HSIE
Two week learning sequences – geography
These detailed programs offer a 2-week unit that builds student skills. School staff exercise professional judgement when making decisions about the suitability of teaching and learning activities to meet the needs of their students.
People live in places – 1
Students will investigate why places are special and how people can care for them. Students will explain why people need to take care of places.
People live in places – 2
Students explore the places they live and that are important to them. They investigate how the location of places can be represented on maps. They develop an understanding of what makes a place special and how this may differ for different people.
What are places like?
Students will identify and describe the features of the place they live in. They will record geographical information by representing features of the place they live on a pictorial map.
Assessment opportunities
Features of places
Students examine interconnections between features, users and organisation of spaces.
Features of places 2
Students explore places across a range of scales within Australia and Australia’s location in the world. They describe connections people, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, have with places, both locally and globally.
Features of places 3
Students will identify and describe the natural and human features of a familiar local place and describe the activities located there. They will represent features of places and identify where activities are located on a pictorial map.
Places are similar and different
Students examine the diverse characteristics of the natural and human features of Australia. They explore and compare the different climates, settlement patterns and demographic characteristics and natural vegetation of places in Australia and then use this information to imagine what it would be like to live in those places. Students will compare lives of the people of three Australian places, including their own place/town/city. To complete the sequence students, create and publish a mini atlas.
The Earth’s environment
Students explore the climate, natural vegetation and native animals of places in Australia and Asia. They examine the importance of natural vegetation and natural resources to the environment, animals and people and learn about the ways people value environments, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples.
Skills focus
In this sequence, students focus on the geographical skills of mapping and data representation. They learn to construct tables, graphs and maps, and interpret these to identify distributions and draw conclusions about climate, natural vegetation and native animals in Australia.
Assessment opportunities
Places and environments
Students investigate land use for a road building project as a case study at a regional scale. They examine the geographical characteristics of the site, the interconnections between the place and a range of people with varying points of view, the role of government in the issue, and sustainability considerations.
A diverse and connected world
Students explore countries of the Asia region and the connections Australia has with other countries across the world. Students learn about the diversity of the world’s people, including the Indigenous Peoples of other countries.
Skills focus
In this sequence, students focus on the geographical skills of mapping and data representation. They learn to construct tables, graphs and maps, and interpret these to identify distributions and draw conclusions about how climate influences the distribution of where people live.
Two week learning sequences – history
These detailed programs offer a 2-week unit that builds student skills. School staff exercise professional judgement when making decisions about the suitability of teaching and learning activities to meet the needs of their students.
Personal and family histories – 1
Personal and family histories – 2
This learning sequence comprises two inquiries – sharing stories of past celebrations and celebrating special events. Students use a variety of sources including stories, photographs and personal artifacts to investigate how stories can be communicated, how stories can differ depending on who is telling them and to identify and record information about significant events.
Personal and family histories – 3
Personal and family histories provides students with the opportunity to learn about their own history and that of their family; including stories from a range of other cultures and other parts of the world. As participants in their own history, students build on their knowledge and understanding of how the past is different to the present. Students use a variety of sources, including personal family photographs and written and oral stories, to investigate their family history and the different structures of families in their class.
Present and past family life
Students explore differences in family structures and roles today, and how these have changed or remained the same over time.
The past in the present 1
This learning sequence provides a study of local history. Students explore, recognise and appreciate the history of their local area by examining aspects of the past and considering what they tell us. This learning sequence comprises two inquiries – our school history and the local school in the past and the present. Students use a variety of sources to identify and describe the aspects of the past that they can see around the local school environment. Students investigate information about the local school in the past and present. They draw on their own investigations and that of the local older generations such as their parents and grandparents, as well as other sources.
The past in the present 2
Students investigate how technology has changed in their home and community and the impacts of changing technology. They discuss the similarities and differences of technology from the past and sequence them over time. Students explore the way technology has changed the way they communicate. They use a range of communication forms to explain the impact of changing technology on people’s lives. They draw on their own investigations and that of the local older generations such as their parents and grandparents, as well as other sources.
Assessment opportunities
Stage 1 Present and past family life (DOCX 73KB)
Community and Remembrance 1
Students investigate important days and weeks that are celebrated or commemorated in Australia. They identify and describe local, state and national symbols and discuss their origins, symbolism and significance. They record and communicate their information through an infographic or poster.
Community and Remembrance 2
This topic provides a study of the Aboriginal identity and culture in the local area. This learning sequence consists of two short inquiries – connecting to Country and Aboriginal Dreaming stories.
In the first, students investigate the importance of Country and Place to the local Aboriginal people. They identify Aboriginal languages spoken and learn about the special relationship Aboriginal people have with Country. In the second, students explore Dreaming stories. They explore how Dreaming stories explain local connection to Country and respond to Dreaming stories that are presented to them using a variety of sources.
Community and remembrance 3
This topic provides a study of identity and diversity in both a local and broader context. Moving from the heritage of their local area, students explore the historical features that have been lost and retained. Students examine early transport in the local community and New South Wales through a guided inquiry. They use a range of sources to describe and explain how and why transport has changed or remained the same.
Australia as a nation
Students sequence key figures and events and explain their significance in the development of Australian democracy, for example, Sir Henry Parkes, Edmund Barton, Louisa Lawson or Vida Goldstein.
The Australian Colonies
Students investigate significant events that shaped Australia’s identity for one decade or era within the 1800s. They investigate and create a timeline of significant events and their effects for the time period 1800 to 1900.
Australia as a nation 2
Students investigate the status, rights and freedoms of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in Australian democracy. They investigate the actions of individuals and groups that work to address inequities and instigate change.
Assessment opportunities
Associated resources
The two-week programs linked above all have related digital student resources and printable student workbooks that are located in our filterable resource library.
You can also find ideas and activities on our curated list of external digital resources.
Distance education resources
Access K-6 distance education resources developed to support students that cannot access a physical school.
The Distance education network offers these documents to support teachers delivering off campus learning. They are not designed for all learning contexts and are not anticipated to address all syllabus outcomes.
While the resources support independent student study, they must be used in consultation with their subject teacher.