SEMESTER ONE

Economics and Business

Students investigate a range of factors that influence decision-making by individuals and business. These include the allocation of resources to produce goods and services in the operation of markets, and the different ways that businesses may adapt to opportunities in markets or respond to the changing nature of work. They will learn about the importance of Australia’s taxation system and how this system affects businesses and individuals.

Landforms and Landscapes

Students will investigate geomorphology through a study of landscapes and their landforms. The unit will explore the significance of landscapes to people and the associated values and meanings. Students will develop a greater knowledge of natural disasters and landscape hazards.

Changing Nations

Students will investigate the changing human geography of countries, the spatial distribution of population and how urbanisation is changing Australia, Asia and the USA. Internal and international migration will also be examined as well as the push and pull factors that determine how people decide where to work, live and play.

SEMESTER TWO

Civics and Citizenship

In this unit students will be able to  Express National Identity by Identifying and describing the different ways Australians express their identity through cultural practices, symbols, and public events. Analyse Perspectives on National Identity: Explain the different perspectives on what constitutes Australia's national identity, considering factors like indigenous heritage, multiculturalism, and historical events.

Students will be developing a response about Australian identity and how it is expressed.  Beginning with a case study of active citizenship in sport. Students will draw on census data to support their ideas.

Medieval History

Students will study the rise of the Vikings, the spread of Christianity in Europe and the rise of Islam and its expansion across the world. They will also examine the growth of the world's population, changes in technology and renewed growth of cities and trade. Students will investigate some of the following topics in this unit semester: Viking Society, Medieval Europe, The Black Death, and the Spanish Conquest of the Americas.

SEMESTER ONE

Biomes, Agriculture, Food and Production

This course focuses on investigating the role of the biotic environment and its role in food and fibre production. Students examine the biomes of the world, their alteration and significance as a source of food and fibre, and the environmental challenges and constraints on expanding food production in the future.

Making a Nation

In this unit, students explore Australia's evolution from 1750 to 1914, examining exploration, colonisation, immigration, and social changes. They investigate key events and diverse perspectives to understand how these shaped Australia's identity and society today. Students will explore civics and citizenship concept during this course looking at case studies identifying the reasons individuals and groups participate in and contribute to civic life nationally and globally.

Please see Civics and Citizenship 7-10 – Year 9 curriculum.

SEMESTER TWO

World War One

Students investigate key aspects of World War I and the Australian experience of the war, including the nature and significance of the war in world and Australian history. The course will examine the origins of the war, the Gallipoli Campaign and the Western Front, the conscription debate in Australia and the commemoration of the Great War.

The Global Economy

This unit combines economic ideology and the interconnections between people and places through the products people buy and the effects of their production on the places that make them. Students examine the ways that public policy, political motivation, capitalistic markets and consumerism combine to create the society we live in today. Personal budgeting, travel finance and the role of businesses will also feature.

SEMESTER ONE

World War Two

In this unit students will study the important features of the period from 1918 to the present. This will include the ramification of the Treaty of Versailles and the inter-war years between World War I and World War II, including the Great Crash and the Great Depression. Students will continue on to the rise of Hitler and World War Two, exploring both European and Pacific theatres. Major topics include the holocaust and the dropping of atomic bombs on Japan.

Building Modern Australia

In the second half of the course students will examine the continuing efforts in a post-World War II world to achieve lasting peace and security in the world, including Australia's involvement in UN peacekeeping. Students will develop an understanding of the major movements for rights and freedom in the world, especially in the United States and Australia. An examination of political life in Australia in the late 20th century will accompany this unit and classes may progress to contemporary political issues. The course will finish with a depth study on either popular culture, the environmental movement or migration experiences.

SEMESTER TWO

Year 10s will have the opportunity to elect a specific course of study in Term 2 for their second semester of HaSS. In 2019 these are some of the courses that may be offered:

Business Studies

The Year 10 Business Studies course examines the role of businesses in the local, national and global economies. Students will create their own small business proposals and use case studies to analyse different businesses and their decisions.

Conflict and Communism

This history focused course will cover the development of Communist governments and conflict throughout the 20th Century. Students will begin with the Russian Revolution, guided by George Orwell’s allegory Animal Farm. We will then explore the rise of Communism in China under Mao Ze Dong.  Students will then consider a variety of Cold War conflicts, including; the Berlin Wall, the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Vietnam War and the Khmer Rouge. We will look at the philosophical underpinnings, the causes and consequences of this major political movement and the conflicts associated with it. The course enables students to further understand how political ideology, authoritarianism, and collective movements can radically impact societies, while examining the key individuals who changed the course of history.

Global Studies

This course examines political, economic, social, and cultural relationships between global actors to broaden students' understanding of the world around them. Students will develop a critical awareness of global issues and perspectives. We will examine various historical case studies to contextualise students' understanding of the theories surrounding these issues. Case studies may include the former Yugoslavia, the Arab Spring, Apartheid in South Africa, and the cultural influence of the United States, including the impact of 9-11.

Legal and Political Studies

This course brings students into contact with the system that runs the country. Many topics will be covered, including the activities of government, national and international elections, the role of the media, dissent, protest and political cartoons. Both criminal and civil law will be examined with a range of case studies. There is a strong emphasis on discussion and debate in this class.

Elective HaSS

Psychology and Sociology

This course introduces students to the world of the human brain and the functioning of societies. It will cover a broad range of topics that include socialisation, the nature/nurture debate, adolescence and youth culture, influences on individual behaviour, social discourse, capital and privilege.  The big questions of ‘Why we do the things we do’ will be explored in depth. Case studies, group research and experimental social investigations will all be part of the course work in this exciting unit.