Humanities

Humanities has seen another busy term, with Year 7s and Year 9s launching into History and Year 8s delving into physical geography. The Year 7s have commenced an in depth look at First Nations Australia, including the extensive history, the geography, entailing sustainable methods of managing the environment and archaeology, with a focus on Lake Mungo in NSW. Students are using footprints and other archaeological clues to work out how humans lived tens of thousands of years ago. The Year 7 classes have had their first introduction to the OPVL method of source analysis, and are moving on to how to respond to particular command terms in history. 

Our Year 8s have completed a Landscapes and Landforms geography KLT involving sketching a chosen landscape before and after natural processes (such as erosion and deposition) and human impact have seen changes occur. They identified landforms and annotated their sketches to demonstrate changes. After this, students wrote a paragraph introducing their landscape and explaining what had happened to it. The students engaged enthusiastically with the task, and we were blown away by their amazing drawings. The classes are now looking at tectonic activity and geomorphic hazards, including volcanic eruptions, earthquakes and landslides, and are working toward devising crisis management plans. 

The Year 9s have revised OPVL source analysis and practised responding to different types of historical sources. They have entered the modern world, looking at an overview of the Industrial Revolution before an investigation of Australia. Students re-examined First Nations’ history and key concepts, particularly Country. They are now looking at European settlement and the experiences of different groups in society, including First Nations peoples, convicts, Chinese gold miners, South Sea Islanders and pearl divers from Japan and elsewhere. Students will be conducting an Inquiry Project into a particular group of migrants (historical or recent) in Australia and their experiences in society. This will involve conducting research such as interviews and completing a research booklet. 

Year 8 KLTs

(students have given permission for the images below to be used)