ESH360 Advanced Humanities and Social Science Education

Welcome back to our class of 3B. Today our children will be beginning the new topic of democracy. Students will learn this within the school context to keep it relevant, such as making decisions in the classroom, however, will be encouraged to see the ‘laws of the classroom’ as sort of an analogy for the laws and rules which govern our society. We will begin by discussing the purpose of rules. First of all, students will discuss what rules are and the different forms they can take. This follows the Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) asks for students to explore rules and who makes them (2016a; ACHASSK071), so students will be guided into the lesson with three inquiry questions in mind. 1.       Why are rules created? 2.       Who creates rules? 3.       Who do rules serve? Using an inquiry-based approach within learning has been shown to stimulate student engagement (Ntho...

(Scambler, 2016) It is important for students to understand their role in society and be able to make decisions with their knowledge and views. An important goal in children’s education is to become active and informed citizens (Ministerial Council on Education, Employment, Training and Youth Affairs. [MCEETYA], 2008) and this can be achieved through the Humanities and Social Sciences key learning area of the curriculum where students gain broad understandings about democracy, freedom, justice, and how they, and other diverse groups participate in Australian society and communities (Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority, 2016), through subjects such as Geography, History, Civics, and Economics. An understanding of geography allows students to examine their environment and appreciate how characteristics of places can influence the way in which communities operate (ACARA, 2016). If students understand the geography which surrounds their community, they can ...