Modern History |
Senior Course Description |
Both Mandatory and Elective History Years 7 – 10 and Modern and Ancient History courses are taught at Redfield. The aim is to provide students with an understanding of the past through a process of inquiry that enables students to “locate themselves in the broad continuum of human experience”. The curriculum at Redfield gives students the opportunity to investigate human activity in a “range of historical contexts”. It seeks to provide them with an “understanding of motivation, causation, consequence and empathy”.
History at Redfield engages students in a range of learning experiences and activities that are designed to fulfil the learning outcomes specified in the curriculum framework for K – 10. Students are equipped with the historical skills which develop critical thinking and independent inquiry through which it is intended that they become motivated to pursue the path of a “life long learning experience”. (Rationale, p. 8, History 7 – 10 Syllabus)
Through the teaching of History we share the privilege of helping in the education of the children entrusted to us. History occupies an important position in the curriculum as the skills developed in the study of History are beneficial for all learning. As a Catholic school we specifically incorporate Christian values in the way this study of the past is promoted. In the 2007 HSC Ancient History had the fourth highest enrollment, and Modern History had the eighth highest, which demonstrates the importance of continued passionate teaching to our junior history students.
Historical Skills
In conjunction with the development of student literacy, teaching/learning strategies and assessment seek to concurrently develop the students’ historical skills in these areas;
- Comprehension
- Analysis and use of sources
- Perspectives and interpretations
- Empathetic understanding
- Research
- Communication for specific purposes
Year 7 History is concerned with investigating History and issues of conservation, early civilisations such as China and Greece, and the Vikings.
Year 8 History moves onto Islam and the Crusades, the 100 years war, Feudal society and then Aboriginal Australia.
Year 9 travels around the world through The Renaissance, The American War of Independence, The Aztecs and Tudor Britain.
Year 10 gives the students their own History through a study of Australian History from Federation to the 1970’s which includes both World Wars and Vietnam.
Senior History is split into Ancient and Modern.
The Ancient course in year 11 investigates archaeology and the methods of the Historian, before moving onto case studies of Boudicca, Deir el Medina, Bodies of Evidence and Ancient Greece.
Year 12 has four topics: Pompeii and Herculaneum; Sparta; Hannibal and Rome 264-133BC
Modern History in year 11 covers Indochina; The Romanov Dynasty; The World at the beginning of the Twentieth Century and The Bodyline Cricket series.
Year 12 study WW1; Vietnam; Albert Speer and Germany between the Wars.
Site Studies/Excursions
In line with 7 – 10 Syllabus requirements, each year grouping must experience a Site Study which seeks to promote student interest in History. Site studies provide students with a “first hand” / “field experience” of History. They are designed to conduct a student based “examination of an historically or culturally significant location. Where practicable, site studies are linked to the teaching of a specific program/unit of work. However, as is the case in year 9, the site study can be a teaching program in itself. The Department has developed a separate unit of work for each site study it conducts. In addition to Site-Studies, additional excursions are conducted where they are deemed to be supportive of the teaching unit.
All senior History students will also experience History through excursions and incursions, which include a range of lectures by University professors and various venues, to assist them in a greater understanding of their subjects and give them the edge needed in the HSC.