Human Society in its Environment

Geography

The study of Geography develops a wide range of skills such as gathering, organising, evaluating and communicating geographical information from a variety of primary and secondary sources, including fieldwork.The study of Geography also provides opportunities for students to use a wide range of geographical tools including information and communication technologies (ICT).

Geography in Year 8 incorporates learning related to global geography and the interaction of human and physical elements of the environment in a global context. Students investigate global landscapes, and global geographic issues. 

Geography in Years 9 and 10 incorporates learning related to Australian Geography and the interaction of human and physical elements. Students cover natural hazards, Australia’s unique physical and cultural environments, Australia in its global and regional contexts, and issues in the Australian environment.

In Year 10, students will participate in fieldwork and write a Research Action Plan.

History

In Year 7 History (Mandatory) students undertake an introductory unit Investigating History which explores the purpose and nature of history, the process used by historians to investigate and record the past and issues of heritage and conservation in relation to a study of the past. Currently students study past societies such as Ancient Egypt and Medieval Europe.  All students undertake studies of Aboriginal and other Indigenous Peoples in relation to colonisation and contact History.

In Years 9 and 10 History (Mandatory) students focus on twentieth-century Australian history. Topics include Federation, life in the early 20th Century, World War 1, life between the wars, World War 2 and major historical events post World War 2. Students continue to develop the skills of historical inquiry through this study. An understanding of the Stages 4–5 (Mandatory) material is assumed knowledge for Modern History students in Stage 6. 

Commerce - Elective in Years 9-10

Commerce is currently an elective in Years 9-10. Students study consumers, personal finance, government towards independence and employment issues.

Commerce students will learn how to make sound decisions about commercial and legal processes. They develop financial literacy skills and learn to become informed and responsible citizens.

Stage 6 (Years 11-12)

Ancient History

Ancient History has a unique role in the school curriculum because it allows students to study and analyse past societies with a detachment conferred by the perspectives of at least two millennia. It draws on a variety of disciplines and sources, both written and archaeological, such as literary works, coins, inscriptions, art, architecture, artefacts and human remains, enabling students to piece together an informed and coherent view of the past. In addition, it introduces students to scientific methods used in the historian’s investigation of archaeological evidence.

Students study ancient history because it provides them with opportunities to satisfy their fascination and interest in the stories of the past and the mysteries of human behaviour. It allows them to develop and apply the research skills and methodologies of the historian and archaeologist. It equips students to question critically and interpret written and archaeological sources for the evidence they provide about the ancient world.

The skills, knowledge and understanding that students acquire through studying Ancient History make it a good introduction to the world of work and informed citizenship. This is because Ancient History teaches a critical and intelligent reading of events and documents, as well as the effective and fluent communication of narrative, detail, ideas and judgements.

The Ancient History Preliminary course involves the study of the following: 

(a) Investigating the Past: History, Archaeology and Science

(b) Case Studies – currently Troy and the Trojan Wars

• Preserved human remains (Iceman)
• Tutankhamun’s Tomb
• Ancient Thera

(c) Historical Investigation where students select a site for further study.

The HSC course comprises a study of:

• Part I:   Core: Cities of Vesuvius – Pompeii and Herculaneum       
• Part II:   ONE Ancient Society – currently Bronze Age Minoan Crete          
• Part III:  ONE Personality in Their Time – currently Hatshepsut      
• Part IV: ONE Historical Period – currently Early New Kingdom Egypt        

Modern History

Modern History Stage 6 is designed to enable students to acquire knowledge and understanding, the skills of critical analysis and synthesis, and values and attitudes essential to an appreciation of forces that have shaped the modern world; to develop a lifelong interest in the study of history; and to prepare them for informed and active citizenship in the contemporary world.  Students investigate Stage 6 topics using a source-based approach.

The Preliminary course is structured to provide students with opportunities to investigate key features, individuals, groups, events, concepts and historiographical issues in a range of historical contexts as background for their HSC studies.

Students study a variety of topics which may include an investigation of the assassination of JFK, the decline of the Romanovs, the decolonisation of Indochina, an historical investigation of a personality and a study of the world at the beginning of the 20th Century.

The HSC course currently involves a source based study of World War 1, followed by a national study (Germany), study of a personality (Speer) and then an investigation of the Cold War (1945 – 1991).

Society and Culture

The aim of Society and Culture Stage 6 is to develop a student’s knowledge, understanding, skills, values and attitudes essential to achieving social and cultural literacy by examining the interactions between persons, societies, cultures and environments across time. In the Preliminary Course students investigate:  

• The Social and Cultural World    
• Personal and Social Identity       
• Intercultural Communication

The HSC Course involves students in the investigatation of Social and Cultural Continuity and Change. Additionally, students complete one Depth Study from the following:

• Popular Culture
• Equality and Difference

As part of the HSC students engage in a piece of individual social research called a Personal Interest Project. 

Business studies

Business Studies is distinctive in that it encompasses the theoretical and practical aspects of business and management in contexts which students will encounter in life. It offers focus areas and perspectives ranging from the planning of a small business to the broader roles of management, finance, employment relations, marketing and the impact of the global business environment. The course provides rigour and depth and lays an excellent foundation for students either in further tertiary study or in future employment. Many students taking this course go on to commerce courses at university, specializing in marketing, finance and accounting. Currently, students are required to purchase a $30 booklet during their HSC year outlining QANTAS as a global business case study.

Economics

Economics involves the study of theories, policies and economic issues. Students will benefit from the study of economics if they engage in studies that include business, accounting and finance, media, law, marketing, employment relations, tourism, history, geography or environmental studies.  

If selected as a specialisation at university, economics can lead to careers in: share, finance or commodities markets; business; economic forecasting; banking; insurance; tourism; resource management; property development and management; government; environmental management; town planning; foreign affairs or economic policy development. 

Students develop critical thinking skills and an understanding of contemporary economic issues. Discussion of economic issues dominates the media and politics. By understanding economics, students can make informed judgements about policies and issues and be an informed citizen.

Legal Studies 

The syllabus for Legal Studies has been rewritten and the new course began for Year 11 in 2010. The course focuses on the way in which law is generated, how it is structured and how it operates in Australian and international contexts. Learning about our legal system will allow students to investigate the way our society operates and the influences that shape it.  The Legal Studies course offers excellent preparation for life through a study of the legal system, its principles, structures, institutions and processes. Legal Studies enables students to have confidence in approaching and accessing the legal system and provides them with a better appreciation of the relationship between social and legal structures. The course will assist in the development of students’ knowledge of their basic legal rights and responsibilities. An excursion to the Supreme Court is organised for preliminary students to gain an understanding of the court system.  

The Preliminary and HSC courses involve the study of:

Staff