1. Learning area overview
This presentation supports understanding of the Australian Curriculum: Humanities and Social Sciences (HASS) from Years 7–10. It gives an insight into the position of Years 7–10 HASS within the Australian Curriculum and the structure of the Years 7–10 HASS subjects. A separate presentation is available for the Prep–Year 6 HASS.
This presentation can be used in your organisation as the basis for professional learning about the HASS curriculum. It includes information about the key aspects of the curriculum as well as activities that can be used to build familiarity with the curriculum. Opportunities for activities are identified through the use of the icon in the top right corner of the slide. Presenters are encouraged to customise this presentation to suit the needs of their audience.
The Australian Curriculum content referred to in this presentation is available from:
Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) 2017, Australian Curriculum Version 8 Foundation to Year 10,
Prep–Year 10 Australian Curriculum: 7–10 Humanities and Social Sciences (HASS)

2. Learning goals This presentation aims to:
build understanding of the Australian Curriculum: Years 7–10 Humanities and Social Sciences (HASS)
provide an overview of the structure of the Years 7–10 HASS subjects.
This presentation aims to:
build understanding of the Australian Curriculum, with particular reference to the Humanities and Social Sciences curriculum in Years 7–10
provide an overview of the structure of the Years 7–10 HASS subjects, including the curriculum content and achievement standards.

3. Three-dimensional curriculum
The Australian Curriculum is a three-dimensional curriculum made up of:
learning areas
general capabilities
cross-curriculum priorities.
The Australian Curriculum sets the expectations for what all Australian students should be taught and have opportunity to learn as they progress through their school life. In Prep–Year 10, the Australian Curriculum provides teachers, students, and parents with access to the same content, and consistent national standards for determining the progress of student learning.
All Australian students across all education settings and contexts can be supported in their diverse learning needs through the three dimensions of the Australian Curriculum: the learning area content, the general capabilities and the cross-curriculum priorities.
This diagram shows the relationship between these dimensions of the Australian Curriculum. Teachers emphasise one or more dimensions to develop learning programs suited to the strengths, interests and diverse needs of all students.
This presentation provides a brief overview of the general capabilities and cross-curriculum priorities, however the focus will be on the Years 7–10 HASS subjects.

4. Structure of the HASS learning area
The HASS learning area consists of:
Prep–Year 6 HASS
Years 7–10 History
Years 7–10 Geography
Years 7–10 Civics and Citizenship
Years 7–10 Economics and Business.
In the Australian Curriculum, the HASS learning area consists of: Prep–Year 6 Humanities and Social Sciences, and Years 7–10 History, Geography, Civics and Citizenship, and Economics and Business.
This presentation focuses on information specific to the Years 7–10 subjects. A separate presentation is available for the Prep–Year 6 HASS learning area.

5. Structure Learning area Introduction Key ideas
Subject-specific: History, Geography, Civics and Citizenship, and Economics and Business
Rationale
Aims
Year-by-year and banded curriculum
Year level descriptions
Curriculum content
Strands and sub-strands
Content descriptions
Content elaborations
Achievement standards
The Australian Curriculum sets out what all young people should be taught by specifying the curriculum content, and identifies the learning expected at points in their schooling by specifying the achievement standards. The content and achievement standards are supported by additional resources which describe the curriculum intent (rationale), aims of learning (aims), and focus for the learning at specific years (year level descriptions).
Years 7–10 HASS has year-level descriptions for four subjects: History, Geography, Civics and Citizenship, Economics and Business.
The following sections of the presentation will provide an overview of each of these key aspects of the curriculum.

6. Key ideas
Who we are, who came before us, and traditions and values that have shaped societies
How societies and economies operate and how they are changing over time
The ways people, places, ideas and events are perceived and connected
How people exercise their responsibilities, participate in society and make informed decisions
The key ideas represent key aspects of the learning area content and frame the development of knowledge and skills in the learning area. In the HASS learning area, there are four key ideas:
Who we are, who came before us, and traditions and values that have shaped societies
Students explore their own identity, Australia’s heritage and cultural diversity, and Australia’s identity as a nation in the world. They examine the significance of traditions and shared values within society.
How societies and economies operate and how they are changing over time
Students learn about Australian society and other societies in the world, both past and present; and how they function socially, culturally, economically and politically. Students examine developments that have resulted in or are bringing about change.
The ways people, places, ideas and events are perceived and connected
Students are provided with opportunities to explore different perceptions of people, places, ideas and events. They develop an understanding of the interdependent nature of the world and the interrelationships within and between the natural environment, human communities and economies. They explore how people, ideas and events are connected over time and increasingly interconnected across local, national, regional and global contexts.
How people exercise their responsibilities, participate in society and make informed decisions
Students examine how individuals and groups have participated in and contributed to society past and present. They examine the rights and responsibilities of individuals and groups over time and in different contexts. They develop an understanding of the need to make decisions, the importance of ethical considerations and being informed when making decisions, the processes for decision-making and the implications of decisions that are made for individuals, society, the economy and the environment.
The key ideas are available from:
The key ideas are represented in varying ways across the five HASS subjects. Specific illustrations of the key ideas across the HASS curriculum are available from:
Suggested activities:
What are the key ideas, how do they impact on your reading of the content?
How are the key ideas reflected in your HASS program?

7. Structure of the Years 7–10 HASS subjects
Rationale
Aims
Year level description
Knowledge and understanding: subject-specific
Inquiry and skills: subject-specific
Curriculum content:
Strands and sub-strands
Content descriptions
Content elaborations
Achievement standards
The Australian Curriculum sets out what all young people should be taught through the specification of curriculum content and the learning expected at points in their schooling through the specification of achievement standards. These two key aspects of the curriculum are supported by additional resources which describe the curriculum intent (rationale), aims of learning (aims), and focus for the learning at specific year levels (year level descriptions). The Years 7–10 HASS subjects provide unique year-level descriptions.
The following sections of the presentation will provide an overview of each of these key aspects of the curriculum.

8. Rationale
In Years 7–10 HASS, a rationale is provided for each subject.
Video
Each Years 7–10 HASS subject provides an introductory video.
The rationale defines the learning area while also positioning the importance of the learning area within the curriculum:
Why is it important?
How is it shaped in the curriculum?
The Years 7–10 HASS subject there are subject-specific rationales:
History - Promoting an understanding of societies, events, movements and developments that have shaped humanity.
Geography - Inspiring curiosity about the diversity of the world’s places and reflecting on the interconnections between people, places and environments over time.
Civics and Citizenship - Exploring ways to shape lives, value belonging in a diverse and dynamic society, and positively contribute locally, nationally, regionally and globally.
Economics and Business - Empowering active and effective participation in economic and business activities, while reflecting on the effects of decisions on people and places, now and in the future.
Each Years 7–10 HASS subject provides an introductory video and they are available from:
History:
Geography:
Civics and Citizenship:
Economics and Business:
Suggested activities:
Read a rationale or watch the introductory video for a subject that you are more familiar with. Partner with a colleague to discuss:
What were the key aspects of the rationale?
Why is the learning area important? What important contribution does the learning area make to a student’s education?
Which aspects of this rationale matched your current understanding of the learning area? Which aspects were new understandings?
What were the guiding principles that informed the development of the subject’s curriculum?
Are there any messages that you will need to be mindful of when planning your teaching, learning and assessment programs?

9. Aims In Years 7–10 HASS, a set of aims are provided for each subject.
The aims flow logically from the rationale defining the big picture objectives for the subject. The aims on this slide are an example of an aim from each HASS subject. Below are the specific aims for the individual HASS subjects.
The Years 7–10 History aims to ensure that students develop:
interest in, and enjoyment of, historical study for lifelong learning and work, including their capacity and willingness to be informed and active citizens
knowledge, understanding and appreciation of the past and the forces that shape societies, including Australian society
understanding and use of historical concepts such as evidence, continuity and change, cause and effect, significance, perspectives, empathy and contestability
capacity to undertake historical inquiry, including skills in the analysis and use of sources, and in explanation and communication.
The Years 7–10 Geography aims to ensure that students develop:
a sense of wonder, curiosity and respect about places, people, cultures and environments throughout the world
a deep geographical knowledge of their own locality, Australia, the Asia region and the world
the ability to think geographically, using geographical concepts
the capacity to be competent, critical and creative users of geographical inquiry methods and skills
as informed, responsible and active citizens who can contribute to the development of an environmentally and economically sustainable, and socially just world.
The Years 7–10 Civics and Citizenship aims to ensure students develop:
a lifelong sense of belonging to and engagement with civic life as an active and informed citizen in the context of Australia as a secular democratic nation with a dynamic, multicultural, multi-faith society and a Christian heritage
knowledge, understanding and appreciation of the values, principles, institutions and practices of Australia’s system of democratic government and law, and the role of the citizen in Australian government and society
skills, including questioning and research; analysis, synthesis and interpretation; problem-solving and decision-making; communication and reflection, to investigate contemporary civics and citizenship issues and foster responsible participation in Australia’s democracy
the capacities and dispositions to participate in the civic life of their nation at a local, regional and global level and as individuals in a globalised world.
The Years 7–10 Economics and Business aims to ensure that students develop:
enterprising behaviours and capabilities that can be transferable into life, work and business opportunities and will contribute to the development and prosperity of individuals and society
understanding of the ways society allocates limited resources to satisfy needs and wants, and how they participate in the economy as consumers, workers and producers
understanding of the work and business environments within the Australian economy and its interactions and relationships with the global economy, in particular the Asia region
reasoning and interpretation skills to apply economics and business concepts to make informed decisions
understanding of economics and business decision-making and its role in creating a prosperous, sustainable and equitable economy for all Australians
understandings that will enable them to actively and ethically participate in the local, national, regional and global economy as economically, financially and business-literate citizens.
Each Years 7–10 HASS subject provides subject-specific aims and they are available from:
History:
Geography:
Civics and Citizenship:
Economics and Business:
Suggested activities:
Prepare a brief statement/overview that would help you describe to a parent group the aims of the learning for one of the subjects.
Identify two or three big ideas in the aim. How do they inform:
your understanding of the learning area or subject?
what is valued in the Australian Curriculum for the subject?
your teaching and learning approaches?

10. Year-by-year and banded curriculum
Each year level of the Years 7–10 HASS subjects includes the following structural components:
year level description
year-by-year content for the knowledge and understanding strand
banded content for the inquiry and skills strand
year-by-year achievement standards.
The curriculum is developmentally sequenced across the year levels.
The Years 7–10 HASS curriculum is structured into both year-by-year and banded curriculum content. The banding for the Knowledge and understanding strand is across each of the four year levels, whereas the banding for the Inquiry and skill strand is blocked into two bands, Years 7–8 and Years 9–10.
Suggested activity:
For content that is banded (Inquiry and skills strand), what are the implications for the planning of your teaching, learning and assessment programs of the year-by-year content (Knowledge and understanding strand)?

11. Year level description: History
Each Years 7–10 HASS subject has its own year-level description
Chronological context
Key concepts
Strands
Each Years 7–10 HASS subject’s year level description identifies what is to be taught and what students are expected to learn. Descriptions are organised through strands and sub-strands.
The description outlines the:
overview of knowledge, understanding, key inquiry questions, and skills for each year
interrelatedness of the two strands
key inquiry questions through which they can explore and interpret the subject.
In Years 7–10 History each band description identifies the:
chronological contexts (year level specific)
key concepts (uniform across the year level)
strands (uniform across the year level)
inquiry questions (year level specific).
Inquiry questions

12. Year level description: Geography
Each Years 7–10 HASS subject has its own year-level description
Two units of study
Strands
Each Years 7–10 HASS subject’s year level description identifies what is to be taught and what students are expected to learn. Descriptions are organised through strands and sub-strands.
The description outlines the:
overview of knowledge, understanding, key inquiry questions, and skills for each year
interrelatedness of the two strands
key inquiry questions through which they can explore and interpret the subject.
In the Years 7–10 Geography band descriptions, the following is apparent:
two units of study (across the year level)
strands (uniform across the year level)
inquiry questions (year level specific).
Inquiry questions

13. Year level description: Civics and citizenship
Each Years 7–10 HASS subject has its own year-level description
Content
Strands
Each Years 7–10 HASS subject’s year level description identifies what is to be taught and what students are expected to learn. Descriptions are organised through strands and sub-strands.
The description outlines the:
overview of knowledge, understanding, key inquiry questions, and skills for each year
interrelatedness of the two strands
key inquiry questions through which they can explore and interpret the subject.
In the Years 7–10 Civics and citizenship band descriptions, the following is apparent:
content (year level specific)
strands (uniform across the year level)
inquiry questions (year level specific).
Inquiry questions

14. Year level description: Economics and business
Each Years 7–10 HASS subject has its own year-level description
Content
Strands
Contemporary issues
Each Years 7–10 HASS subject’s year level description identifies what is to be taught and what students are expected to learn. Descriptions are organised through strands and sub-strands.
The description outlines the:
overview of knowledge, understanding, key inquiry questions, and skills for each year
interrelatedness of the two strands
key inquiry questions through which they can explore and interpret the subject.
In the Years 7–10 Economics and business band descriptions, the following is apparent:
content (year level specific)
strands (uniform across the year level)
contemporary issues (providing a context for the content and uniform across the year level)
inquiry questions (year level specific).
Inquiry questions

15. Curriculum content Content description Content elaborations
The curriculum content is presented as content descriptions – which specify the knowledge, understanding and skills that young people are expected to learn and that teachers are expected to teach across the years of schooling.
The content descriptions are accompanied by content elaborations. Content elaborations provide suggested illustrations and/or examples that teachers may choose students to use in the classroom or as inspiration for their own activities. The content elaborations are not a mandatory aspect of the curriculum and as such are not required to be taught.
Suggested activity:
Use the History: Sequence of content to build an understanding of the sequence of content of the curriculum across year levels, available from:
Consider the content descriptions for the band prior to and following the selected band.
In a small group, discuss how the curriculum develops in increasing complexity of cognition and skills across the bands.
Choose another subject to consider if time permits.

16. Strands and sub-strands
Knowledge and understanding
Inquiry and skills
Subjects
Sub-strands
History
One overview and three depth studies
Inquiry and skills are subject-specific
Geography
Two units of study
Civics and Citizenship
Three sub-strands
Economics and Business
Four key organising ideas
There are two strands common across the Years 7–10 HASS subjects (indicated in the slide in bold):
knowledge and understanding
inquiry and skills.
The knowledge and understanding strand is organised through subject-specific sub-strands. The inquiry and skills is also subject-specific.
Content descriptions for knowledge and understanding are provided for each year. Whereas, content descriptions for inquiry and skills are provided for each band.
Suggested activity:
What is the relationship between the strands?

17. Strand: knowledge and understanding
Subject: History One overview and three depth studies that are year level specific. Each depth study includes three to four electives, with one elective to be studied in detail. Electives focus on society, event, movement or development.
Subject: Geography Two units of study that are year level specific.
Subject: Civics and Citizenship Three sub-strands for Years 7–10: government and democracy; laws and citizens; citizenship, diversity and identity.
Subject: Economics and Business Four key organising ideas for Years 7–10: resource allocation and making choices; the business environment; consumer and financial literacy; work and work futures.
In Years 7–10 HASS, the knowledge and understanding strand provides content descriptions for each year.
For each subject the content descriptions are organised through:
History — three depth studies
Geography — two units of study
Civics and Citizenship — three sub-strands
Economics and Business — four key organising ideas.
History identifies seven concepts for developing historical understanding:
evidence
continuity and change
cause and effect
significance
perspectives
empathy
contestability.
Geography identifies seven concepts for developing geographical understanding:
place
space
environment
interconnection
sustainability
scale
change.
Each Years 7–10 HASS subject provides further strand information, which is available from:
History —
Geography —
Civics and Citizenship —
Economics and Business —

18. Strand: inquiry and skills
Content descriptions
The inquiry and skills strand provides content descriptions for each band.
Key inquiry questions Key inquiry questions provide a framework for developing students’ inquiry skills that are applied through the knowledge and understanding strand content.
In Years 7–10 HASS, a set of inquiry questions is provided in the year level description for each subject.
Content descriptions: the inquiry and skills strand provides content descriptions for each band.
Key inquiry questions: key inquiry questions provide a framework for developing students’ inquiry skills that are applied through the knowledge and understanding strand content.
In Years 7–10 HASS, a set of inquiry questions is provided in the year level description for each subject.
The skills are subject-specific:
History — chronology, terms and concepts; historical questions and research; the analysis and use of sources; perspectives and interpretations; explanation and communication
Geography — geographical skills are represented in the five stages of a complete investigation: observing, questioning and planning; collecting, recording, evaluating and representing; interpreting, analysing and concluding; communicating; reflecting and responding
Civics and Citizenship — questioning and research; analysis, synthesis and interpretation; problem-solving and decision-making; communication and reflection
Economics and Business — questioning and research; interpretation and analysis; economic reasoning, decision-making and application; communication and reflection.
Each Years 7–10 HASS subject provides further strand information, which is available from:
History —
Geography —
Civics and Citizenship —
Economics and Business —
Suggested activity:
Select one of the Years 7–10 HASS subjects and identify connection between the two strands.

19. Achievement standards
Year 7– Economics and Business
By the end of Year 7, students describe the interdependence of consumers and producers in the market. They explain the importance of short- and long-term planning to individual and business success and identify different strategies that may be used. They describe the characteristics of successful businesses and explain how entrepreneurial capabilities contribute to this success. Students identify the reasons individuals choose to work and describe the various sources of income that exist.
When researching, students develop questions and gather data and information from different sources to investigate an economic or business issue. They interpret data to identify trends. They propose alternative responses to an issue and assess the costs and benefits of each alternative. They apply economics and business knowledge, skills and concepts to familiar problems. Students develop and present conclusions using appropriate texts, terms and concepts. They identify the effects of their decisions and the possible effects of alternative actions.
Understanding
Skills
The achievement standard is a statement of what students should know and be able to do at the end of the band.
In HASS, the first paragraph of the achievement standard relates to Knowledge and understanding and the second paragraph relates to Inquiry and skills.
The Australian Curriculum provides work sample portfolios as examples of student work reflective of achievement levels at, above and below the achievement standard.
Years 7–10 HASS subjects achievement standards are provided in the following documents:
Years 7–10 History: Sequence of Achievement, available from: acaraweb.blob.core.windows.net/resources/History_Sequence_of_achievement_7-10.pdf
Years 7–10 Geography: Sequence of Achievement, available from: acaraweb.blob.core.windows.net/resources/Geography_Sequence_of_achievement_7-10.pdf
Years 7–10 Civics and Citizenship: Sequence of Achievement, available from: acaraweb.blob.core.windows.net/resources/Civics_and_Citizenship_Sequence_of_achievement_7-10.pdf
Years 7–10 Economics and Business: Sequence of Achievement, available from:
Suggested activities:
Using one of the sequence of achievement documents, discuss how the evidence that students need to provide of what they know and can do, increases in complexity across year levels.
For a given year level, map the subject-specific and/or sub-strand-specific achievement standard to the content descriptions.

20. Three-dimensional curriculum: General capabilities
Support students to be successful learners
Literacy
Numeracy
Information and communication technology (ICT) capability
Critical and creative thinking
Develop ways of being, behaving and learning to live with others
Personal and social capability
Ethical understanding
Intercultural understanding
The seven capabilities are divided into two groups:
capabilities that support students to be successful learners ― literacy, numeracy, information and communication technology (ICT) capability, and critical and creative thinking
capabilities that develop ways of being, behaving and learning to live with others ― personal and social capability, ethical behaviour and intercultural understanding.
Continua of learning have been developed for each capability to describe the relevant knowledge, understanding and skills at particular points of schooling.
The content outlined in the general capabilities continua is embedded in the content descriptions for each learning area, where appropriate. The icons shown on this slide are used to identify where the general capabilities are embedded in content descriptions.
A summary of the focus of each of the general capabilities in HASS learning area is available from:

21. Three-dimensional curriculum: Cross-curriculum priorities
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and culture Asia and Australia’s engagement with Asia Sustainability
The Australian Curriculum promotes three cross-curriculum priorities about which young Australians should learn about. Each of the priorities is represented in learning areas in ways appropriate to that area.
The three priorities are:
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures — to ensure that all young Australians will be given the opportunity to gain a deeper understanding and appreciation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures, their significance for Australia and the impact that these have had, and continue to have, on our world
Asia and Australia’s engagement with Asia — to reflect the importance of knowing about Asia and Australia’s engagement with Asia and through a better understanding of the countries and cultures of the Asia region, young people will come to appreciate the economic, political and cultural interconnections that Australia has with the region
Sustainability — to allow young people to develop an appreciation of the need for more sustainable patterns of living, and to build capacities for thinking, valuing and acting that are necessary to create a more sustainable future.
Each of the cross-curriculum priorities contains a set of organising ideas. These are consistent across the curriculum and are reinforced in learning areas. Each of the cross-curriculum priorities can be relevant to teaching and learning in HASS and explicit teaching of the priorities should be incorporated in teaching and learning activities where appropriate.

22. Find out more
Find out more on the QCAA Australian Curriculum webpage at
More information about the implementation of Australian Curriculum in Queensland is available on the QCAA website. In the Australian Curriculum section of the QCAA website, you will find the Learning area overview: Prep‒Year 10 Australian Curriculum — Humanities and Social Sciences:
Send any further questions to:
Information about requests for further professional learning is available from:
Suggested activity:
What did I learn?
What was confirmed?
What was new?
What challenged my thinking?
What else do I need to do?
What is our plan as a teaching team?