ATS2792 · Understanding Australia: From the deep past to the present

Overview

In this unit, you will be introduced to key moments, themes, and controversies in Australian history. The story of Australia and its peoples is traced through a series of central themes: the experiences, knowledge, and perspectives of First Nations peoples; invasion and colonisation; Australia’s environment; Australia’s deep connections with Asia and the Pacific; migration; the development of distinctive political institutions; warfare, both overseas and within Australia; and the transformation and reinvention of Australian society and culture over time. You will investigate Australia’s past to contextualise and understand our contemporary society, including its divisions, debates, and anxieties. This unit provides you with a deeper understanding of Australia. For students interested in a career in education, this unit equips you with the knowledge and confidence to effectively teach Australian history content at Primary or Secondary level. For students pursuing a major or minor in History, this unit takes advantage of the rich primary material on our doorstep to provide you with hands-on experience with the methods and approaches of historians. This unit is also an ideal elective if you have no prior experience of History but are keen to learn more about Australia and its past.

Offerings

Assessment

The Handbook does not list a final examination among the assessment items. That is not a guarantee there is none.

Within semester assessment: 100%

Assessment details may change. Please refer to the assessment information in Moodle closer to the start of the teaching period.

Requisites

The Handbook lists no prerequisite, corequisite or prohibition for this unit.

Learning outcomes

1. identify and explain key events and concepts in Australian history and situate them in local and global contexts;
2. recognise and evaluate differing interpretations of key issues and debates in Australian history;
3. identify and critically analyse the relationship between Australian history and contemporary Australian society;
4. analyse and interpret historical sources, including both primary and secondary sources;
5. communicate key concepts in Australian history through a variety of written and oral forms;
6. reflect critically on your understanding of Australian history and how it can be applied to civic and/or and professional practice.

Workload

Minimum total expected workload to achieve the learning outcomes for this unit is 144 hours per semester typically comprising a mixture of scheduled learning activities and independent study. A unit requires on average three/four hours of scheduled activities per week. Scheduled activities may include a combination of teacher directed learning, peer directed learning and online engagement.

Student experience, not official rules. Nothing here changes what the Handbook says.