Planning, programming and assessing modern history
Resources to help you plan, program and assess modern history in Years 11-12.
Students of modern history learn about past human experiences, increasing their understanding of society today.
Through a study of modern history students are able to:
- investigate significant features, issues, individuals and events from the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries
- understand the influence the past has on the present and future
- analyse primary and secondary sources and test their own thoughts and ideas about historical events and issues
- communicate about history in a variety of forms.
Modern History Stage 6 Syllabus (2017) contains the syllabus and support materials including a sample assessment schedule, standards packages, HSC exam specifications and specimen papers.
Programming modern history
The following support materials were developed by NSW public school teachers as part of the Stage 6 mEsh project where 62 teachers led writing teams (over 150 teachers) across NSW.
You can adapt these materials to suit the individual needs of their schools.
Year 11 - Investigating modern history - the nature of modern history
JFK - the nature of modern history and historical investigation (DOCX 116 KB) - This resource integrates the nature of modern history (contestability of the past and construction of modern histories) topic, with a case study on the assassination of JFK, and the historical investigation. The aim is to investigate how the issues around the construction of history and the use, and interpretation, of evidence relate to the assassination of JFK.
The investigation of historic sites and sources
The construction of modern histories
Year 11 - The shaping of the modern world
Year 12 change in the modern world
Option D The changing world order 1945 to 2011
Option F Apartheid in South Africa 1960 to 1994
Modern history planning tool
The Modern history planning tool maps topics across the modern history syllabus, highlighting complementary areas of study and key connections. It will support you to create a strong scope and sequence to develop student understanding of course content and concepts, ensuring the best learning path through the syllabus for your context.
HSC revision resource
HSC hub
The HSC hub contains quality resources aligned to NSW syllabuses. Access resources designed by our curriculum experts to support the delivery of HSIE subjects in the lead-up to the HSC examinations.
20min presentation with tips for studying and completing the written examination.
HSC hub - Modern history – success in the written examination