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Year 8 Civics and Citizenship Achievement Standard – Australian Curriculum v9
Year 8 Humanities and Social Sciences ASHASCIVY8

Year 8 Civics and Citizenship Achievement Standard – Australian Curriculum v9

This Achievement Standard describes what students are expected to know and do in Year 8 Humanities and Social Sciences by the end of the year. Teachers can use it to guide assessment design, collect evidence of learning, and ensure planning stays aligned with the Australian Curriculum v9.

What Students Should Know

By the end of Year 8, students explain how Australians are informed about and participate in their democracy. They describe the roles of political parties and elected representatives in Australian government. They explain the characteristics of laws, how laws are made and the types of law in Australia. Students identify ways in which Australians express different aspects of their identity and explain perspectives on Australia’s national identity.

Students develop questions and locate, select and organise relevant information from different sources to investigate political and legal systems, and contemporary civic issues. They analyse information and identify and describe perspectives and challenges related to political, legal or civic issues. They explain the methods or strategies related to civic participation or action. Students use civics and citizenship knowledge, concepts, terms and references to evidence from sources to create descriptions, explanations and arguments.

Content Descriptors by Strand

This standard is supported by 11 Content Descriptors:

Knowledge and understanding

Government and democracy

AC9HC8K01 how Australians are informed about and participate in democracy AC9HC8K02 the role of political parties and independent representatives in Australian democracy, including elections and the formation of governments

Laws and citizens

AC9HC8K03 the characteristics of laws and how laws are made in Australia through parliaments (statutory law) and through the courts (common law) AC9HC8K04 the types of law in Australia, including criminal law and civil law, and the place of First Nations Australian customary law

Citizenship, diversity and identity

AC9HC8K05 how culture and religion may influence individuals' and groups' perceptions and expressions of citizenship and their actions as citizens AC9HC8K06 different experiences of, perspectives on and debates about Australia’s national identity and citizenship, including the perspectives of First Nations Australians as owners of their respective nations, and of different migrant groups

Skills

Questioning and researching

AC9HC8S01 develop questions to investigate Australia’s political and legal systems, and contemporary civic issues AC9HC8S02 locate, select and organise information, data and ideas from different sources

Analysis, evaluation and interpretation

AC9HC8S03 analyse information, data and ideas about political, legal or civic issues to identify and explain differences in perspectives and potential challenges

Civic participation and decision-making

AC9HC8S04 explain the methods or strategies related to making decisions about civic participation

Communicating

AC9HC8S05 create descriptions, explanations and arguments using civics and citizenship knowledge, concepts and terms that reference evidence

At a Glance

Strand Substrand CDs Elaborations
Knowledge and understanding Government and democracy 2 10
Knowledge and understanding Laws and citizens 2 9
Knowledge and understanding Citizenship, diversity and identity 2 9
Skills Questioning and researching 2 6
Skills Analysis, evaluation and interpretation 1 4
Skills Civic participation and decision-making 1 2
Skills Communicating 1 2
Total 11 42

Frequently Asked Questions

What should students know by the end of Year 8 Civics and Citizenship?
By the end of Year 8, students explain how Australians are informed about and participate in their democracy. They describe the roles of political parties and elected representatives in Australian government. They explain the characteristics of laws, how laws are made and the types of law in Australia. Students identify ways in which Australians express different aspects of their identity and explain perspectives on Australia’s national identity. Students develop questions and locate, select and organise relevant information from different sources to investigate political and legal systems, and contemporary civic issues. They analyse information and identify and describe perspectives and challenges related to political, legal or civic issues. They explain the methods or strategies related to civic participation or action. Students use civics and citizenship knowledge, concepts, terms and references to evidence from sources to create descriptions, explanations and arguments.
How many Content Descriptors support this standard?
11 Content Descriptors support this Achievement Standard (Knowledge and understanding: 2, Knowledge and understanding: 2, Knowledge and understanding: 2, Skills: 2, Skills: 1, Skills: 1, Skills: 1).
How does this compare to Year 7?
The Year 7 Civics and Citizenship standard (ASHASCIVY7) covers the preceding year level. Standards build progressively, with Year 8 expectations extending what was introduced in Year 7.
Is this from the latest Australian Curriculum?
Yes, this Achievement Standard is from the Australian Curriculum version 9.0 (AC v9), the most current version published by ACARA.