Humanities and Social Sciences (HASS)
Some coverageHistory, geography, civics and citizenship, and economics and business.
HASS helps students understand people, places, the past and how societies work. In primary years it is taught as an integrated subject drawing on History, Geography, Civics and Citizenship, and Economics and Business, with mapping, timelines and community themes.
Strands
How Humanities and Social Sciences (HASS) is organised in the curriculum.
Humanities and Social Sciences (HASS) worksheets on ChalkBee
History: family history and 'then and now', local community history, First Australians, explorers, the First Fleet, colonial Australia, the gold rush and Federation, plus timelines and primary and secondary sources. Geography: Australian states, capitals, cities and neighbours, continents and oceans, mapping skills, climate, landforms and world capitals (also UK and USA). Civics and Citizenship (Years 3-6): rules and laws, local government, the three levels of government, democracy and voting, Australian symbols and national days, and being a citizen. Economics and Business (Years 5-6): needs and wants, goods and services, natural, human and capital resources, consumers and producers, opportunity cost, and saving and budgeting. Still growing: deeper Geography environments and inquiry-skill sheets.
Curriculum content (Foundation – Year 6)
What Humanities and Social Sciences (HASS) covers, by year band and strand.
Foundation – Year 2
- •My personal and family past, ancestors and 'then and now'
- •Sequencing events in time
- •How the past is remembered through photos, stories and objects
- •Places we belong to and their features
- •Locations, directions and simple maps
Years 3 – 4
- •Local community history and heritage places
- •First Australians: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and Country
- •Early exploration, the First Fleet and contact
- •Mapping skills, symbols and climate
- •Australia's states, territories, capitals and neighbours
- •Rules and laws and why we have them
- •Local government and how communities make decisions
- •Australian symbols and national days (starts Year 3)
Years 5 – 6
- •Colonial Australia, the gold rush and migration
- •Federation and becoming a nation in 1901
- •Australia's diverse environments
- •World countries, continents and global connections
- •Australia's three levels of government
- •Democracy, voting and being an Australian citizen
- •Needs, wants and natural, human and capital resources (starts Year 5)
- •Consumers, producers, opportunity cost, saving and budgeting
Content is paraphrased from the Australian Curriculum v9. See v9.australiancurriculum.edu.au for the authoritative content descriptions.
Other learning areas
Learning-area descriptions are paraphrased from the Australian Curriculum (ACARA v9). See v9.australiancurriculum.edu.au.