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

Curriculum content descriptions

Apply a methodology to locate and collect relevant information and data from a range of primary sources and secondary sources (ACHASSI153)

Elaborations
  • identifying steps in the research process (for example, identifying information needed, locating information, recording relevant information from sources)
  • using a range of methods, including digital applications, to plan and conduct an information search, and to refine a search for specific or relevant information/images (for example, using ‘image search’ and ‘advanced search’ functions)
  • compiling a list of different primary and secondary sources that might contribute relevant information to an investigation of the past (for example, papyrus scrolls, coins, statues, human remains for an archaeological study) or to an investigation of an environmental issue (for example, recorded observations, annotated field sketches, surveys, interviews, and photographs of changes or events)
  • collecting useful information from secondary sources to answer inquiry questions (for example, articles, graphs, charts and statistics to show religious diversity in Australia; information from the Australian Bureau of Statistics to understand patterns of employment in Australia; thematic maps, weather maps, climate graphs, compound column graphs and population pyramids, reports, census data and the media to support a study of liveability of a city)
  • applying ethical research methods to conduct research with people and communities, including applying protocols for consultation with local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, demonstrating respectful behaviours in sacred or significant sites, and giving consideration to sensitive issues when seeking information from people
General capabilities
  • Literacy Literacy
  • Critical and creative thinking Critical and creative thinking
ScOT terms

Data collection

Video

ABC 7.30: Where do we build next?

Like many Australian cities, Melbourne has been growing rapidly. This clip from 2012 investigates debates about where Melbourne's urban growth should occur. While inner city areas are slowly being redeveloped, the outer suburbs continue to sprawl and their residents battle some serious issues.

Video

Nexus: Holden, the 'all-Australian car'

What made Holden cars symbols of Australia during the 1950s, 60s and 70s? During this period, more than any other vehicle, the Holden came to reflect changing lifestyles in Australia, and helped to define for many what it meant to be 'Australian'. Find out the impact that generations of Holden vehicles have had on the lives ...

Video

The Snowy Mountains Scheme

How did the Snowy Mountains Hydro-Electric Scheme come to be Australia's greatest economic achievement in the decades following World War II? In this clip, discover what Australia hoped to accomplish through the scheme, and some of the sacrifices that were made for it. Also learn what life was like for migrants from war-devastated ...

Video

Catalyst: What is a megafire?

Join Catalyst reporter Anja Taylor as she visits the Jemez Mountains in New Mexico and discovers the impacts of recent megafires on the landscape there. What is a megafire? And how is a megafire different from a regular wildfire? How have recent fires permanently transformed the landscapes that Anja and Professor Craig ...

Video

BTN: World population explosion, 1996

The growth of the world's population and the pressure this places on resources and the environment is a highly debated topic. Watch this clip from 1996 to find out about the trends and concerns associated with population growth at that time, and consider how perspectives and patterns may differ today.

Video

Archaeology unearths a mass-murder site

Discover a historic site that could reveal new evidence of the first recorded mass murder on Australian soil. The site is Beacon Island, a small island off the coast of Western Australia near present-day Geraldton. In this clip, reporter Mark Bennett visits the island with two members of a 1963 expedition that first investigated ...

Video

Catalyst: How will fire change the climate?

Considering the impact of a changing climate on the severity and frequency of fires is one thing, but how about the impact of fires on climate? Why does Professor David Bowman describe this scenario as a 'fire spiral'? What are the consequences of a world with fewer forests? As Professor Craig Allen explains, drought and ...

Video

The Business: Bike use in Europe is streets ahead

In the German city of Leipzig, it seems as if almost everyone rides a bike. Like many European cities, Leipzig is 'bike friendly' and its residents have taken full advantage. In this clip, the reporter shows us why Europe is streets ahead when it comes to encouraging bike use and investigates what it might take for Australian ...

Video

ABC News: Sydney slips in world cities rankings, 2012

A 'Cities of Opportunity' study in 2012 found that, while Sydney was regarded as a 'livable' city, its residents faced some significant urban issues. With other cities moving ahead of Sydney in the rankings, questions have been asked about why the cost of living in Sydney is so high and what should be done to solve some ...

Video

ABC News: Getting your facts straight about water use

We hear a lot about water use in Australia. What are the real statistics about water use? What is the breakdown of water use for different groups across Australia? Watch this clip to find out who uses water and how much, and consider the value of water and the 'return' on this use for the Australian economy. The figures ...

Video

Australian Disaster Resilience Knowledge Hub: Australian disasters

This is a curated collection of articles, photographs and internet links related to natural, technological and human-caused events including bushfires, cyclones, tsunamis, earthquakes, shipwrecks, urban fires, chemical and industrial events in Australia. Events included have posed a serious threat to a community or property ...

Online

Untold education project: The invisible farmer

Invisible Farmer is the largest ever study of Australian women on the land. The project collects oral histories of women by creating interview-based video content. This website provides videos ,interview questions and suggestions to support teachers to guide students to create their own multimodal stories of women on the land.

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 ...

Text

Geography: Landscapes and Landforms

Join Shona from Geoscience Australia and explore the formation of Australia's coastal, desert and mountain landforms and landscapes.

Video

The research process

In this resource Thomas Keneally reveals the sources he used to uncover the details about early life in Australia.