Draft National Senior Secondary Curriculum Ancient History May, 2012

NSW Curriculum and Learning Innovation Centre  ACARA has developed draft senior secondary Australian Curriculum in the four learning areas of English, mathematics, science and history.  ACARA has specified content and achievement standards for different subjects within each learning area.  Curriculum, assessment and certification authorities in each state or territory (Board of Studies in NSW) are responsible for the structure and organisation of their senior secondary courses, as well as assessment and certification.

NSW Curriculum and Learning Innovation Centre Each subject has been divided into four units. Each unit runs for about hours, including assessment, i.e. one half-year semester per unit. Units may be studied singly, in pairs (over a year) or as four units (over two years). Each unit identifies particular learning outcomes for students and content descriptions that outline the teaching and learning included in the unit.

NSW Curriculum and Learning Innovation Centre Draft senior secondary subjects, including content and achievement standards, will be available for national consultation until 20 July NSW has not yet committed to using the senior secondary Australian Curriculum for English, mathematics, science and history. ACARA has said that current courses not covered by their proposed subjects, e.g. Extension courses, can still be offered by states.

NSW Curriculum and Learning Innovation Centre The Ancient History curriculum continues to develop student learning in history through the two strands of:  historical knowledge and understanding and  historical skills. This strand organisation provides an opportunity to integrate content in flexible and meaningful ways.

NSW Curriculum and Learning Innovation Centre Historical skillsHistorical knowledge and understanding The two strands are interrelated and the content has been written to enable integration of the strands in the development of a teaching and learning program.

NSW Curriculum and Learning Innovation Centre The Historical skills strand includes skills that are used in historical inquiry. There are five key skill areas that build on those learned in K-10 History curriculum and which continue to be developed in the Senior Ancient History curriculum.  Chronology, terms and concepts  Historical questions and research  Analysis and use of sources  Perspectives and interpretations  Explanation and communication

NSW Curriculum and Learning Innovation Centre The Historical knowledge and understanding strand provides the context through which particular skills are to be developed. The same set of historical skills has been included in each of the four units to provide a common focus for the teaching and learning of content in the historical knowledge and understanding strand.

NSW Curriculum and Learning Innovation Centre Unit 1: Investigating the Ancient World Unit 2: Ancient Societies Unit 3: People, Power & Authority Unit 4: The Ancient World – Sites and Developments Units

NSW Curriculum and Learning Innovation Centre Ancient Thera Masada The Battle of Kadesh The Roman Games The Late Roman Empire Cleopatra Alexander the Great Cao The Hebrews and the Exodus The Early Christians Unit 1: Investigating the Ancient World Students study ONE ancient site, event, individual or group TWO issues

NSW Curriculum and Learning Innovation Centre Old Kingdom Egypt Egypt the Ramesside Period Bronze Age Mycenae Sparta BC Persia BC Rome BC Rome BC Ptolemaic Egypt BC China in the Qin and Han dynasties Israel BC Assyria BC Unit 2: ANCIENT SOCIETIES Students study at least TWO TOPICS

NSW Curriculum and Learning Innovation Centre Unit 2: Movements for Rights and Recognition in the 20 th century Students study 2 of the following 20 th century movements Unit 3: PEOPLE, POWER AND AUTHORITY Students study at least TWO TOPICS ONE topic elective ONE individual Topic Electives New Kingdom Egypt Persia BC Archaic Greece BC Athens BC Rome BC Rome 63 BC – AD 14 Late Han & Three Kingdoms AD Individuals Hatshepsut Thutmose III Akhenaten Darius I Xerxes Solon Thermistocles Cimon Pausanius Marius Sulla Pompey Caesar Antony Augustus Liu Bei Zhuge Liang

NSW Curriculum and Learning Innovation Centre Thebes – East and West -18 th Dynasty New Kingdom imperialism and diplomacy The Athenian Agora and Acropolis, 5 th Century BC Athens, Sparta and the Peloponnesian Wars The Julio-Claudians and Imperial Rome AD Pompeii & Herculaneum Unit 4: The Ancient World: Sites and Developments Students study at ONE ancient site or development

NSW Curriculum and Learning Innovation Centre 1. Is the structure and content consistent with the rationale? 2. Are there a variety of logical connections between the units to provide sound patterns of study? 3. Is the unifying concept for each unit historically sound? 4. Are the options proposed within each unit appropriate? 5. Are the content descriptions for each of the options historically appropriate and accurate? 6. Do the content descriptions for each of the options provide a sound basis for programming and teaching?

NSW Curriculum and Learning Innovation Centre ACARA documents The national draft Modern History and Ancient History curriculum documents and the survey can found at: _secondary_australian_curriculum.html _secondary_australian_curriculum.html ACARA consultation: Before 20 July 2012 To provide your feedback directly to ACARA, go to

NSW Curriculum and Learning Innovation Centre Contact details available on the NSW Curriculum and Learning Innovation Centre website.