Humanities and social sciences / Year 7 / Knowledge and Understanding

Curriculum content descriptions

The physical features of ancient Greece, Egypt or Rome and how they influenced the civilisation that developed there (ACHASSK172)

Elaborations
  • describing the importance of the River Nile to Egyptian society (for example, inundation and farming; the worship of Hapi, god of the Nile; and the use of the Nile as a means of transportation)
  • creating a graphic representation of the social structure of Egyptian society
  • describing the impact of the sea and mountain ranges of Ancient Greece on the development of self-governing city-states
  • describing the importance of the River Tiber to ancient Roman society and the methods Romans used to manage resources (for example, the water supply through aqueducts and plumbing systems)
General capabilities
  • Critical and creative thinking Critical and creative thinking
ScOT terms

Italian history,  Classical antiquity,  Egyptian history,  Greek history,  Ancient cities,  Human settlements

Interactive

Ancient Egypt

This is an online interactive resource about ancient Egypt developed by the British Museum. The resource has ten sections: Egyptian life; geography; gods and goddesses; mummification; pharaoh; pyramids; temples; time; trades; and writing. Each section contains three elements: 'Story', 'Explore' and 'Challenge'. The 'Challenge' ...

Video

Roman Times: Keeping ancient Romans clean and healthy

How did people keep clean in ancient Rome when most people lived in small flats with no plumbing or running water? How did they keep healthy in a time when only the rich could afford doctors and medical knowledge was lacking? Discover the extraordinarily advanced world of Roman engineering that produced public baths, toilets, ...

Video

Roman Times: Looking for a place to live in ancient Rome?

What was it like to live in a flat in ancient Rome? The majority of the city's population lived in apartment buildings. Discover what features the flats did, and did not, include, and how the lives of their occupants compared with those of the wealthy.

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Untold Stories, Ep 12: The submarine that ran amok at Gallipoli

Alec Nichols was a farm boy from the Sunshine Coast who joined the navy at the age of 18. During World War I, he was one of 35 men on the AE2 submarine that broke through enemy lines in the Dardanelles strait. After five days of sustained attacks from the Turkish navy, the submarine had to surface. The men were captured ...

Video

River Valley Civilisations: Indus Valley Civilisation

The Indus River is located in present-day Pakistan and is the birthplace of the Indus Valley Civilisation. What do we know of this civilisation? What are some characteristics of this civilisation that are similar to that of other river valley civilisations? Why do we know less of the Indus Valley Civilisation than we do ...

Video

Catalyst: Why plants are good for liveable cities

Central Park in Sydney was voted the world's best tall building. It is known for the plants in its beautiful vertical gardens which cover its surfaces, but did you know that the garden is not purely decorative? Watch this video to find out what other purpose the vertical garden has.

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Foreign Correspondent: Mother Mekong

Discover the connections between people and ancient temples hidden along the mighty Mekong River. Find out how long the temple Wat Phu (Vat Phou) has been a place of worship. Consider the spiritual value of this river, which provides more than sustenance and money.

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River Valley Civilisations: The role of the Nile in Ancient Egypt

Like other early civilisations, the rise of Ancient Egypt was dependent on the fertile land around a river. By learning about and adapting to the conditions of the Nile River, ancient Egyptians were able to increase their agricultural productivity to support a large population. Why was this vital for a civilisation to flourish?

Video

Foreign Correspondent: Power is money on the the Mekong

Discover why the Lao Government plans to build a hydropower dam at Xayaboury (Xayaburi) on the Mekong River and how neighbouring countries might react. The Mekong River Commission is attempting to maintain a balance for all users of the river. Find out why this is a difficult and complex task.

Video

ABC News: Light rail plan for western Sydney

Long lines of cars, frustrated drivers in peak traffic: familiar? As the population of Australia's major cities continues to rise and spread outwards, increased strain is placed on existing infrastructure such as roads. People often look to government to fix urban problems. Could a light rail system solve Sydney's western ...

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.

Video

Catalyst: How high will sea levels rise?

Much of the world’s population will eventually have to deal with the consequences of sea-level rise, but the question is: how high will the water get? Dr Graham Phillips investigates how scientists are turning to the distant past to predict the impact of rising sea levels. Watch scientists explore 120,000-year-old coastlines, ...

Online

Archives ACT: find of the month

This topic-based collection of primary source material provides a rich and varied source of official documents, guides and background information on the civic history of Canberra and the Australian Capital Territory. Produced monthly, this eclectic collection covers topics including the history of monuments, architecture, ...

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Ancient China: geography

This is a rich online resource about the geography of China. It consists of four sections: a Geography section that summarises China's geographical features; a Story section that features myths about Nu Gua, the creator of humans; an Explore section that includes maps of ancient China; and a Challenge section where the ...

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Ancient China: geography - challenge

This is a game entitled 'Where do I live?' in which the user matches a set of four people and animals to the areas in China where they live. The challenge is based on understanding the different geographical features of seven regions and two river basins in China and identifying which of these matches the habitats of the ...

Video

The water cycle in the Murray-Darling Basin

This 12 minute video explains the water cycle in the context of the Murray Darling Basin and the great variability in rainfall in the region causing frequent floods and droughts. It highlights the importance of the rivers in the Murray Darling Basin for agriculture, environmental health, water supply, habitat for migratory ...

Interactive

Renewable Energy Sources - Google Play app

Find out about renewable energies such as wind, water, solar and biomass energy including how they provide energy, development of energy technology and environmental impacts in the electronic book. scientists and inventors involved. Explore some real-world engineering feats involved in producing today's energy supplies, ...

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Cotton Australia fact sheets

This library provides a series of one to two page fact sheets on a range of topics related to the Australian cotton industry including: an overview of the industry, history of the cotton industry in Australia and in the world; economics of Australian cotton; biotechnology; climate challenges and cotton; properties of cotton ...

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Ancient China: religion

This is a rich teacher resource about religious and funerary practices in ancient China. It contains: seven background information sheets; three lesson plans for whole-class discussions to introduce particular topics connected to tombs and the goods found within them; an inquiry-grid worksheet for gathering information ...

Online

Seeing the Land from an Indigenous Canoe

This is website about the significant contribution Aboriginal people made in colonial times by guiding European explorers and colonists, stock and goods across the Victorian river systems. The resource includes introductory information and 31 Story Objects in the format of videos, audio, images and text. Each object also ...