Year 7 History Achievement Standard

• Elaboration identifying different theories regarding human evolution such as the Out of Africa Theory and the Modern Theory of Evolution
• Elaboration describing how environmental changes, such as climate change and desertification, triggered the movement of peoples from Africa
• Elaboration identifying how different approaches, such as the use of excavation and stratigraphy, oral history and the data derived from radiocarbon dating, inform historical interpretations

• Elaboration investigating how scientific techniques have been used to establish the arrival of humans to the mega-continent known as Sahul; for example, use of radiocarbon (C14) and Thermoluminescence (TL) dating techniques used to date archaeological sites related to early human occupation such as Lake Mungo, and genetic research to map the movement of people
• Elaboration investigating how the ancestors of the early First Peoples of Australia were seafarers and examining the likely effects this had on the movement of people to the continent
• Elaboration examining online maps and information to investigate the relationship between geographical features and the location of known ancient sites on the mega-continent known as Sahul; for example, investigating the vegetation types and water sources in different parts of the continent and how they reflect the location of ancient sites
• Elaboration investigating the techniques used to predict the chronology and the routes taken in the dispersal of early First Nations Australians across the continent; for example, using online information that explains how research into ancient landscapes, waterways, terrain and important early First Nations Australians’ habitation sites can model the movement of people across the continent, or how DNA taken from hair samples can track the genetic connections of First Nations Australians back to specific parts of Australia as far back as tens of thousands of years ago

• Elaboration investigating dating methods used by archaeologists for the study of early First Nations Australians; for example, the use of the “Before Present” (BP) dating system
• Elaboration exploring how we know about continuities and changes in First Nations Australians’ cultures; for example, the archaeological research showing evidence of occupation and the lives of First Nations Australians during the Pleistocene epoch at sites such as Lake Mungo and Kutikina Cave
• Elaboration exploring evidence of continuities and changes in the ancient period at specific sites; for example, dating the creation of pictographs and the carving of petroglyphs at sites such as the Dampier Archipelago, Grampians National Park, Kakadu National Park, Koonalda Cave, Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, Preminghana, and the West Kimberley
• Elaboration exploring evidence of continuing culture that was evident in the ancient period, such as the use of ochre
• Elaboration examining First Nations Australians’ views on creation and changes in the landscape that have been passed down through oral tradition, such as the existence of megafauna, changes from wetter to drier climates and changes in vegetation in central Australia

• Elaboration evaluating various methods for investigating the ancient past; for example, stratigraphy to date discoveries, and DNA testing to identify common diseases and past individuals from their remains, such as Egyptian mummies
• Elaboration creating a cross-sectional drawing of the earth’s surface from an archaeological excavation to identify the evidence located at various layers (stratigraphy) and what it reveals about change over time; for example, a charcoal layer containing human remains and weapons may indicate the capture and destruction of an ancient settlement such as Troy
• Elaboration examining the impact of modern infrastructure works, such as the Aswan Dam, on sites of ancient significance
• Elaboration examining the roles and responsibilities of governments and other bodies, such as UNESCO, in protecting key archaeological sites; for example, the rescue mission to save the temples of Abu Simbel or the campaign for the return of the Elgin Marbles to Greece
• Elaboration investigating world heritage criteria for the listing of significant sites; for example, the Great Wall of China or the Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor (Qin Shi Huang) or Mohenjo-dara in India

• Elaboration explaining the effects of environmental changes on First Nations Australians across Australia, such as rising sea levels (for example, the loss of the land bridge to Tasmania and the formation of the Torres Strait Islands from an existing land bridge) and the aridification of some landscapes, such as Lake Mungo
• Elaboration investigating how accounts of rising sea levels that occurred between 18,000 and 7,000 years ago have been passed down through the oral traditions of First Nations Australians; for example, stories in the Boonwurrung (Port Phillip) Country about the loss of kangaroo hunting grounds, and those in the Nukunu (Spencer Gulf) Country about the sea swallowing up the land
• Elaboration investigating the megafauna that inhabited Australia in the Pleistocene epoch and discussing how it may have impacted on the sustainable harvesting of game by First Nations Australians, both prior to and after the extinction of megafauna
• Elaboration exploring evidence of how First Nations Australians responded to environmental changes in the Holocene epoch; for example, archaeological evidence that people maintained seasonal presence in the Willandra Lakes region at times when water was available, the maritime specialisation of those on the Torres Strait Islands and Cape York around 2,500 BP, and the de-population of islands such as Rottnest, Kangaroo and Flinders islands when cut off from the mainland
• Elaboration investigating the water management techniques used by early First Nations Australians in environments with scarce supplies of fresh water, such as islands and deserts

• Elaboration investigating chronologies of technological achievements for continuity and change over time, including the development of stone tools and stone-knapping techniques such as ground-edge tools, hafted axes and mill stones
• Elaboration exploring how food production or procurement such as agriculture, aquaculture, nomadism and hunter-gatherer/forager societies were influenced by the environment; for example, people in the Torres Strait Islands and Cape York developing maritime technologies and people in arid environments developing a nomadic lifestyle, and the development of sustainable harvesting practices such as those of the Mithaka People in Queensland’s Channel Country
• Elaboration exploring land and water management practices developed by early First Nations Australians, such as cultural burning practices, and the conservation and use of water through the development of weirs, irrigation and water evaporation reduction systems
• Elaboration exploring aquaculture practices developed by early First Nations Australians, such as eel traps of the Gundtitjmara People at Budj Bim, Victoria, the mollusc harvesting of the Kombumerri People on the Gold Coast, Queensland, and stone fish traps used by the Ngemba People at Brewarrina, New South Wales

Greece

• Elaboration explaining the role of topography in providing barriers of defence for city-states, such as the surrounding seas, mountain ranges and river systems; for example, the Axios (Vardar), Strimonas (Struma) and Nestos rivers

Rome

• Elaboration explaining the role of the fertile soil of the Po and Tiber River regions in enabling trade through surplus production
• Elaboration describing Roman methods to manage resources; for example, water supply through aqueducts and plumbing systems

Egypt

• Elaboration explaining how the Nile River enabled the establishment of ancient Egyptian society through farming (including the role of the inundation), transportation, defence (for example, the cataract fortifications) and religion (for example, Hapi, god of the inundation; Khnum, god of the Nile; and Satet, goddess of Nile floods and the Nile cataracts)

India

• Elaboration identifying how the environment and harmonious relationships with the natural world were reflected in belief systems such as Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism

China

• Elaboration examining the role of climate in enabling the establishment and expansion of agriculture around the Yellow River and how this supported the ancient society
• Elaboration describing the impact of topographic features, such as the Himalayas, rivers and seas, on contact with other societies, including trade and warfare

• Elaboration examining the social organisation systems of First Nations Australians, such as moieties, totems and kinship groups, and how they determine roles and relationships to others, including how they underpin marriage laws, and their development and significance in areas such as Central Australia during increasing desertification
• Elaboration examining how aspects of social organisation and cultural practices of early First Nations Australians are known because they have been passed on through oral traditions and supported by media such as song, dance, music and visual art representations such as rock paintings; for example, narratives or visual representations related to lore, kinship structures, and responsibilities to the land, seas, waterways, sky and universe
• Elaboration investigating important cultural practices of early First Nations Australians and their continuity and change over time; for example, lore, rites of passage, and the antiquity and types of funerary customs and burial practices such as the early example of cremation at the Willandra Lakes in New South Wales, the tombstone openings of the Torres Strait Islands and the log coffins used by the Yolngu Peoples of Arnhem Land
• Elaboration exploring the existence of defined land, sea and sky territories, and the social and political systems that governed early First Nations Australians’ societies, such as land tenure systems, delineation and reciprocal access rights, and the trade and bartering of items such as ochre, medicine and trepang

Greece

• Elaboration describing the role of the Delphic Oracle in informing decision-making regarding future warfare
• Elaboration investigating significant beliefs and values associated with warfare, such as the heroic ideals revealed in the Iliad, and military practices such as army organisation, the hoplite phalanx and naval warfare

Rome

• Elaboration investigating significant beliefs associated with daily life (for example, the evidence of household religion) and practices (for example, the use of public amenities such as baths, and the forms of entertainment in theatres and amphitheatres)
• Elaboration analysing the role of the military in the organisation of Roman society and politics, in both the Republic and the early Empire

Egypt

• Elaboration investigating beliefs associated with death, such as belief in an afterlife, and funerary customs and practices (for example, burial in tombs and techniques of mummification)
• Elaboration describing how the prominence of male and female gods changed based on locality and time

India

• Elaboration developing criteria to evaluate the significant beliefs, values and practices of Indian society associated with, for example, the role of the family and religious ceremonies, such as rites of passage for boys and men, and rites of passage for girls and women, and marriage rites
• Elaboration formulating questions to analyse how Vedism and later, Brahmanism shaped death and funerary customs

China

• Elaboration identifying how the Mandate of Heaven assisted people in understanding and justifying periods of warfare
• Elaboration investigating the significant beliefs, values and practices of Chinese society associated with daily life; for example, irrigation and the practice of agriculture, the teachings of Confucius, the evidence of daily life from the Han tombs

Greece

• Elaboration examining evidence of the social structure of Athenian or Spartan society; for example, the roles of citizens, women and slaves in Athenian society and the roles of Spartiates, Perioikoi and Helots in Spartan society
• Elaboration describing the rights of citizens in ancient Athens (for example, the right for men to vote), their responsibilities (for example, military service, attending assembly meetings) and the concept of freedom

Rome

• Elaboration describing the significance of slavery in the period of the Roman Empire; for example, the acquisition of slaves through warfare, the use of slaves as gladiators, agricultural labourers and domestic servants, and the rise of freedmen
• Elaboration investigating material culture and visual primary sources depicting the role of social structure (for example, the roles of patricians, plebeians, women of different classes and slaves) to understand the lived experience of republicanism in Rome

Egypt

• Elaboration explaining the social structure of ancient Egypt, including slaves, farmers, craftsmen, merchants, scribes, soldiers, priests, Vizers, Nomarchs and Pharaoh
• Elaboration describing the rights and responsibilities of women of different classes in the areas of marriage, family life, work and education, and the depiction of women fulfilling these roles in artwork and funerary texts
• Elaboration explaining how scribes viewed their role in the maintenance of society, using evidence such as funerary texts and literary works, such as the Instruction of Amenemope

India

• Elaboration explaining how society was organised and shaped through the social hierarchy, including the role of Brahmins (priests, teachers), Kshatriyas (kings, warriors), Vaishyas (merchants, artisans) and Shudras (labourers, peasants)

China

• Elaboration describing the role of women in shaping ancient society in the areas of marriage, family life, work and education
• Elaboration outlining the rights and responsibilities of the Shi class

Greece

• Elaboration explaining the nature of contact and conflict with other societies, such as the commodities that formed the trade with Egypt, Greek colonisation of the Mediterranean, the Persian Wars, the Battle of Salamis, the empire of Alexander the Great and the reach of Greek culture
• Elaboration identifying the short-term triggers of a conflict, such as the Peloponnesian war

Rome

• Elaboration explaining the causes of the fall of the Roman Republic and the rise of the Roman Empire
• Elaboration describing the furthest extent of the Roman Empire and the influence of foreign cults on Roman religious beliefs and practices; for example, the Pantheon of Gods (Greece), Isis (Egypt), Mithras (Persia) and Judaism and early Christianity (Palestine)
• Elaboration comparing accounts of contact between Rome and Asian societies in the ancient period; for example, the visit of Chinese and Indian envoys to Rome in the time of Augustus, as described by the Roman historian Florus

Egypt

• Elaboration analysing the causes and effects of the rise and expansion of the Egyptian Empire
• Elaboration explaining the nature of contact and conflict with other societies, such as trade with Cyprus, Crete and Greece, and the Battle of Kadesh in the New Kingdom that concluded with Ramses II’s peace treaty with the Hittites

India

• Elaboration analysing the long-term causes of the rise of the Mauryan Empire and the spread of Mauryan philosophies and beliefs
• Elaboration examining the extent of Indian contact with other societies such as the Persians under Cyrus, the Macedonians under Alexander; the extensive trade with the Romans and Chinese; the material remains of the Mauryan Empire such as the Pillars of Ashoka and the Barabar Caves; and the spread of Hinduism and Buddhism

China

• Elaboration explaining the rise of imperial China; for example, through chariot warfare and the adoption of mass infantry armies, the building of the first phase of the Great Wall of China, military strategies as codified in Sun Tzu’s The Art of War
• Elaboration describing indirect contact and interactions between the Roman Empire and the Han Dynasty

Greece

• Elaboration developing questions to establish the significance of key individuals such as Homer (800–701 BCE), Draco (7th century BCE), Socrates (470–399 BCE), Aspasia (470–400 BCE), Plato (428–348 BCE), Aristotle (384–322 BCE), Archimedes (287–212 BCE), Hippocrates (460–370 BCE), Alexander the Great (356–323 BCE), and/or Pericles (495–429 BCE)
• Elaboration examining the historical context, early life and achievements of a significant historical figure, such as Leonidas or Pericles from ancient Greece, and how they were perceived by their contemporaries

Rome

• Elaboration describing the importance of a key group such as patricians, plebeians, women or slaves in the maintenance of the Roman empire
• Elaboration examining the historical context, early life and achievements of a significant historical figure such as Julius Caesar, Augustus, Agrippina the Younger, Marcus Aurelius or Jesus Christ, and how they were perceived by their contemporaries
• Elaboration analysing the impact of Constantine’s reign on society and religion in the Roman Empire

Egypt

• Elaboration evaluating the significance of Rameses II, including military victories, expansion of the Egyptian empire and architectural endeavours
• Elaboration examining the historical context, early life and achievements of a significant historical figure from ancient Egypt, such as Hatshepsut or Akhenaten, and how they were perceived by their contemporaries

India

• Elaboration examining the historical context, early life and achievements of key individuals such as Chandragupta Maurya or Ashoka

China

• Elaboration describing the social, political and cultural impact of Confucius on ancient Chinese society
• Elaboration examining the historical context, early life and achievements of a significant historical figure such as Confucius or Qin Shi Huang, and how each was perceived by their contemporaries

• Elaboration recognising how the human remains of early First Nations Australians are the ancestors of contemporary First Nations Peoples of Australia and, as such, any unauthorised disturbance is taken as a serious breach of cultural protocol
• Elaboration exploring how the ancestral remains found at Lake Mungo (Willandra Lakes region) illustrate the issues of ownership, cultural protocols, research and repatriation
• Elaboration examining the importance of consultation with multiple stakeholders when conserving culture and heritage sites; for example, the collaboration between the Traditional Owners and researchers
• Elaboration investigating world heritage criteria for the listing of significant sites such as the Budj Bim and Willandra Lakes regions, and cultural landscapes such as Uluru-Kata Tjuta and Kakadu
• Elaboration examining the role of national and state/territory galleries, libraries, archives, museums, historical societies and field-sites in curating, conserving and showcasing First Nations Australians’ histories and cultures

• Elaboration evaluating various methods for investigating the ancient past; for example, stratigraphy to date discoveries, and DNA testing to identify common diseases and past individuals from their remains, such as Egyptian mummies
• Elaboration creating a cross-sectional drawing of the earth’s surface from an archaeological excavation to identify the evidence located at various layers (stratigraphy) and what it reveals about change over time; for example, a charcoal layer containing human remains and weapons may indicate the capture and destruction of an ancient settlement such as Troy
• Elaboration examining the impact of modern infrastructure works, such as the Aswan Dam, on sites of ancient significance
• Elaboration examining the roles and responsibilities of governments and other bodies, such as UNESCO, in protecting key archaeological sites; for example, the rescue mission to save the temples of Abu Simbel or the campaign for the return of the Elgin Marbles to Greece
• Elaboration investigating world heritage criteria for the listing of significant sites; for example, the Great Wall of China or the Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor (Qin Shi Huang) or Mohenjo-dara in India

• Elaboration developing a key question such as “How were the pyramids at Giza built?” and understanding that there may not be a definitive answer; identifying related questions to inform the inquiry, including “What evidence is there?” and “What theories have been developed?”
• Elaboration developing questions using historical concepts such as cause, effect, change, continuity, perspectives, interpretations and significance; for example, “What were the effects of rising sea levels on the movements of early First Nations Australians?”

• Elaboration locating digital repositories of archaeological sources and records, and using search functions to identify evidence; for example, Rome ceramics – religion
• Elaboration identifying categories for sorting primary and secondary sources, such as scrolls, coins, artwork, human remains, primary perspectives and/or historical interpretations
• Elaboration selecting and recording information from a range of sources (both archaeological and written) and differentiating between primary sources (those from the time of the event/person/site being investigated) and secondary sources (those that represent later interpretations)
• Elaboration examining methods for investigating the ancient past for providing information relevant to inquiry questions; for example, stratigraphy to date discoveries, DNA testing to identify past individuals from their remains (such as Egyptian mummies) and common diseases
• Elaboration explaining the challenges of translation and intercultural understanding when interrogating sources of evidence, such as the inscriptions of Asoka and other edicts carved in stone and contained in religious literature, and the Vedas and epics of the Ramayana and Mahabharata

• Elaboration developing and applying questions such as “Who wrote/produced this?”, “When?”, “Why?” and “What does it show about the past?” to photographs, artefacts, stories, buildings and other sources to explain context and purpose
• Elaboration identifying and explaining the origin, content, features and purposes of different sources in understanding the impact and legacy of a key individual such as Leonidas (King of Sparta), Pericles or Alexander the Great
• Elaboration explaining the difficulties in identifying the origin and purpose of some sources, such as the Kimberley Bradshaw paintings

• Elaboration examining the accuracy of sources by asking questions such as “Where does it come from?”, “What information is provided?”, “Is the information factual or an opinion?” and “What other sources may be needed to support/challenge this source?”
• Elaboration recognising that, while evidence may be limited for a particular group of people, such evidence can provide useful insights into the power structures in an ancient society
• Elaboration distinguishing between a fact (for example, “Some gladiators wore helmets”) and an opinion (for example, “All gladiators were brave”)
• Elaboration identifying information within a source that can be useful evidence to support an interpretation of an event, movement, individual, group or society

• Elaboration sequencing events from early Australia and the ancient society in order, using timelines to identify and describe causes and effects
• Elaboration defining terms such as “BC” (Before Christ), “AD” (Anno Domini), “BCE” (Before Common Era), “CE” (Common Era), “BP” (Before Present) and “history” (the period beginning with named individuals and textual recording)
• Elaboration identifying gaps in timelines or narratives and explaining possible reasons for why these gaps occur
• Elaboration sequencing a range of primary sources in chronological order to support the development of an explanation of continuities or changes

• Elaboration identifying perspectives in a historical source, such as the saying of Confucius, “Women and underlings are especially difficult to handle”, and discussing the values and attitudes of the society that produced it
• Elaboration identifying that, while evidence may be limited for a particular group of people such as women, slaves, peoples living in newly conquered areas and ethnic groups, such evidence can provide useful insights into the power structures of a society
• Elaboration identifying the possible meanings of, and attitudes and values shown by, images and symbols in primary sources, such as funerary texts or religious manuscripts

• Elaboration examining different interpretations to explain short-term triggers and/or turning points of the decline of an empire or society, such as failing economy, political upheaval, foreign invasion or conflict
• Elaboration developing a historical argument about why an event, individual or group is interpreted in different ways

• Elaboration communicating a description or explanation using historical knowledge (for example, describing the social structure of the society) referring to evidence from sources (for example, reference to artwork)
• Elaboration developing a description or explanation using historical concepts and terms; for example, sources, evidence, continuity and change, perspective or interpretation
• Elaboration creating a presentation using different formats; for example, visual displays to recreate and show the specific features of an ancient battle, temple, pyramid complex or burial site supported by a timeline, annotations on a diagram or a summary
• Elaboration developing a historical argument; for example, explaining the significance of a past event, providing reasons for the event with reference to relevant evidence