The aim of the Aboriginal Studies Years 7–10 Syllabus is to develop knowledge and understanding of Aboriginal identities, communities, autonomy, roles and the range of relationships between Aboriginal Peoples and non-Aboriginal people. The development of a range of consultation and research skills enable students to engage respectfully and responsibly with Aboriginal communities and become active and informed advocates for a just and inclusive world.

The syllabus has been amended to reflect the current format, including the addition of:

• an organisation of content diagram
• updated stage statements
• ‘learn about’ and ‘learn to’ statements from earlier syllabuses have been converted to content statements
• inclusion of learning across the curriculum areas.

Key content

Core study

• Aboriginal identities
• Aboriginal self-determination and autonomy

Options

• Aboriginal Peoples and the visual arts
• Aboriginal enterprises and organisations
• Aboriginal Peoples and the performing arts
• Aboriginal Peoples and the media
• Aboriginal Peoples and oral and written expression
• Aboriginal Peoples and film and television
• Aboriginal Peoples and technologies
• Aboriginal Peoples and Sport
• Aboriginal Peoples interaction with legal and political systems
• School-developed option
  

Students may undertake either 100 or 200 hours of study in Aboriginal studies in Stage 4 and or Stage 5. Courses are structured in the following ways:

A 100-hour course can consist of either:

• Core 1 or Core 2 and a minimum of three options
• Core 1 and Core 2 and two options

A 200-hour course

• Core 1 and Core 2 and six options

The core study and options may be studied in any order or pattern.

Across a 100-hour course or a 200-hour course students may only study one school-developed option.

Assessment

Assessment in Aboriginal studies 7-10 consists of school-based assessment. Updated stage statements have been provided to reflect the updated terminology, outcomes and objectives. The Aboriginal studies years 7-10 course performance descriptors can be found on the NESA website.

Additional information for teachers

Changes to objectives and outcomes

Changes have been made to many of the course outcomes and objectives. These changes are reflected with an altered scope and terminology featured in the syllabus content. Related Stage 4 and life skills outcomes have been provided in the content pages.

Case studies

Each core and option topic includes a case study. Case studies may be used as the basis for teaching the course content or may be delivered separately at any point in the topic. A case study is a research methodology, students develop ethical research skills and recognise the importance of applying community consultation protocols. Further information on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Principles and Protocols can be found on the NESA website

Glossary

A glossary has been added to the syllabus, providing a list of key terms. Terms included in the glossary are consistent with those found in other HSIE syllabuses.

Revised Aboriginal Studies Years 7-10 Syllabus (2020) familiarisation e-learning.

Duration - 2 hours

The Aboriginal studies e-learning course can be found under the following code RG13344

This professional learning is an online interactive e-learning course designed to familiarise teachers with the amended Aboriginal Studies Years 7-10 Syllabus.

This e-learning aims to build the knowledge, understanding, skills, values and attitudes of students by strengthening the capacity of teachers to deliver the updated Aboriginal Studies Years 7-10 syllabus.

Commerce provides students with the knowledge, understanding, skills and values that form the foundation on which young people make sound decisions about consumer, financial, economic, business, legal, political and employment issues. Through the study of commerce students develop consumer and financial literacy which enables them to participate in the financial system in an informed way.

Central to the course is the development of an understanding of the relationships between consumers, businesses and governments in the overall economy. Investigation of these relationships, provide students with the opportunity to apply problem-solving strategies which incorporate the skills of analysis and evaluation.

Commerce provides for a range of learning experiences, including the potential and use of information and communications technology. Students develop greater competence in problem-solving and decision-making by evaluating a range of consumer, financial, economic, business, legal, political and employment strategies. In examining these, students have the opportunity to develop values and attitudes that promote ethical behaviour and social responsibility and a commitment to contribute to a more just and equitable society.

Key content

Core study

• Consumer and financial decisions
• The economic and business environment
• Employment and work futures
• Law, society and political involvement

Options

• Our economy
• Investing
• Promoting and selling
• Running a business
• Law in action
• Travel
• Towards independence
• School-developed option

Students may undertake either 100 or 200 hours of study in commerce in Stage 4 and or Stage 5. Courses are structured in the following ways:

• A 100-hour course
  • a minimum of two core study topics
  • additional study of selected options to meet the 100-hour requirement.
• A 200-hour course
  • all four core study topics
  • additional study of selected options to meet the 200-hour requirement.

The core study and options may be studied in any order or pattern.

Across a 100-hour course or a 200-hour course students may only study one school-developed option.

Assessment

Assessment in Commerce 7-10 consists of school-based assessment.

Additional information for teachers

Changes to course structure

A reduction in the number of options is one of the key changes, with some content from the removed options reorganised into core and options topics. Across the syllabus content has been updated to reflect the dynamic nature of contemporary workplaces and society. Cross curriculum priorities and general capabilities have also been included.

Indicative hours for the core topics have been increased to 20-25 hours and no minimum number of options is prescribed, allowing more flexibility in the teaching of this content. Minor revisions to the wording of outcomes is also evident.

Site studies

Site studies are a new inclusion to the commerce syllabus, giving significance to the exploration of physical and virtual spaces that enhance students understanding of the course concepts. A suggested list of locations is included.

Glossary

A glossary has been added to the syllabus, providing a list of essential terms. Terms included in the glossary are consistent with those found in other HSIE syllabuses.

Revised Commerce Elective Years 7-10 Syllabus (2019) familiarisation e-learning

Duration – 2 hours

The commerce e-learning course can be found under the following code RG07819 ​​​

This professional learning is an online interactive e-learning experience that addresses key changes to the Commerce Years 7-10 Syllabus (2019).​​

This e-learning aims to build the knowledge, understanding, skills, values and attitudes of students by strengthening the capacity of teachers to deliver the updated commerce syllabus.

Geography Elective 7-10 is an updated Stage 4 and or Stage 5 syllabus that was introduced in Term 1, 2020. This course focuses on the geographical processes that form and transform environments and communities. Geography Elective 7-10 explores contemporary geographical issues and events, including the roles and responsibilities of individuals, groups and governments, using a range of scales (that is, from local to global).

The course enables young people to develop an interest in, and engagement with, the world. The content provides students with an opportunity to develop an understanding of the discipline of geography, including physical, social, cultural, economic and political influences on people, places and environments, from local to global scales. The Geography Elective 7-10 course includes Life Skills outcomes and content for students with special education needs.

Key content

Geography Elective 7-10 is comprised of eight topics:

• physical geography
• oceanography
• primary production
• global citizenship
• Australia’s neighbours
• political geography
• interactions and patterns along a transcontinental transect
• school-developed option.

Students may undertake either 100 or 200 hours of study in Geography Elective 7-10 in Stage 4 and or Stage 5. Courses are structured in the following ways:

• 100 hours with a minimum of three topics
• 200 hours with a minimum of five topics.

Across a 100-hour course or a 200-hour course students may only study one school-developed option.

Assessment

Assessment in Geography Elective 7-10 consists of school-based assessment.

Additional information for teachers

There are minor changes to the Geography Elective 7-10 Syllabus:

Content focus

The focus for each topic has been changed to a content focus. The content focus provides a brief description of the topic and additional information about cross curriculum priorities.

Investigative study examples

For the investigative study in each topic area, greater information is provided to support teaching and learning with case studies. All investigative studies are accompanied with clear examples of case studies that teachers can elect to use.

Glossary

An updated glossary providing a list of essential vocabulary required to reflect changes in spatial technologies and the importance of accessibility is included.

Revised Geography Elective Years 7-10 Syllabus familiarisation​ e-learning.

Duration – 2 hours

The geography elective e-learning course can be found under the following code RG07994

This professional learning is an online interactive e-learning course designed to familiarise teachers with the revised Geography Elective Years 7-10 Syllabus.

This e-learning aims to build the knowledge, understanding, skills, values and attitudes of students by strengthening the capacity of teachers to deliver the updated geography elective syllabus.

History Elective 7-10 is a course that is designed to support students to develop an interest in and enjoyment of exploring the past. It provides opportunities for students to develop deep knowledge and understanding of past societies and historical periods. Students explore the nature of history, heritage and archaeology, through processes of historical inquiry, analysing sources and sequencing events to demonstrate an understanding of continuity, change and causation. The construction and nature of history and historiography is also examined through options such as oral history, museum or archive studies, historical fiction, media, biography or film.

Students develop an understanding of historical concepts such as empathetic understanding, significance, contestability and perspective whilst learning to apply research and communication skills for a range of purposes and audiences. History Elective 7-10 is a flexible and dynamic subject, with the syllabus enabling teachers to tailor a curriculum sequence that will engage students in their local contexts.

Key content

Students may undertake either 100 or 200 hours of study in History Elective 7-10 in Stage 4 and or Stage 5. The History Elective Years 7-10 Syllabus includes Life Skills outcomes and content for students with special needs.

History Elective 7-10 is comprised of three topics which include a range of options for study. These are shown below, with some possible examples:

• Topic 1 – history, heritage and archaeology
  
  • Local site study (local history integrated with oral history), digital reconstructions of historic sites, portrayals of the past
    
• Topic 2 – ancient, medieval and modern studies
  
  • An Aboriginal country and or language group in NSW, literature of ancient Greece and Rome, the rise of the British Empire
    
• Topic 3 – thematic studies
  
  • Personalities of the medieval world – heroes and villains, propaganda through the ages, history through food
    

Courses are structured in the following ways:

• 100 hours – one option from each of topics 1, 2 and 3 must be studied.
  
• 200 hours – one option from each of topics 1, 2 and 3 and at least two other options from any of the topics.
  

Topics may be integrated in learning and teaching programs.

Assessment

Satisfactory completion of 100 or 200 hours of study in History Elective during Stage 5 (Years 9 and 10) will be recorded with a grade on the student’s Record of School Achievement (RoSA) as indicated in the Education Standards Authority website. Students undertaking the History Elective 7-10 course based on Life Skills outcomes and content are not allocated a grade.

Students are assessed through school-based assessment using the A-E Common Grade Scale or equivalent. Syllabus outcomes in History Elective 7-10 contribute to a developmental sequence in which students are challenged to acquire new knowledge, understanding and skills.

Additional information for teachers

The options selected in the History Elective course must not overlap or duplicate significantly any of the studies selected from the History K–10 Syllabus and the Stage 6 syllabuses for ancient history, modern history and history extension.

Key changes in this syllabus

The changes to the History Elective 7-10 Syllabus are limited. The language of the syllabus has been streamlined and the formatting has been changed to align with the mandatory HSIE syllabuses. Learning across the curriculum links have been made explicit throughout the content outcomes through icons.

There have been some shifts in terminology in the syllabus, with the biggest example of this being the change of topic 1 from constructing history to history, heritage and archaeology.

The syllabus now contains a wider range of examples relating to each topic, including specific Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander case studies for instance.

Revised History Elective Years 7-10 Syllabus (2019) familiarisation​ e-learning

Duration – 2 hours

The history elective e-learning course can be found under the following code RG12067.

This professional learning is an online interactive e-learning course designed to familiarise teachers with the revised History Elective Years 7-10 Syllabus.

This e-learning aims to build the knowledge, understanding, skills, values and attitudes of students by strengthening the capacity of teachers to deliver the updated history elective syllabus.

Work education provides students with opportunities to develop knowledge, understanding and skills regarding the world of work. Students develop skills, attributes and entrepreneurial behaviours for effective participation in work and society, including skills related to career development and managing transitions.

The purpose and roles of education, employment and training organisations in planning and managing transitions are investigated. Students develop research and communication skills that relate to the world of work and have opportunities to use appropriate forms to communicate information for different audiences.

Work education provides opportunities for community and work-based learning, enabling students to explore possible future work options and career pathways. The Work education Years 7–10 course includes Life Skills outcomes and content for students with special education needs.

Key content

Work education is comprised of six core study topics and nine options topics. These are shown below:

Core Study

• What is work?
  
• Transitions and wellbeing
  
• Communication and collaboration
  
• Technology in the workplace
  
• Workplace safety
  
• Workplace rights and responsibilities
  

Options

• Exploring post-school pathways
  
• Managing transitions
  
• Workplace environments
  
• Enterprise and entrepreneurial behaviours
  
• Preparing for the workplace
  
• Managing finances
  
• Workplace issues
  
• Community participation
  
• School-developed option
  

Students may undertake either 100 or 200 hours of study in work education in Stage 4 or Stage 5.

• A 100-hour course may be structured in the following ways:
  
  • three core study topics and a minimum of four options
    
  • four or five core study topics and a minimum of three options
    
  • six core study topics and a minimum of two options.
    
• A 200-hour course will comprise all six core study topics and a minimum of six options.
  

The core study and options may be studied in any order or pattern.

Across a 100-hour course or a 200-hour course students may only study one school-developed option.

Assessment

Assessment in work education consists of school-based assessment.

Additional information for teachers

Changes to course structure

A reduction in the number of topics covered in the syllabus is evident in both the core study topics and the options topics. Content has been updated to reflect workplace changes and facilitate the inclusion of cross-curriculum priorities.

Community and work-based learning

Community and work-based learning has increased emphasis in the work education syllabus with focus on schools developing connections with business and training providers in their local area. Work-based learning opportunities are embedded throughout the syllabus and, where possible, non-traditional work-based learning should be utilised. This may include visits to and from industry, career taster days and mentoring opportunities. These experiences may be in place of, or addition to, blocks of work experience.

New to this syllabus

Glossary

A glossary has been added to the syllabus, providing a list of essential terms. This replaces understanding key terms section from the previous syllabus.