Primary HSIE eNewsletter
Term 1 2015
Learning and Leadership Directorate
Welcome to Term 1 2015
A big welcome back to the new school year 2015. This is an important year for HSIE, with many schools undertaking
implementation of the history strand.
I would like to introduce Jo Nelson, from Avalon PS, who is relieving in the Australian Curriculum role, as Leigh Williams has
returned to a new executive position in a school in the Newcastle area. We wish Leigh all the best in her new role.
The geography K-10 syllabus for the Australian Curriculum is another significant milestone for curriculum in NSW as the first
Australian curriculum subject other than those in Phase 1 will be finalised. It is anticipated that this new NSW syllabus will be
released in the first half of this year. As yet we do not have any information about the implementation timeline for geography
K-10. BOSTES information about Geography.
HSIE continues to evolve as a key learning area, many find this change challenging while others relish the opportunity to
update practise. The emphasis continues to be on how do we best meet the learning needs of our students and what sort of
support teachers need to be able to do this well so that student learning outcomes continue to improve. The model of
support is also changing with the availability of new user friendly technology.
You are welcome to forward this eNewsletter and attachments onto colleagues, who are encouraged to subscribe to this
eNewsletter by emailing us.
Kind regards
Anne Southwell
HSIE Advisor
anne.southwell@det.nsw.edu.au
9244 5772
Joanne Nelson
R/History and Geography Advisor, Australian Curriculum
joanne.Nelson3@det.nsw.edu.au
9244 5247
Contents
News: BOSTES implementation timelines
History implementation professional development support
HSIE K-6 update
NSW Public Schools Centenary of World War I: Bringing communities together
What’s happening?
Food for thought
Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority excursion programs
Support for teachers
DEC HSIE K-12 Yammer
Curriculum Support website
Links
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News: BOSTES implementation advice
NSW BOSTES has clarified the information for schools undertaking the optional implementation in 2015 and for full
implementation in 2016. This includes advice around the time for HSIE, inclusive of history. Information for K-6 schools
implementing history in 2015.
BOSTES advice on K-6 HSIE
For 2015 schools will continue to teach the Environments, Cultures and Social Systems and Structures strands of the current
HSIE K-6 Syllabus and:
- continue to teach the Change and Continuity strand in the HSIE K-6 Syllabus
OR
- start teaching the History K-6 outcomes and content from the NSW History K-10 Syllabus in place of the Change and
Continuity strand.
Further information is available for K-6 schools choosing to implement the new History syllabus in 2015. Note that all K-6
schools will be required to implement the new History syllabus in 2016.
BOSTES Geography K-10 Syllabus update
BOSTES is continuing to develop the NSW Geography K–10 Syllabus incorporating agreed Australian curriculum content,
following consultation with teachers and other stakeholders in Term 3 2014.
The implementation of the new NSW Geography K–10 Syllabus will be determined and announced in 2015. Further details
here.
All syllabuses can be accessed from the syllabuses section of the BOSTES website.
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History implementation professional development support
We are currently receiving a number of requests for support from networks of schools and primary principal networks.
Communities of schools are encouraged to contact us for available dates to run syllabus implementation workshops to
provide support for school facilitators. You are encouraged to get organised and get in early as dates are filling up fast. At
present both Term 2 and Term 3 SDD are fully booked.
We will also be trialling Webinar state-wide HSIE network meetings, Week 8 of each term, which will provide a regular
discussion forum on issues pertaining to primary HSIE (including history) and through which we can connect with other
colleagues – particularly in Rural and Remote areas. Further details will be provided, but you and your colleagues are most
welcome to join us then.
Do also refer to the detailed Q&A provided in the Term 3 2014 eNewsletter here
http://www.curriculumsupport.education.nsw.gov.au/primary/hsie/cs_articles/t3_14hsie.pdf for common questions and
responses that you may find useful and with links where appropriate.
Further information will be forwarded on 2015 support including Webinars, will be distributed when details are finalised.
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HSIE K-6 update
There is a great deal of confusion about the status of the HSIE K-6 Units of Work (BOS NSW 1998).
These units of work have never been mandated. NSW DEC teachers are required to use quality teaching and learning based
on the HSIE K-6 Syllabus. Further – these units do not align to the new History K-10 syllabus requirements.
In 1999 a ‘Principals Package’ was provided – in this package it states:
“the 28 units are not mandatory” “Schools may choose to use the outcomes and content sections of the syllabus as
the basis for planning, utilise their own units, units developed by other education authorities” (BOS NSW 1998)
In the dynamic Key Learning Area of HSIE, it is imperative to plan for and provide learning opportunities that reflect current
practise, are relevant and engaging for students at this time. A lot has changed in the last 15 years since the units of work
were developed, including research into Quality Teaching practises that are not reflected in the these units.
If you have reverted back to using the out of date HSIE K-6 Units of Work you will find implementing history, followed by
geography much more difficult than it needs to be.
Additional information is provided in the Term 3 2014 Newsletter Q&A from the SyllabusPLUS K-6 History sessions.
The use of the HSIE (with history) content checklist is also useful – included as an attachment to this eNewsletter email.
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NSW Public Schools Centenary of World War I Commemorations:
Bringing Communities Together (2014-2018)
Research and adopt a veteran
Engaging all students through integrated
learning
These two NSW DEC support packages are awaiting official
release.
Great support materials have been developed by the Australian War Memorial portal has a wealth of informaton for teachers
and students. A hard copy booklet and a disc with a copy of the website has been sent to all schools for ease of access.
http://www.anzacportal.dva.gov.au/
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What’s happening?
Barbara Petchenik Children’s Map Competition 2015
The Geography Teachers Association has asked, on behalf of the Mapping Sciences Institute, Australia and the International
Cartographic Association, to invite you to participate in the Barbara Petchenik Children’s Map Competition 2015, an event
created with the aim of promoting the creative representation of the world in graphical form by children.
In 2015, the International Map Year, this biannual international award has the theme of “My place in today’s world” and
entries can be nominated in four age groups: under 6 years, 6-8 years, 9-12 years and 13-15 years. The deadline for
participation in the contest is Thursday, 2 April 2015.
Australian entries will be judged at “The Power of Maps” conference in Canberra from 29 April to 1 May 2015. The best 6
entries will be sent to the international judges at the “27th International Cartographic Conference” in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
from 23 to 28 August 2015.
For more detailed information about the competition, please visit the MSIA website http://mappingsciences.org.au.
International details and teachers’ material are available at the website of the International Cartographic Association
http://icaci.org/petchenik, the Commission on Cartography and Children http://lazarus.elte.hu/ccc/ccc.htm or their Facebook
profile https://www.facebook.com/icaccc.
If you are interested to see the entries from the previous competitions, you can find all of them on the website entitled
“Children Map their World” maintained by the Maps, Data and Government Information Centre at Carleton University Library
http://children.library.carleton.ca/.
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Food for thought
Australian Financial Attitudes and Behaviour Tracker
This new piece of research explores some key financial attitudes and behaviours of Australian consumers and investors, which
is related to roles, rights and responsibilities in the community and includes the impact of budgeting, borrowing, saving,
investing, short and long term planning on self, family and others in the wider community. Over time, the Tracker will help
build up a picture of trends and changes in Australians' financial attitudes and behaviours that affect all of us through our
financial life stages, including the significant implications for girls education in financial literacy to support quality of life
choices for women through life.
The Tracker will help shape ASIC's ongoing financial literacy and related work and is available for the many other
organisations involved in supporting, developing or running financial literacy programs and initiatives.
The first wave report is available on the National Financial Literacy Strategy website and a copy of ASIC's media release, which
includes a summary of the key findings, is here.
ASIC’s MONEYSMART teaching provides substantial support for teachers across a range of subjects through teaching
resources and help for teachers. Worth a look as you plan for the new school year. Financial literacy aligns to the HSIE K-6
strand of Resource systems.
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Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority excursion programs
Introducing Tracey Skinner, Aboriginal Head Guide for the Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority in partnership with Sydney
Learning Adventures.
Tracey currently operates Aboriginal cultural and heritage tours in the Rocks. You can find out more about their fantastic new
Aboriginal programs or any other programs, at http://www.shfa.nsw.gov.au/sydney-For_visitorsSydney_Learning_Adventures.htm All of the new programs for 2015 have been linked to the new curriculum.
Preview invitation:
Teachers are invited to attend the Primary program preview and tour available on 20th and 27th February from 10:00 – 12:00
for the Ngara. This will preview will take place in The Rocks. Please contact Tracey directly to book a spot on the teacher
preview tour.
Tracey Skinner – Aboriginal Head Guide
T 02 9240 8731 F 02 9271 5164 M 0410 045 666
Tracey.Skinner@shfa.nsw.gov.au
The full list of primary HSIE excursions programs provided by Sydney Learning Adventures is here
http://www.shfa.nsw.gov.au/sydney-For_visitors-Sydney_Learning_Adventures-Primary_programs.htm
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Support for teachers
The Department's partnership with ClassMovies allows NSW public schools to create short videos of innovative teaching
practices and school programs. Raw footage captured by the schools will be professionally edited in order to bring your story
to life in the best possible way.
View the ClassMovies that showcase the innovative and creativity found in NSW public schools here. These movies provide
input for a range of school based TPL.
We are looking for schools who are delivering curriculum in exciting and innovative ways, resulting in rich learning
experiences for students. We are particularly interested in best practice examples of integrated learning and differentiated
learning that engage our diverse student population in authentic learning experiences.
Information about the eight focus initiatives is on the DEC intranet here and details about the ClassMovie process and
support is available here. If you wish to develop a ClassMovie for a focus initiative then this can be done at no cost to your
school.
It would be great to see some examples of history curriculum implementation (inclusive of Collaborative Practise) and
Engaging with your school Community about Centenary of Anzac ClassMovie examples.
HSIE Pinterest support
The HSIE KLA Pinterest boards of carefully selected resources to support key components in HSIE
are being increasingly utilised. Further boards, with an emphasis on geography, are under
development. You are encouraged to select the ‘pins’ that meet your needs and organise these
into the HSIE teaching topics for your class.
Published boards:
 Centenary of the First World War
 History: Digital sources
 History: Family life
 History: Changing technologies
 History: Navigators and traders
 History: Early Settlement
 History: Remembrance
 History: Significant people
 History: Migration
 History: Democracy and citizenship
 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures
 History: Rights and freedoms
 Cultural backgrounds in Australia
HSIE Pinterest boards
Do let us know if you come across something worth sharing on these boards.
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DEC HSIE K-12 Yammer
Do have a look at, ask a question, post a comment on the HSIE K-12 Yammer group – for both primary and secondary
teachers of HSIE (inclusive of history and geography). We decided that there was great value in primary and secondary
teachers contributing to this discussion forum as there is a great deal we can learn from each other, with the K-10 syllabuses
rolling out.
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Curriculum Support website, including implementation support for history
The well-known Curriculum Support web site continues to be our location to
upload support materials.
We are receiving a number of emails with specific questions about the
implementation support for history. A suite of support materials have been
developed to support teachers and schools to implement history as part of
the HSIE KLA (history does not replace HSIE – it is only one strand). You will
need to do some homework / TPL before trying to implement history. The
experience of trying to organise the implementation of history without any
TPL has been compared to baking a cake for the first time without a recipe.
The support materials are designed to take the guess work out of this
process.
Links to all the HSIE K-6 support material for history are available on
Curriculum Support. A sample schedule for using these professional
development materials is provided.
Please email us for details of items you are unable to access or about
something you particularly need. We are happy to follow up for you.
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Anne Southwell
HSIE Adviser
Learning and Leadership Directorate
Early Learning and Primary Education
T: (02) 9244 5772 F: (02) 9266 8918
Level 3, 1 Oxford Street, Darlinghurst NSW 2010
Locked Bag 53 Darlinghurst 1300