History and the Environment

Course Description

This course consists of seven (7) topics and two (2) case studies.

All topics and case studies are compulsory. While the sequence in which the topics are delivered and assessed is not mandated it is required that Case Study 1 (A Threatened Species) be completed before September each academic year as it will form the basis of materials used for the quality assurance of this course.

It is recommended that:

Topic 1 be completed before Case Study 1
Topic 6 is completed – or covered concurrently with – Case Study 2. The strong relationships between Topic 7 and Case Study 2 must also be considered in the delivery sequence.

It is recommended that Topics 1 and 2 are given approximately 5 hours delivery time each, and that Topics 3–7 and each of the case studies be given approximately 20 hours delivery time each.

TOPICS

The seven topics are:

Climate and Sustainable Futures
The Human Story – an Introduction
Human Systems and Cultures of Ancient India
Human Systems and Cultures of Ancient China
Human Systems and Cultures of Ancient Australia
Continuity and Diversity in Asia
Modernisation and Progress in Asia.

CASE STUDIES

The two case studies are:

A Threatened Species
The Environmental Impact of Modernisation in Asia.

Rationale

The History and the Environment course enables learners to study the environmental and historical factors that have shaped their world. Through a focus on both the ancient and recent past, the course encourages learners to make connections with the present.

The course focuses primarily on the three distinct cultures of Australia, China and India. It invites learners to compare and contrast the different ways in which human cultures have sought to adapt to particular features of their natural environment. Learners will explore the themes of continuity and change, the long-term legacy of significant events and developments, and the environmental sustainability of human practices.

The course continues to develop the skills and understandings taught in the Foundation to Year 10 History and Geography curricula.

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this course, learners will be able to:

communicate information and ideas in a variety of modes
use basic research skills to locate and record information
use evidence to support a position
identify ways in which geographical and environmental factors – climate, access to food and water, and natural disasters – have impacted on humans
identify ways in which humans have impacted on the environment
identify different ways in which humans have adapted to the environment over time
identity examples of change and continuity in some historical and geographic contexts.

Pathways

This course serves as a pathway into TASC accredited courses in areas such as Ancient History, Australia in Asia and the Pacific, Geography, Modern History, and Environmental Science.

Course Size And Complexity

This course has a complexity level of 2.

At Level 2, the learner is expected to carry out tasks and activities that involve a range of knowledge and skills, including some basic theoretical and/or technical knowledge and skills. Limited judgement is required, such as making an appropriate selection from a range of given rules, guidelines or procedures. VET competencies at this level are often those characteristic of an AQF Certificate II.

This course has a size value of 15.

Course Content

This course will comprise an integrated study of the impact of geography and environmental factors on the development of ancient and modern cultures in Asia and Australia.

TOPICS:

1. Climate and Sustainable Futures

a) Framework for global knowledge

continents, oceans, seas, countries, climatic zones

b) Physical geography

natural disasters – tectonic plates and earthquakes, volcanoes and tsunamis
mountains, rivers and alluvial plains

c) Climate, water and atmosphere
d) The question of sustainability
e) Our impact on the world today.

2. The Human Story – an Introduction

a) The Great Migrations – especially from Africa to Asia and Australia circa 70,000 BCE
b) Milestones of prehistory – the nature of hunter-gatherer societies, the impact of the last Ice Age circa 30,000–10,000 BCE, the evolution of grain crops at the end of the Ice Age
c) The emergence of agriculture – advantages and disadvantages
d) Major agricultural civilisations – Egypt, Mesopotamia, India, China
e) The growth of systems of government (tribes, kingdoms, empires)
f) The nature of historical evidence – primary and secondary sources, art, oral and folk traditions, monuments.

3. Human Systems and Cultures of Ancient India

a) Geography, climate and early human settlement
b) The development or lack of development of agriculture
c) Early civilisations and their impact on the environment
d) Social and political organisation and diversity of religious beliefs
e) Brief overview of historical developments approx. 300 BCE to 1750 CE (the Mauryan Empire, the Kushan and Gupta empires, Harsha, the Mughals).

4. Human Systems and Cultures of Ancient China

a) Geography, climate and early human settlement
b) The development of agriculture
c) Early civilisations and their impact on the environment
d) Social and political organisation and diversity of religious beliefs
e) Brief overview of historical developments approx. 300 BCE to 1800 CE, N.B. (the Qin, Han, Tang, Sung, Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties, and China’s response to Europeans from 1550–800).

5. Human Systems and Cultures of Ancient Australia

a) Geography, climate and early human settlement
b) The impact of the environment on where they lived
c) The lack of development of intensive agriculture
d) The impact of the first Aboriginal people on the Australian environment
e) The relationship of Aboriginal people and Europeans to the environment.

6. Continuity and Diversity in Asia

a) Environmental similarities and diversity within and between Asian nations
b) Cultural continuity and diversity within and between Asian nations

The economy and social structure of India and China
Religious and political ideas in India and China
Science and learning in India and China
Internal diversity in India and China
Brief overview of the influence of India and China on their neighbours:
- India’s influence on Indonesia, Malaysia, Nepal and Sri Lanka
- China’s influence on Japan, Korea and Mongolia
- The influence of both India and China on Burma, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Tibet and Vietnam.

7. Modernisation and Progress in Asia

a) History of the modernisation process since circa 1850

The Western challenge to tradition in India, China and Japan
The need for modernisation in India, China and Japan
Early attempts at modernisation in India, China and Japan
Modernisation since 1945 in India, China and Japan.

CASE STUDIES:

Learners must undertake two individual (i.e. not group work) research investigations and present their findings in writing (each report approximately 500–1000 words in length).

1. A Threatened Species

Learners must undertake research on one of the following species of animal endangered by human activity in the name of modernisation and progress:

the Asian elephant
the Cambodian crocodile
the koala
the panda
Przewalski’s horse
the snow leopard
a species of tiger (e.g. Bengal, Siberian, Sumatran)
the Rajasthan wolf
the Tibetan yak.

Learners will examine:

the traditional environment in which the species has lived
the nature of the changes to that environment which threaten the species (e.g. climate change, the introduction of different species, destruction of animal habitat by human activity – such as deforestation, soil degradation or mining, direct human exploitation)
the extent of the threat (is it endangered, vulnerable or rare?)
local and international efforts to protect the species.

2. The Environmental Impact of Modernisation in Asia

Learners must undertake research on one of the following examples of where modernisation has had a significant effect on the environment:

Assessment

Criterion-based assessment is a form of outcomes assessment that identifies the extent of learner achievement at an appropriate end-point of study. Although assessment – as part of the learning program – is continuous, much of it is formative, and is done to help learners identify what they need to do to attain the maximum benefit from their study of the course. Therefore, assessment for summative reporting to TASC will focus on what both teacher and learner understand to reflect end-point achievement.

The standard of achievement each learner attains on each criterion is recorded as a rating ‘A’, ‘B’, or ‘C’, according to the outcomes specified in the standards section of the course.

A ‘t’ notation must be used where a learner demonstrates any achievement against a criterion less than the standard specified for the ‘C’ rating.

A ‘z’ notation is to be used where a learner provides no evidence of achievement at all.

Providers offering this course must participate in quality assurance processes specified by TASC to ensure provider validity and comparability of standards across all awards. To learn more, see TASC's quality assurance processes and assessment information.

Internal assessment of all criteria will be made by the provider. Providers will report the learner’s rating for each criterion to TASC.

Quality Assurance Process

The following processes will be facilitated by TASC to ensure there is:

a match between the standards of achievement specified in the course and the skills and knowledge demonstrated by learners
community confidence in the integrity and meaning of the qualification.

Process – Each provider will submit bodies of learners’ work sufficient to allow an assessment against a nominated criterion or range of nominated criteria and the overall award to an annual review meeting organised by TASC. The work will include at least one Investigative Unit report. The work, while not necessarily fully resolved, will be assessed by the provider against the nominated assessment criterion/ia and the overall award. TASC will give each provider guidance regarding the selection of learners and the nominated criterion/ia.

Each body of learner work that providers submit to the meeting will include sufficient and appropriate material for judgements to be made about the learner’s standard of literacy skills.

The review meeting will give advice about the provider’s assessment standards. Providers are expected to act on this advice.

TASC may require providers to supply further samples of individual learners’ work to determine that standards have been applied appropriately when finalising learners’ results. The nature and scope of this requirement will be risk-based.

Criteria

The assessment for History and the Environment Level 2 will be based on the degree to which the learner can:

1. communicate ideas and information
2. use basic research skills to locate and record information
3. use evidence in support of a reasoned position
4. identify examples of the interactions between human cultures and their environments
5. identify causes of change and continuity

Standards

Criterion 1: communicate ideas and information

The learner:

Rating A	Rating B	Rating C
communicates ideas and information in oral form demonstrating fluency and consistent control of language and expression appropriate to the purpose and audience	communicates ideas and information in oral form using clear and appropriate language and expression suited to the purpose and audience	communicates ideas and information in oral form, demonstrating control of language and expression
communicates ideas and information in written form demonstrating fluency and consistent control of language and expression appropriate to the purpose and audience	communicates ideas and information in written form using clear and appropriate language and expression suited to the purpose and audience	communicates ideas and information in written form, demonstrating control of language and expression appropriate to the purpose and audience
– in written communication – correctly spells common words and correctly uses punctuation and sentence structure to achieve effect (e.g. to highlight a point)	– in written communication – correctly spells common words and correctly uses punctuation and sentence structure	– in written communication – correctly spells common words, and correctly uses simple punctuation and sentence structure
selects and uses appropriate graphs, tables and diagrams to clearly present information.	selects and uses graphs, tables and diagrams to present information.	uses simple graphs, tables and diagrams to present information as directed.

Criterion 2: use basic research skills to locate and record information

The learner:

Rating A	Rating B	Rating C
locates and uses a wide range* of information sources	locates and uses a range* of information sources	uses a limited range* of provided information sources
effectively uses a range of tools and strategies to collect and organise information	uses tools and strategies to collect and organise information	uses tools and strategies as directed to collect and organise information
sorts information into appropriate categories and identifies the relative significance of information to task	sorts information into appropriate categories	sorts information into simple categories (such as relevant/irrelevant to task)
creates accurate and comprehensive summaries of ideas and information presented in sources	creates summaries which capture key ideas and information presented in sources	creates summaries which capture relevant ideas and information presented in sources
accurately records sources of information.	records sources of information.	records sources of information as directed.

* ‘range’ has dimensions of number (how many sources) and scope of types (books, magazines, internet, film/video etc.)

Criterion 3: use evidence in support of a reasoned position

The learner:

Rating A	Rating B	Rating C
argues a position on an issue	articulates a position on an issue and reasons in support of the position adopted	articulates a position on an issue and reasons in support of the position adopted
uses evidence from a wide range of sources in support of a position	uses evidence from a range of sources in support of a position	uses evidence from a limited range of sources in support of a position
uses relevant evidence in support of a position and identifies which aspects are most significant	uses relevant evidence in support of a position	uses evidence to support a position
draws rational conclusions supported by relevant argument and evidence	draws relevant conclusions supported by argument and evidence	provides support for conclusions
accurately records sources of information.	records sources of information.	records sources of information as directed.

Criterion 4: identify examples of the interactions between human cultures and their environments

The learner:

Rating A	Rating B	Rating C
explains major geographical and environmental forces – and interactions between such forces – that have impacted on humans	describes major geographical and environmental forces that have impacted on humans	identifies major geographical and environmental forces that have impacted on humans
describes ways in which humans have impacted on the natural environment, and correctly explains the nature of such impacts**	describes ways in which humans have impacted on the natural environment, and draws rational conclusions about the nature of such impacts**	identifies ways in which humans have impacted on the natural environment, and draws conclusions about the nature of such impacts**
explains the outcomes of various attempts to adjust to aspects of the natural environment in different times and places.	describes examples of how people have adjusted to aspects of the natural environment.	identifies a limited range of examples of how people have adjusted to aspects of the natural environment.

**The ‘nature of such impacts’ has dimensions such as: scope (e.g. short- or long-term); scale (e.g. localised, over a wide area,); character (e.g. positive, negative, sustainable).

Criterion 5: identify causes of change and continuity

The learner:

Rating A	Rating B	Rating C
explains examples of change and continuity, and their impact on people in different times and places	describes examples of change and continuity and their impact on people	identifies examples of change and continuity, and their impact on people
explains significant causes of change and continuity in given historical and geographic contexts.	describes significant causes of change and continuity in given historical and geographic contexts.	identifies examples of change and continuity in given historical and geographic contexts.

Relationship With The Australian Core Skills Framework (ACSF)

TASC recommends that providers use the ACSF to guide understanding of the appropriate levels of performance in the 5 core skills of Learning, Reading, Writing, Oral Communication and Numeracy as they relate to the course content.

Those participants aiming for an award that meets TCE standards requirements should be demonstrating the core skills at ACSF level 3 (or above) in reading and writing (to meet the everyday adult reading and writing standard) and/or in numeracy (to meet the everyday adult mathematics standard).

The performance features and sample activities of the ACSF are not in themselves equivalent to the TCE’s ‘everyday adult’ standards. Rather they are illustrative of these standards.

The performance features and sample activities of the ACSF do not replace the criteria or standards in this TASC accredited course document.

The performance features and sample activities of ACSF level 3 can be used to help teachers develop and evaluate assessment instruments and can be used to inform final (summative) assessment judgements.

For more information, see the Australian Core Skills Framework website.

Qualifications Available

History and the Environment Level 2 (with the award of):

EXCEPTIONAL ACHIEVEMENT

HIGH ACHIEVEMENT

COMMENDABLE ACHIEVEMENT

SATISFACTORY ACHIEVEMENT

PRELIMINARY ACHIEVEMENT

Award Requirements

The final award will be determined by the Office of Tasmanian Assessment, Standards and Certification from 5 ratings.

The minimum requirements for an award in History and the Environment Level 2 are as follows:

EXCEPTIONAL ACHIEVEMENT
4 ‘A’ ratings, 1 ‘B’ rating

HIGH ACHIEVEMENT
2 ‘A’ ratings, 2 ‘B’ ratings, 1 ‘C’ rating

COMMENDABLE ACHIEVEMENT
3 ‘B’ ratings, 2 ‘C’ ratings

SATISFACTORY ACHIEVEMENT
4 ‘C’ ratings

PRELIMINARY ACHIEVEMENT
2 ‘C’ ratings

A learner who otherwise achieves the ratings for a SA (Satisfactory Achievement) award but who fails to show any evidence of achievement in one or more criteria (‘z’ notation) will be issued with a PA (Preliminary Achievement) award.

Course Evaluation

The Department of Education’s Curriculum Services will develop and regularly revise the curriculum. This evaluation will be informed by the experience of the course’s implementation, delivery and assessment.

In addition, stakeholders may request Curriculum Services to review a particular aspect of an accredited course.

Requests for amendments to an accredited course will be forwarded by Curriculum Services to the Office of TASC for formal consideration.

Such requests for amendment will be considered in terms of the likely improvements to the outcomes for learners, possible consequences for delivery and assessment of the course, and alignment with Australian Curriculum materials.

A course is formally analysed prior to the expiry of its accreditation as part of the process to develop specifications to guide the development of any replacement course.

Course Developer

The Department of Education acknowledges the significant leadership of Mr Brian McNab (Rosny College) in the development of this course.

Expectations Defined By National Standards In Content Statements Developed by ACARA

The statements in this section, taken from documents endorsed by Education Ministers as the agreed and common base for course development, are to be used to define expectations for the meaning (nature, scope and level of demand) of relevant aspects of the sections in this document setting out course requirements, learning outcomes, the course content and standards in the assessment.

GEOGRAPHY

Unit 1: Natural and ecological hazards

Geographical Inquiry and Skills

Observing, questioning and planning

Formulates geographical inquiry questions (ACHGE001)

Interpreting, analyzing and concluding

Identifies and analyses trends and patterns, infers relationships, and makes predictions and inferences. (ACHGE007)

Geographical Knowledge and Understanding

Overview of natural and ecological hazards

An overview of the nature of natural hazards (atmospheric, hydrological, and geomorphic) and ecological hazards. (ACHGE012)

Unit 2: Sustainable places

Geographical Knowledge and Understanding

Overview of places and their challenges

Places

The economic and environmental interdependence of urban and rural places. (ACHGE040)

ANCIENT HISTORY

Unit 1: Investigating the Ancient World

Historical Skills

Chronology, terms and concepts

Identify links between events to understand the nature and significance of causation, change and continuity over time (ACHAH001)
Use historical terms and concepts in appropriate contexts to demonstrate historical knowledge and understanding. (ACHAH002)

Perspectives and interpretations

Analyse and account for the different perspectives of individuals and groups in the past. (ACHAH010)

Unit 2: Ancient Societies

Historical skills

Chronology, terms and concepts

Identify links between events to understand the nature and significance of causation, change and continuity over time (ACHAH089)
Use historical terms and concepts in appropriate contexts to demonstrate historical knowledge and understanding. (ACHAH090)

Perspectives and interpretations

Analyse and account for the different perspectives of individuals and groups in the past. (ACHAH098)

Explanation and communication

Communicate historical understanding by selecting and using text forms appropriate to purpose and audience. (ACHAH102)

MODERN HISTORY

Unit 1: Understanding the Modern World

Historical skills

Chronology, terms and concepts

Identify links between events to understand the nature and significance of causation, change and continuity over time (ACHMH001)
Use historical terms and concepts in appropriate contexts to demonstrate historical knowledge and understanding. (ACHMH002)

Perspectives and interpretations

Analyse and account for the different perspectives of individuals and groups in the past. (ACHMH010)

Explanation and communication

Communicate historical understanding by selecting and using text forms appropriate to the purpose and audience (ACHMH014)
Apply appropriate referencing techniques accurately and consistently. (ACHMH015)

Unit 2: Movements for Change in the 20th Century

Historical skills

Chronology, terms and concepts

Identify links between events to understand the nature and significance of causation, change and continuity over time (ACHMH047)
Use historical terms and concepts in appropriate contexts to demonstrate historical knowledge and understanding. (ACHMH048)

Perspectives and interpretations

Analyse and account for the different perspectives of individuals and groups in the past. (ACHMH056)

Explanation and communication

Communicate historical understanding by selecting and using text forms appropriate to the purpose and audience (ACHMH060)
Apply appropriate referencing techniques accurately and consistently. (ACHMH061)

Accreditation

The accreditation period for this course is from 1 January 2020 to 31 December 2022.

During the accreditation period required amendments can be considered via established processes.

Should outcomes of the Years 9-12 Review process find this course unsuitable for inclusion in the Tasmanian senior secondary curriculum, its accreditation may be cancelled. Any such cancellation would not occur during an academic year.

Version History

Version 1 – Accredited on 25 August 2014 for use from 1 January 2015 to 31 December 2019. This course replaces History and Ideas (HAD215110) and World and Environment (WAE215110) courses that expired on 31 December 2014.

Version 2 - 11 September 2015. The order of Case Studies has changed. The recommendation and requirements in regard to sequencing have changed.

Version 3 - Accreditation renewed on 26 June 2019 for use 1 January 2020 to 31 December 2022. This course replaces History and the Environment (HAE215115) that expired on 31 December 2019.

Supporting documents including external assessment material

HAE215115 BN21 HistoryEnvironmentAmendment2015.pdf (2017-07-21 01:05pm AEST)
HAE215115 CourseAccreditation.pdf (2017-07-21 01:05pm AEST)