Year 6
Humanities and Social Sciences
ASHASHASY6
Year 6 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 6, students explain the roles of significant people, events and ideas that led to Australian Federation, democracy and citizenship. They explain the causes and effects of migration to Australia since Federation. They explain the geographical diversity of places and the effects of interconnections with other countries. Students explain the key institutions, roles and responsibilities of Australia’s levels of government, and democratic values and beliefs. They explain influences on consumers and strategies for informed consumer and financial choices.
Students develop questions, and locate, collect and organise information and data from a range of primary and secondary sources. They evaluate sources to determine origin, purpose and perspectives. Students evaluate a range of information and data formats to identify and describe patterns, trends or inferred relationships. They evaluate evidence to draw conclusions. Students propose actions or responses and use criteria to assess the possible effects. Students select and organise ideas and findings from sources, and use a range of 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 6, students explain the roles of significant people, events and ideas that led to Australian Federation, democracy and citizenship.
Content descriptorAC9HS6K01 Knowledge and understanding
significant individuals, events and ideas that led to Australia’s Federation, the Constitution and democratic system of government
Elaborations (3)
- Elaboration studying Australia’s path to Federation through an examination of key people and events, such as Henry Parkes, Edmund Barton, Alfred Deakin, George Reid, John Quick, the Tenterfield Oration, the Corowa Conference and the referendums held in the colonies between 1898 and 1900
- Elaboration exploring how the United States of America’s model of federalism (the Washington system) contributed to the ideas for Andrew Clark’s first draft of the Constitution
- Elaboration investigating how Australia’s system of law and government has origins in the Magna Carta, the English Civil War and Westminster system and, therefore, why we have a constitutional monarchy and why there was a separation of powers (legislative, executive, judiciary)
Content descriptorAC9HS6K02 Knowledge and understanding
changes in Australia's political system and to Australian citizenship after Federation and throughout the 20th century that impacted First Nations Australians, migrants, women and children
Elaborations (4)
- Elaboration describing the significance of the 1962 right to vote federally and the importance of the 1967 referendum for First Nations Australians
- Elaboration investigating the developments in advancing democracy and citizenship for women, such as the suffragette movement, the right to vote, the bar on married women working, equal pay and the Sex Discrimination Act 1984
- Elaboration investigating the developments in advancing democracy and citizenship for all citizens, including migrant groups; for example, the establishment of the minimum wage, anti-discrimination legislation and official national multicultural policy
- Elaboration investigating the experiences of children who were placed in orphanages, homes and other institutions; for example, their food and shelter, protection, education and contacts with family
They explain the causes and effects of migration to Australia since Federation.
Content descriptorAC9HS6K03 Knowledge and understanding
the motivation of people migrating to Australia since Federation and throughout the 20th century, their stories and effects on Australian society, including migrants from the Asia region
Elaborations (6)
- Elaboration exploring push and pull factors that have contributed to people migrating to Australia, including economic factors, conflict and seeking political refuge, and inquiring into why particular 20th century migrant groups came to Australia; for example, migrants from Europe following the Second World War, migrants from South-East Asia due to conflict, the Assisted Passage Migration scheme
- Elaboration exploring individual narratives, using primary sources such as letters, documents and historical objects to interview and record an oral history of, for example, migration related to students’ own family histories, and then outlining the journey and circumstances of arrival based on the sources, using approaches such as drama or digital presentations.
- Elaboration describing cultural practices related to family life, beliefs and customs of newly arrived migrant groups and exploring how these practices changed the communities in which they settled within Australia
- Elaboration examining population data that show the places of birth of Australia’s people at one or more points of time in the past and today
- Elaboration investigating the role of specific cultural groups in Australia’s economic and social development in, for example, the cattle industry, the Snowy Mountains Scheme and the pearling industry
- Elaboration considering the contributions to Australia of notable Australians who were migrants or from migrant families, across a range of fields; for example, Hieu Van Le (the 35th Governor of South Australia), Sir Frank Lowy, Marita Cheng, Dame Marie Bashir
They explain the geographical diversity of places and the effects of interconnections with other countries.
Content descriptorAC9HS6K04 Knowledge and understanding
the geographical diversity and location of places in the Asia region, and its location in relation to Australia
Elaborations (6)
- Elaboration exploring the diversity of environments and types of settlement in the Asia region, in part of the region, or in a country in North-East, South-East or South Asia and discussing any patterns
- Elaboration investigating the differences in the population size and life expectancy of people in different Asian countries
- Elaboration describing the location of places in countries of the Asia region in absolute terms, using latitude and longitude
- Elaboration comparing the daily lives of people in other countries, in terms of food, clothing, personal and household goods, housing and education, and differences between the wealthy and poor in a country
- Elaboration identifying examples of Indigenous peoples who live in different regions in Asia, such as Orang Asli of Malaysia and Indonesia, the Tibetans and the Mongols, and appreciating their similarities and differences, and the ways they have lived sustainably over time
- Elaboration researching the proportion of the Australian population and of the population from their local area who were born in each world cultural region, using data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, and then comparing aspects of selected cultures
Content descriptorAC9HS6K05 Knowledge and understanding
Australia’s interconnections with other countries and how these change people and places
Elaborations (3)
- Elaboration using geospatial tools such as a globe, wall map or a digital application, to identify the geographical divisions of the world, including the Asia and Pacific regions
- Elaboration researching connections between Australia and countries in the Asia and Pacific regions in terms of migration, trade, tourism, aid, education, defence or cultural influences, and explaining the effects of at least one of these connections on their own place and another place in Australia
- Elaboration exploring the provision of Australian government or non-government aid to a country in the Asia and Pacific regions or elsewhere in the world and analysing its effects on places in that country
Students explain the key institutions, roles and responsibilities of Australia’s levels of government, and democratic values and beliefs.
Content descriptorAC9HS6K06 Knowledge and understanding
the key institutions of Australia’s system of government, how it is based on the Westminster system, and the key values and beliefs of Western democracies
Elaborations (6)
- Elaboration explaining the role of the monarchy and its representatives in Australia, including the Governor-General, and the parliaments and courts in Australia’s system of government
- Elaboration comparing the Australian system of government with the Westminster system; for example, recognising that the House of Representatives and the Senate in Australia are a Lower and Upper House of Parliament, as are the House of Commons and the House of Lords in the Westminster system, but the Senate has elected members
- Elaboration investigating sites, virtually or in situ, associated with key democratic institutions to explore their roles, such as Parliament House and the High Court in Canberra
- Elaboration exploring how bills are debated and scrutinised; for example, the role of parliamentary committees and the ability of citizens to make submissions to these committees
- Elaboration examining the role of the Executive in relation to the development of policies and the introduction of bills, including the role of Cabinet in approving the drafting of a bill and the role of the public service in drafting and implementing legislation
- Elaboration investigating the impact of the Western democracies such as France and the United States of America on our constitution, and the impact of British law on the Australian system of law, as well as the origin of values such as freedom of speech, equality before the law and social justice
Content descriptorAC9HS6K07 Knowledge and understanding
the roles and responsibilities of the 3 levels of government in Australia
Elaborations (5)
- Elaboration sorting and categorising the roles and responsibilities of the 3 levels of government (local, state/territory and federal)
- Elaboration identifying issues where federal and state parliaments both have the power to make laws, and recognising that federal law will override the state law if federal and state laws conflict on these issues
- Elaboration investigating the origins of new laws; for example, from party policy, perhaps announced during an election campaign; from suggestions by members and senators; from interest groups in the community
- Elaboration identifying instances where there may be multiple levels of government involved; for example, in relation to the environment such as management of the Murray–Darling river system
- Elaboration categorising the different types of laws and regulations in their community, which level of government makes those laws, and who enforces them; for example, road laws, health laws, pollution laws
They explain influences on consumers and strategies for informed consumer and financial choices.
Content descriptorAC9HS6K08 Knowledge and understanding
influences on consumer choices and strategies that can be used to help make informed personal consumer and financial choices
Elaborations (6)
- Elaboration identifying goods they have purchased, and categorising and explaining factors that influence consumer purchasing decisions, including personal preferences, social trends, economic factors such as budgets and the amount of money available to spend, psychological factors such as advertising and peer pressure, and cultural, environmental, legal and ethical factors
- Elaboration comparing the influence of a variety of selling and advertising strategies used by businesses on consumer choices; for example, the influence of television and internet advertising compared to email promotions
- Elaboration recognising that financial transactions can include the use of notes, coins, credit and debit cards, and barter items; explaining the advantages and disadvantages of the different transaction types; and considering how these may influence the way people purchase items
- Elaboration exploring the strategies that can be used when making consumer and financial decisions, such as finding more information, comparing prices, keeping a record of money spent and saving for the future
- Elaboration exploring how a decision to buy an item at the local supermarket affects the family (for example, “Did the family have to put off buying another item to have this one?”) and the local community, such as providing jobs
- Elaboration considering if their actions affect the environment; for example, “Does choosing local products rather than imports affect the environment?”
Students develop questions, and locate, collect and organise information and data from a range of primary and secondary sources.
Content descriptorAC9HS6S01 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 the inquiry; for example, “What were the effects of migration on Australia?”, “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 research questions for different purposes, such as probing questions to seek details, open-ended questions to elicit more ideas, practical questions to guide the application of enterprising behaviours, and ethical questions regarding sensitivities and cultural protocol
- Elaboration mind-mapping a concept to create research questions that reveal connections between economic, political, and/or environmental systems; for example, “How do the purchases my family makes influence the environment?”, “How do laws aim to ensure sustainable use of resources in the products we use?”, “What actions can consumers take to ensure their purchases protect the environment?”
Content descriptorAC9HS6S02 Skills
locate, collect and organise information and data from primary and secondary sources in a range of formats
Elaborations (5)
- Elaboration determining the most appropriate range of methods to find information, including digital tools, such as personal observation, interviews and surveys, internet searches, census data, and primary and secondary sources, and using excursions and field trips; for example, a study trip to wetlands, or a visit to a war memorial, a cultural site, an Asian food festival, a courthouse, a town hall, a not-for-profit enterprise or a bank
- Elaboration identifying key words to search for relevant information when using search tools, such as internet search engines and library catalogues and indexes, and recognising that internet domain names ‘com’, ‘edu’ and ‘gov’ indicate the provenance of a source
- Elaboration surveying businesses in the local area to find out what influences their choices concerning the way they provide goods and services
- Elaboration creating maps, using spatial technologies and cartographic conventions as appropriate, including border, source, scale, legend, title and north point, to show information and data such as location; for example, a large-scale map to show the location of places and their features in Australia and countries of Asia; a flow map or small-scale map to show the connections Australia has with Asian countries such as shipping or migration
- Elaboration developing flow charts to show steps in a sequence; for example, the flow of goods and services, the passage of a bill through parliament, the chain of events leading to the Formal Apology to the Stolen Generations, and timelines to show the chronological sequence of key events, ideas, movements and lives
They evaluate sources to determine origin, purpose and perspectives.
Content descriptorAC9HS6S04 Skills
evaluate primary and secondary sources to determine origin, purpose and perspectives
Elaborations (4)
- Elaboration examining the publishing details and content of a text to help clarify the publication’s purpose, to distinguish fact from opinion, to identify potential bias in the content, to assess its relevance, and to put information presented in a historical or geographical context
- Elaboration identifying persuasive techniques such as modality (for example, “would”, “could”, “may” and “might”) and the use of the passive voice (for example, “It is claimed by the government that…”) rather than the active voice (for example, “The government claims that...”), and considering reasons for these choices
- Elaboration discussing issues explored through sources where there are, or were, a range of views, such as deportation of South Sea Islanders from 1901, the vote for women, how to manage an environment more sustainably and the encouragement of migration, and proposing reasons for different perspectives
- Elaboration evaluating points of view about a sustainability issue; for example, considering producers’ and consumers’ views on the sustainable use of resources and the expertise of people expressing views
Students evaluate a range of information and data formats to identify and describe patterns, trends or inferred relationships.
Content descriptorAC9HS6S03 Skills
evaluate information and data in a range of formats to identify and describe patterns and trends, or to infer relationships
Elaborations (4)
- Elaboration examining sources to identify the causes, effects and significance of past events, developments and achievements in bringing about change; for example, the causes, effects and significance of the struggles for legal rights such as the Wave Hill walk-off and the Wik decision, and health and migration policies
- Elaboration using graphic organisers, maps and concept maps to identify patterns, such as settlement in regional agricultural areas, trends (for example, changes in Australian immigration statistics) and cause–effect relationships (for example, relationships between war and the movement of refugees), and the effects of consumer decisions on the individual, the broader community and on environmental sustainability
- Elaboration evaluating attitudes and actions of the past that now seem strange and unacceptable, and imagining what aspects of current society may be viewed in this way in the future
- Elaboration proposing reasons why socially sustainable practices such as negotiation, arbitration, reconciliation and cultural mediation resolve issues peacefully
They evaluate evidence to draw conclusions.
Content descriptorAC9HS6S05 Skills
develop evidence-based conclusions
Elaborations (3)
- 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 bias or preference, or one that is based on use of limited sources
- Elaboration drawing conclusions based on identified evidence; for example, using census data to construct arguments for and against migration; using business council information to identify the ways different businesses provide goods and services to a community
- Elaboration drawing conclusions that demonstrate consideration of questions, understanding of disciplinary concepts and evidence
Students propose actions or responses and use criteria to assess the possible effects.
Content descriptorAC9HS6S06 Skills
propose actions or responses to issues or challenges and use criteria to assess the possible effects
Elaborations (5)
- Elaboration planning a project, campaign or enterprise around an identified challenge with specification of the sequence of tasks and activities, responsibilities and deadlines
- Elaboration brainstorming solutions to an issue that is significant to a group, collecting evidence to build a case for action that takes account of alternative views, minimises risks and mitigates any negative outcomes, and using negotiation to reach consensus on a preferred approach to resolving the issue
- Elaboration relating the decisions made by individuals and organisations to criteria used to evaluate options; for example, the criteria for Australian of the Year, for the award of the Order of Australia, for the selection of a school captain
- Elaboration determining a preferred option for action by identifying the advantages and disadvantages of different proposals, surveying people’s views and opinions, analysing the data, and debating and voting on alternatives
- Elaboration identifying the possible social, cultural, economic and environmental effects of consumer or financial choices and developing strategies to minimise negative effects
Students select and organise ideas and findings from sources, and use a range of relevant terms and conventions, to present descriptions and explanations.
Content descriptorAC9HS6S07 Skills
present descriptions and explanations, drawing ideas, findings and viewpoints from sources, and using relevant terms and conventions
Elaborations (2)
- Elaboration composing informative and persuasive texts, supported by evidence, to describe and explain conclusions from their economic, civic, historical and geographical inquiries
- Elaboration selecting and referencing findings and viewpoints from sources and visual materials such as journals, diaries, graphs, tables, timelines, photographs and pictures, in descriptions and explanations
This achievement standard describes the expected learning for Year 6 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 | 13 |
| Knowledge and understanding | Geography | 2 | 9 |
| Knowledge and understanding | Civics and Citizenship | 2 | 11 |
| Knowledge and understanding | Economics and Business | 1 | 6 |
| Skills | Questioning and researching | 2 | 8 |
| Skills | Interpreting, analysing and evaluating | 2 | 8 |
| Skills | Concluding and decision-making | 2 | 8 |
| Skills | Communicating | 1 | 2 |
| Total | 15 | 65 | |
Frequently Asked Questions
What should students know by the end of Year 6 Humanities and Social Sciences?
By the end of Year 6, students explain the roles of significant people, events and ideas that led to Australian Federation, democracy and citizenship. They explain the causes and effects of migration to Australia since Federation. 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 5?
The Year 5 Humanities and Social Sciences standard (ASHASHASY5) covers the preceding curriculum level. Standards build progressively, with Year 6 expectations extending what was introduced in Year 5.
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.