Humanities

Humanities in the High School consists of the study of four distinct subject areas. It includes History, Geography, and Civics and Citizenship as well as Economics and Business. Learners spend time developing skills in communication, analysis and research. Learners will engage in activities designed to identify the context and significance of events and developments, incorporate multiple perspectives and recognise the value of using evidence to justify a point of view.

Year 9

All students in Year 9 study Humanities. In Year 9 students may also select Economics, Business and Law (EBL) in addition to the Humanities program. They can select this Semester long course in Year 9 or Year 10. 

Year 10

All students in Year 10 study History. There are a number of additional Humanities options in Year 10. These options include Economics, Business and Law (EBL) and EBL 2 (2023 only) Geography, Global Politics, Social Psychology, Religious Studies and Philosophy.

Up to 4 units of Humanities electives may be studied in Year 10, in addition to History.

Year 9 - Humanities

Humanities in Year 9 involves the study of History, Geography, Civics and Citizenship, Business and Economics. Students study the causes, course and impact of World War One, the role of the media in shaping government policies, political parties and electoral processes in the 21st century. Students study issues that influence their lives as individuals and as members of different groups. Humanities in Year 9 also explores geographies of interconnectedness by investigating ways that humans are connected across place and space. Year 9 Humanities also investigates economic decision making and the interests of consumers and businesses. 

Content and concepts:

History:

• An overview of the causes of World War I
• The places where Australians fought and the nature of warfare during World War I
• The impact of World War I on the Australian Home Front, including anti-war movements
• The commemoration of World War I, including a critical analysis of the significance of the Anzac campaign.

Geography

• The ways people are connected to services, information and people in other places.
• The effects on places of travel, recreation, cultural activities and the strategies for managing the impacts on these places. 
• The ways that places and people are interconnected with other places through trade in goods and services, at all scales
• The impact of the production and consumption of goods on places throughout the world, and the strategies to manage the sustainability in these places. 

Civics and Citizenship:

• The influence of a range of media, including social media, in shaping identity and attitudes to diversity
• The challenges to and ways of sustaining a resilient democracy and a cohesive society.
• How Australia's international obligations shape Australian law and government. 
• The role of the Australian Constitution in providing the basis for Australia's federal system and the process for constitutional change through a referendum. 
• The legislative processes through which federal government policy is shaped, developed and implemented.

Economics and Business:

• How economic decision-making involves the interdependence of consumers, businesses, the financial sector and government
• Factors that influence major consumer and financial decisions and the short, medium and long term consequences of these decisions. 
• How individuals and businesses manage consumer and financial risks and rewards
• Processes that businesses use to create and maintain competitive advantage, including the role of entrepreneurs. 

Year 10 - History 

Year 10 students study History in either Semester one or two.  The study of History is essential to engaging fully in the present and participating in the future. It also helps learners develop their global awareness and promotes sensitivity to the needs of others through an exploration of multiple perspectives. This course helps students to develop an historical overview of the events and ideologies that continue to shape the world in which they live.

Learners are introduced to skills and concepts throughout the course that will help prepare them to undertake Humanities and English subjects in the TCE or the IB Diploma.

Learners will study both an overview and an in depth investigation of the following historical periods and developments:

• World War II
• Cold War
• Migration movements
• Civil rights movements in the US and Australia
• The Global Financial Crisis and/or Corona Virus Pandemic

Humanities Electives

Please see the description of these subjects on the following pages: