Year 8 Humanities and Social Sciences

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The Humanities and Social Sciences Department is responsible for a wide range of courses. This discipline focuses on people: their past, their relationships with each other and their use of our world. Students will think critically as they learn about themselves and others while developing skills in reading, writing, oral communication, ICT and research.

Geography: Landforms and landscapes and Changing nations

Students in Year 8 will study one semester of Geography. The two units in this semester are Landforms and landscapes and Changing nations. Landforms and Landscapes focuses on investigating geomorphology through a study of landscapes and their landforms. Changing Nations investigates the changing human geography of countries, as revealed by shifts in population distribution.

The key inquiry questions for Year 8 Geography are:

  • How do environmental and human processes affect the characteristics of places and environments?
  • How do the interconnections between places, people and environments affect the lives of people?
  • What are the consequences of changes to places and environments and how can these changes be managed?

Humanities and Social Sciences: The Ancient to the Modern World; Government, Democracy and Laws; Expanding Contacts; Economics and Business

Students will also study one semester of HASS in Year 8. This semester unit traces the development of democratic societies from end of the ancient period to now. Students will then explore the responsibilities and freedoms of citizens and how Australians can actively participate in their society. This includes understanding economics and business concepts by exploring the developments of trading contacts in the medieval world and the ways that markets work in modern Australia.