The document provides information about implementing the new NSW History syllabus, which incorporates the Australian Curriculum. It outlines key changes in the NSW syllabus compared to the Australian Curriculum, including additional mandatory Asian history content and more flexibility. It discusses using overviews to provide historical context and structure units of study. Teachers are encouraged to design lessons that develop historical skills and concepts. Examples are provided of potential problems with overviews and solutions, including engaging student activities and assessment. Guidance and resources are suggested for planning units and lessons incorporating overviews and depth studies.

1. Australian Curriculum
to
NSW History Syllabus
- Making it work -

2. • Look at the main features
of the new NSW History
syllabus and understand
the connection to the
Australian Curriculum.
• Look at content of new
syllabus, think about topic
choices.
• Create a pathway of
learning for your school in
History 7-10
• Share resources
Part 1

3. History K-10
‘Australia should by now have a
curriculum common to all students
across the nation, but I fear the
opportunity for achieving it is
already lost’. Sir Harold Wyndham
1982

4. - help to ensure all young Australians
are equipped with the skills, knowledge
and capabilities that provide a foundation
for successful and lifelong learning and
participation in the Australian community
- make clear to teachers what is to be
taught across the years of schooling
- make clear to students what they
should learn and the quality of the
learning expected of them

5. http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.
au/History/Curriculum/F-10

6. 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
Australian Curriculum Development
Phase 2
development
2010-2012
Design
Paper
Shape
Papers
Phase 1
development
2008-2010
Phase 3
development
2011-2013

7. Development of the Learning Areas
Learning areas Timeline
English 2008-2010
Mathematics 2008-2010
Science 2008-2010
Humanities and social sciences
•History
•Geography
•Economics, Business, Civics and citizenship
2008-2010
2010-2012
2011-2013
The arts 2010-2012
Languages 2010-2012
Health and physical education 2011-2013
Design and the technologies 2011-2013

9. Why a new NSW syllabus?
2003
2010
?

10. The NSW view of the Australian
Curriculum
• NSW has a long history of syllabus development, and
quality teaching and learning in History content area.
• Federal legislation does not override state legislation in
education.
• NSW has largest candidature in senior History (27000
students).
• NSW will include Australian Curriculum in all new
syllabuses it develops – through an agreement made
between Minister for Education (Federal) and NSW BOS.
• NSW will keep the same style of syllabus for all subjects.
• English, Maths, Science and History (and later Geography)
all have new syllabuses based on the Australian Curriculum.

11. Problems specific to History
• Too much content in Years 7-10.
• NSW is the only state that currently has mandatory
History to Year 10.
• NSW schools must teach 50 hours minimum in each
year in History.
• ACARA’s curriculum was written for 80 hours!
• Vietnam was missing from ACARA’s curriculum, and
lack of specific indigenous content.
• There was perceived lack of flexibility and lack of
provision for teaching more contemporary history.
• Consultation with stakeholders revealed concerns.

12. Problems resolved though the
development of the new NSW History
syllabus
• NSW syllabus
incorporates the ACARA
Curriculum
• More detail and
guidance given
• Some differences in
terms of content

15. NSW History K-10 Syllabus

18. Underlying
Principles
 K-10 Curriculum Framework
 Statement of Equity Principles -diversity of learners
 The Melbourne Declaration on Educational Goals
for Young Australians (2008)
- Goal 1: Australian schooling promotes equity and excellence
- Goal 2: All young Australians should become successful
learners, confident and creative individuals, and active and
informed citizens.
Promoting world-class curriculum and assessment. P.13

19. Rationale
The History K-10 syllabus
emphasises that the study of
history is based on interpreting
evidence derived from the past
using the process of historical
inquiry.
History K-10 Syllabus, Rationale p. 10

21. Rationale and aims
- outline the purpose and structure of the learning area
Content descriptions
- core knowledge, understandings and skills – what students will
be taught
Content elaborations
- illustrate and exemplify content
Achievement standards
- describe the quality of learning typically expected of students;
descriptions and work samples
Organisation of
learning area

22. Guide to the new syllabus
http://syllabus.bos.nsw.edu.au/
history/history-k10/guide-to-
the-new-syllabus/

24.  K-10 History Concepts
Continuum
http://syllabus.bos.nsw.edu.au/h
sie/history-k10/continuum-of-
concepts/
 K-10 History Skills Continuum
http://syllabus.bos.nsw.edu.au/h
sie/history-k10/continuum-of-
skills/

25. Cross-curriculum priorities
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures
Asia and Australia’s engagement with Asia
Sustainability
General capabilities
Critical and creative thinking
Ethical understanding
Information and communication technology capability
Intercultural understanding
Literacy
Numeracy
Personal and social capability
Other learning across the curriculum
areas
Civics and citizenship
Difference and diversity
Work and enterprise History Key.docx

27. K-6 Content

28. Main changes 7-10 history

29. Ensuring a world history approach
A world history approach involves
- the use of broad introductory overviews to provide historical
context
- investigating key inquiry questions aimed at addressing big
ideas
- tracing continuity and change and cause and effect over time
- depth studies connected to a global context
- Australian history located in a global context
- How many of these world history features are already evident
in your history lessons?
- How will you ensure that these world history features will be
reflected in your teaching and learning programs for the new
syllabus?

30. Stage 4 –
New ContentNew topics
Following are new areas of content in History for Stages 4 and 5, both
mandatory and elective topics.
• Mandatory requirement to complete an Asian topic – India OR China in
Depth Study 3
Opportunity to study new areas in
• Renaissance Italy in Depth Study 4
• The Polynesian expansion across the Pacific in Depth Study 5
• Mongol Expansion in Depth Study 6
• The Black Death on an international scale, in Asia, Europe and Africa in
Depth Study 6.

31. Stage 5 –
New Content
• Mandatory requirement to complete a 19th century study of ONE of the
following: The Industrial Revolution, The Movement of people or
Progressive ideas and movements in Depth Study 1.
• Opportunity to study an Asian society, its contact with European powers and
its position in the world c.1900 in Depth Study 2
• Opportunity to study ‘The environment movement’ , ‘Popular culture’ and
‘Migration experiences’ in more detail in Depth Study 5
• Opportunity to undertake a school-developed study with content drawn from
either of the Stage 5 Overviews, to create an original Depth Study 6 to meet
the interests and abilities of students.
• Mandatory requirement to complete Depth Study 3 Australians at War and
Depth Study 4 Rights and Freedoms 1945-present.

32. • The inclusion of Asian history in Stage 4
(mandatory) and Stage 5 (optional)
supports the world history approach of the
History 7-10 syllabus and addresses the
cross-curriculum priority, Asia and
Australia’s engagement with Asia.
Stage 4
• Depth Study 3: The Asian World offers
electives on India OR China
• Depth Study 5: The Asia-Pacific World
offers electives on the Angkor/Khmer
empire OR Japan under the Shoguns OR
Polynesian Expansion
• Depth Study 6: Expanding contacts offers
an elective on Mongol expansion

33. • Stage 5
• Depth Study 2: Australia and
Asia offers the elective Asia
and the world (1750-1918) in
which students investigate
one Asian society such as
China, Japan, India or the
Dutch East Indies during the
relevant period.
• Depth Study 6: Schools may
develop a study of an Asian
topic on content drawn from
either of the Stage 5
Overviews.

34. History 7-10 Syllabus
• World History
• Australian History
• Overviews
• Depth Studies

35. How can an
overview be
used to
structure
teaching
and
learning?
• Organise content
• Create cohesion within a unit
of study or across the span
of the curriculum
• Address matters of temporal
scale (intra/across period
scale)
• Address matters of spatial
scale (local, nation, empires,
continents, civilizations or
global
• Address matters of human
scale (from individuals to
humanity as a whole

36. What is a depth study?
• In addition to the overview, there are three (3)depth-
studies for each historical period
• That means six depth studies in stage 4 and six in stage
5 (12 Depth studies in the syllabus)
• For each depth study, there are up to three electives
that focus on a particular society, event, movement or
development.
• The content in each elective is designed to allow
detailed study of specific aspects of the historical period.
• The order and detail is a school-based programming
decision.

37. Depends on the topics within
each depth study that have been
chosen
Decide where the overviews will
most logically fit for the chosen
topics:
- the beginning of the year
- before and/or after each
depth study
- during a depth study or
depth studies
Note: the content of the
overviews will vary depending on
which topics are chosen

38. Separate – Overview / Depth Study

39. Integrated - Overview / Depth Study

40. Overview
The content from the overview may be used as an overall
introduction to Depth Studies 1-3 or may be integrated with
these Depth Studies.
Approximately 10% of teaching time
Depth Study 1
Investigating the
Ancient Past
(including ancient
Australia)
Depth Study 2
The Mediterranean
World
Egypt or Greece
or Rome
Depth Study 3
The Asian World
India or
China
Stage 4
The Ancient World

41. Stage 4
From the Ancient to the Modern World
Overview
The content from the overview may be used as an overall introduction
to Depth Studies 4-6 or may be integrated with these Depth Studies.
Approximately 10% of teaching time
Depth Study 4
The Western and
Islamic World
Vikings or Medieval Europe or
The Ottoman Empire or
Renaissance Italy
Depth Study 5
The Asia Pacific
World
Angkor/Khmer Empire or
Japan under the Shoguns or
Polynesian Expansion
Depth Study 6
Expanding
Contacts
Mongol Expansion or The Black
Death in Asia, Europe and Africa
or Spanish Conquest of the
Americas, or Aboriginal and
Indigenous peoples

42. Overview
The content from the overview may be used as an overall introduction
to Depth Studies 1-3 or may be integrated with these Depth Studies.
Approximately 10% of teaching time
Depth Study 1
Making a Better
World?
Industrial Revolution or
Movement of Peoples or
Progressive Ideas and
Movements
Depth Study 2
Australia and Asia
Making a Nation or
Asia and the World
Core Study - Depth
Study 3
Australians at War
(World Wars I and II)
Stage 5
The Making of the Modern World

43. Overview
The content from the overview may be used as an overall introduction to Depth Studies
4-6 or may be integrated with these Depth Studies.
Approximately 10% of teaching time
Core Study -
Depth Study 4
Rights and
Freedoms
(1945 to the Present)
Depth Study 5
The Globalising
World
Popular Culture or The
environment movement or
Migration Experiences
Depth Study 6
Optional Study
(drawn from the Overview)
Australia in the Vietnam War
Era or The Holocaust or
Peacekeeping Operations or
… etc.
Stage 5
The Modern World and Australia

44. Overviews –
Potential problems
• No distinction between overview and its related
depth studies
• Content-heavy teacher-centred narrative
• Boring textbook narrative
• Few student-centred activities or exercises
• Little use of historical skills or development of
historical concepts

45. Overviews –
Possible solutions
• Design a fixed number of well-planned lessons
• Decide where these lessons will be placed over the
semester/year
• Incorporate engaging student-centred activities that
are aimed to develop certain historical skills and
concepts
• Design appropriate assessment activities (ie
assessment for learning)

46. • Where does the new
content fit in with the
overview?
• What links does it have
to other depth studies?
• Ideas for resourcing
• Share ideas

47. Activity 1: Programming the Overviews
 In allocated groups discuss the four possibilities
for placement of the overviews
 What is the time allocation and placement
decision for each overview?

48. Activity 2: Overview Planning
• In allocated groups divide up the four overviews
among the group members
• Plan the required number of lessons for each
overview

49. Scootle
Trove
AWM
National Archive
Vroom
HTA

50. http://www.tale.edu.au/tale/live/teachers/shared/BC/hist_wrld_hist.pdf

51. Stage 5 – Depth Study 1: Making a
better world?
1B – Movement of People
http://syllabus.bos.nsw.edu.au/hsie/his
tory-k10/content/1045/
Looking at the syllabus
– an example