Humanities and Social Sciences
In a world that is increasingly culturally diverse and dynamically interconnected, it is important that students come to understand their world, past and present, and develop a capacity to respond to challenges, now and in the future, in innovative, informed, personal and collective ways.
The Australian Curriculum for the Humanities and Social Sciences plays an important role in harnessing students’ curiosity and imagination about the world they live in and empowers them to actively shape their lives; make reflective, informed decisions; value their belonging in a diverse and dynamic society; and positively contribute locally, nationally, regionally and globally.
Thinking about and responding to issues requires an understanding of different perspectives; the key historical, geographical, political, economic and societal factors involved; and how these different factors interrelate. The Humanities and Social Sciences in F–6/7, which encompasses the knowledge and understandings of history, geography, civics and citizenship, and economics and business, gives students a deep understanding of the world they live in from a range of perspectives, past and present, and encourages them to develop an appreciation and respect for social, cultural and religious diversity.
The Australian Curriculum for the Humanities and Social Sciences empowers students to shape change by developing a range of skills to enable them to make informed decisions and solve problems. The subject provides students with the skills, behaviours and capabilities that will equip them to face challenges in their lifetime and to participate in and contribute to the wellbeing and sustainability of the environment, the economy and society. Through studying Humanities and Social Sciences, students are given opportunities to develop their ability to question, think critically, solve problems, communicate effectively, make decisions and adapt to change.
Through the Humanities and Social Sciences, students become well placed to contribute to Australia’s ideas of a cohesive society, sustainable environment, productive economy and stable democracy.
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Responsibilities of Australian Local Governments - Cloze Worksheet
Explore the roles and responsibilities of local governments around Australia with this differentiated cloze passage worksheet.
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Australia’s System of Voting - Teaching Presentation
Explore the ins and outs of Australia’s voting processes with this comprehensive teaching presentation.
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Reduce, Reuse, Recycle Flipbooks
Display different ways to conserve resources with a set of handy recycling–based foldable interactive notebook templates.
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Our Home, Australia Brochure - Template
Explore the six states and two territories of Australia with this informative brochure template.
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Blank Map of North America - Template
Record and represent data about the location of significant places with this printable blank map of the continent of North America.
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Natural Resource Use in the 21st Century PowerPoint
Explore how natural resources are used by humans in the 21st century with an instructional slide deck.
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Acclimatised Civilisations: Egypt – Workbook
Learn about the physical and human geography of Egypt and the Sahara Desert with this inquiry-based mapping activity.
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Places on a Map - Task Cards
Teach your young learners to read community maps with a set of task cards.
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Why Teach About Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Toys? Poster
An educational poster providing a rationale for teaching Australian children about traditional Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander toys.
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Australian Gold Rush: Living Wax Museum – Project
An inquiry project in which students research personalities from the Australian Gold Rush and portray them as part of a Living Wax Museum.
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I Am Sorry – Poem and Discussion Questions
A poem to promote thoughtful discussion around issues of reconciliation on National Sorry Day.
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Australian Gold Mines: Y-Chart – Template
A Y-chart template students can use to reflect on what working on the goldfields looked like, sounded like and felt like.
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Australian Gold Rush: Race to Eureka – Game
An interactive gold-panning game in which students explore scenarios of reward, penalisation and inequality.
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Past and Present Communication Board Game
A fun and engaging board game to consolidate students' understanding of past and present communication devices.
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Then and Now - Toy Dominoes
A set of 12 domino playing cards for students to match pictures of toys from the past with the present.
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Transport Then and Now - Worksheet
A set of 2 worksheets for students to identify how transport has changed over time.
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Early Explorer Profiles - Abel Tasman, James Cook and Willem Janszoon
Three individual posters showing the expeditions of Abel Tasman, James Cook and Willem Janszoon.
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Responsibilities of Australian State Governments - Posters
Explore the roles and responsibilities of Australian state governments with this set of classroom posters.
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First Fleet Word Wall
A vocabulary word wall to display and use in the classroom when learning about the First Fleet.
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Separation of Powers Infographic Poster
A poster to display in the classroom explaining how the powers of Parliament are separated between the Judiciary, Executive Government, and Parliament.
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Significant Explorers of Australia - Captain James Cook
A poster to display in the classroom when learning about Captain James Cook.
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An Early Explorer's Map
An early explorer's map to display in the classroom when learning about European exploration.
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Captain James Cook and the Endeavour — Teaching Slides
Discover the journey of Captain James Cook on the HMS Endeavour with your students with this teaching presentation.
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20th Century Social Conditions in Australia Fact Sheets
A set of six fact sheets to use in the classroom for exploring social conditions in 20th Century Australia.
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Chinese New Year Fact Sheet
A fact sheet covering important facts and traditions of Chinese New Year.
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Australian Capital Cities Fact Sheets
A set of 8 posters with facts about each Australian capital city.
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British Colonisation Areas in Australia - 1846 Map and Worksheet
A map to display in the classroom when learning about areas in Australian that were colonised by the British in 1846.
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Gold Mining Methods
5 posters outlining gold mining techniques used during the Australian Gold Rush.
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Toys - Past, Present and Future PowerPoint
A 15 slide editable PowerPoint template to use when comparing toys from today with the past.
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Australia and Its Neighbours - Geography Word Wall Vocabulary
Sixty-three mapping vocabulary cards for Geography.
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Women In World War One Reading Comprehension Worksheet
Read to learn about women in World War I with a printable reading passage and comprehension worksheet.
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Australia's Voting System – Comprehension Worksheets
Explore the history and systems of voting in Australia with this differentiated reading comprehension activity.