K-10 Syllabus
Early Adolescence (8-10) Society and Environment Syllabus
The Early Adolescence (8-10) Society and Environment Syllabus is designed to support teachers with planning and delivering learning, teaching and assessment programs in the context of the Curriculum Framework. The syllabus details content at each year of schooling across the early adolescence phase of development. When using these advisory materials, teachers will continue to make professional judgements about when to introduce content based on students' prior learning and achievement.
Last Updated: Tuesday, 04 March 2008 12:02
- Purpose
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Download: Purpose of the Early Adolescence (8-10) Society and Environment Syllabus
This syllabus provides teachers with advice about content, planning, teaching and assessment in Society and Environment in years 8-10.
Connections with other curriculum policy and support documents
This syllabus is consistent with, and can be used in conjunction with, the following policy and support documents:- Society and Environment Learning Area Statement in the Curriculum Framework for Kindergarten to Year 12 Education in Western Australia produced by the Curriculum Council of Western Australia.
The Curriculum Framework establishes the learning outcomes expected of all Western Australian students from kindergarten to year 12. - The Curriculum Council’s Curriculum Framework Progress Maps - Society and Environment.
These describe progressive student achievement in Society and Environment from kindergarten to year 12 and are a guide for monitoring and planning for student achievement. - The Department of Education and Training’s Outcomes and Standards Framework - Society and Environment.
This is similar to the Society and Environment Progress Maps but also includes Achievement Targets for years 3, 5, 7 and 9 in WA public schools. - The Curriculum Council’s Curriculum Framework Curriculum Guide - Society and Environment.
This describes, in phases of development, content to support students’ progress in Society and Environment from kindergarten to year 12. - The MCEETYA National Consistency in Curriculum Outcomes (NCCO) Statements of Learning.
These are statements of learning agreed to by State and Territory Ministers for Education and are intended to provide greater consistency in curriculum outcomes across Australia.
As part of a K-12 approach to Society and Environment, this syllabus also:- builds on the Middle Childhood (4-7) Syllabus
- prepares students for the more specialised Society and Environment courses in years 11 and 12.
- Society and Environment Learning Area Statement in the Curriculum Framework for Kindergarten to Year 12 Education in Western Australia produced by the Curriculum Council of Western Australia.
- Rationale
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Download: Rationale for teaching Society and Environment in the early adolescence phase of development
Key features of Society and Environment
Society and Environment involves the study of how individuals and groups live together and interact with their physical and cultural environment. Society and Environment develops students’ abilities to:- analyse and reflect on their place in contemporary society
- actively explore and participate in the world around them
- make reasoned and informed decisions about social and environmental issues.
Organisation of the Society and Environment learning area
Seven outcomes are identified in the Curriculum Framework Society and Environment Learning Area Statement:- Investigation, Communication and Participation
- Active Citizenship
- Place and Space
- Resources
- Culture
- Time, Continuity and Change
- Natural and Social Systems.
The scope and sequence statements in this syllabus incorporate the content for the first two outcomes within that for the last five.
- Phase of Development
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Download: Society and Environment in the early adolescence phase of development
Teaching Society and Environment in years 8-10
The Curriculum Framework identifies seven principles of effective learning and teaching:- opportunity to learn
- connection and challenge
- action and reflection
- motivation and purpose
- inclusivity and difference
- independence and collaboration
- supportive environment.
Click here for suggestions on how the principles of effective learning and teaching can be incorporated into the teaching of Society and Environment in years 8-10 in ways which take account of students’ current stages of development.
- Content
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Download: Content
Content in this syllabus is organised into:
Download: K-10 overviews
Download: Scope and sequence statements- K-10 overviews for each Society and Environment scope and sequence statement
- scope and sequence statements expressed in year levels to provide advice on starting points for learning, teaching and assessment programs.
- Planning
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Download: Planning for learning in Society and Environment
When using the content in this syllabus to plan for learning, teachers of Society and Environment need to take into account the following:- relevant policies and curriculum priorities
- students’ achievement and learning needs
- opportunities to integrate learning
- the Curriculum Framework’s principles of learning, teaching and assessment.
- Assessment
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Download: Assessment in Society and Environment
The purpose of assessment in Society and Environment is to monitor students' progress to:- provide feedback
- inform planning, teaching and reporting.
When assessing, Society and Environment teachers need to take into account the Curriculum Framework’s principles of assessment and keep in mind the following:- assessment relies on teachers’ professional judgements
- assessment should be referenced to common standards as described in the Curriculum Framework Progress Maps - Society and Environment / Outcomes and Standards Framework - Society and Environment
- teachers of Society and Environment do not have to formally level or grade every piece of student work
- Society and Environment Departments should have an assessment policy which is communicated to students and other members of the school community
- assessment can be undertaken in a variety of ways including via collection and marking of student work, observation, checklists, portfolios, recordings and anecdotal records
- teachers of Society and Environment can select from a range of published or teacher developed resources to record assessment information.