Year 7 Level Description
The Year 7 curriculum provides a study of history from the time of the earliest human communities to the end of the ancient period, approximately 60 000 BC (BCE) – c.650 AD (CE). It was a period defined by the development of cultural practices and organised societies. The study of the ancient world includes the discoveries (the remains of the past and what we know) and the mysteries (what we do not know) about this period of history, in a range of societies in places including Australia, Egypt, Greece, Rome, India and China.
The content provides opportunities to develop historical understanding through key concepts, including evidence, continuity and change, cause and effect, perspectives, empathy, significance and contestability. These concepts may be investigated within a particular historical context to facilitate an understanding of the past and to provide a focus for historical enquiries.
The history content at this year level involves two strands: historical knowledge and understanding, and historical skills. These strands are interrelated and have been developed to be taught in an integrated way, and in ways that are appropriate to specific local contexts. The order and detail in which they are taught are programming decisions.
A framework for developing students’ historical knowledge, understanding and skills is provided by enquiry questions through the use and interpretation of sources. The key enquiry questions for Year 7 are:
The following content is to be taught as part of an overview for the historical period. It is not intended to be taught in depth. Overview content identifies important features of the period, approximately 60 000 BC (BCE) – c.650 AD (CE), as part of an expansive chronology that helps students understand broad patterns of historical change. As such, the overview provides the broader context for the teaching of depth study content and can be built into various parts of a teaching and learning program. This means that overview content can be used to give students an introduction to the historical period; to make the links to and between the depth studies; and to consolidate understanding through a review of the period.
The theory that people moved out of Africa around 60 000 BC (BCE) and migrated to other parts of the world, including Australia.
Click the buttons to learn more
By the end of Year 7, students suggest reasons for change and continuity over time. They describe the effects of change on societies, individuals and groups. They describe events and developments from the perspective of different people who lived at the time. Students explain the role of groups and the significance of particular individuals in society. They identify past events and developments that have been interpreted in different ways.
Students sequence events and developments within a chronological framework, using dating conventions to represent and measure time. When researching, students develop questions to frame a historical enquiry. They identify and select a range of sources and locate, compare and use information to answer enquiry questions. They examine sources to explain points of view. When interpreting sources, they identify their origin and purpose. Students develop texts, particularly descriptions and explanations. In developing these texts and organising and presenting their findings, they use historical terms and concepts,incorporate relevant sources, and acknowledge their sources of information.
Who was the iceman and how did he die?
Source 1
BBC, 1997, “A Life in Ice”, DVD recorded off air 28th April, 2005
Source 2
Saldais, Maggie et al, 2006, Humanities Alive: History1, John Wiley &Sons, Milton, page 20.
Source 3
BBC, Wednesday, 20 March,2002,“Iceman’s final battle”, viewed November 23rd , 2009,
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/1884525.stm
Source 4
BBC, Thursday 7 February 2002, “Death of the Iceman”,viewed November 23rd , 2009,
http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/horizon/2001/iceman.shtml
Source 5
Ives, Sarah, October 30, 2003,“Was Ancient Alpine”Iceman” Killed in Battle?”, National Geographic News,viewed November 23rd, 2009,
https://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2003/10/1030_031030_icemandeath.html
Source 6
Beaumont, Lucy, November 1, 2003, “Iceman’s bones lead scientists to his home turf”, viewed November 23rd ,2009, http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/10/31/1067566086234.html?from=storyrhs
Source 7
Lorenzi, Rossella, Friday,31 August 2007, “Blow to head, not arrow, killed Otzitheiceman”,viewed November 23rd, 2009, http://www.abc.net.au/science/news/stories/2007/2020609.html
EURAC- Institute for mummies and the Iceman ,n.d., Iceman Photoscan, viewed November 23rd, 2009,
http://iceman.eurac.edu/
Note: this unit of work draws upon a range of original resources that can be obtained from the author as well as the Jacaranda World History Atlas. Please contact the author with a list of required resources.
Anything Visual Evidence
Ancient Egypt Timeline
Australia Day Painting
Diamond
Drawing Conclusions
Drawing Conclusions
Evidence in the rubbish – Problems of evidence
Fact Or Not
Fact Or Opinion
Gass What questions do I have about working historically
Guns Germs and Steel
History from the garbage
Hymn to the nile quotation activity
Hymn to the nile translation activity version 2
Inquiry Steps
Investigating Nebumun Hunting
Key Terms Cross Word 1
Model Conclusions
Narmers Palette
Note Taking
Readubg Speeds
Textual Features
Transition to Civilisation
Understanding the ancient world
Using direct quotations
What is history
What is history – Week one
What is inquiry
Working with primary and secondary sourced P 4
Working with primary and secondary sourced P 5
Working historically skim and scan
What is History? How Does the Historian Work?
Students should understand that:
Focus Questions
Historical Skills
Week | Focus Question | Skills/Concepts/Terms | Learning Strategies and Resources |
---|---|---|---|
1 | What is History? | Skim and Scan Generic signposts- preview reading (textual features) Summarise- use focus question, delete irrelevant, highlight key points- use space and arrangement space History Source Evidence Inquiry Hypothesis Primary Sources Secondary Sources Artefacts Ecofacts |
Start each lesson with a quiz of key terms. Ensure all key terms go into a vocabulary list What is History week 1 ppt Brainstorm what students think History is. How is it different from Geography? Science? Maths? English? GASS: What do I think I know about working Historically Reading Speeds ppt Examine textual features of Jacaranda History Atlas pp 1 & 4 & 5- identify different features of pages and relate to how they can be used to help reading. Jacaranda Historical Atlas pg 1 and worksheet (Working Historically: Skim and Scan). Historical lens discussion REFLECTION: What do I know so far? Crossword of Terms worksheet Revision |
2 | How does the Historian work? |
Skim and Scan Note Taling Selection of key ideas= Drawing conclusions Inquiry Historia Primary Source Partial Interrogate Context of Production Artefact Ecofact |
Start each lesson with a quiz of key terms.(except Garbage lessons) Ensure all key terms go into a vocabulary list Note Taking ppt Jacaranda Historical Atlas pg 4 and worksheet (Working with Primary and Secondary Sources). Mix and Match Terms activities History from the Garbage ppt. Garbage activity- develop focus questions Garbage activity- use sources to draw conclusions |
3 | How does the Historian work? |
Inquiry Historia Primary Source Partial Interrogate Context of Production Artefact Ecofact Drawing a Conclusion Corroborate Refute Censorship |
Start each lesson with a quiz of key terms. Ensure all key terms go into a vocabulary list Ppt Drawing a Conclusion Drawing a conclusion Model Conclusions Garbage activity- Drawing Conclusions Complete Garbage activity- Problems of evidence. Mind maps ppt- problems of evidence Create a mind map about problems of evidence |
4 | How does the Historian communicate? |
Conclusion Perspective Credibility Utility Bias Agenda Claims |
Start each lesson with a quiz of key terms. Ensure all key terms go into a vocabulary list Jacaranda Historical Atlas pg 5 and worksheet. What is History (Munslow quotation) ppt– what does this mean? REFLECTION- summary of thinking so far |
5 | How does the Historian work? |
Fact Opinion Claim Explicit Implicit Assumption Ethnocentrism Paragraph Planning |
Start each lesson with a quiz of key terms. Ensure all key terms go into a vocabulary list Fact or Not activity-review definition of fact (page 5) and examine how they tend to make assumptions (Use fact or opinion ppt to correct) What is Inquiry ppt Inquiry steps activities Stress Inquiries are STRATEGIC, CYCLICAL and will vary from person to person- there is Paragraph Planning no one size fits all REFLECTION- summary of thinking so far Planning a paragraph- How does the Historian work? |
6 | How does the Historian communicate? |
Note Taking skills Corroboration Direct and indirect quotations Paragraphing |
Start each lesson with a quiz of key terms. Ensure all key terms go into a vocabulary list Review ppt Note Taking Use Jacaranda Historical Atlas pg 10 to teach note taking. Use note taking Scaffold for this page (Understanding the Ancient World) Give them 5 minutes to scan for information on each focus question. Then compare which ones could be answered in the text and which could not. Compare good note taking with poor note taking. Using Direct Quotations- revise rules for … and [] |
7 | What is Historical Inquiry? |
Revise differences between:
Revise how to complete MCI and SRI |
|
8 | Yr 7 MCI and SRI |
Note: this unit of work draws upon a range of original resources that can be obtained from the author as well as the Jacaranda World History Atlas. Please contact the author with a list of required resources.
Why did the West come to Rule the World? Part One.
Students should understand that:
Focus Questions
Historical Skills
Week | Focus Question | Skills/Concepts/Terms | Learning Strategies and Resources |
---|---|---|---|
1 | How does the Historian Communicate? |
Note Taking skills Corroboratio Direct and indirect quotations Paragraphing |
Start each lesson with a quiz of key terms. Ensure all key terms go into a vocabulary list Review ppt Note Taking Use Jacaranda Historical Atlas pg 10 to teach note taking. Use note taking Scaffold for this page (Understanding the Ancient World) Give them 5 minutes to scan for information on each focus question. Then compare which ones could be answered in the text and which could not. Compare good note taking with poor note taking. Using Direct Quotations- revise rules for … and [] |
2 | How does The Historian use a Timeline? |
Start each lesson with a quiz of key terms and facts. Ensure all key terms go into a vocabulary list Jacaranda Historical Atlas World timeline– how do we use a timeline to find information? What explicit information is there? What information is implicit? What questions do we have? Give students a paper version of Timeline of Ancient World to glue in books and annotate. Write the reference for this timeline (Burvill-Shaw, S (ed), 2012, The Jacaranda World History Atlas, Jacaranda, Milton, inside front cover) When is Egypt? What have we learned so far about the Transition to civilisation? How does this seem to relate to Egypt? RESEARCH: When is their culture? What can they learn? Compare contrast as class discussion of what can we learn about the development of civilisations of the Ancient world? |
|
3 | How does The Historian use a Timeline? |
Start each lesson with a quiz of key terms and facts. Ensure all key terms go into a vocabulary list Examine Egypt Timeline Jacaranda Historical Atlas 1 pp 39, 41, & 43.
RESEARCH: Students to create their own timeline for their research culture in the same way. Compare contrast as class discussion of what can we learn about the development of civilizations of the Ancient world? |
|
4 | How does the Historian use a Map? |
Start each lesson with a quiz of key terms and facts. Ensure all key terms go into a vocabulary list Issue a World Map and have students mark Egypt on the map (Reference where they obtained information.) Issue blank map of Egypt Examine Egypt maps Jacaranda Historical Atlas 1 pp 39, 41, & 43.
Research: Own culture using a map- do the same as for Egypt. Compare contrast as class discussion of what can we learn about the development of civilizations of the Ancient world from maps? |
|
5 | How does the Historian use a Secondary Source? |
Start each lesson with a quiz of key terms and facts. Ensure all key terms go into a vocabulary list Examine Retroactive 1 pp.
Research : Research Own culture Government- this will probably take extra time |
|
6 | How does the Historian use a Primary Source? |
Start each lesson with a quiz of key terms and facts. Ensure all key terms go into a vocabulary list Hymn to the Nile –Translation activity & pg 31
Research: Own culture primary source and analysis – this will probably take extra time |
|
7 | How does the Historian use Archaeological Evidence? |
Start each lesson with a quiz of key terms and facts. Ensure all key terms go into a vocabulary list Jacaranda Historical Atlas pg 6 and worksheet on Nabumum Hunting.
Research: Find archaeological source own culture and analyse- What can we learn about the development of civilisations of the Ancient world from visual sources? |
|
8 | How does the Historian Create a Reference List? |
Reference List Hand in research book- mark research only Exam condition- two paragraphs explaining what they as Historians have learned about Egypt from the Sources. Open book or Provide Sources |
|
9 | What have we learned about the Ancient world? |
Compare contrast as class discussion of what can we learn about Ancient Societies about from sources? Create Presentations on Ancient cultures? |
|
10 | What have we learned about the Ancient world? |
Presentations on Ancient cultures? |