Year 5 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 5 Australian Curriculum
achievement standard represents a C standard — a sound level of knowledge and understanding of the content, and application of skills.
Year 5 Australian Curriculum: History achievement standard
By the end of Year 5, students identify the causes and effects of change on particular communities, and describe aspects of the past that remained the same. They
describe the different experiences of people in the past. They describe the significance of people and events in bringing about change.
Students sequence events and people (their lifetime) in chronological order, using timelines. When researching, students develop questions to frame an historical
inquiry. They identify a range of sources and locate and record information related to this inquiry. They examine sources to identify points of view. Students
develop, organise and present their texts, particularly narratives and descriptions, using historical terms and concepts.
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#level5
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
141176
 developing task-specific standards and grading guides.
Year 5 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 the causes
and effects of change on
particular communities
and comprehensive
description of aspects of
the past that have
remained the same
identification and
description of the causes
and effects of change on
particular communities
and detailed description of
aspects of the past that
have remained the same
identification of the causes
and effects of change on
particular communities
and description of aspects
of the past that have
remained the same
identification of aspects of
the causes and effects of
change on particular
communities and
identification of aspects of
the past that have
remained the same
statements about the
causes and effects of
change on communities
and aspects of the past
comprehensive description
of:
 different experiences of
people in the past
 the significance of
people and events in
bringing about change
detailed description of:
description of:
description of aspects of:
statements about:
 different experiences of
 different experiences of
 different experiences of
 different experiences of
people in the past
 the significance of
people and events in
bringing about change
people in the past
 the significance of
people and events in
bringing about change
people in the past
 the significance of
people and events in
bringing about change
development of questions
to frame an historical
inquiry and identification of
a range of sources and
location, recording and
considered use of
information to effectively
answer these questions
development of questions
to frame an historical
inquiry and identification of
a range of sources and
location, recording and
informed use of
information to effectively
answer these questions
development of questions
to frame an historical
inquiry and identification of
a range of sources and
location, recording and
use of information related
to this inquiry
development of questions
that relate to historical
inquiry and identification of
sources and recording of
information related to
aspects of this inquiry
use of questions and
recording of information
examination of sources to
identify and explain points
of view
examination of sources to
identify and describe
points of view
examination of sources to
identify points of view
examination of sources to
identify aspects of points
of view
identification of aspects of
points of view
Year 5 standard elaborations — Australian Curriculum: History
REVISED DRAFT
people in the past
 people and events and
change
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, organisation
and purposeful
presentation of texts,
including narratives and
descriptions using relevant
historical terms and
concepts
development, organisation
and effective presentation
of texts, including
narratives and
descriptions using relevant
historical terms and
concepts
development, organisation
and presentation of texts,
including narratives and
descriptions using
historical terms and
concepts
development, organisation
and partial presentation of
texts including narratives
and descriptions using
everyday language
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 5 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 5 History SEs
The following terms are used in the Year 5 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
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
events or developments from the past that represent modifications, alterations and
transformations
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)
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
Year 5 standard elaborations — Australian Curriculum: History
REVISED DRAFT
Queensland Curriculum & Assessment Authority
February 2015
Page 4 of 6
Term
Description
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
information
knowledge communicated or received concerning some fact or circumstance
list;
listing
a record consisting of a series of names, words, or the like; a number of names of
persons or things set down one after another
location;
locate
act or process of finding or obtaining, usually in reference to research or working
with information sources
narrative
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
particular
relating to some one person, thing, group, class, occasion, etc., rather than to
others or all
point of view
way of regarding situations, events, facts and people; a person’s perspective, the
position from which they see and understand particular events
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
significance
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
Year 5 standard elaborations — Australian Curriculum: History
REVISED DRAFT
Queensland Curriculum & Assessment Authority
February 2015
Page 5 of 6
Term
Description
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 5 standard elaborations — Australian Curriculum: History
REVISED DRAFT
Queensland Curriculum & Assessment Authority
February 2015
Page 6 of 6