Developing a program
The VCE History Study Design outlines the nature and sequence of learning and teaching necessary for students to demonstrate achievement of the outcomes for each unit. Teachers should use the study design and
Advice for teachers to develop a program that includes appropriate learning activities to enable students to develop the knowledge and skills identified in each unit. The areas of study describe the knowledge and skills required to demonstrate a specific outcome.
A program of study
Teachers are required to develop a program that meets the requirements of the study design, including areas of study, outcome statements, key knowledge and skills, and assessment tasks. Teachers should consider developing a weekly course outline for each unit. When planning the program, teachers should allow equal time for each outcome in each unit, document the assessment tasks for each outcome, and plan a scope and sequence of learning activities for each outcome. They should ensure that this program outline incorporates coverage of the key knowledge and development of the key skills that will be assessed at the end of each outcome. When developing a program, teachers are advised to ensure all units in VCE History are constructed on the basis of 50 hours of class contact time.
When developing teaching and learning activities, the focus should be on the outcomes, key knowledge and key skills.
The following overview offers general advice to teachers on developing a program.
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Selecting units and creating pathways
VCE History provides considerable opportunity for teachers and schools to develop a program that meets the interests of students, accommodates teachers’ expertise, and provides pathways from Unit 1 and 2 studies to Units 3 and 4. Flexibility at Units 1 and 2 means that a school can select and offer a variety of Unit 1 and 2 sequences: for example, Units 1 and 2 Ancient History or Unit 2 Ancient Egypt in Semester 1 and Unit 2 Empires in Semester 2, or Unit 1 Empires in Semester 1 and Unit 2 Modern History in Semester 2. This flexibility also means that Units 1 and 2 studies can also be used as pathways to Units 3 and 4 Ancient History, Revolutions and/or Australian History.
In Units 1 and 2 Modern History and Units 1 and 2 Empires, the study design enables schools to choose a different historical context. For example, in Units 1 and 2 Empires, teachers may select two empires, one for Unit 1 and another for Unit 2. Teachers might want to select empires that offer valuable contexts for Units 3 and 4 Revolutions, such as the Russian, Qing, French or British Empires. Similarly, study of the Portuguese, Dutch and British Empires might be taught to contextualise Units 3 and 4 Australian History. Teachers should be informed by their school context when making their selection and consider the ways in which the study may serve to create a vibrant, interesting and relevant senior History program for their students.
In developing Units 3 and 4 programs, teachers must select both units from the same study. Units 3 and 4 Ancient History, Units 3 and 4 Australian History and Units 3 and 4 Revolutions include options offered as sequences of learning. Teachers are reminded that as there are no prerequisites for Units 3 and 4, teachers must include explicit instruction on historical skills and concepts in Units 3 and 4, even if taught in Units 1 and 2.
Historical thinking
Historical thinking underpins all units of the study design and is integral to VCE History. Historical thinking builds on the core concepts and skills, such as the use of sources as evidence and change and continuity, introduced in the F–10 Victorian Curriculum. Throughout Units 1 to 4 students are expected to develop understandings of historical thinking and apply them to new knowledge. By applying historical thinking, the study aims to foster deeper understanding of historical contexts by using historical sources, explanations of historical causation and change, and by developing evidence-based historical arguments, including students’ own historical interpretations of the past. Teachers should familiarise themselves with, and explicitly teach, these eight concepts and skills, and design learning activities and assessment tasks that draw on them.
The historical skills and concepts can be embedded into a learning program over the unit’s sequence. Teachers can also model historical thinking in their practice. Activities should provide opportunities for students to explicitly learn, practise and apply the historical thinking skills and concepts. When students understand how to think historically, teachers should consider developing activities for them that require the use of multiple skills and concepts: for example, using historical sources to identify the causes of an event and then using criteria to rank them from the most significant to the least significant cause.
Key knowledge
Each VCE History area of study includes a learning outcome and key knowledge. Each of these features relate to the specific historical context of the study. The study design organises the key knowledge thematically and/or conceptually. When designing a course, teachers should consider how they organise the key knowledge in order to develop a historical narrative and make connections within and between the areas of key knowledge. The weaving together of a chronological and thematic approach may be suitable in studies in which key knowledge combines general and specific topics. As an example, in Units 3 and 4 Australian History, Outcome 2, Power and resistance, women’s equality is a key theme of the study. The women’s movement can be readily woven through the teaching of significant events, incorporating ideas that influenced and challenged power and resistance, diverse and competing perspectives, social experiences and the extent of continuity and change.
Understanding in history is supported by comprehension of substantive terms (knowledge), and understanding of narrative, geography and chronology particular to each context. Teachers are advised to support students’ acquisition of key knowledge and key skills by embedding in their lesson design the use of glossaries, maps and timelines. Annotated timelines and living graphs that are frequently used, added to, and analysed are useful touchpoints for students.
The inquiry questions
Each area of study includes key inquiry questions. These questions can be used in ways that promote a historical narrative and support student learning. For example, the questions can be embedded in lessons throughout Units 1 to 4 by teachers modelling the use of questions to direct teaching and learning, such as expressing learning intentions as questions. The questions may also be used to direct historical inquiry and can be assessed as part of the Historical Inquiry assessment task. Inquiry questions can also be embedded into lessons throughout Units 1 to 4.
School-assessed Coursework
The areas of study, including the key knowledge and key skills listed for the outcomes, should be used for course design and the development of School-assessed Coursework assessment tasks. School-assessed Coursework assessment tasks include:
| Units 1 and 2 | Units 3 and 4 |
|---|
- a historical inquiry
- an essay
- evaluation of historical sources
- short-answer questions
- extended responses
- a multimedia presentation.
| Each of the following four assessment tasks must be completed over Units 3 and 4: - a historical inquiry
- evaluation of historical sources
- extended responses
- an essay.
Teachers may choose to select one or more assessment tasks for each outcome. The assessment tasks may be undertaken in any order. |
When designing an assessment plan, teachers should consider the assessment task and the possible combination of assessment task types for assessing an outcome. For example, an outcome could be assessed using a historical inquiry and extended resources or sources, or an essay and evaluation of sources.
Assessment must be a part of the regular teaching and learning program and should be completed mainly in class and within a limited timeframe.
The specific assessment requirements of each unit are detailed in the VCE History Study Design. The
Advice for teachers includes additional information on the development of School-assessed Coursework.
Learning activities
The areas of study, including the key knowledge and key skills listed for the outcomes, should be used for course design and the development of learning activities. This
Advice for teachers includes a range of example classroom activities and teaching ideas. These ideas combine Historical Thinking tasks to support development of the key skills and knowledge for each area of study. Teachers are urged to look beyond their studies and consider drawing on and adapting the suggestions to other historical contexts.