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Junior Humanities

Year 7 - Humanities

Overview

Students study a Humanities program that consists of Geography, Economics and Business, Civics and Citizenship, and History. This combination of subjects will challenge students to gain the knowledge and skills necessary to question, understand and contribute to the world in which they live.

Units / Topics	Types of Assessment
Geography: Water in the World & Place and Liveability	Inquiry research task
Business and Economics: Local Business study & Financial Literacy	Fieldwork report
Civics and Citizenship: Australia’s Democracy, Citizenship, and National Identity	Oral presentation/class debate
History: Ancient Australia, Rome, and China	Source Analysis

Future Directions
Satisfactory completion of this subject will provide a sound foundation for students to proceed to Year 8 Humanities and consider a Humanities elective such as the Year 8/9 Philosophy Academy.

Year 8 - Humanities

Overview

Humanities includes Geography, Business and Economics, History and Civics and Citizenship. Humanities provides a framework for students to examine the complex processes that have shaped the modern world. Students learn to investigate responses to different challenges faced by humans and the environment.

Units / Topics	Types of Assessment
Geography: Landforms and Landscapes	Research Assessments
Business and Economics: Entrepreneurship/Enterprising behaviours	Source Analysis
Civics and Citizenship: Democracy and Law in Action
History: The Ancient to the Modern World, Medieval Europe (c.590-c1500)

Future Directions
Satisfactory completion of this subject will provide a sound foundation for students to proceed to Year 9 Humanities, Year 9 History, Year 9 Crime and Punishment or Year 9 Business and Economics.

Year 9 - Humanities

Overview

The Humanities course includes four main areas of study: Geography, Business and Economics, History and Civics and Citizenship. The study of Humanities will encourage and challenge students to gain the knowledge and skills necessary to question, understand and contribute to the world in which they live.

Units / Topics	Types of Assessment
Geography: Biomes and Food Security	Research Tasks
Business and Economics: Australia and the Global Economy	Comparative Analysis
History: Industrial Revolution	Document Analysis
Civics and Citizenship: Australia’s Political System	Topic Tests

Future Directions
Satisfactory completion of this subject will provide a sound foundation for students to proceed to Year 10 History: Australia in the Modern World, Year 10 History: Rights and Freedoms, Year 10 Business and Economics, Year 10 Geography or Year 10 Global Citizenship.

Year 9 - Humanities: Geography (Elective)

Overview

This subject covers the two main topics of Food Production in Australia and Global Tourism. The Food Production unit looks at the history and future of food production in Australia with a focus on areas such as the Murray Darling Basin region and the impacts food production has on Australia’s water resources and the environment in general. Innovations in farming techniques and technology are also explored to improve food security into the future.
The Global Tourism unit looks at where people travel and why. Population travel trends are investigated, and distinctions are made between recreational, cultural and leisure travel along with the impact tourism has on both people and places.

Units / Topics	Types of Assessment
Global tourism	Case Study
Food production	Research Task
	Field Work
	Mapping tasks

Future Directions
Satisfactory completion of this subject will provide a sound foundation for students to proceed to Year 10 Geography, VCE Geography and VCE Environmental Science.

Year 9 - Humanities: Australians at War (Elective)

Overview

This unit aims to develop students’ understanding of Australia’s role in the first global conflict: World War I (1914-1918). It focuses on understanding the impact of the war on Australian society and identity, as well as examining the role that Australians had in determining the outcome of key battles during the war (such as Gallipoli and the Western Front). In doing so, students will be able to construct arguments about the emergence of a unique Australian voice and identity on the global stage through analysis of historical sources.

Units / Topics	Types of Assessment
Factors leading to World War I:	Topic tests
Militarism, Alliances, Imperialism and Nationalism	Document Study
Enlistment and the Australian drive for recruitment	Fieldwork
The Conscription Debate and 1916-1917 Conscription Referenda	Research task
Events of World War I: the Gallipoli Campaign and the Western Front	Source Analysis
The Treaty of Versailles, the Post-War World and Commemoration	Fieldwork

Future Directions
Completion of this subject can lead to further study in Year 10 Humanities: History – Australia in the Modern World and VCE History.

Year 9 - Humanities: Economics and Business (Elective)

Overview

The Economics and Business curriculum explores the ways in which individuals, families, the community, workers, businesses and governments make decisions in relation to the allocation of resources. It enables students to understand the process of economic and business decision-making at the personal, local, national and global levels and the effects of these decisions on themselves and others, now and in the future.

Units / Topics	Types of Assessment
Consumer and financial literacy	Budgeting and Saving Case Study
The business environment	Small Business Entrepreneurial Portfolio
Enterprising behaviours and capabilities
Work and work futures

Future Directions
Satisfactory completion of this subject will provide the foundation for further study in Year 10 in subjects such as Business & Economics or VCE Business Management.