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Humanities and social sciences / Year 7 / Inquiry and skills / Analysing

Curriculum content descriptions

Examine primary sources and secondary sources to determine their origin, purpose and reliability (ACHASSI156)

Elaborations
  • considering relevance and validity when choosing sources and gathering data and information about historical, geographical, social, economic and business issues or events (for example, the relevance of documents written at the time of an event; the validity of personal observations made during fieldwork)
  • differentiating between primary sources in history (those from the time of the event/person/site being investigated) and secondary sources (those that represent later interpretations)
  • comparing the different types of primary sources appropriate to history, geography, civics and citizenship, and economics and business, and explaining reasons for the differences
  • identifying who in a source is conveying information about a past or present event and suggesting whose voice may be absent (for example, women, children, Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Peoples, slaves, religious leaders)
  • using a range of methods to determine the origin, purpose and reliability of different sources, such as determining when the source was written, why it was written and by whom
  • discussing the difficulties in identifying the origin and purpose of some sources (for example, the Kimberley Bradshaw paintings)
General capabilities
  • Literacy Literacy
  • Critical and creative thinking Critical and creative thinking
ScOT terms

Authenticity (Texts),  Historical sources

Interactive

Syllabus Bites: Explore a source

This resource is a webpage with information, study guide and resources on the process of analysing and evaluating historical sources to support Stage 3, 4 and 5 HSIE and the Australian Curriculum: History.

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Looking after the land

This is a resource about the environmental, climatic, natural disaster and pest challenges faced during settlement in Australia. It includes details about land management techniques; extreme and unique weather conditions, including floods and droughts; bushfires; animal and plant pests; and water management. Text, images, ...

Online

Eureka stories

This is a website about the Eureka Stockade uprising and trials of 1854 to 1855. It uses primary and secondary source materials to explore some of the causes and actions that fueled the uprising. The resource is presented in three sections: Introductory information; Story Objects; and Story Education Resources. There are ...

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Life on the land

This is a resource about life on the land in Australia in the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries. It includes details about land grants allocation, the establishment of Australia's first farms, the condition of the land, the processes used to farm the land, and case studies about the early farming families in Australia. The ...

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Rural communities: community events

This is a website about rural life in Australia in the 19th and 20th centuries; there is a particular focus on community activities that brought people together to socialise and as a boost for morale. It includes information about community events, social and recreational activities and key organisations and societies for ...

Online

Journey’s end

This is website about emigrants arriving by boat to Victoria in the 19th and early 20th century. The resource has three sections: Introductory information; Story Objects; and Story Education Resources. There are 21 Story Objects, including a video and images with captions that depict the journey and way of life at this ...

Online

Commemorating Anzac through engaging learning

This resource supports quality teaching and learning through specific curriculum learning opportunities to engage students, as well as enhancing whole school and community interactions and events commemorating Anzac. Part of the Bringing communities together series in response to the NSW State Anzac Centenary.

Interactive

Remembering them - mobile application

This App provides a geocoded list and historical descriptions of memorials, museums, shrines, monuments, buildings and war graves and other Australian sites that commemorate Australian's wartime history. The cross-platform application is available for free download from iTunes and Google Play. Teacher notes are available ...

Online

Magna Carta: The story of our freedom

This is a resource about the Magna Carta (Great Charter) agreed between King John and his rebellious barons in 1215 and its influence on the development of human rights and democratic freedoms to the present day. The resource consists of: an animated infographic ‘Tell the story’ with hyperlinks to further information; an ...

Image

Earthquakes

This is an online resource about current earthquake activity in Australia and the wider region. The resource provides a map and a satellite image of near real-time earthquake activity in the last seven days. Links on the map provide further details and information about individual earthquake events. The resource also contains ...

Interactive

Old Government House Parramatta virtual tour

This resource is about exploring Governor Macquarie’s preferred residence while learning more about the early colony through this virtual tour of Old Government House at Parramatta.

Online

Data in Gapminder world

This resource is a dataset providing data for a number of indicators of development over time for more than 200 countries. The indicators fall into the following categories: population, health, economy, environment, work, infrastructure, energy and education, with over 500 sets of data in total. Each set of data can be ...

Online

CFA Bushfires - a geography resource for Australian students

This is an illustrated PDF with comprehensive information about the causes and behaviours of bushfire as well as the impact fires have on natural and human environments. Taking a geographic perspective, the text is supported with photographs, maps, aerial photography, diagrams, and tables. Each chapter includes activities ...

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Journeys and Connections

This resource displays objects related to stories of migration to Australia. Students locate and research relevant objects in their own community and create a digital story of migration. The resource uses objects from the Australian Journeys exhibition at the National Museum of Australia.

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Indigenous science: Australia had ancient trade routes too

This is an article about the ancient overland trade routes of Aboriginal Australia. Written by Kudjala/Kalkadoon Elder from Queensland Letitia Murgha and intended mainly for teachers, it compares Aboriginal trading routes based on Dreaming pathways and songlines throughout Australia to the Silk Road and the spice trade ...

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Indigenous Science: shell middens and fish traps

This is an article about Aboriginal shell middens along the Queensland coast and the information they provide about Aboriginal food collection practices. Written by Kudjala/Kalkadoon Elder from Queensland Letitia Murgha and intended mainly for teachers, it describes how shell middens were created over thousands of years ...

Interactive

Sites2See: Explore the Lachlan and Elizabeth Macquarie Archive

This resource consists of selected links to the Lachlan and Elizabeth Macquarie Archive (LEMA) with research suggestions, syllabus advice and supporting activities, including a virtual tour of Old Government House, Parramatta. The LEMA Project provides material for the historical investigation of the lives and times of ...

Video

Stateline TAS: Aunty Ida West: Tasmanian Aboriginal Elder, 1995

Imagine being told not to speak your own language to your family and friends. Even worse, imagine being told that your whole culture had vanished, when you know it has not. These challenges were faced by Aboriginal people in the 20th century. In this clip, discover how Aunty Ida West's background and life experiences forged ...

Video

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.

Video

The convict voyages

What do you think it was like for convicts on their voyage from England to Australia? Would you be surprised to discover that their life expectancy on board a convict vessel was actually higher than that of free settlers? Watch this video to discover why this might be, and learn about the convicts themselves.