What are they teaching in History these days?

[rosehannah]

I just finished reading through the "I am sorry" thread and then went to clean the bathroom, while I was scrubbing away my mind got to thinking "What do they teach in history these days?

When I went to school we learned about James Cook and the like and had to memorise all the relevant dates associated to European history. Then we were taught about Ancient history eg. the Egyptians.

The only memories of learning about aboriginal history was that they had the odd run in with European settlers or you saw a picture of them looking out from the scrub at the sea watching the tall ships in the bay.

I wonder what the Aboriginal parents thought about making there kids do their history home work. What were the kids thinking about as the teacher taught the history class?

Has any thing changed?

[Laranna]

I find history interesting at the time I am reading/hearing/learning about it but for some reason I can't retain it. DP on the otherhand knows soooo much history and reels it off the top of his head at random times.

But in Primary school I remember learning a bit about Aboriginal history especially in Year 5 as I had a teacher whose husband was Aboriginal and she was very pro-Aboriginal history teaching. In High school all I remember is learning about ancient history (Roman, Egyptian, etc).

[Caramello]

Hi,

Depends on the state that you are in...

I can only comment on the High School curriculum in NSW.

Year 7 and 8 - what is history, ancient civilisations, including indigenous history.

Year 9 and 10 - Aboriginal history, then history from Federation to now.

History is compulsory for these 4 years.

HTH

(BTW, you can look at the DET site for your state)

[The[cookie]Doctor]

Rosehannah i was the same as you - we did Egyptians, maybe a bit of ancient Rome - and that's about all i remember. Oh and the federation and Australia day etc. When i was in high school for the junior years it's called SOSE - studies of societies and envirmonment, which was basically the history, geology, etc class (longitude, latitude and all that stuff too - which i was awful at ). I'm not sure how senior school history works, as i didnt continue it.

But i know for a fact the best education i got for anything related to Aboriginal Culture was the research i did myself after reading My Story (or my place, whichever the full version was, by sally morgan i think).

[rosehannah]

Larnna I am the same as you I struggle to remember the history I was taught at school, I am far more interested in learning about history now.

Thanks Gargy, I am in N.S.W. so the info is relevant, my DS is only in yr 3 but I am hoping that he learns a lot more about Australia's whole history. My DH and I take it upon ourselves to teach him what we can.

Ashnant, the high school I went to had a fair ratio of aboriginal students in it so I would have thought that they could have brought a wealth of knowledge to the school but it was never appreciated. I remember in high school there was a day once a year when aboriginal day was celebrated and we watched a ceremony but that was about it.

[mrsmac]

In year 3i n NSW he should be doing early australian history which is the aborigines and the 1st fleet, in year 4 he should be learning about the early settlers and explorers.

[tiggerandpooh]

i know this year my DD y7 and DS y5 did some history in first term. They covered not only european settlement, but also what happened to the Aboriginals at that time. It made for interesting conversation - and we talked about the stolen generation etc. The first time I learnt anything of the atrocities that were committed against the aboriginal people was when I studied a literature unit for uni called Black and White, about seven years ago.

[barbie-up]

The Victorian curriculum is more about themes and concepts, rather than being content driven.

They don't learn a heap of dates, know the past prime ministers etc.

When we went to school, it was called 'narrative' style history - these are the facts, learn them and don't question.

In some schools, it comes under SOSE and some schools have separate history subjects.

[beansbeans!]

Hi all;
I am a history/english teacher in NSW. Although the curriculum changes in each state, the basis of history is the same. In other words, each student learns the same things just in a different order.
In history we teach, what history is, types of history, where history comes from. There are several topics that cover every part of the world. As far as australian history is concerned, students learn about the invasion of australia by Britain, headed by James Cook. Australian history then covers a range of subjects including ned kelly, the stolen generation, pre-invasion, (quite often the movie rabbit proof fence is used). I suppose that history is no longer as 'white' based as it used to be, there is always talk of saying sorry, and the welfare system, and all those sorts of things.
Also I have taught in high population aboriginal schools and the kids are interested in the history of our country and since the wording of things, hisotry has become a more emcompassing topic.
Students do learn dates, but now the focus has moved from knowing when who was in power, to when important things happened. ie: the years that emcompasses the stolen generation, when the white Australia Policy began and when it was outed. and so on
HTH

Justine

[rosehannah]

Thanks for your reply everyone