General Descriptor
Capabilities
Literacy In the Australian
Curriculum: Humanities
and Social Sciences,
students develop literacy
capability as they learn how
to build knowledge in
relation to historical,
geographical, civic and
economic information,
concepts and ideas.
Students progressively
learn through composing
texts through speaking
writing and creating;
comprehending texts
through listening reading
and viewing. Text
knowledge, grammar
knowledge, visual
knowledge, and word
knowledge are built upon
through topic specific
vocab, appropriate tense
verbs; and complex
sentences that describe
sequential, cause and-effect
and comparative
relationships.
Numeracy In the Australian
Curriculum: Humanities
and Social Sciences,
students develop numeracy
capability as they apply
numeracy skills in relation
to historical, geographical,
civic and economic
inquiries. Students count
and measure data and
information, construct and
interpret tables and graphs,
and calculate and interpret
statistics in their
investigations.
Students estimate and
calculate with whole
numbers when looking at
graphs, dates, statistics etc..
They collect data through
methods such as surveys
and field tests, and
construct and interpret
maps, models, diagrams
and remotely sensed and
satellite images, working
with numerical concepts of
grids, scale, distance, area
and projections. They
appreciate the ways
numeracy knowledge and
skills are used in society
and apply these to
Low End Pedagogy High End Pedagogy ICT Connections
Students will explicitly Students will construct Students can compose
be taught key concepts. complex sentences with and comprehend throu
They will be provided additional topic-specific a variety of different t
with certain topic vocabulary. and media including b
specific vocab and be not limited to journals
told to use these blogs, websites,
throughout assessment Students will formulate multimodal, PowerPo
pieces. individual texts with etc.
sound reasoning and
research behind their
Students will follow choices.
compose texts based on
what is done in class.
Students will analyse,
reflect and evaluate in
Students are guided their own work and in the
through the steps on work of others.
analysing historical
documents.
Students will read and
comprehend specific
learning area texts
through in class reading
activities.
Students will be Students will Students can construc
explicitly taught how to demonstrate their timelines and graphs
collect data through knowledge by using their laptops/ipa
interpreting maps, interpreting data in a
models and diagrams in separate manner as that
class. taught in class. They will Students can collect d
use a variety of methods in tables using their
to collect the data and laptops/ipads.
wont limit themselves to
one model when
interpreting it. (not
simply limiting
themselves to a graph or
a map)
hypothetical and/or real-life
experiences.
ICT capability In the Australian
Curriculum: Humanities
and Social Sciences,
students develop ICT
capability when they locate,
process, analyse, evaluate
and communicate
historical, geographic, civic
and economic information
using digital technologies.
Students access and use
digital technologies,
including spatial
technologies, as an
investigative and creative
tool.
They seek a range of digital
sources of information to
resolve inquiry questions or
challenges of historical,
geographic, civic and
economic relevance, being
aware of intellectual
property. They critically
analyse evidence and trends
and critique source
reliability.
Critical and In the Australian
Creative Thinking Curriculum: Humanities
and Social Sciences,
students develop critical
and creative thinking as
they investigate historical,
geographic, civic and
economic concepts and
ideas through inquiry-based
learning. Students develop
critical thinking by learning
to develop and clarify
investigative questions, and
to question sources and
assess reliability when
selecting information from
sources.
Students learn discipline-
specific ways of thinking,
including interpreting the
past from incomplete
documentation, developing
an argument using
evidence, interpreting and
analysing economic data
and/or information, and
systems thinking to inform
predictions and propose
solutions. They learn to
think logically when
evaluating and using
evidence, testing
explanations, analysing
arguments and making
decisions, and when
thinking deeply about
questions that do not have
Students will explicitly Students will search for Students will engage
be taught how to and locate several class blogs to help wi
accurately search for relevant sources their research skills.
sources realting to the independently, required Blogs can be multi-
topic at hand. for the topic at hand. authored.
Students can share the
multi-author blogs
Students will learn and Students will design their
communicate through own workspace to share outside the classroom
get student feedback.
interactive google with the class; including
classrooms set up by various sites and methods Students develop thei
the teacher. used to access reliable ability to use google
sources and historical scholar, online librari
information. and various electronic
Students will engage in databases to find cred
smartboard activities as
and reliable texts to
provided by the teacher. Students will support their assessm
demonstrate knowledge pieces.
and understanding of
Students will explicitly legal, safe and ethical
be taught legal, safe practices when using
and ethical practices online environments and
when using online will abide by the correct
environments and be procedures when using
given the correct the intellectual property
procedure regarding of others.
copy right laws.
Students will explicitly Students demonstrate Students conduct a
be taught how to their inquiry skills by multimodal presentati
inquire after a topic, forming topic-specific in groups upon a spec
analyse a source and questions to build upon research question.
reflect upon the nature the process. The presentation can
of the source and over Knowledge and incorporate the use of
all process. understanding is video, YouTube,
demonstrated through PowerPoint, images,
reflecting upon their Music etc.
Students will be
encouraged to share inquiry processes and
self-adjusting where
their opinions about the
topic at hand. needed.
Students will be Analytical skills are
explicitly taught how to demonstrated through
identify a point of view selecting a range of texts;
within a text. each of which are
reflected upon about the
Students will form usefulness, reliability etc.
inquiry based questions
at the guidance of the
teacher.
straightforward answers.
Personal and Social In the Australian Students are able to Students explicitly point Students watch a
Capability Curriculum: Humanities connections between out connections between documentary with
and Social Sciences, how social context social context influencing varying views and
students personal and influences perspective perspectives and behaviours.
social capability is and behaviours - the behaviours; reflecting
enhanced as they gain link between how a and analysing on their
understanding about persons circumstances own social contexts at the Students reflect on ho
people, places, processes can affect their overall same time. and why the character
and phenomena. Through actions and choices. perspectives change
Students explore the throughout the course
historical, geographic, civic Perspectives are pointe concept of empathy in a
and economic inquiry, the show
out by the teacher. range of different
collaboration and reflective contexts.
practice, students develop
an appreciation of the
insights and perspectives of
others, past and present;
and an understanding of
what informs their personal
identity and sense of
belonging, including place
and their cultural and
national heritage.
Inquiry-based learning
assists students to develop
their capacity for self-
management, directing their
own learning and providing
opportunities to express and
reflect on their opinions,
beliefs, values and
questions appropriately.

Ethical In the Australian
Understanding Curriculum: Humanities
and Social Sciences,
students capacity for
ethical understanding is
enhanced by the unique
contexts offered through
historical, geographical,
civic and economic inquiry.
Students investigate the
ways that diverse values
and principles have
influenced human activity
and recognise that
examining the nature of
evidence deepens their
understanding of ethical
issues. Students learn about
ethical procedures for
investigating and working
with people and places,
including with Aboriginal
and Torres Strait Islander
Peoples.
Students critically explore
ethical behaviour of people
of different times and
places that may be the
result of differing standards
and expectations and
changing societal attitudes.
They evaluate their findings
about consumer choices,
and about current
Students are explicitly Through their own Students engage with
taught the difference inquiry, students develop range of texts and
between a challenge their ethical evaluate how social a
and a dilemma, and the understanding. cultural contexts affec
ethical implications opinion; bias and fact
attached to each. Students analyse the opinion are discussed
reliability, moral and
Students are explicitly ethical positions of
Students use the inter
taught the protocols various pieces of texts
to compare sources fr
and legal standards for and the standpoint they todays contemporary
the use of historical come from.
world to a much earli
texts. period (relating to the
topic at hand); they
Students are explicitly compare the different
taught to identify views/opinions
where bias presents displayed.
itself in texts; to
identify fact over
opinion; and
differentiate between
subjective and
objective language.
 geographical issues against
the criteria of
environmental protection,
economic prosperity and
social advancement, raising
ethical questions about
human rights and
citizenship. Students
discuss and apply ethical
concepts such as equality,
respect and fairness, and
examine shared beliefs and
values which support
Australian democracy and
citizenship.
Intercultural In the Australian Students are explicitly Students critically Blogs can be kept to
Understanding Curriculum: Humanities shown that by engaging analyse texts that present show a development o
and Social Sciences, in various historical diverse historical, social intercultural
students develop texts, from different and cultural perspectives. understanding.
intercultural understanding cultures, intercultural Students empathise and
as they learn about the understanding is aided. compare experiences to
diversity of the worlds their own.
places, peoples and their
lives, cultural practices,
values, beliefs and ways of
knowing. Students learn the
importance of
understanding their own
and others histories,
recognising the significance
of Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander peoples
histories and cultures and
the contribution of
Australian migrants.
They have opportunities to
learn about the historic
benefits and challenges of
interacting with other
countries and cultural
groups over time, and come
to understand the nature,
causes and consequences of
cultural interdependence,
dispossession and conflict.
They learn of Australias
economic and political
relationship with other
countries and the role of
intercultural understanding
for the present and future.