History / Year 7 / Historical Knowledge and Understanding / Overview of the ancient world

Curriculum content descriptions

key features of ancient societies (farming, trade, social classes, religion, rule of law) (ACOKFH003)

Elaborations
  • exploring why the shift from hunting and foraging to cultivation (and the domestication of animals) led to the development of permanent settlements
  • identifying the major civilisations of the ancient world (namely Egypt, Mesopotamia, Persia, Greece, Rome, India, China and the Maya); where and when they existed, and the evidence for contact between them
  • locating the major civilisations of the ancient world on a world map and using a timeline to identify the longevity of each ancient civilisation
  • identifying the major religions/philosophies that emerged by the end of the period (Hinduism, Judaism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Christianity, Islam) and their key beliefs (through group work)
General capabilities
  • Intercultural understanding Intercultural understanding
  • Personal and social capability Personal and social capability
  • Ethical understanding Ethical understanding
ScOT terms

Agriculture,  Law,  Ancient history,  Religion,  Economy,  Socioeconomic status

Online

The development of farming in Ancient Societies

This is a unit of work about the development of technologies in farming from ancient societies to present day. Topics explored include: technology in the ancient world; life in Mesopotamia; agricultural changes in Australia; and timeline of technology used in agriculture. The resource includes: a teacher guide; an extract ...

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The Mahabharata

This is the story of The Mahabharata, one of the world’s longest poems that was composed over 2,500 years ago in India. It is a story of family and friends and embodies Hindu mythology and philosophy. The message of the story is that rivalry leads to destruction. The story is 21 web pages long and includes text, illustrations, ...

Interactive

Biography: Federation people: Thomas McIlwraith

Find out more about Thomas McIlwraith, premier of Queensland and an Australian nationalist. Examine two different types of biographies of McIlwraith: one short and the other more detailed. Inspect examples of how he was visually depicted in his time. This learning object is one in a series of objects in the 'Biography: ...

Interactive

Discovering democracy: democratic struggles

Interact with a slideshow of images and text to explore the influence of the Chartist movement in Britain on the miners' struggles at the Ballarat goldfields, and the development of democratic ideas in Australia.

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Biography: Federation people: George Evans

Find out more about George Evans, poet, journalist and public servant. Examine two different types of biographies of Evans: one short and the other more detailed. Inspect examples of how he was visually depicted in his time. This learning object is one in a series of objects in the 'Biography: Federation people' series.

Interactive

Biography: Federation people: David Syme

Investigate newspaper editor and proprietor David Syme's role in Federation. Examine two different types of biographies of Syme: one short and the other more detailed. Inspect examples of how he was visually depicted in his time. This learning object is one in a series of objects in the 'Biography: Federation people' series.

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Journey to the west - part 2

This is the second part of a Chinese folk story dating back 1,300 years called the Journey to the west: preparing for the great journey. The story is about finding three magical companions - a monkey, a pig and a strongman - for a monk who is going on a dangerous journey. The resource is 15 web pages and includes text, ...

Interactive

Biography: Federation people: Maybanke Anderson

Find out more about Maybanke Anderson, feminist and federalist. Examine two different types of biographies of Anderson: one short and the other more detailed. Inspect examples of how she was visually depicted in her time. This learning object is one in a series of objects in the 'Biography: Federation people' series.

Interactive

Biography: Federation people: Frederick Holder

Find out more about Frederick Holder, premier of South Australia and first Speaker of the House of Representatives. Examine two different types of biographies of Holder: one short and the other more detailed. Inspect examples of how he was visually depicted in his time. This learning object is one in a series of objects ...

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Biography: Federation people: Charles Duffy

Investigate Irish rebel Charles Duffy's role in the move towards Federation. Examine two different types of biographies of Duffy: one short and the other more detailed. Inspect examples of how he was visually depicted in his time. This learning object is one in a series of objects in the 'Biography: Federation people' series.

Interactive

Discovering democracy: law

Interact with a slideshow of images and text to explore the struggles of Indigenous Australians for land rights. Look in particular at the early land rights petition of 1963 and the roles played by Vincent Lingiari and Eddie Mabo. Complete a related task.

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Discovering democracy: stories of the people and rulers

Explore types of governance such as absolute monarchy, Athenian democracy and representative democracy by interacting with a slideshow of images and text. Complete a related task.

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Biography: Federation people: Henry Higgins

Find out more about Henry Higgins, judge of the Arbitration Court. Examine two different types of biographies of Higgins: one short and the other more detailed. Inspect examples of how he was visually depicted in his time. This learning object is one in a series of objects in the 'Biography: Federation people' series.

Interactive

Biography: Federation people: John Hopetoun

Find out more about John Hopetoun, an English lord and the first governor-general of Australia. Examine two different types of biographies of Hopetoun: one short and the other more detailed. Inspect examples of how he was visually depicted in his time. This learning object is one in a series of objects in the 'Biography: ...

Interactive

Biography: Federation people: William McMillan

Investigate William McMillan's role in the move towards Federation. Examine two different types of biographies of McMillan: one short and the other more detailed. Inspect examples of how he was visually depicted in his time. This learning object is one in a series of objects in the 'Biography: Federation people' series.

Interactive

Biography: Federation people: John Macrossan

Find out more about John Macrossan, miner, politician and federalist. Examine two different types of biographies of Macrossan: one short and the other more detailed. Inspect examples of how he was visually depicted in his time. This learning object is one in a series of objects in the 'Biography: Federation people' series.

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Enrolling in the Land Army, c1944

This is a posed black-and-white photograph, measuring 24.7 cm x 19 cm and taken around 1944 in Drouin, Victoria by Jim Fitzpatrick. It shows a formally dressed young woman seated in front of a desk labelled 'War Agricultural Committee'. A man, seated behind the desk, is handing her a book entitled 'Food front'. The furniture ...

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Ophir gold diggings in 1851 - asset 3

This is a hand-coloured lithograph made by Thomas Balcombe (1810-61), measuring 27 cm x 47.5 cm, and based on a sketch made on the spot by J Korff. It depicts gold diggings at the confluence of Summer Hill Creek and Lewis Ponds Creek at Ophir in New South Wales. A horseman is shown approaching miners standing near the creek, ...

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Indigenous Australian man, Bedgi-bedgi (Bidgee-bidgee), 1802

This is a colour print of a half-figure portrait drawn by the French artist Nicolas-Martin Petit near Port Jackson (Sydney), between 20 June and 17 November 1802. It shows a man named as Bedgi-bedgi (also known as Bidgee-bidgee), said to be of the Gwea-gal tribe. He has patterned scarification on his arms, chest and abdomen, ...

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Journey to the west - part 1

This is the first part of a Chinese folk story called Journey to the west: the adventures of Monkey, which dates back 1,300 years. The story is about a monkey that gets magical powers. In the second part of the story the monkey becomes a companion of a monk on a dangerous journey. The resource is 15 web pages in length ...