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Ingrid PurnellManager, Publishing and Australian Curriculum Projectsi.purnell@htav.asn.au

AusVELS History (7–10)

Update and Advice

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AusVELS and Australian Curriculum

AusVELS blends the Australian Curriculum (AC) with the Victorian Essential Learning Standards (VELS).

In History, the AusVELS content and skills are taken directly from AC.

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Not mandated

AC History written for c. 80 hours pa

But, History is AC Phase 1 – high priority

Time allocations

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Current context

New AusVELS subjects coming inSecond iteration of AusVELS

Federal review of Australian CurriculumVCE: Review, Extended Investigation Projects,

Baccalaureates

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Up until now, AusVELS has been a ‘triple helix’.

Physical, Personal & Social Learning

Discipline-based Learning

Interdisciplinary Learning

AusVELS

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Later this year, AusVELS will become a ‘double helix’.

Domains/subjects/learning areas

General Capabilities

Cross Curriculum Priorities

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The second iteration of AusVELS will come in later this year,

to be implemented in 2015.

It will include the new Australian Curriculum subjects, inc. Geography,

Civics & Citizenship.

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Implications of new AusVELS

More Humanities content/skills to cover (Geog., Civics)

Need more efficient methods to get through content

More interdisciplinary units? But make sure to

retain core discipline skills

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Federal curriculum review

Education Minister Christopher Pyne

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AC review is part of the Coalition’s ‘Four Pillars’ of education:

1. Teacher quality2. Parental engagement

3. School autonomy4. Curriculum

(Part of Global Education Reform Movement)

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The Pyne review isto report June/July.

Recommendations to be implemented next year.

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Likely focus of AC review

Cross Curriculum Priorities (Engagement with Asia,Aboriginal histories and cultures, Sustainability)

More emphasis on Anzac Day, Western achievements, Liberal PMs,

Judeo-Christian heritage

‘Gaia’ theory (Year 10, environment)

Making AC more ‘robust’ and ‘flexible’

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Implications of review

Changes may be minimal, e.g. main curriculum stays while Cross Curriculum Priorities are dropped

Overviews and most Depth Studies likely to stay

Structure is flexible, so teachers should be able to retain areas of interest

So, continue teaching AC to high standard – successful implementation around Australia will be hard to ‘undo’

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Curriculum pathways

Schools that co-ordinate across the year levels to build

curriculum pathways tend to have strong VCE results.

Make sure the AusVELS Depth Studies you choose

complement each other and lead into the VCE subjects in

which your school has expertise.

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Sample pathway: Asia

NB. In reality this selection would be too narrow,

but it gives you an idea of mapping a pathway.

Year 7: Ancient China or India

Year 8: Ottoman Empire; Japan under shoguns; Mongols

Year 9: Movement of peoples (gold rush); Asia and the world;

WWI (refer back to Ottomans)

Year 10: WWII (Japan focus); Migration experiences (White Australia Policy)

VCE: Twentieth Century, Revolutions (China)

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Good 7–10 resources‘Teaching AC Units’ website (7–10):

www.achistoryunits.edu.au/teaching-history/teaching-history-overview.htm

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First Peoples exhibition, Melbourne Museum: Year 7 (Investigating Ancient

Past) and Year 10 (Rights and Freedoms);

ABC Splash, http://splash.abc.net.au/home:

(coming soon) ancient Rome game, interactive timeline;

Timeline posters (Overviews): www.htav.asn.au/shop/new/timeline-posters

Life in the Ancient World (7):

www.htav.asn.au/shop/new/life-in-the-ancient-world

Handouts (see next page)

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HandoutsAusVELS teaching activities

1. Activities for Year 9–10 (22 pages): Industrial Revolution (9), WWI (9),

Rights and Freedoms (10)

2. Activities for Year 7 (3 pages): Investigating the Ancient Past