Year 5
Humanities and Social Sciences
ASHASHASY5
Year 5 Humanities and Social Sciences Achievement Standard
11 statements aligned to content descriptors and elaborations
Achievement standard (as ACARA publishes it)
Achievement standard
Click any sentence to jump to its statement and linked content descriptors.
By the end of Year 5, students explain the causes for the establishment of the British colonies in Australia after 1800. They explain the roles of significant individuals or groups in the development of an Australian colony and the impact of those developments. They explain the influence of people on the characteristics of places and in the management of spaces. Students explain the key values and features of Australia’s democracy and how people achieve civic goals. They explain the nature of resources, and how they meet needs and wants.
Students develop questions and locate, collect and organise information and data from primary and secondary sources. They evaluate sources to determine origin and perspectives. Students evaluate information and data to identify and describe patterns or trends. They suggest conclusions based on evidence. Students consider criteria in proposing actions or responses. Students select ideas and findings from sources and use relevant terms and conventions, to present descriptions and explanations.
The 11 achievement standard statements
Open a statement to see the content descriptors ACARA links to it, then open a descriptor's elaborations.
By the end of Year 5, students explain the causes for the establishment of the British colonies in Australia after 1800.
Content descriptorAC9HS5K01 Knowledge and understanding
the economic, political and social causes of the establishment of British colonies in Australia after 1800
Elaborations (4)
- Elaboration investigating the reasons for the establishment of different types of colonies in Australia, such as a penal colony (for example, Moreton Bay, Van Diemen’s Land) or a colony for free settlers, as in South Australia and Victoria
- Elaboration investigating economic reasons for the establishment of different colonies in Australia, such as the acquisition of land and resources, and the economic situation in Britain, including high unemployment and poverty
- Elaboration investigating political reasons for the establishment of different colonies in Australia, such as expanding the British empire and the threat that other countries might want to expand their territories
- Elaboration investigating social causes of the establishment of different colonies in Australia, such as overcrowded cities, high crime rates and overflowing prisons
They explain the roles of significant individuals or groups in the development of an Australian colony and the impact of those developments.
Content descriptorAC9HS5K02 Knowledge and understanding
the impact of the development of British colonies in Australia on the lives of First Nations Australians, the colonists and convicts, and on the natural environment
Elaborations (2)
- Elaboration investigating colonial life to discover what life was like at that time for different inhabitants (for example, a First Nations Australian community and a European community, a convict and a free settler, a “squatter”, a sugarcane farmer and an indentured labourer), the challenges they faced and responses they made in terms of clothing, access to food and water, leisure, paid and unpaid work, use of technologies, shopping or trade, language, housing and children’s lives
- Elaboration mapping settlement patterns in the 1800s, noting factors that shaped these patterns (for example, geographical features, climate, access to land for farming and grazing, water resources, the discovery of gold, transport and access to port facilities) and the impact these settlement patterns had on the local environment and its ecosystems (for example, comparing the present and past landscape, and the flora and fauna of the local community, including introduced species)
Content descriptorAC9HS5K03 Knowledge and understanding
the role of a significant individual or group, including First Nations Australians and those who migrated to Australia, in the development of events in an Australian colony
Elaborations (6)
- Elaboration investigating an event or development and explaining its economic, social or political impact on a colony; for example, the impact of Blaxland, Wentworth and Lawson travelling across the Blue Mountains in 1813 on the expansion of farming; the impact of the exploration of the interior by figures such as Mitchell, Oxley and Sturt on frontier conflict; the impact of the introduction of merino sheep on economic development; the impact of the Eureka Stockade on the development of democracy; the impact of internal exploration and the advent of rail on the expansion of farming; the impact of Bennelong as a mediator between two cultures
- Elaboration creating “what if” scenarios by constructing different outcomes for a key event; for example, “What if Peter Lalor had encouraged gold miners to pay rather than resist licence fees?”, “What if Arthur Phillip had not captured Bennelong?”, “What if Chinese immigrants were not allowed to land in Robe, South Australia, during the gold rush?”, “What if Governor Macquarie had not been removed by his enemies in 1821?", "What if he had not opened the Parramatta Native Institution?”
- Elaboration examining the roles of key women in the Australian colonies, such as Elizabeth Macarthur, Edith Cowan, Maria Lock, Mary Bryant, Mary Reiby, Mary MacKillop, and Truganini
- Elaboration investigating the experiences and contributions of a particular migrant group within a colony, such as the Germans in South Australia, Japanese in Broome, Afghan cameleers in the Northern Territory, Chinese at Palmer River, and Pacific Islanders in the Torres Strait
- Elaboration examining the roles and impacts of key administrative and political figures, such as early colonial governors, and First Nations warriors such as Windradyne
- Elaboration examining the development of at least one primary industry sector of the economy during the 1800s, such as wheat, wool, meat, whaling, sugar cane, pearling or mining, including the involvement of First Nations Australians
They explain the influence of people on the characteristics of places and in the management of spaces.
Content descriptorAC9HS5K04 Knowledge and understanding
the influence of people, including First Nations Australians and people in other countries, on the characteristics of a place
Elaborations (4)
- Elaboration identifying how First Nations Australian communities altered the environment and sustained ways of living through their methods of land and resource management; for example, firestick farming
- Elaboration exploring the extent of change in the local environment over time (for example, through vegetation clearance, fencing, urban development, drainage, irrigation, erosion, farming, the introduction of grazing livestock such as sheep and cattle, forest plantations or mining), and evaluating the effects of change on economic development and environmental sustainability
- Elaboration exploring examples of positive influences people have on the characteristics of places; for example, reforestation, land-care groups, rehabilitating former mining, industrial or waste disposal sites
- Elaboration identifying positive and negative influences of people on places in other countries, including countries in Asia, Europe and North America
Content descriptorAC9HS5K05 Knowledge and understanding
the management of Australian environments, including managing severe weather events such as bushfires, floods, droughts or cyclones, and their consequences
Elaborations (2)
- Elaboration exploring how environments are used and managed, such as the practices and laws that aim to manage human impact, the use of zoning to manage local environments, creation of wildlife corridors and national parks
- Elaboration examining how changes due to environmental practices create issues, such as water shortages and increased floods and bushfires, the impact of issues on places and communities, and how people can mitigate the impacts, for example through building codes, zoning, firebreaks and controlled burns, and efficient irrigation
Students explain the key values and features of Australia’s democracy and how people achieve civic goals.
Content descriptorAC9HS5K06 Knowledge and understanding
the key values and features of Australia’s democracy, including elections, and the roles and responsibilities of elected representatives
Elaborations (7)
- Elaboration discussing the meaning of democracy, the importance of the key values of Australian democracy (for example, freedom of election and being elected; freedom of assembly and political participation; freedom of speech, expression and religious belief; rule of law; other basic human rights) and how students apply democratic values in familiar contexts, such as how religious tolerance might be achieved in a free democratic society
- Elaboration discussing the Australian citizenship pledge and the official statement of Australian values published by the federal government and what can be learnt about key values and Australian democracy from this material
- Elaboration exploring the secret ballot, compulsory voting and preferential voting as key features of Australia’s democracy
- Elaboration recognising the role of the Australian Electoral Commission in administering elections that are open, free and fair
- Elaboration discussing key features of Australia’s voting system, such as who has the right to vote and stand for election in Australia, including when women and First Nations Australians were first allowed to vote
- Elaboration considering the responsibilities of electors, including enrolling to vote, being informed and voting responsibly
- Elaboration identifying the characteristics that would make for a “good” representative at the local, state/territory or national level
Content descriptorAC9HS5K07 Knowledge and understanding
how citizens (members of communities) with shared beliefs and values work together to achieve a civic goal
Elaborations (3)
- Elaboration discussing how and why people volunteer for community groups such as religious and other charities, rural fire services, surf life-saving clubs, emergency services groups, First Nations community groups and youth groups
- Elaboration using social media to share and discuss ideas about how people can work together as local, regional and global citizens; for example, to promote access to educational opportunities for women and girls in developing countries
- Elaboration examining First Nations Australian organisations and the services they provide
They explain the nature of resources, and how they meet needs and wants.
Content descriptorAC9HS5K08 Knowledge and understanding
types of resources, including natural, human and capital, and how they satisfy needs and wants
Elaborations (3)
- Elaboration categorising resources as natural such as water, coal, wheat; human such as workers, business owners, volunteers, managers; and capital such as tools, machines, technologies
- Elaboration identifying and categorising the factors of production used in the production of goods and services that satisfy the needs and wants of a local community
- Elaboration distinguishing between needs and wants, and how resources might be used more sustainably to meet these needs and wants into the future
Students develop questions and locate, collect and organise information and data from primary and secondary sources.
Content descriptorAC9HS5S01 Skills
develop questions to investigate people, events, developments, places and systems
Elaborations (3)
- Elaboration asking questions that address relevant disciplinary concepts before, during and after an investigation to frame and guide the stages of an inquiry; for example, “What caused Britain to establish Australian colonies after 1800?”, “What does this source indicate about the significance of an event?”, “How do secondary sources differ and what can I determine from primary sources?”, “How do the sources help me answer my questions and reach conclusions?”
- Elaboration developing different types of questions for different purposes, such as probing questions to seek details, open-ended questions to elicit more ideas, and practical questions to guide financial choices
- Elaboration developing questions to guide the identification and location of useful sources for an investigation or project; for example, “Is this source useful?”, “Who can help us do this project?”, “What rules/protocols must we follow when we do this inquiry/project?”, “What resources do we need to conduct this project?”
Content descriptorAC9HS5S02 Skills
locate, collect and organise information and data from primary and secondary sources in a range of formats
Elaborations (5)
- Elaboration finding information in primary sources about the past (for example, maps, stories, songs, music, dance, diaries, official documents, artworks, artefacts, newspapers of the day, advertisements) and about geography (for example, fieldwork and photographs), and from secondary sources (for example, books, internet articles, maps, plans and reports in digital and non-digital form)
- Elaboration using geospatial tools such as a globe, wall map or a digital application to collect information; for example, to identify the influences of people on the characteristics of places in other countries, or the location of information they have collected through fieldwork
- Elaboration conducting surveys or interviews to gather primary data that support decision-making processes when investigating an issue, and summarising the key points or particular points of view; for example, surveying the views of conflicting parties in a planning or environmental dispute
- Elaboration categorising information using digital and non-digital graphic organisers, such as flow charts, consequence wheels, futures timelines, Venn diagrams, decision-making matrixes and bibliography templates, for an appropriate purpose; for example, creating flow charts that show the steps in an electoral process such as a class vote or a local council election, or the sequence of steps to rehabilitate a natural area, or the sequence of actions in achieving a civic goal
- Elaboration constructing timelines, maps, tables and graphs using appropriate digital applications and cartographic conventions, such as border, source, scale, legend, title and north point, to display data and information; for example, the movement of peoples over time in a colony, a sequence of key events, the population growth of an Australian colony, cultural and religious groups in Australia at different times, information on needs and wants
They evaluate sources to determine origin and perspectives.
Content descriptorAC9HS5S04 Skills
evaluate primary and secondary sources to determine origin, purpose and perspectives
Elaborations (3)
- Elaboration identifying inferred messages, stereotypes and over-generalisations relating to age, gender, ethnicity, ability, religion and/or politics, and other beliefs or attitudes presented in sources and media of the past (for example, a newspaper caricature or photos of a colonial-era Chinese goldfield worker, businesspeople, First Nations Australians, South Sea Islander workers, women and children) and in sources and media of the present, such as social media opinions about a particular industry
- Elaboration evaluating the accuracy and the perspectives in information gained from primary and secondary sources; for example, checking publication details for the author of speeches, advertisements, campaign materials, symbols and how-to-vote cards, or comparing sources of evidence to identify similarities and/or differences in accounts of the past that reflect different perspectives
- Elaboration comparing sources of evidence to identify similarities and/or differences in accounts of and perspectives on the past; for example, comparing the differing experiences and feelings of miners, Chinese workers, women, children, leaders and First Nations Australian occupants during the Eureka Stockade; comparing colonial descriptions of Burke and Wills’ achievements with those that have been recently published giving First Nations Australian perspectives; comparing representations of Ned Kelly in past and present publications
Students evaluate information and data to identify and describe patterns or trends.
Content descriptorAC9HS5S03 Skills
evaluate information and data in a range of formats to identify and describe patterns and trends, or to infer relationships
Elaborations (3)
- Elaboration interpreting data presented in a line, bar, column or pie graph; for example, data about election results, common influences on the purchases of class members, the likelihood of an outcome or event reoccurring
- Elaboration examining visual and written sources to infer relationships; for example, examining photographs to see how people respond to droughts in enterprising ways; examining maps to investigate patterns in the characteristics of a place; investigating written sources to explore patterns in the development of colonial society
- Elaboration exploring maps and sources showing First Nations Australians’ language groups and Countries/Places, to explain the diversity of their connections to Country/Place
They suggest conclusions based on evidence.
Content descriptorAC9HS5S05 Skills
develop evidence-based conclusions
Elaborations (5)
- Elaboration identifying valid evidence that can be used to form a conclusion and considering the difference between a conclusion based on evidence and one based on personal preference or on the use of limited sources
- Elaboration drawing conclusions based on identified evidence from primary and secondary sources that consider differing information; for example, using analysis and evaluation of primary sources such as images, posters and newspaper articles, and secondary sources such as books and websites, on which to base conclusions
- Elaboration drawing conclusions that demonstrate consideration of questions, understanding of disciplinary concepts and evidence
- Elaboration drawing conclusions about a community and/or the environment; for example, changing democratic values from past to present, patterns of human consumption and changes in environments
- Elaboration considering the primary and secondary sources used and how this may have influenced the validity of the conclusions of the inquiry; for example, the reliability of information in a source such as a government agency website versus a private blog, the date a secondary source was created and the views that prevailed at the time
Students consider criteria in proposing actions or responses.
Content descriptorAC9HS5S06 Skills
propose actions or responses to issues or challenges and use criteria to assess the possible effects
Elaborations (6)
- Elaboration forecasting probable futures for an issue; for example, how native fauna populations might change if an introduced species such as the cane toad, carp, feral cats or rabbits continues to increase in population and proposing preferred futures that relate to the issue
- Elaboration undertaking a project that responds to an identified challenge or issue with strategies to be used that will achieve desired outcomes; for example, a school fundraising activity, an ecological preservation project, a school-based opinion poll about a relevant issue
- Elaboration asking questions in order to consider potential effects; for example, “What could be the effects of my purchasing decisions?”, “Are needs and wants the same for everyone?”, “Why can’t all needs and wants be satisfied?”, “How can I contribute to a sustainable environment?”
- Elaboration participating in a relevant democratic process, such as class votes, mock parliament and school decision-making processes such as student councils
- Elaboration making judgements about how effectively challenges have been addressed in the past (for example, relative success of a response to challenges during colonial settlement) or how effectively a current challenge is being addressed (for example, a response to an environmental issue or a strategy for economic development)
- Elaboration using criteria to evaluate the possible options that people could take to resolve challenges, such as improving water quality, managing excess waste and providing resources, and using criteria to improve responses in communities to environmental hazards; for example, considering economic factors such as needs, wants and costs, as well as environmental, health and social factors
Students select ideas and findings from sources and use relevant terms and conventions, to present descriptions and explanations.
Content descriptorAC9HS5S07 Skills
present descriptions and explanations, drawing ideas, findings and viewpoints from sources, and using relevant terms and conventions
Elaborations (2)
- Elaboration selecting and referencing ideas and viewpoints from letters, graphs, tables, timelines, photographs and pictures, in descriptions and explanations
- Elaboration using accurate and subject-appropriate terms; for example, historical terms such as “colonial”, “the gold era”, “migration” and “penal”; geographic terms such as “characteristics”, “environmental”, “human”, “ecosystems”, “sustainable”, “settlement” and “management”; civics terms such as “electoral process”, “democracy”, “shared beliefs”; and economic terms such as “scarcity”, “choices”, “resources”, and “needs and wants”
This achievement standard describes the expected learning for Year 5 Humanities and Social Sciences. Use it to plan teaching and assessment with the Australian Curriculum v9.
At a Glance
| Strand | Substrand | CDs | Elaborations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Knowledge and understanding | History | 3 | 12 |
| Knowledge and understanding | Geography | 2 | 6 |
| Knowledge and understanding | Civics and Citizenship | 2 | 10 |
| Knowledge and understanding | Economics and Business | 1 | 3 |
| Skills | Questioning and researching | 2 | 8 |
| Skills | Interpreting, analysing and evaluating | 2 | 6 |
| Skills | Concluding and decision-making | 2 | 11 |
| Skills | Communicating | 1 | 2 |
| Total | 15 | 58 | |
Frequently Asked Questions
What should students know by the end of Year 5 Humanities and Social Sciences?
By the end of Year 5, students explain the causes for the establishment of the British colonies in Australia after 1800. They explain the roles of significant individuals or groups in the development of an Australian colony and the impact of those developments. Read the full standard
How many Content Descriptors support this standard?
15 Content Descriptors support this Achievement Standard (Knowledge and understanding: 8, Skills: 7).
How does this compare to Year 4?
The Year 4 Humanities and Social Sciences standard (ASHASHASY4) covers the preceding curriculum level. Standards build progressively, with Year 5 expectations extending what was introduced in Year 4.
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.