Year 7 History

The Australian Curriculum: Classroom Approaches history units were originally designed to align with Version 3 of the Australian Curriculum (2012) but have recently been updated to align with Version 9 (2024). The three units provide adaptable and scalable learning pathways that can be shaped for use in diverse classroom contexts, and hopefully provide inspiration for locally-developed units of work for other depth studies and areas of the curriculum. Further units, including Deep Time History of Australia, will be added to this page in 2025. Click the "Download Year 7 Units" button to get a PDF of the units outlined below.

Year 7 Overview

The Year 7 units of work seek to introduce students to the study of History at secondary level and provide them with knowledge and understanding related to ancient and early modern societies. They address questions such as:

  • How do historians and archaeologists work?

  • How is historical knowledge constructed through the use of sources?

  • What were the important dimensions of early societies?

Year 7 Units

UNIT ONE: INVESTIGATING THE PAST (INTRODUCTORY UNIT)

  • Enduring Understandings/Big Ideas:

    • That archaeological and written sources are complementary in providing us with evidence of the past.

    • That we all have a role to play in the stewardship of the past.

  • Performance Task: A ‘pitch’ for an episode of a TV documentary series called Archaeological Story

  • Links to Australian Curriculum v9 Content Descriptions: AC9HH7S01, AC9HH7S02, AC9HH7S03, AC9HH7S04, AC9HH7S05, AC9HH7S06, AC9HH7S07

  • General Capability Focus: Critical and Creative Thinking, Literacy, Intercultural Understanding, Ethical Behaviour

UNIT TWO: GREEKS BEARING GIFTS (THE ANCIENT WORLD SUB-STRAND GREECE DEPTH STUDY)

  • Enduring Understandings/Big Ideas:

    • That our knowledge of societies and civilisations of the past relies on our understanding of historical sources, both written and archaeological.

    • That societies and civilisations are a product of their historical context, geography and other circumstances.

    • That our society has been impacted or imprinted upon by societies and civilisations of the past.

  • Performance Task: Planning an ancient festival to commemorate a significant event in Ancient Greece

  • Links to Australian Curriculum v9 Content Descriptions: AC9HH7S01, AC9HH7S02, AC9HH7S03, AC9HH7S04, AC9HH7S05, AC9HH7S06, AC9HH7S07, AC9HH7K08, AC9HH7K09, AC9HH7K10, AC9HH7K11, AC9HH7K12, AC9HH7K13

  • General Capability Focus: Personal & Social Competence, Critical & Creative Thinking, Literacy, Intercultural Understanding

UNIT THREE: SILK AND TERRACOTTA (THE ANCIENT WORLD SUB-STRAND CHINA DEPTH STUDY)

  • Enduring Understandings/Big Ideas:

  • That our knowledge of societies and civilisations of the past relies on our understanding of historical sources, both written and archaeological.

  • That societies and civilisations are a product of their historical context, geography and other circumstances.

  • That our society has been impacted or imprinted upon by societies and civilisations of the past.

  • Performance Task: ‘MyBo’ profile for Qin Shi Huang

  • Links to Australian Curriculum v9 Content Descriptions: AC9HH7S01, AC9HH7S02, AC9HH7S03, AC9HH7S04, AC9HH7S05, AC9HH7S06, AC9HH7S07, AC9HH7K08, AC9HH7K09, AC9HH7K10, AC9HH7K11, AC9HH7K12, AC9HH7K13

  • General Capability Focus: Literacy, Critical & Creative Thinking, Personal & Social Competence, Ethical Behaviour, Intercultural Understanding

Alternatively, if you prefer to create your own unit of work, please click the 'DIY Design Template' button below to download an attached Word document template.