History / Year 8 / Historical Knowledge and Understanding

Curriculum content descriptions

Pre-Columbian life in the Americas, including social organisation, city life and beliefs (ACDSEH016)

Elaborations
  • describing the social organisation of the Aztecs (for example, nobility, slaves); their beliefs (for example, worship of a number of gods and the need to make human sacrifices to appease these gods); life in the capital city Tenochtitlan
General capabilities
  • Critical and creative thinking Critical and creative thinking
  • Intercultural understanding Intercultural understanding
  • Ethical understanding Ethical understanding
ScOT terms

Cities,  Beliefs,  Social history,  Lifestyles,  American history,  Mexican history,  Peruvian history,  Precontact culture

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Work sample Year 8 History: Significant groups (the Vikings) in an expansion

This work sample demonstrates evidence of student learning in relation to aspects of the achievement standards for Year 8 History. The primary purpose for the work sample is to demonstrate the standard, so the focus is on what is evident in the sample not how it was created. The sample is an authentic representation of ...

Video

Batavia shipwreck leads to mass murder

In 1629, the Dutch merchant ship Batavia was wrecked off the Western Australian coast near present-day Geraldton. What followed was a tale of mutiny and mass murder on the surrounding islands. Hear from two members of the 1963 expedition that first uncovered the ship's remains, as they visit one of the islands in 2013.

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The British arrive in Tasmania

Learn why, in 1803, the British established a colony in Tasmania, at Hobart Town. Find out about the hardships faced by the convicts and early colonists and the early industries that helped some of them prosper. Find out about the effect that displacement had on the local palawa people.

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This place: Dreamtime story of the Nambucca River

Hear the Dreamtime story of the Nambucca River on Gumbaynggirr Country (North Coast of New South Wales). What is the river called in Gumbaynggirr? What made the imprint in the land around Nambucca River? There's a bend in the river called Baga Baga in Gumbaynggirr. Why is it called this?

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BTN: History of voting

Australia's first parliamentary election was in 1843. What was different about voting then? When and how did that change to resemble elections we have now? See if you can list the three significant dates in Australia’s history of voting and the changes that occurred on those dates.

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Life in Medieval Europe: A woman's life

What was life like for women in Medieval Europe? Did they enjoy the same rights and opportunities as men? In this clip, learn about the roles of peasant women and the lives they could expect to lead. This clip is one in a series of five.

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Life in Medieval Europe: Good and bad medicine

How sophisticated was medical practice in Medieval Europe? In this clip, learn about common forms of diagnosis and cures for ailments in the 14th century. And brace yourself for a medieval-style amputation; it's not pretty. This clip is one in a series of five.

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World’s first bakers?

When did humans begin grinding seeds to make flour? Many people believe bread-making began in Egypt or Mesopotamia as long as 17,000 years ago. Archaeologists have recently found evidence that Indigenous Australians were producing flour 65,000 years ago. Were they the world’s first bakers?

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Benalla Migrant Camp

While many postwar immigrants were sent to Bonegilla Migrant Reception and Training Centre when they arrived in Australia, others lived at the smaller Benalla Migrant Camp. Like Bonegilla, Benalla is in north-east Victoria. Unlike at Bonegilla, however, many immigrants remained at Benalla for over a decade. Listen as Sabine ...

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Welcome to Bonegilla Migrant Camp

Following World War II, the Australian government was eager to increase the country’s population. The war reminded Australians that their small population would not withstand an enemy invasion. Further, a larger workforce was needed to develop the postwar economy. European people, many displaced by the war and the spread ...

Interactive

The chariot of Wetwang

The interactive resource is about the discovery of an Iron Age chariot in a grave in the Yorkshire village of Wetwang in 2001. It has three parts: an account of the discovery of the burial site and the contents of the grave; a detailed explanation of the reconstruction of the chariot; and a quiz to test the knowledge gained ...

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Roman women: following the clues

This resource is about Roman women. It examines sources of evidence about the lives of women in ancient Rome, given that there is little written material describing their lives. Sources include examples from literature, state inscriptions, tombstones and the bases of statues, Roman paintings and sculpture, all of which ...

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Naachtun: lost city of the Maya

This resource is about the Mayan city of Naachtun rediscovered by archaeologists in 1922. It provides background material on the archaeological visits to the Mayan site from 1922 through to 2002, and describes the remnants of the structures and artefacts of the city, including stone monuments carved with hieroglyphic inscriptions ...

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Viking women

This resource is about the role of women in the Viking world. It includes text and some images. The resource is organised under six topic headings: Female Vikings?; Viking women in England; Scandinavian immigration; Daily life; Women of influence; and Find out more. The images are interposed in the text.

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Black Death

This resource is about the plague that broke out in England from 1348-49. It provides an overview of the plague in the British Isles beginning with the initial outbreak in Dorset, which then spread to England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland. The resource includes many contemporary descriptions of the plague, the death toll ...

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Ottoman Empire (1301-1922)

This resource is about the rise and fall of the Islamic Ottoman Empire. It includes text and some images. The resource is organised under eight topic headings: Introduction; Why was the Empire successful?; Constantinople; Other religions; Sultan and court; Suleiman – a golden age; Decline; and Find out more. The images ...

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Victorian Heritage Database

This is a rich, interactive resource that lists Victoria’s most significant heritage: places, objects, shipwrecks and archaeological sites. It has four main sections: Introduction; Explore heritage map; Recommended tours; and Timeline browser. The Explore heritage map searches for sites and provides information and images ...

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Australian Constitution online

Browse the complete text of the Australian Constitution with this easy-to use website. It includes a detailed overview by the Australian Government Solicitor and a 2:26 min video snapshot about the Constitution and its role in the governance of the Australian nation.

Interactive

Federation

Federation is the process by which six partly self-governing British colonies decided to form a new nation. Australia was created by peaceful means as an Act of the British Parliament—the result of much consideration and debate. This webpage provides a series of resources examining the path to federation. The page includes ...

Interactive

Federal Parliament history timeline

This interactive timeline explores key milestones in the history of Australia's Parliament that led to federation and how the work of Parliament has influenced Australian democratic development since 1901. The timeline allows users to explore the milestones chronologically or follow thematic trails. Selected milestones ...