Thomastown Secondary Course Guide 1
Course Guide
Title: Junior Humanities Cycle 2
Year Level: Seven and Eight
Date prepared: 12/12/2010
Author: BRB
VELS Domains
Humanities Economics Levels Four and Five
Humanities Geography Levels Four and Five
Humanities History Level Four and Five
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Thomastown Secondary Course Guide
School Curriculum Philosophy
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Thomastown Secondary Course Guide 3
Faculty Curriculum Statement
The Humanities faculty believes in the importance of student’s understanding the social and
economic world that surrounds them. This understanding enables students to participate effectively
in the modern world and appreciate how the legacy of the past has made the high standard of living
we enjoy today possible. An understanding of the humanities empowers to actively engage in public
affairs and shape the world around them. It allows students to both understand and act in the
commercial and political worlds that constitute their social being and appreciate the effect of human
civilization on other beings.
Students learn best in the humanities through the use of mixed teaching methodologies. Students
learn best where they receive direct instruction in those areas where their level of expertise is low.
As student expertise grows student learn best by engaging in independent authentic problem solving
projects that link with outside communities and allow students to apply and demonstrate their skills.
Students’ understanding is actively fostered by constructionist applications of ICT in the classroom,
which reduce cognitive load and facilitate students developing deeper schema in long-term memory
and so enhance their understanding. This in turn empowers students to act effectively in the world
around them.
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Thomastown Secondary Course Guide
Curriculum Priorities
School Priority
Faculty Recommendations
Literacy
Weekly use of Highly reliable Teaching strategies.
Numeracy
Bi Weekly use of Case based quantitative reasoning
approaches in the humanities using Sullivans
approach.
Weekly use of both short and project based ICT
Information Technology
approaches to teaching and learning in the
Humanities based on skill based interactive analysis
of task requirements.
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Thomastown Secondary Course Guide 5
Course Guide
Time
Content Knowledge
Skills
Assessment Activities
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Uncovering the past
Document Analysis
Report on an
Review of Primary and Secondary
Frame research
Archaeological Dig and
Sources
Questions
Excursion
Carbon Dating
Date an artefact
Date an artefact
Archeologically Digs
Interpret artefacts
Document Analysis
Facts and Opinions
Distinguish facts and
Form hypothesises about
Museums
opinions
the past based on
evidence
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Ancient Egypt
Interpret Documents
Build a Pyramid or
Geography and Life in Ancient Egypt
and artefacts
mummy model
Infer the impact of
Document Analysis Test
Daily Life and roles in Ancient Egypt
religion on daily life
Project the achievements
Egyptian writing
Document Analysis
of a Pharaoh.
Egyptian Culture, Governance
Follow technical
Technology, Economy and religion
instructions
Pharaohs and Mummies
Calculate time it
takes to build a
pyramid
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Endangered species
Predict the
Construct a map of
Causes of extinction
consequences of
threatened species in
Gorilla’s
human induced
Australia
Biodiversity
changes in animal
Construct a diagram
Where are species endangered?
habitats
illustrating threats to one
Habitats and extinction
Read and Interpret
endangered species
Trade in endangered species
Maps
Produce a campaign to
Human impacts on endangered species Evaluate and
calculate a species
probability of
survival?
Plan a campaign to
save an endangered
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save an endangered
species
Thomastown Secondary Course Guide
species.
Locate and use web
sources
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Ancient Rome
Analyse and interpret
Create a Model of a
The Growth of Roman Power
historical documents
Roman Artefact
Roman Governance
Create Models
Create a Virtual Tour of
Roman Army structure, tactics and
Explain the
a Roman city
battles
contribution of Rome
Test
Pompeii
to the Modern World
Document Analysis
Daily Life in Ancient Rome
Use the Inquiry
Roman Culture: Entertainment,
process
literature, Religion and technology.
Frame Research
Questions
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The Asia – Pacific region
Accurately interpret
Research Project on an
Asia Pacific and Australian
photos and maps.
Asia Pacific country
Landforms and Geography.
Determine the impact
Contribute to a class
Environmental Threats
of geography on
Wiki
Costs of Environmental Protection
human development
Prediction Chart: Asia
Prosperity for the Rich and Poverty
Evaluate the possible
Pacific twenty years
for the rest
effects of
from now
Growth patterns in the region
environmental
Calculate Australian
Tsunami’s causes and consequences
protection on the
population 20 years from
standard of living of
now.
peoples in the Asia
Pacific
Use the Inquiry
process
Formulate Research
questions
Evaluate trendy
arguments
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Money for Life
Explain the role of
Prepare and evaluate a
Where do Mum and Dad get their
money in your life
simple budget
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Thomastown Secondary Course Guide 7
money from? Work pay and your
Calculate a savings
Compare the effects of
standard of living? Income and
account balance?
different income levels
Expense. Money flows around you
Define interest
on the standard of living
and creates jobs. Why save? What
Illustrate the impact
Illustrate with pictures a
happens if you stop paying for goods
of Income on the
two sector economy.
and services? Budgeting
standard of living
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