AusVELS History (7–10)
Update and Advice
Ingrid Purnell
Manager, Publishing and Australian Curriculum Projects
i.purnell@htav.asn.au
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AusVELS and Australian Curriculum
AusVELS blends the Australian Curriculum (AC) with
the Victorian Essential Learning Standards (VELS).
In History, the AusVELS content and skills are taken
directly from AC.
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Time allocations
Not mandated
AC History written for c. 80 hours pa
But, History is AC Phase 1 – high priority
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Current context
New AusVELS subjects coming in
Second iteration of AusVELS
Federal review of Australian Curriculum
VCE: Review, Extended Investigation Projects,
Baccalaureates
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Physical, Personal
& Social Learning
AusVELS
Discipline-based
Learning
Interdisciplinary
Learning
Up until now, AusVELS has been
a ‘triple helix’.
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Domains/subjects/learning areas
General Capabilities
Cross Curriculum Priorities
Later this year, AusVELS will become a
‘double helix’.
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The second iteration of AusVELS will come
in later this year,
to be implemented in 2015.
It will include the new Australian
Curriculum subjects, inc. Geography,
Civics & Citizenship.
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Implications of new AusVELS
More Humanities content/skills to cover (Geog., Civics)
Need more efficient methods to get through content
More interdisciplinary units? But make sure to
retain core discipline skills
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Federal
curriculum review
Education Minister Christopher Pyne
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AC review is part of the Coalition’s
‘Four Pillars’ of education:
1. Teacher quality
2. Parental engagement
3. School autonomy
4. Curriculum
(Part of Global Education Reform Movement)
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The Pyne review is
to report June/July.
Recommendations to be
implemented next year.
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Likely focus of AC review
Cross Curriculum Priorities (Engagement with Asia,
Aboriginal histories and cultures, Sustainability)
More emphasis on Anzac Day,
Western achievements, Liberal PMs,
Judeo-Christian heritage
‘Gaia’ theory (Year 10, environment)
Making AC more ‘robust’ and ‘flexible’
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Implications of review
Changes may be minimal, e.g. main curriculum stays while
Cross Curriculum Priorities are dropped
Overviews and most Depth Studies likely to stay
Structure is flexible, so teachers should be able to retain
areas of interest
So, continue teaching AC to high standard – successful
implementation around Australia will be hard to ‘undo’
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Curriculum pathways
Schools that co-ordinate across the year levels to build
curriculum pathways tend to have strong VCE results.
Make sure the AusVELS Depth Studies you choose
complement each other and lead into the VCE subjects in
which your school has expertise.
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Sample pathway: Asia
NB. In reality this selection would be too narrow,
but it gives you an idea of mapping a pathway.
Year 7: Ancient China or India
Year 8: Ottoman Empire; Japan under shoguns; Mongols
Year 9: Movement of peoples (gold rush); Asia and the world;
WWI (refer back to Ottomans)
Year 10: WWII (Japan focus); Migration experiences (White Australia Policy)
VCE: Twentieth Century, Revolutions (China)
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Good 7–10 resources
‘Teaching AC Units’ website (7–10): www.achistoryunits.edu.au/teachinghistory/teaching-history-overview.html;
First Peoples exhibition, Melbourne Museum: Year 7 (Investigating Ancient
Past) and Year 10 (Rights and Freedoms);
ABC Splash, http://splash.abc.net.au/home:
(coming soon) ancient Rome game, interactive timeline;
Timeline posters (Overviews): www.htav.asn.au/shop/new/timeline-posters
Life in the Ancient World (7): www.htav.asn.au/shop/new/life-in-theancient-world
Handouts (see next page)
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Handouts
AusVELS teaching activities
1. Activities for Year 9–10 (22 pages): Industrial Revolution (9), WWI (9),
Rights and Freedoms (10)
2. Activities for Year 7 (3 pages): Investigating the Ancient Past
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