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Frequently asked questions

Back to History

Does History have to be taught as a separate subject or unit?

No, the History curriculum can be delivered in a variety of flexible and relevant ways depending upon the whole school curriculum plan, resources available and ensuring the needs of the students are met.

Delivery methods could, for example, be taught through an integrated Humanities subject, a cross curriculum approach where the appropriate components of different areas are incorporated to provide a locally relevant unit or theme, or a dedicated ‘day/week’ where the curriculum is covered through activities/speakers/excursions. It is important when planning integrated units that there is still explicit teaching of the specific content and assessment to progress student learning.

Do you have to teach History from Prep onwards?

The History curriculum includes content descriptions and achievement standards for Foundation – Level 2. The curriculum covers two contexts: Personal Histories and Community Histories. It is a school-based decision as to whether the teaching of history is undertaken in the early years of school.

Many teachers do find that they are actually addressing the content in these earlier levels through integrated units or particular themes and thus decide to assess and report progress to parents. Particular class and school events such as Anzac Day and religious holidays may also provide opportunities to teach students about significant events in their communities.

Students do need the history concepts, skills and knowledge from the F–2 curriculum to scaffold their learning in History, regardless of when the teaching and learning program begins.

Do I have to teach the History curriculum each year and what are the implications for reporting?

Schools are required to teach History every two years, from Year 3 onwards.

Schools will develop their whole-school curriculum plan in order to deliver the Victorian Curriculum F–10 in a way that is meaningful and relevant to their students. It is, therefore, a school-based decision as to when the History curriculum is delivered. For example, schools may choose to deliver a concentrated unit of work to Year 3 students to align with the school camp and not teach any component of the History curriculum to students in Year 4.

Schools will report student progress along the continuum when it has been taught. For example, if the concentrated unit is taught to Year 3 students, then this will be included on the Year 3 report accurately representing the level of achievement.

What has happened to the Overview content from the Australian Curriculum History levels 7– 10?

The Overview content has been incorporated into the elaborations of Historical Concepts and Skills strand of History curriculum. Teachers may choose how and how much of this overview is necessary for each historical context they teach.

Do all students in Years 9 and 10 have to study History?

In the pathways stage of schooling (Years 9-10) students should have the opportunity to engage with the full structure of the Victorian Curriculum. The school curriculum plan should demonstrate how across these two years of schooling students will be offered a program that includes the History curriculum.

The school curriculum plan should recognise that in these two years of schooling some students begin to focus on areas of specialisation related to both their future schooling and intended pathways beyond school. The learning program for these Pathways years can, therefore, be based on the curriculum areas set out in the Victorian Curriculum, or where a student has already demonstrated achievement of the knowledge and skills at level 10, senior secondary studies could be drawn from equivalent curriculum areas.