Year 3 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 3 Australian Curriculum
achievement standard represents a C standard — a sound level of knowledge and understanding of the content, and application of skills.
Year 3 Australian Curriculum: History achievement standard
By the end of Year 3, students explain how communities changed in the past. They describe the experiences of an individual or group. They identify events and
aspects of the past that have significance in the present.
Students sequence events and people (their lifetime) in chronological order, with reference to key dates. They pose questions about the past and locate information
from sources (written, physical, visual, oral) to answer these questions. Students develop texts, including narratives, using terms denoting time.
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#level3
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 3 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:
comprehensive
explanation of how
communities changed in
the past
detailed explanation of
how communities
changed in the past
explanation of how
communities changed in
the past
description of changes in
communities in the past
statements about changes
in communities in the past
comprehensive
description of the
experiences of an
individual or group
detailed description of the
experiences of an
individual or group
description of the
experiences of an
individual or group
description of aspects of
the experiences of an
individual or group
statements about the
experience of an
individual or group
identification and
explanation of events and
aspects of the past that
have significance in the
present
identification and
description of events and
aspects of the past that
have significance in the
present
identification of events
and aspects of the past
that have significance in
the present
identification of aspects of
events and aspects of the
past
statements about events
and aspects of the
present
posing of questions about
the past and location and
considered use of
information from sources
(written, physical, visual,
oral) to effectively answer
these questions
posing of questions about
the past and location and
informed use of
information from sources
(written, physical, visual,
oral) to effectively answer
these questions
posing of questions about
the past and location and
use of information from
sources (written, physical,
visual, oral) to answer
these questions
posing of questions about
the past and location and
use of information from
sources to answer
aspects of these
questions
use of questions about the
past and location of
information
comparison of objects
from the past to present
to draw reasoned
conclusions about change
comparison of objects
from the past and present
to draw conclusions about
change
comparison of objects
from the past and present
description of objects from
the past and present
statements about objects
from the past and present
Year 3 standard elaborations — Australian Curriculum: History
REVISED DRAFT
Queensland Curriculum & Assessment Authority
February 2015
Page 2 of 5
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 with
reference to relevant key
dates
detailed sequencing of
events and people’s
lifetimes in chronological
order with reference to
relevant key dates
sequencing of events and
people’s lifetimes in
chronological order with
reference to key dates
partial sequencing of
events and people’s
lifetimes in chronological
order with reference to
dates
listing of events and
people’s lifetimes
development of texts,
including narratives, with
considered use of relevant
terms that denote time.
development of texts,
including narratives, using
relevant terms that denote
time.
development of texts,
including narratives, using
terms that denote time.
development of texts,
including narratives, using
everyday language.
development of aspects of
texts, including narratives,
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 3 standard elaborations — Australian Curriculum: History
REVISED DRAFT
Queensland Curriculum & Assessment Authority
February 2015
Page 3 of 5
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 3 History SEs
The following terms are used in the Year 3 History SEs. They help to clarify the descriptors, and
should be read in conjunction with ACARA’s History glossary:
www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/humanities-and-social-sciences/history/Glossary.
Term
Description
accurate
consistent with a standard, rule, convention or known facts;
in Year 3 History, includes sequencing events in correct order
aspects
particular parts or features
comparison;
compare
estimate, measure or note how things are similar or dissimilar
considered
thought about deliberately with a purpose
description;
describe
give an account of characteristics or features
detailed
meticulous; including many of the parts
development;
develop
elaborate or expand in detail
draw conclusions
make deductions or inferences from information
effectively
meeting the assigned purpose in a way that produces a desired or intended result
explanation;
explain
provide additional information that demonstrates understanding of reasoning and/or
application
identification;
identify
establish or indicate who or what someone or something is; includes recognition
informed
having relevant knowledge; being conversant with the topic
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
Year 3 standard elaborations — Australian Curriculum: History
REVISED DRAFT
Queensland Curriculum & Assessment Authority
February 2015
Page 4 of 5
Term
Description
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
partial
attempted; incomplete evidence provided
relevant
having some logical connection with
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 examine the past;
in Year 3 History, sources could include letters, diaries, radio and television
programs, objects
terms that
denote time
terms giving detail about the passing of time;
in Year 3 History, terms related to time include: then, now, old, new, yesterday,
today, tomorrow, before, after, past, present, future, the olden days, years ago,
a long time ago
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 3 standard elaborations — Australian Curriculum: History
REVISED DRAFT
Queensland Curriculum & Assessment Authority
February 2015
Page 5 of 5