Year 6 standard elaborations — Australian Curriculum: History
REVISED DRAFT
The Australian Curriculum achievement standards are an expectation of the depth of understanding, the extent of knowledge and the sophistication of
skills that students should typically demonstrate at the end of a teaching and learning year. In Queensland, the Year 6 Australian Curriculum
achievement standard represents a C standard — a sound level of knowledge and understanding of the content, and application of skills.
Year 6 Australian Curriculum: History achievement standard
By the end of Year 6, students identify change and continuity and describe the causes and effects of change on society. They compare the different experiences of
people in the past. They explain the significance of an individual and group.
Students sequence events and people (their lifetime) in chronological order, and represent time by creating timelines. When researching, students develop
questions to frame an historical inquiry. They identify a range of sources and locate and compare information to answer inquiry questions. They examine sources to
identify and describe points of view. Students develop texts, particularly narratives and descriptions. In developing these texts and organising and presenting their
information, they use historical terms and concepts and incorporate relevant sources.
Source:
Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA), Australian Curriculum History for Foundation–10,
www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/humanities-and-social-sciences/history/curriculum/f-10?layout=1#level6
The standard elaborations (SEs) should be used in conjunction with the Australian Curriculum achievement standard and content descriptions for the
relevant year level. They provide additional clarity about using the Australian Curriculum achievement standard to make judgments on a five-point scale.
The SEs for History have been developed using the Australian Curriculum content descriptions and the achievement standard. They promote and support:
 aligning curriculum, assessment and reporting, connecting curriculum and evidence in assessment, so that what is assessed relates directly to what
students have had the opportunity to learn
 continuing skill development from one year of schooling to another
 making judgments on a five-point scale based on evidence of learning in a folio of student work
 planning an assessment program and individual assessments
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 developing task-specific standards and grading guides.
Year 6 History standard elaborations
A
REVISED DRAFT
B
C
D
E
Historical knowledge and
understanding
Questioning and
researching
Analysing and
interpreting
Understanding and skills dimensions
The folio of student work has the following characteristics:
identification and
explanation of change and
continuity and
comprehensive description
of the causes and effects of
change on society
identification and
description of change and
continuity and detailed
description of the causes
and effects of change on
society
identification of change
and continuity and
description of the causes
and effects of change on
society
identification of aspects of
change and continuity and
description of aspects of
the causes and effects of
change on society
statements about change
and continuity and the
causes and effects of
change
comprehensive comparison
of different experiences of
people in the past
detailed comparison of
different experiences of
people in the past
comparison of different
experiences of people in
the past
description of different
experiences of people in
the past
statements about different
experiences of people in
the past
comprehensive explanation
of the significance of an
individual and group
detailed explanation of the
significance of an
individual and group
explanation of the
significance of an
individual and group
description of the
significance of an
individual and group
statements about a
significant individual and
group
development of historical
inquiry questions and
identification of a range of
sources and location,
comparison and
considered use of
information to effectively
answer these inquiry
questions
development of historical
inquiry questions and
identification of a range of
sources and location,
comparison and informed
use of information to
effectively answer these
inquiry questions
development of historical
inquiry questions and
identification of a range of
sources and location,
comparison and use of
information to answer
these inquiry questions
development of questions
that relate to historical
inquiry and identification of
sources and location and
use of information to
answer aspects of these
inquiry questions
use of questions and
location of information
from sources
examination of sources to
identify and explain points
of view
examination of sources to
identify and provide
detailed descriptions of
points of view
examination of sources to
identify and describe
points of view
examination of sources to
identify points of view
identification of aspects of
points of view
Year 6 standard elaborations — Australian Curriculum: History
REVISED DRAFT
Queensland Curriculum & Assessment Authority
February 2015
Page 2 of 6
A
B
C
D
E
Key
Communicating
Understanding and skills dimensions
The folio of student work has the following characteristics:
accurate and detailed
sequencing of events and
people’s lifetimes in
chronological order using
timelines
detailed sequencing of
events and people’s
lifetimes in chronological
order using timelines
sequencing of events and
people’s lifetimes in
chronological order using
timelines
partial sequencing of
events and people’s
lifetimes in chronological
order using timelines
listing of events and
people’s lifetimes
development of texts,
including narratives and
descriptions, that include:
 purposeful organisation
and presentation of
information
 use of relevant historical
terms and concepts
 incorporation of relevant
sources using
appropriate conventions.
development of texts,
including narratives and
descriptions, that include:
 effective organisation
and presentation of
relevant information
 use of relevant historical
terms and concepts
 incorporation of relevant
sources.
development of texts,
including narratives and
descriptions, that include:
 organisation and
presentation of
information
 use of historical terms
and concepts
 incorporation of relevant
sources.
development of texts,
including narratives and
descriptions, that include:
 partial organisation and
presentation of
information
 use of everyday
language
 incorporation of aspects
of sources.
fragmented presentation
of texts including
narratives and
descriptions using
everyday language.
Shading emphasises the key aspects of the achievement standard and qualities that discriminate between the A–E descriptors. Key terms are described overleaf.
Year 6 standard elaborations — Australian Curriculum: History
REVISED DRAFT
Queensland Curriculum & Assessment Authority
February 2015
Page 3 of 6
Notes
Australian Curriculum common dimensions
The SEs describe the qualities of achievement in the two dimensions common to all Australian
Curriculum learning area achievement standards — understanding and skills.
Dimension
Description
understanding
the concepts underpinning and connecting knowledge in a learning area, related to
a student’s ability to appropriately select and apply knowledge to solve problems in
that learning area
skills
the specific techniques, strategies and processes in a learning area
Terms used in Year 6 History SEs
The following terms are used in the Year 6 History SEs. They help to clarify the descriptors, and
should be read in conjunction with the ACARA History glossary:
www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/humanities-and-social-sciences/history/Glossary.
Term
Description
accurate
consistent with a standard, rule, convention or known facts
appropriate
fitting, suitable to the context
aspects
particular parts or features
cause and effect
a relationship in which one event (the cause) makes another event happen (the
effect), one cause can have several effects;
in History, used to identify chains of events and developments over time, both short
term and long term
change;
changes
events or developments from the past that represent modifications, alterations and
transformations; see continuity
comparison;
compare
estimate, measure or note how things are similar or dissimilar
comprehensive
detailed and thorough, including all that is relevant
concepts;
historical
concepts
an abstract idea or notion;
in History, a historical concept refers to any general notion or idea that is used to
develop an understanding of the past, such as concepts related to the process of
historical inquiry (e.g. evidence, continuity and change, perspectives, significance)
and concepts that are culturally significant to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
peoples (e.g. country and place)
considered
thought about deliberately with a purpose
continuity
the state or quality of being continuous;
in History, continuities are aspects of the past that have remained the same over
certain periods of time, while changes are events or developments from the past
that represent modifications, alterations and transformations
conventions
accepted style for incorporating sources
Year 6 standard elaborations — Australian Curriculum: History
REVISED DRAFT
Queensland Curriculum & Assessment Authority
February 2015
Page 4 of 6
Term
Description
description;
describe
give an account of characteristics or features
detailed
meticulous; including many of the parts
development;
develop
elaborate or expand in detail; to create or construct
effective;
effectively
meeting the assigned purpose in a way that produces a desired or intended result
examination;
examine
determine the nature of conditions of
explanation;
explain
provide additional information that demonstrates understanding of reasoning and/or
application
fragmented
disjointed, incomplete or isolated
historical inquiry
the process of investigation undertaken in order to understand the past;
steps in the inquiry process include posing questions, locating and analysing
sources and using evidence from sources to develop an informed explanation about
the past
historical terms
words or phrases used to describe abstract aspects or features of the past
(e.g. colonisation, revolution, imperialism, democracy) and more specific features
(e.g. pyramid, gladiator, temple, rock shelter)
identification;
identify
establish or indicate who or what someone or something is; includes recognition
incorporation;
incorporate
merge, join together, embed, usually into a coherent whole
information
knowledge communicated or received concerning some fact or circumstance
informed
having relevant knowledge; being conversant with the topic
location;
locate
act or process of finding or obtaining, usually in reference to research or working
with information sources
narrative;
narratives
a text that makes sense of the past based on a selection of a sequence of events;
a text that compares the past with the present to determine change;
narrative texts include stories and recounts
organisation;
organise
to form as or into a whole consisting of a sequence or interdependent parts
partial
attempted; incomplete evidence provided
presentation
an address or report on a particular topic, especially one supported by images,
digital data, exhibits, etc.
purposeful
intentional; done by design; focused and clearly linked to the goals of the task
range
covers the scope of relevant situations or elements
relevant
applicable and pertinent
sequence;
sequencing
arrange in a definite order;
in History, sequencing includes chronological order
Year 6 standard elaborations — Australian Curriculum: History
REVISED DRAFT
Queensland Curriculum & Assessment Authority
February 2015
Page 5 of 6
Term
Description
significance;
significant
importance, of consequence;
in History, the importance assigned to particular aspects of the past, (e.g. events,
developments, movements, historical sites)
source
any written or non-written materials that can be used to investigate the past;
a source becomes evidence if it is of value to a particular inquiry
statement
a sentence or assertion
text;
texts
the means for communication; their forms and conventions have developed to help
us communicate effectively with a variety of audiences for a range of purposes;
texts can be written, spoken or multimodal and in print or digital/online forms;
multimodal texts combine language with other systems for communication, such as
print text, visual images, soundtrack and spoken word as in film or computer
presentation media
use of
to operate or put into effect
Year 6 standard elaborations — Australian Curriculum: History
REVISED DRAFT
Queensland Curriculum & Assessment Authority
February 2015
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