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DARLINGTON | MRAZ | PHELAN | RICHARDSON
JACARANDA HUMANITIES ALIVE 7 VICTORIAN CURRICULUM THIRD EDITION
VICTORIAN CURRICULUM
JACARANDA HUMANITIES ALIVE 7
VICTORIAN CURRICULUM | THIRD EDITION
ROBERT DARLINGTON JUDY MRAZ MATTHEW RICHARDSON CATHY BEDSON JEANA KRIEWALDT ANNE LOW
SIMON PHELAN BENJAMIN ROOD ALEX SCOTT
CONTRIBUTING AUTHORS BENJAMIN WHITE
VICTORIAN CURRICULUM
Third edition published 2025 by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd Level 4, 600 Bourke Street, Melbourne, Vic 3000
The Publishers of this series acknowledge and pay their respects to Aboriginal Peoples and Torres Strait Islander Peoples as the traditional custodians of the land on which this resource was produced. This suite of resources may include references to (including names, images, footage or voices of) people of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander heritage who are deceased. These images and references have been included to help Australian students from all cultural backgrounds develop a better understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples’ history, culture and lived experience. It is strongly recommended that teachers examine resources on topics related to Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Cultures and Peoples to assess their suitability for their own specific class and school context. It is also recommended that teachers know and follow the guidelines laid down by the relevant educational authorities and local Elders or community advisors regarding content about all First Nations Peoples. All activities in this resource have been written with the safety of both teacher and student in mind. Some, however, involve physical activity or the use of equipment or tools. All due care should be taken when performing such activities. To the maximum extent permitted by law, the authors and publisher disclaim all responsibility and liability for any injury or loss that may be sustained when completing activities described in this resource. The publisher acknowledges ongoing discussions related to gender-based population data. At the time of publishing, there was insufficient data available to allow for the meaningful analysis of trends and patterns to broaden our discussion of demographics beyond male and female gender identification.
First edition published 2017 Second edition published 2020
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Contents
Meet our author team ................................................................... vi About this resource ........................................................................ ix Acknowledgements ..................................................................... xvi Understanding cognitive verbs .................................
3.6 What is the truth about the pyramids? .......... 97 3.7 Who were Tutankhamun, Akhenaten and Nefertiti? ..................................................... 102 3.8 What were the effects of war and trade? .... 106 3.9 Rameses II — Egypt’s greatest pharaoh? ... 110 3.10 What should we thank the Egyptians for? ... 115 3.11 Inquiry: How have powerful women been recorded and treated in history? ................. 118 3.12 Review ........................................................ 121
HISTORY
1 Historical concepts and skills 1 1.1 Overview ......................................................... 2 1.2 Historical concepts and skills ......................... 4 1.3 SkillBuilder: Historical questions ....................................... 1.4 SkillBuilder: Chronology ............... 1.5 SkillBuilder: Using historical sources .......................................... 1.6 SkillBuilder: Continuity and change ........................................... 1.7 SkillBuilder: Causes and consequences ............................... 1.8 SkillBuilder: Historical significance ................................... 1.9 SkillBuilder: Communicating ........ 1.10 Review .......................................................... 13 2 Deep Time to modern era 17 2.1 Overview ....................................................... 18 2.2 How do we learn about Deep Time in Australia? ...................................................... 20 2.3 What is meant by Country and creation? ...... 24 2.4 How has landscape and life changed? ......... 28 2.5 Living with the megafauna ............................ 31 2.6 What is connection to Country and kin? ....... 36 2.7 What beliefs and values shaped everyday life? ................................................ 40 2.8 How did trade and technology develop in ancient Australia? ......................................... 45 2.9 How was land managed? ............................. 51 2.10 How do we care for Country and Place? ...... 56 2.11 How is connection to culture and Country continuing? ..................................... 62 2.12 Inquiry: Should we return ancestral remains from museums? .............................. 66 2.13 Review .......................................................... 68 3 Ancient Egypt 73 3.1 Overview ....................................................... 74 3.2 How do we know about ancient Egypt? ....... 76 3.3 Why was the River Nile so important? .......... 80 3.4 What was Egyptian society like? ................... 85 3.5 What did ancient Egyptians believe? ............ 92
4 Ancient Greece 4.1 Overview
4.2 How do we know about ancient Greece? 4.3 Who were the Minoans and Mycenaeans? 4.4 What was the Greek ‘Dark Age’? 4.5 How were Athens and Sparta governed?
4.6 What was life like in Sparta? 4.7 What was life like in Athens? 4.8 What do we know about Greek laws, myths, gods and oracles? 4.9 What were the Olympic Games? 4.10 How was Greece changed by wars? 4.11 What is the heritage of ancient Greece? 4.12 Inquiry: Did the Spartans really kill their weak babies? 4.13 Review 127 5.1 Overview ..................................................... 128 5.2 How do we know about ancient Rome? ..... 130 5.3 How did Rome become so powerful? ......... 134 5.4 How did the Roman Empire grow? ............. 138 5.5 Why was the Roman army so successful? ................................................. 142 5.6 How was Rome ruled? ................................ 145 5.7 How brutal was Roman slavery? ................. 150 5.8 What was it like to live in the Roman Empire? ...................................................... 153 5.9 What did ancient Romans believe about death? ........................................................ 158 5.10 How did ancient Roman laws and religion change? ......................................... 160 5.11 Why did the Roman Empire fall? ................. 165 5.12 What is Rome’s heritage? ........................... 169 5.13 Inquiry: How bad was Emperor Nero? ........ 173 5.14 Review ........................................................ 176
5 Ancient Rome
CONTENTS iii
8.11 SkillBuilder: Annotating a
6 Ancient India 6.1 Overview
photograph ....................................
8.12 SkillBuilder: Interpreting
diagrams ....................................... 8.13 SkillBuilder: Cardinal points — Wind roses .............................................. 8.14 SkillBuilder: Creating a concept diagram ......................................... 8.15 SkillBuilder: Understanding satellite images ........................................... 8.16 Review ........................................................ 239 9 Water in the world 243 9.1 Overview ..................................................... 244 9.2 What type of resource is water? ................. 246 9.3 How does groundwater connect people andplace? .................................................. 252 9.4 Why is water supply variable? .................... 259 9.5 Investigating topographic maps: The value of water in Noosa .............................. 268 9.6 Does everyone have enough water? ........... 271 9.7 How do we overcome water scarcity? ..................................................... 279 9.8 What are the causes and impacts of hydrometeorological hazards? .................... 291 9.9 What are the causes and impacts of droughts and flooding rain? ........................ 297 9.10 Why does the wind blow? ........................... 309 9.11 What are the causes and impacts of extreme weather? ....................................... 316 9.12 What are the causes and impacts of cyclones? ................................................... 323 9.13 Inquiry: What is the water quality of a local waterway? .......................................... 332 9.14 Review ........................................................ 334 10 Place and liveability 341 10.1 Overview ..................................................... 342 10.2 What is liveability? ...................................... 344 10.3 What makes a place liveable? .................... 348 10.4 Where are the most liveable cities? ............ 356 10.5 What is it like to live in remote places? ....................................................... 360 10.6 Country vs city living ................................... 369 10.7 What makes a liveable and non-liveable city? ............................................................ 377 10.8 What makes communities liveable? ............ 385 10.9 What is connection to Country? .................. 391 10.10 Investigating topographic maps — Liveability in Badu and Moa ........................ 399 10.11 How do places change? ............................. 401 10.12 What is the connection between liveability and sustainable living? ................ 409 10.13 How can liveability be improved? ............... 413 10.14 Inquiry: What are the characteristics of liveable cities? ............................................ 420 10.15 Review ........................................................ 422
6.2 How do we know about ancient India? 6.3 What is the geography of India? 6.4 What are the lost cities of the Indus Valley? 6.5 New people, new ideas 6.6 What was significant about the Mauryan Empire? 6.7 Who was Ashoka the Great? 6.8 What was the social structure of Ancient India? 6.9 Inquiry: What was behind Ashoka the Great’s sudden change in leadership style? 6.10 Review
7 Ancient China
183 7.1 Overview ..................................................... 184 7.2 How do we know about ancient China? ..... 186 7.3 How did China’s civilisation begin? ............. 189 7.4 What were life and death like in ancient China? ........................................................ 193 7.5 How did China’s civilisation affect its environment? .............................................. 198 7.6 What were the influences of Confucianism, religions and laws? .............. 201 7.7 How did the first emperor change China? ... 205 7.8 Why did the Han dynasty rise and fall? ....... 210 7.9 What is the heritage of ancient China? ....... 215 7.10 Inquiry: How should we judge the legacy of Qin Shihuang? ........................................ 219 7.11 Review ........................................................ 221
GEOGRAPHY
8 Geographical concepts and skills 227 8.1 Overview ..................................................... 228 8.2 Geographical concepts and skills ............... 230 8.3 SkillBuilder: Geographical inquiry ............................................ 8.4 SkillBuilder: Concluding and decision-making ...........................
8.5 SkillBuilder: Communicating ........ 8.6 SkillBuilder: Using topographic maps .............................................. 8.7 SkillBuilder: Interpreting topological maps .............................................. 8.8 SkillBuilder: Using alphanumeric grid references ..................................... 8.9 SkillBuilder: Drawing a climate graph ............................................. 8.10 SkillBuilder: Creating and analysing overlay maps .................................
iv CONTENTS
CIVICS AND CITIZENSHIP
ECONOMICS AND BUSINESS
11 Civics and Citizenship concepts and skills 427 11.1 Overview ..................................................... 428 11.2 Civics and Citizenship concepts and skills ........................................................... 430 11.3 SkillBuilder: Investigating contemporary Civics and Citizenship issues ............................................ 11.4 SkillBuilder: Evaluating democratic institutions and systems .............. 11.5 SkillBuilder: Participating in civic processes ...................................... 11.6 SkillBuilder: Communicating ........ 11.7 Review ........................................................ 435 12 Government and democracy 439 12.1 Overview ..................................................... 440 12.2 How do political parties shape Australia’s democracy? ................................................ 442 12.3 How does Australia’s parliamentary system work? ............................................. 446 12.4 How do state and territory parliaments work? .......................................................... 450 12.5 Why do we share power between different levels of government? ................... 454 12.6 How can citizens participate in Australia’s democracy? ............................... 460 12.7 How do Australia’s institutions protect our democratic freedoms? .......................... 464 12.8 Inquiry: How do we share the power? ......... 469 12.9 Review ........................................................ 471 13 Laws and citizens 475 13.1 Overview ..................................................... 476 13.2 What are the principles of justice? .............. 478 13.3 Where did our justice system come from? .......................................................... 483 13.4 How do Australian courts work? ................. 487 13.5 What is a fair trial? ...................................... 493 13.6 Can everyone access justice? .................... 501 13.7 Inquiry: Can community action make a difference? .................................................. 506 13.8 Review ........................................................ 507 14 Citizenship, diversity and identity 511 14.1 Overview ..................................................... 512 14.2 Australia’s diverse society ........................... 514 14.3 What role does religion play in Australian society? ...................................................... 518 14.4 How do we promote cohesion in Australian society? ..................................... 522 14.5 Inquiry: Will the Religious Discrimination Bill protect us? ............................................ 525 14.6 Review ........................................................ 527
15 Economics and Business concepts and skills 531 15.1 Overview ..................................................... 532 15.2 Economics and Business concepts and skills ..................................................... 534 15.3 SkillBuilder: Investigating ............. 15.4 SkillBuilder: Interpreting and analysing data and information .................... 15.5 SkillBuilder: Evaluating, concluding and decision-making .................... 15.6 SkillBuilder: Communicating ........ 15.7 Review ........................................................ 541 16 How markets work 545 16.1 Overview ..................................................... 546 16.2 What are our needs and wants? ................. 548 16.3 What types of businesses exist? ................. 553 16.4 What is economic sustainability? ................ 559 16.5 What is meant by demand and supply in the market? ................................................ 562 16.6 What are your rights as a consumer? ......... 566 16.7 What responsibilities do businesses, producers and government have to you? ... 572 16.8 Inquiry: How is Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples economics sustainable? ............................................... 580 16.9 Review ........................................................ 582 17 Working for a living 587 17.1 Overview ..................................................... 588 17.2 Why do people work? ................................. 590 17.3 What types of work are there? .................... 594 17.4 How do you earn an income? ..................... 600 17.5 What is the role of entrepreneurs? .............. 605 17.6 What responsibilities come with working? ..................................................... 608 17.7 How are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples entrepreneurs? ................ 612 17.8 Inquiry: Who are the innovators and entrepreneurs? ........................................... 616 17.9 Review ........................................................ 618
Glossary ................................................................................ 622 Index ...................................................................................... 630
CONTENTS v
Meet our author team
Robert Darlington Robert specialises in History and Economic History, serving at several schools as a teacher and Head Teacher of History. Robert is now a highly respected and full-time author and has written History resources for publishers including Kangaroo Press, Heinemann Education, Routledge, Raintree Steck-Vaughn, Harcourt Education, the ABC education website, and Jacaranda. JudyMraz Judy Mraz is a respected Australian Geography educator and author, known for her significant contributions to advancing Geography education. Her work, including authoring for the Jacaranda Humanities Alive series, has had a lasting impact on Geography teaching across Australia. Matthew Richardson Matt Richardson is a Humanities and Commerce teacher at Ballarat High School with over 25 years’ experience. Matt is the co-author of several Jacaranda textbooks in the areas of Business Management, Legal Studies, Economics and Business, and Civics and Citizenship. Cathy Bedson With over 35 years of teaching experience in Humanities and Civics curriculum development, Cathy has also tutored, mentored, assessed, prepared exams, and delivered professional learning for teachers. Cathy has worked with Jacaranda for over 20 years, authoring and contributing to resources in Civics, Geography, and Legal Studies. Jeana Kriewaldt Jeana is a Geography/Humanities educator at the University of Melbourne, focusing on sustainability research. She has held leadership roles in schools and universities and contributed to VCAA exams and curriculum reviews. Jeana has authored textbooks for years 7 to 12. Anne Low Anne has taught History and English for over 40 years. Anne is co-author on a range of Jacaranda texts written for the Victorian, New South Wales, Queensland and Western Australian History syllabi. Anne’s qualifications include an MA Modern History of the Asia–Pacific region. Simon Phelan Simon Phelan has taught at government and independent schools over the past 39 years. He is currently a Senior Commerce teacher and Year 11 Coordinator at Penola Catholic College, and Accounting Coordinator in the Faculty of Education Master of Teaching program at Melbourne University. Simon is an experienced VCAA examination assessor.
vi MEET OUR AUTHOR TEAM
Benjamin Rood Benjamin Rood has been teaching in the Humanities area for 18 years. Specialising in Geography, History and Civics and Citizenship, Benjamin currently teaches at McKinnon Secondary College. AlexScott Alex Scott is currently the Head of Politics at Penleigh and Essendon Grammar School Middle School campuses. He has taught Geography, Politics and History for over 25 years. He is an avid conservationist and has recently appeared on Gardening Australia promoting the Raising Rarity Program with the Victorian Royal Botanic Gardens team. Benjamin White Ben is the Director of Learning and Teaching at a regional secondary school in Victoria. Ben is a passionate English, Literature and Humanities teacher who enjoys making complex ideas accessible.
MEET OUR AUTHOR TEAM vii
About this resource
VICTORIAN CURRICULUM v2.0
Developed by teachers for students Every lesson in the new Jacaranda Humanities Alive series has been carefully designed to support teachers and to help students by sparking curiosity and engagement through discussion and Humanities skills activities JACARANDA HUMANITIES ALIVE7 VICTORIAN CURRICULUM THIRD EDITION
Because both what and how students learn matter
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Students: Challenge yourself, build confidence, and grow through purposeful practice on Australia’s leading platform. Teachers: Encourage persistence with tasks that develop resilience and drive meaningful learning outcomes.
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ABOUT THIS RESOURCE ix
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ABOUT THIS RESOURCE xi
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xii ABOUT THIS RESOURCE
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ABOUT THIS RESOURCE xiii
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ABOUT THIS RESOURCE
Acknowledgements Every effort has been made to trace the ownership of copyright material. Information that will enable the publisher to rectify any error or omission in subsequent reprints will be welcome. In such cases, please contact the Permissions Section of John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd. The full list of acknowledgements can be found here: www.jacaranda.com.au/acknowledgements/#2025
xvi ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
1 Historical concepts and skills LESSON SEQUENCE
1.1 Overview ....................................................................................................................................................................... 2 1.2 Historical concepts and skills .................................................................................................................................... 4 1.3 SkillBuilder: Historical questions ........................................................................................................... 1.4 SkillBuilder: Chronology ......................................................................................................................... 1.5 SkillBuilder: Using historical sources ................................................................................................... 1.6 SkillBuilder: Continuity and change ...................................................................................................... 1.7 SkillBuilder: Causes and consequences .............................................................................................. 1.8 SkillBuilder: Historical significance ....................................................................................................... 1.9 SkillBuilder: Communicating .................................................................................................................. 1.10 Review ......................................................................................................................................................................... 13
LESSON1.1 Overview
INQUIRY QUESTION Why is the ancient world important to study, and what skills do I need to understand History? Our study starts in a period called the Old Stone Age, when the ancestors of every modern human on our planet lived in Africa. We then follow the path of these human-like species, who migrated out of Africa less than 100 000 years ago. Most archaeologists believe that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians arrived in Australia between 50 000 and 65 000 years ago and possibly much earlier, spreading throughout the land over many thousands of years. Approximately 11 000 years ago, people in the Middle East changed from hunting and gathering to a way of life based on farming. Gradually, farming spread, enabling people to live in settled communities from times around 3000 and 2000 BCE.
eWorkbook Customisable worksheets for this topic
Digital document Key terms glossary Video eLesson History concepts and skills
This timeline is divided into 1000-year sections.
Key dates and brief descriptions of events are given.
The timeline is broken to show a break in the time scale.
1279 BCE Rameses the Great becomes pharaoh of Egypt.
1100 BCE Decline of Mycenaean civilisation on Greek mainland
356 BCE Alexander the Great is born.
c. 2900 BCE Earliest known writing recorded in Mesopotamia.
c. 2550 BCE Great Pyramid built at Giza in Egypt.
776 BCE First known Olympic Games
2000 BCE Knossos palace built on Crete.
3000
2000
1000
BCE
PREHISTORY
ANCIENT HISTORY
2 Jacaranda Humanities Alive 7 Victorian Curriculum Third Edition
SkillBuilder
Use the SkillBuilder activities to develop these Historical concepts and skills: • HISTORICAL QUESTIONS • CHRONOLOGY
• USING HISTORICAL SOURCES • CONTINUITY AND CHANGE • CAUSES AND CONSEQUENCES • HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE • COMMUNICATING
Where appropriate, a timeline is divided into eras.
Brackets are used to mark a specific period of history.
392 CE Christianity becomes
900 CE Most Mayan
221 BCE First Qin emperor
cities in decline (South America)
1500 CE World sea exploration begins.
146 BCE Rome conquers Greece.
1340 CE Black Death
the official religion of Roman Empire.
1789 CE French Revolution
632 CE Death of Mohammed
unifies China.
reaches Europe.
BCE
1000
2000
CE
CE
MEDIEVAL HISTORY
MODERN HISTORY
TOPIC1 Historical concepts and skills 3
LESSON1.2 Historical concepts and skills
LEARNING INTENTION By the end of this lesson you should be able to: • identify the historical concepts and skills • explain why they are important.
1.2.1 Introduction Although the ancient civilisations disappeared a long time ago, much evidence of the ancient past has been left behind. Our modern society can trace aspects of its origins back to people or civilisations that existed thousands of years ago. We can thank the ancient Egyptians for some aspects of modern architecture and the art of writing; the ancient Greeks for developments in medicine, mathematics, science and philosophy; the ancient Romans for their influence on art and architecture and our modern political and legal system; and the ancient Chinese for many technologies, including the compass, paper and printing, and gunpowder. Our societies operate in many ways that are similar to those that existed thousands of years ago. We, as historians, can study similarities from the evidence that these societies left behind, examining such things as art and religion, currency, laws and regulations, trade routes, writing and language. 1.2.2 Historical concepts and skills Historians study past civilisations, cultures and societies to understand how people lived, their ideas, customs, rulers and livelihoods. They examine sources to explain how lives were shaped by others and events. This topic covers concepts and skills related to discovering ancient history in Australia and worldwide, exploring the development of early societies. You will become proficient in these concepts through future lessons.
TABLE1 The concepts and skills that you will use in History. Concepts and skills
Description
Asking historical questions
Shaping our understanding of the past by the questions we ask and the responses we receive.
Sequencing chronology
Arranging historical events in order of time.
Using historical sources as evidence
Investigating written and non-written materials (sources) that can give us information about the past; evidence is the information we get from sources that is useful to our investigations. Considering the parts of life or society that have stayed the same and those that have changed over a period of time. Looking at the relationship between historical events or actions; e.g. when one event or action happens because of the other. Considering the importance given to events of the past. Being able to express our interpretations of the past by constructing a historical argument using knowledge and evidence.
Identifying continuity and change
Analysing cause and consequence
Determining historical significance
Communicating
4 Jacaranda Humanities Alive 7 Victorian Curriculum Third Edition
SOURCE1 We can also view the concepts and skills diagrammatically.
Historical questions
Communicating
Chronology
Historical concepts and skills
Using historical sources
Historical significance
Causes and consequences
Continuity and change
The concepts and skills you will learn while studying History are also important in many careers. These skills will help you to: • carry out research • draw conclusions and make decisions based on evidence • recognise the difference between fact and opinion • understand that more than one way of thinking about any problem is usually possible • think critically • communicate effectively. A knowledge of history is important in our everyday lives too. And history gives many people great personal pleasure. How much more enjoyment do people derive from travel, books and movies when they know about the history that shaped the places they visit, or the stories they read or watch on a screen? 1.2.3 Historical questions When studying History, our investigation of the past is guided and shaped by the questions we ask. We can ask a range of different questions to find the desired information we seek. Knowing how to phrase these questions assists our research of the past. Questions can be developed using the historical concepts and skills listed in this topic, such as cause and consequence , continuity and change , significance and evidence.
TOPIC1 Historical concepts and skills 5
TABLE2 Questions that could be commonly asked in the History classroom. Historical thinking concepts and skills Example of questions Sequencing chronology
When does my timeline of events begin and when does it end? What event appears before ... and what happened after? What event caused ... to occur? Who wrote this source? Why did they write this source? What does this source tell me about the historical period I am studying, and what does it not tell me? At the beginning of the historical period I am studying, what was life like in regard to … (power structures/economy/ people/ideas/technology)? By the end of the historical period I am studying, what changed in regard to … (power structures/economy/people/ideas/technology)? What/who caused these changes to occur? How quickly did these changes occur? What remained the same? What/who stopped these things from changing? What were the short-term causes of …? What were the long-term causes of …? What were the political/economic/environmental causes of …? What were the immediate consequences of ...? What were the long-term consequences of …? What were the political/economic/environmental consequences of …? Why is this person/event/idea/movement important? How important was this person/event/idea/movement to those living during the historical period? How many people were affected by this person/event/idea/movement? How is this person/event/idea/movement remembered today?
Using historical sources as evidence
Identifying continuity and change
Analysing causes and consequences
Determining historical significance
1.2.4 Chronology Chronology involves recording events in order of time. It is an important skill because historians need to know the order in which events occurred so they can get a sense of what happened. A story will make more sense if we start at the beginning and work towards the end. Historians also sequence events chronologically to track changes that have happened over time and the causes of these changes. A historian will use a timeline to see how one event might have contributed to another. A timeline representing the sequence of events in your morning can be seen in SOURCE2 .
SOURCE2 A simple timeline representing the sequence of events during a typical morning
Wake up in the morning
Eat breakfast
Travel to school
7:15AM
7:30AM
7:45AM
8:00AM
8:15AM
8:30AM
Attend first class
Get dressed
Brush teeth
6 Jacaranda Humanities Alive 7 Victorian Curriculum Third Edition
1.2.5 Using historical sources Evidence refers to the facts that indicate whether something is true or really happened. Sources are needed to prove or disprove events from the past. Sources Sources are any written or non-written materials that can be used to investigate and provide information about the past. We can use sources from the time we are studying, and after the time, to explore the different points of view, or perspectives , of people from the past.
Primary and secondary sources Historians can use two types of sources to investigate events from the past.
• Primary sources were created or written in the period that the historian is investigating. • Secondary sources are written or created by people living after the period that the historian is studying. Primary sources might include bones, stone tools, art, photographs or many other traces. Written primary sources can include such things as poems, songs, letters, newspapers, speeches, myths and legends. Secondary sources can include books, articles, websites, models, timelines, computer software and documentary films. To create secondary sources, historians often: • locate information in primary sources • interpret that information • use it to explain what happened.
SOURCE3 The many different types of primary source
Remains of shipwrecks
Remains of buildings
Translations of works of ancient writers
Statues
Maps and diagrams
Preserved body or skeleton
Paintings and carvings in tombs and caves
Photographs and reconstructions
Weapons
History sources
Ancient inscriptions
Mosaics
Graffiti
Coins
What other people have written
Tombs
Pots and cups
Tools
Figurines
TOPIC1 Historical concepts and skills 7
Analysing evidence When using historical sources as evidence, historians need to ask questions of each source, such as: Where did the source come from (origin)? Why was it created (purpose)? A source may be a fact or someone’s opinion — that is, it could be biased . One way to test sources for reliability is to compare them with other sources. If this evidence leads to the same conclusion, we call it ‘supporting evidence’. If it leads to different conclusions, we have ‘contradictory evidence’. When we use sources to try to find out about the past, we must ask some questions. For example: • What type of source is this? • Who wrote or created this source and when was it written or created?
• Why was this source written or created? • What evidence does the source provide? • What was happening at the time the source was written or created? • Can I trust the source? 1.2.6 Continuity and change
When studying different societies, historians can see that some aspects of life have remained the same over time, while other aspects of life have changed dramatically. This concept is known as ‘identifying continuity and change’. Change refers to something that is different from what has occurred in the past. It may occur over a long period of time or may occur dramatically and suddenly. Continuity refers to the things that endure, relatively unchanged, over time. You will find that many things remain the same across long periods in history. Sometimes these continuities have lasted into modern times.
SOURCE4 The ruins of an ancient house at Sardis, located in present-day Türkiye (formally Turkey)
SkillBuilder discussion Continuity and change 1. Consider house building. Look at the images — what are the main changes in construction? 2. What remains the same?
SOURCE5 A modern suburban house in Western Australia
8 Jacaranda Humanities Alive 7 Victorian Curriculum Third Edition
1.2.7 Causes and consequences Once historical events have been placed into chronological order, investigating how one event has caused another event and how events are connected becomes easier. We can also look at the developments that have happened in both the short term and over a longer period of time. In history, events do not occur without reason. Every event will have a cause and is likely to result in several effects or consequences. Identifying patterns of cause and effect is an essential skill for historians that allows them to explain how and why things happened in the past. Causes may include people, societies, politics, beliefs, economics or any other historical factor. Likewise, effects can include impacts on people, societies, politics, beliefs, economics or any other historical factor. Not all causes leading to a specific event are equally significant — some causes may have more influence than others. Some causes occur immediately before an event begins, while others may have existed for several years, decades or centuries before the event. Some effects occur immediately after an event or action, while others may occur years, decades or centuries following the event or action. 1.2.8 Historical significance Historical significance relates to the importance of particular aspects of the past such as events, individuals or groups, developments, ideas or movements, and historical sites. We need to make judgements about what is important and what is less important. When we try to establish the significance of an aspect of the past, we must consider a number of questions. For example: • How relevant was it to people living at that time? SkillBuilder discussion Historical significance What aspects of your life as a student do you consider to be significant? For example, consider access to technology, the physical state of the space you use, the resources you can access or the subjects that you are studying. Do you think that the things you consider to be significant were important 10, 50 or 100 years ago? Do you think they will be significant 50 years from now? Communicating As a result of our investigations, we can apply our new knowledge of a historical period and communicate it, using facts and evidence. We can present our interpretations of the past in a variety of ways including written and multimodal presentations, oral presentations and other methods. Use an appropriate and clear format to communicate historical findings, including subheadings, guiding questions and formal language. Furthermore, as historians, we must acknowledge the sources we use and the interpretations of other historians in our work. This is called referencing. There are several guidelines to follow when referencing. Often, your school or teacher will have you follow a particular reference guide, which explains how to create a reference list. 1.2.9 • How many people were affected? • How did it change people’s lives? • How long were people’s lives affected? • How important and long lasting were the consequences? • How relevant is it to the contemporary world?
TOPIC1 Historical concepts and skills 9
1.2 SkillBuilder activity COMMUNICATING 1. In small groups, construct a list of ten events, places or people that you consider to be the most significant in world history. Rank them in order of historical significance and then share your responses with your classmates. 2. After you have shared your responses, discuss some of the reasons each of the lists is unique and what would cause the lists to be similar or different.
1.2
Exercise
Learning pathways LEVEL1 1, 2, 3, 8
LEVEL2
LEVEL3
4, 5, 6, 9
7, 10, 11
REMEMBER AND UNDERSTAND 1. What is heritage? A. A record of past events in order of time B. Information that has been passed from one person to another C. Everything that has come down to us from the past D. Information that indicates whether something is true or really happened 2. Describe the difference between primary sources and secondary sources. 3. Complete the following sentences by choosing words from the box.
Contestability
theory
debate
contradict
evidence
a. A hypothesis is a _______ or possible explanation that has to be tested by looking for _______ that might support it and other evidence that might _______ it. b. _______ is the situation when particular interpretations of the past are open to _______. 4. Describe a way to test primary sources for reliability. 5. Explain what the term ‘bias’ means and why we might not be able to trust a primary source. 6. a. What does it mean to empathise with the people you study? b. Identify the questions you might consider when trying to understand the perspectives of people in the past. ANALYSE AND APPLY 7. Each year, many countries donate money for conservation work to preserve historical sites. Why do you think so much effort goes into conserving traces of the past? 8. Look at the mind map in SOURCE3 and describe each of the types of sources pictured around the mindmap. EVALUATE AND COMMUNICATE 9. Suggest what we might learn about the past from old graffiti or one of the other types of primary sources listed in the SOURCE3 mindmap. 10. Explain why it might be wrong to think that primary sources are more reliable than secondary sources. 11. Today we live in a world where people are sometimes killed over differences in religion. How might a knowledge of history help bring understanding between different religions? Answers and sample responses for this topic are available online.
10 Jacaranda Humanities Alive 7 Victorian Curriculum Third Edition
LESSON 1.3 SkillBuilder: Historical questions
What are historical questions? Historical questions may be asked to evaluate historical sources, examine cause and consequence, or how or why something happened.
LESSON 1.4 SkillBuilder: Chronology
What is a timeline? A timeline is a tool that arranges events in the order they occurred. It typically includes dates and descriptive labels. Timelines can span short periods or many centuries. They may be simple lines or visually detailed with colours and images.
LESSON 1.5 SkillBuilder: Using historical sources
Why is it important to use historical sources? Almost all our knowledge of Ancient Rome comes from primary sources. Works of art and writings tell us much about ancient Roman culture. Buildings and sculptures tell us about entertainment, technology, skills, religious ideas and values. Written records tell us about Roman ideas about politics, history, law and a vast range of other subjects.
LESSON 1.6 SkillBuilder: Continuity and change
What are broad patterns of change? During any period of history, some changes happen quickly and others occur slowly. Some changes affect only limited numbers of people, while others are widespread. Broad patterns of change are patterns of change that are extensive and widespread.
LESSON 1.7 SkillBuilder: Causes and consequences
How do we analyse cause and consequence? Analysing cause and consequence involves examining why certain events happened and understanding the impact they had. This process requires identifying the different factors that contributed to an event and evaluating their relative importance. It also involves looking at the immediate and long-term effects of the event on people, communities and broader historical developments.
TOPIC1 Historical concepts and skills 11
LESSON 1.8 SkillBuilder: Historical significance
How do we analyse the historical significance of an event or person? Historical significance is a decision that modern people make about what is important from our past. In deciding whether something has historical significance, we can consider specific events, people, locations and ideas as being particularly important to us. Since significance is a decision that we make, it means that different people can decide that different things are significant, or that they can disagree about the reasons a particular person, event, place or idea is important.
LESSON 1.9 SkillBuilder: Communicating
How do we communicate our historical interpretations, based on evidence from sources, with the right concepts, knowledge and terms?
Communicating involves using the correct terminology and metalanguage in a sentence to discuss sources or historical skills and concepts. It is essential to developing a coherent argument about the historical event, movement or figure being discussed.
12 Jacaranda Humanities Alive 7 Victorian Curriculum Third Edition
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