AUSTRALIAN
CURRICULUM
ECONOMICS
Australian Curriculum
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What we know
The place of economics in the
Curriculum
Year levels
A detailed analysis – what will
we teach?
What we Know
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Curriculum Document is
available but not endorsed
pending Australian Government
Review (Donnelly & Wiltshire)
Implementation depends on
QSA, systems and schools.
2 strands – Knowledge &
understanding; Skills
What we Know
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Recommended time allocation
in Years 5-8 is 30 minutes per
week, or about 20 hrs per year.
How schools structure this is a
school decision
Development of C2C materials
by EQ may influence approach
in EQ schools
WHAT WE KNOW
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The Shape paper largely determines
the nature of the curriculum
4 broad areas:
Resource allocation and making
choices
Business environment
Consumer & financial literacy
Work and work futures
Year 7 in secondary school 2015
ECONOMICS
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Which of the four strands is
relevant to Economics?
Resource Allocations & Choices
Consumer & Financial Literacy
Some parts of Business
environments and parts of Work
and work futures
Curriculum is not rich in
elaboration
Australian Curriculum – Year
level structure
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Year level description
Key Questions
Content Descriptions (a)
Knowledge and Understanding
and (b) Economics and
Business Skills
Year level Achievement level
Standard.
Year 5 Key Questions
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Why do I have to make choices
as a consumer?
What influences the decisions
that I make?
What can I do to make informed
decisions?
YEAR 5 CONTENT
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Needs, wants, choices about
limited resources
Types of resources and ways
societies use them to satisfy
needs and wants
Influences on consumer choices
and methods used to make
informed decisions
Year 6 Key Questions
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Why are there trade-offs
associated with making
decisions?
What are possible effects of my
consumer & financial choices?
Why do businesses exist and
what are the ways they provide
goods & services?
Year 6
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Opportunity cost and alternate
use of resources
Effects of consumer and
financial decisions on individual,
community & environment
Why businesses exist and ways
they provide goods and services
Year 7 Key Questions
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Why is there a relationship between
consumers and producers in the
market?
Why & How indiv & business plan to
achieve goals?
How does entrepreneurial behaviour
contribute to a successful business?
What types of work exist and how
can people derive an income?
Year 7
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Consumers, producers and the
market
Characteristics of entrepreneurs and
successful businesses
Why individuals & business plan to
achieve personal. Organisational
and financial objectives
Why work, types of work, deriving an
income
Year 8 Key Questions
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Why are markets needed and
why are govt’s involved?
Why do consumers and bus.
Have rights & responsibilities?
What affects way people work
now & in future
How do different businesses
respond to market
opportunities?
Year 8
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Markets, government influence
on markets
Traditional ATSI markets and
ATSI participation in today’s
markets
Rights & Responsibilities of
consumers & Businesses
Types of Businesses
Influences on way people work
Year 9 Key Questions elective
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How do participants in global
economy interact?
Strategies to be used to manage
financial risks and rewards?
How does creating a competitive
advantage benefit business/
Year 9
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Aust. Economy and its place in Asia and
global economy
Why and how global economy participants
are interdependent?
Why and how people manage financial risk
in Aust and global financial landscape.
How to create and maintain a competitive
advantage in global market
Roles & responsibilities in changing
Aust/global workplace
Year 10 Key Questions elective
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How is performance of an economy
measured?
Why do variations in economic
performance happen in different
economies?
What strategies do govts use to
manage the economy?
How do indiv, bus, govts respond to
changing economic conditions
Year 10
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Indicators of economic performance, and
how Aust is performing
Links between performance and living
standards, within & between economies,
and causes
Ways governments manage the economy
Factors that influence major consumer and
financial decisions
Ways businesses organise to improve
productivity and respond to changing
economic conditions
Activity
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Select one of Year 7, 8, 9, 10
and
Examine Content descriptions
and develop elaborations for
these.
Select either Year 5 or Year 6.
What would you advise primary
teachers they need to teach?