reporting accounting information for a service business

Unit 2: Accounting and decision-making for a trading business

In this unit, students develop their knowledge of the accounting process for sole proprietors operating a trading business, with a focus on inventory, accounts receivable, accounts payable and non-current assets. Students use manual processes and ICT, including spreadsheets, to prepare historical and budgeted accounting reports.

 

Areas of Study:

  • Accounting for and managing inventory
  • Accounting for and managing accounts receivable and accounts payable
  • Accounting for and managing non-current assets

Unit 1 & 2 Assessments (suitable tasks may include):

  • A folio of exercises using manual methods and ICT
  • Structured questions using manual methods and ICT
  • An assignment including use of ICT
  • A case study including use of ICT
  • A classroom presentation, role-play or debate including use of ICT
  • A report including use of ICT

Unit 3: Financial accounting for a trading business

This unit focuses on financial accounting for a trading business owned by a sole proprietor and highlights the role of accounting as an information system. Students use the double entry system of recording financial data and prepare reports using the accrual basis of accounting and the perpetual method of inventory recording.

 

Areas of Study:

  • Recording and analysing financial data
  • Preparing and interpreting accounting reports

Unit 4: Recording, reporting, budgeting and decision-making

In this unit, students further develop their understanding of accounting for a trading business owned by a sole proprietor and the role of accounting as an information system. Students use the double entry system of recording financial data and prepare reports using the accrual basis of accounting and the perpetual method of inventory recording. Both manual methods and ICT are used to record and report.

 

Areas of Study:

  • Extension of recording and reporting
  • Budgeting and decision-making

Unit 3 & 4 Assessments (suitable tasks may include):

  • A folio of exercises utilising manual methods and ICT
  • Structured questions utilising manual methods and ICT
  • A case study including use of ICT
  • A report utilising ICT

External Assessment

The level of achievement for Units 3 & 4 is also assessed by an end-of-year examination, contributing 50% of the final assessment.

Business Management

Unit 1: Planning a Business

In this unit, students explore the factors affecting business ideas and the internal and external environments within which businesses operate and the effect of these on planning a business. Students learn how businesses are formed and how they contribute to the economic and social wellbeing of a nation.

 

Areas of Study:

  • The business idea
  • Internal business environment and planning
  • External business environment and planning

Unit 2: Establishing a Business

In this unit, students examine the legal requirements that must be satisfied to establish a business. They investigate the essential features of effective marketing and consider the best way to meet the needs of the business in terms of staffing and financial record keeping.

 

Areas of Study:

  • Legal requirements and financial considerations
  • Marketing a business
  • Staffing a business

Unit 1 & 2 Assessments (suitable tasks may include):

  • Case study analysis
  • Business research report
  • Development of a business plan and/or feasibility study
  • Interview and a report on contact with business
  • School-based, short-term business activity
  • Business simulation exercise
  • Essay
  • Business survey and analysis
  • Media analysis

Unit 3: Managing a business

In this unit, students explore the key processes and issues concerned with managing a business efficiently and effectively to achieve the business objectives. Different types of businesses and their respective objectives are examined, and students consider corporate culture, management styles, management skills and the relationship between each of these. Students investigate strategies to manage both staff and business operations to meet objectives. An understanding of the complexity and challenge of managing businesses is developed and through the use of contemporary business case studies from the past four years, students have the opportunity to compare theoretical perspectives with current practice.

 

Areas of Study:

  • Business foundations
  • Human resource management
  • Operations management

Unit 4: Transforming a Business

In this unit, students explore how businesses are under constant pressure to adapt and change to meet their objectives. The students consider the importance of reviewing key performance indicators to determine current performance and the strategic management necessary to position a business for the future. Students study a theoretical model to undertake change and consider a variety of strategies to manage change in the most efficient and effective way to improve business performance. They investigate the importance of leadership in change management. Using a contemporary business case study from the past four years, students evaluate business practice against theory.

 

Areas of Study:

  • Reviewing Performance - the need for change
  • Implementing Change

Unit 3 & 4 Assessments (suitable tasks may include):

  • A folio of exercises
  • Case studies
  • Essays
  • Multimedia presentations
  • Structured questions
  • A report in written format

External Assessment

The level of achievement for Units 3 & 4 is also assessed by an end-of-year examination, contributing 50% of the final assessment.

Geography

Unit 1: Hazards and Disasters

In this unit, students undertake an overview of hazards before investigating two contrasting types of hazards and the responses to them by people. Students learn about geological, hydro-meteorological, biological, and technological hazards. These hazards may include coastal hazards, oil spills, invasive species, and bushfires. Case studies at different scales investigate the nature of hazards, their impact on people and the environment and how the risk of hazards may be managed and reduced. Fieldwork is part of this unit.

 

Areas of Study:

  • Characteristics of hazards
  • Response to hazards and disasters

Unit 2: Tourism: Issues and Challenges

In this unit, students investigate the characteristics of tourism, with particular emphasis on where it has developed, its various forms, how it has changed and continues to change. They explore the impacts of different types of tourism and evaluate the effectiveness of measures taken to enhance the positive impacts and/or to minimise the negative. Students select contrasting examples of tourism from within Australia and elsewhere in the world to support their investigations. Fieldwork is part of this unit.

 

For Units 1 & 2 students use geospatial technologies such as Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and remote sensing to investigate hazards and tourism.

 

Areas of Study:

  • Characteristics of tourism
  • Impact of tourism: issues and challenges

Unit 1 & 2 Assessments (suitable tasks may include):

  • a fieldwork report
  • structured questions
  • a case study
  • a report
  • a folio of exercises

Unit 3: Changing the Land

This unit focusses on two investigations of geographical change: change to land cover and change to land use. The investigation of land use change is at a variety of scales. At a local scale students investigate land use change using appropriate fieldwork techniques and secondary sources. They investigate the scale of change, the reasons for change and the impacts of change. A study of global land cover change involves an investigation of melting glaciers and ice sheets and deforestation. Students study one location for each process. Fieldwork is part of this unit.

 

Areas of Study:

  • Land cover change
  • Land use change

Unit 4: Human Population - Trends and Issues

In this unit, students investigate the geography of human populations. They explore the patterns of population change, movement and distribution, and the responses to those changes in different parts of the world. Investigations include a study of two significant population trends: a growing population of one country and an ageing population of another country.

 

For Units 3 & 4 students use geospatial technologies such as Geographic Information Systems (GIS), remote sensing, images, systems to investigate land and population changes.

 

Areas of Study:

  • Population dynamics
  • Population issues and challenges

Unit 3 & 4 Assessments (suitable tasks may include):

  • a fieldwork report for Unit 3
  • analysis of geographic data
  • a research report
  • a case study
  • a multimedia presentation
  • structured questions

External Assessment

The level of achievement for Units 3 & 4 is also assessed by an end-of-year examination, contributing 50% of the final assessment.

History

Unit 1 & 2: Modern History

Unit 1: Change and Conflict

In this unit students investigate the nature of social, political, economic, and cultural change in the later part of the 19th century and the first half of the 20th century. Modern History provides students with an opportunity to explore the significant events, ideas, individuals, and movements that shaped the social, political, economic, and technological conditions and developments that have defined the modern world.

 

Areas of Study:

  • Ideology and conflict
  • Social and cultural change

Unit 2: The Changing World Order

In this unit students investigate the nature and impact of the Cold War and challenges and changes to social, political, and economic structures and systems of power in the second half of the twentieth century and the first decade of the twenty-first century.

 

Areas of Study:

  • Causes, course and consequences of the Cold War
  • Challenge and change

Unit 1 & 2 Assessments (suitable tasks may include):

  • A multimedia presentation
  • A historical research inquiry
  • Short-answer questions
  • Extended responses
  • An evaluation of historical sources
  • An essay

Unit 3 & 4: Revolutions

Unit 3: The Russian Revolution

This unit studies the Russian Revolution of 1917. In Outcome 1, the course explores the events and other conditions that contributed to the outbreak of revolution, the ideas that played a significant role in challenging the existing order, the role of individuals and the contributions of popular movements in mobilising society. In Outcome 2, the course examines the challenges that the new regime faced in attempting to consolidate its power, the changes and continuities in political, social, cultural, and economic conditions that influenced the leaders to compromise their revolutionary ideals, and the contribution of significant individuals that changed society.

 

Areas of Study:

  • Causes of revolution
  • Consequences of revolution

Unit 4: The Chinese Revolution

This unit studies the Chinese Revolution of 1949. In Outcome 1, the course explores the events and other conditions that contributed to the outbreak of revolution, the ideas that played a significant role in challenging the existing order, the role of individuals and the contributions of popular movements in mobilising society. In Outcome 2, the course examines the challenges that the new regime faced in attempting to consolidate its power, the changes and continuities in political, social, cultural, and economic conditions that influenced the leaders to compromise their revolutionary ideals, and the contribution of significant individuals that changed society.

 

Areas of Study:

  • Causes of revolution
  • Consequences of revolution

Unit 3 & 4 Assessments:

  • A historical inquiry
  • An evaluation of historical sources
  • Extended responses
  • An essay

External Assessment

The level of achievement for Units 3 & 4 is also assessed by an end-of-year examination, contributing 50% of the final assessment.

Legal Studies

Unit 1: The presumption of innocence

Laws, including criminal law, aim to achieve social cohesion and protect the rights of individuals. Criminal law is aimed at maintaining social order. When a Criminal Law is broken, a crime is committed which is punishable and can result in criminal charges and sanctions.

 

Areas of Study:

  • Legal Foundations
  • Proving guilt
  • Sanctions

Unit 2: Wrongs and Rights

Civil Law aims to protect the rights of individuals. When rights are infringed, a dispute may arise requiring resolution, and remedies may be awarded. In this unit, students investigate key concepts of Civil Law and apply these to actual and/or hypothetical scenarios to determine whether a party is liable in a civil dispute. Students also develop an understanding of how human rights are protected in Australia and possible reforms to the protection of rights, and investigate a contemporary human rights issue in Australia, with a specific focus on one case study.

 

Areas of Study:

  • Civil Liability
  • Remedies
  • Human Rights

Unit 1 & 2 Assessments (suitable tasks may include):

  • Folio of exercises
  • Structured questions
  • Classroom presentation
  • Role-play
  • Debate
  • Report
  • Question and answer session

Unit 3: Rights and Justice

The Victorian justice system, which includes the Criminal and Civil Justice Systems, aims to protect the rights of individuals, and uphold the principles of justice: fairness, equality, and access. In this unit, students examine the methods and institutions in the Criminal and Civil Justice System and consider their appropriateness in determining Criminal cases and resolving Civil disputes. Students explore topics such as the rights available to an accused and to victims in the Criminal Justice System, the roles of the Judge, Jury, Legal Practitioners and the parties, and the ability of sanctions and remedies to achieve their purposes. Students investigate the extent to which the principles of justice are upheld in the Justice System. Students synthesise and apply legal principles and information relevant to the Criminal Justice and Civil Justice System to actual and/or hypothetical scenarios.

 

Areas of Study:

  • The Victorian Criminal Justice System
  • The Victorian Civil Justice System

Unit 4: The People and the Law and reform

The study of Australia’s laws and legal system includes an understanding of institutions that make and reform our laws. In this unit, students explore how the Australian Constitution establishes the law-making powers of the Commonwealth and State parliaments, and how it protects the Australian people through structures that act as a check on parliament in law-making. Students develop an understanding of the significance of the High Court in protecting and interpreting the Australian Constitution. They investigate parliament and the courts, and the relationship between the two in law-making, and consider the roles of the individual, the media and law reform bodies in influencing changes to the law, and past and future constitutional reform. Throughout this unit, students apply legal reasoning and information to actual and/or hypothetical scenarios.

 

Areas of Study:

  • The People and the Australian Constitution
  • The People and reform

Unit 3 & 4 Assessments (suitable tasks may include):

  • Folio of exercises
  • Case studies
  • Essays
  • Multimedia presentations
  • Structured questions
  • A report in written format

External Assessment

The level of achievement for Units 3 & 4 is also assessed by an end-of-year examination, contributing 50% of the final assessment.