History / Year 10 / Historical Skills / Analysis and use of sources

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Curriculum content descriptions

Identify the origin, purpose and context of primary and secondary sources (ACHHS187)

Elaborations
  • using data from immigration records and processing them using ICT to identify historical trends over time
  • explaining the context of a source such as the Bringing Them Home Report (1997) and the significance of that context in understanding responses to the report (with varying perspectives)
General capabilities
  • Literacy Literacy
  • Critical and creative thinking Critical and creative thinking
ScOT terms

Historical sources

Interactive

Sites2See: Australia and the Vietnam War

These are online resources for the topic Australia in the Vietnam War Era, including music, images and links to archival video clips from Australian Screen with teachers' notes.

Audio

From the Front Lines: The Battle for Tobruk

The North African port of Tobruk was the site of ferocious fighting during World War II. Here, Australian and other Allied soldiers repelled Italian and German attacks and even drove the enemy backwards. At the time, this was not only a strategic victory, but a psychological victory, proving that the Allies were capable ...

Audio

Townsville air raid, 1942

Australia has never been invaded. Nevertheless, isolated attacks on Australian soil have killed and injured hundreds of people, destroyed property, and made many people fearful of a large-scale invasion. In July 1942, Japanese aircraft attacked Townsville, Queensland, bombing the wharf and the surrounding area. This audio ...

Video

Five Australians: The rise of the media mogul Rupert Murdoch, 1967

What does it take to become a media mogul? The name of Rupert Murdoch, one of Australia's most successful businesspeople, has been a significant feature of the media industry since the early 1950s. In this clip, listen to Murdoch explain his plans to expand his media holdings across Australia and see how he was perceived ...

Video

Belief: Christians in contemporary Australia

What is the most popular religion in Australia? If you said 'Christianity', you would be right. In the 2011 Census, more than 60 per cent of respondents indicated that they belonged to the Christian faith. In recent years, there has been a surge of interest in Christianity among Australia's youth. By focusing on a Christian ...

Interactive

Laptop wrap: Voices of Vietnam

This resource is a page with a focus on developing student opinion of Australia's involvement in the Vietnam War, with supporting activities and links to resources.

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 ...

Video

Tour of NSW Government House

This resource is a YouTube playlist containing a series of videos taken as a group of senior high school students are given a guided tour of NSW Government House in 2010. The tour covers primary sources such as architecture, furniture and images significant to the history of Australia and NSW.

Interactive

Secondary history: historical inquiry - research

These seven learning activities focus on research using a variety of tools (software) and devices (hardware), and illustrate the ways in which content, pedagogy and technology can be successfully and effectively integrated in order to promote learning. In the activities, teachers provide appropriate guidance and scaffolds ...

Interactive

Secondary history: discussion

These seven learning activities focus on discussion using a variety of tools (software) and devices (hardware) and illustrate the ways in which content, pedagogy and technology can be successfully and effectively integrated in order to promote learning. In the activities, teachers facilitate discussion and model questions ...

Text

Defining moments in Australian History

This extensive web-based resource examines events, people and places of profound significance to the Australian people and their personal, community and national histories. The resource includes a list of 100 'defining moments' identified by historians supported by background information, images, video and links to the ...

Online

What sort of nation? - unit of work

This is an extended unit of work about the sort of nation Australia was and is now, how immigration and economic factors have shaped the kind of nation we are, and the sort of country we want to be in the future. It comes from the 'Discovering democracy' series of units and is organised around five focus questions that ...

Online

The 1967 referendum - unit of work

This is a unit of work about the significance of the 1967 referendum on changing the Australian Constitution to allow the Commonwealth to make laws for Aboriginal people and include Aboriginal people in the census. Intended for upper secondary students, the unit is organised around historical research into three questions: ...

Online

Australia and World War I - unit of work

This is an extended unit of work about World War I, in particular Australia's participation in the war and how it affected and continues to affect the nation's sense of identity. Intended for upper secondary students, the unit is organised around five areas of investigation: the origins of World War I; how Australians saw ...

Interactive

Sites2See: Indigenous Veterans

This resource is a page about the history of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander veterans of the Australian armed forces, with case studies, activities and discussion points. The resource is relevant to selected outcomes of at least two topics in Stage 5 History including Australia's commemoration of World War I.

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.

Interactive

Sites2See: Ancient History at the British Museum

This resource links to a collection of resources with themes of cities, religion, buildings, technology, writing and trade. Resources include interactive learning activities such as the workings of a Greek household.

Video

The research process

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

Video

The use of images

In this resource Thomas Keneally reveals his reasons for choosing the images in 'Australians: Origins to Eureka'.

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.