The study of History Elective enables students to investigate the actions, motives and lifestyles of people over time, from individuals and family members, to local communities, expanding to national and world history contexts.
The study of History introduces the idea that the past contains many stories and that there is never only one uncontested version. There are many differing perspectives within a nation’s history, and historians may interpret events differently depending on their point of view and the sources they have used.
The History Elective course develops the skills for students to answer the question ‘How do we know?’
Students develop skills to undertake the processes of historical inquiry. They identify and evaluate the usefulness of historical sources in the historical inquiry process. They explain different contexts, perspectives and interpretations of the past. They select and analyse a range of historical sources to locate information relevant to a historical inquiry.
The History Elective course consists of three topics which include a range of options for study.
The topics include:
Topic 1: History, Heritage and Archaeology
Topic 2: Ancient, Medieval and Modern Societies
Topic 3: Thematic Studies - individual inquiry project
Topic 1: History, Heritage and Archaeology
Students study:
Film as history
Museum and/or archives studies
Oral history
Topic 2: Ancient, Medieval and Modern Societies
Students study at least ONE ancient, medieval or modern society from one of the following areas:
Africa
The Americas
Asia
Europe
The Middle East
The Pacific
Topic 3: Thematic Studies
Students undertake their own historical inquiry from one of the following areas:
Continuity and diversity of Aboriginal cultures and histories
Economy and society
Children in history
Crime and Punishment
Gender in the past
Heroes and villains
Music through history
Power and political unrest
Religious and spiritual beliefs/practices
Slavery
Sport and recreation in history
War and peace
World myths and legends