Year 4 HASS

Explore how Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples lived, traded, and managed Country for tens of thousands of years before European arrival.

Investigate the history of trade between the Macassan people from Indonesia and the Yolngu people of Arnhem Land before British settlement.

Examine the motivations (trade, curiosity, empire) and early voyages of European explorers (Dutch, British, French) to Australia.

Explore the initial meetings between European explorers and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, focusing on varied accounts.

Investigate the reasons for British colonisation, the journey of the First Fleet, and its arrival in 1788.

Examine the challenges and adaptations of early European settlers in the new colony, including food, shelter, and governance.

Explore the immediate consequences of European settlement for First Nations peoples, including dispossession of land, disease, and early acts of resistance.

Investigate how European settlement began to alter the Australian landscape and environment, contrasting with First Nations land management.

Examine how archaeologists use evidence to understand the deep history of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Explore the importance of oral histories and storytelling in preserving First Nations cultures, knowledge, and historical accounts.

Examine the diverse reasons behind the Age of Exploration, including trade routes, resource acquisition, religious spread, and national prestige.

Explore the technologies and methods used by explorers to navigate vast oceans, from the astrolabe and compass to celestial navigation.

Simulate the daily life, hardships, and dangers faced by sailors on long exploration voyages, including disease, storms, and limited resources.

Trace the journeys of key global explorers (e.g., Columbus, Magellan, Cook), mapping their routes and understanding their 'discoveries'.

Examine how European exploration affected Indigenous peoples around the world, including cultural clashes, disease, and displacement.

Investigate how exploration led to new maps and a changing understanding of the world, from early flat maps to more accurate globes.

Explore the 'Columbian Exchange' and other global exchanges of plants, animals, diseases, and technologies resulting from exploration.

Discuss the ethical questions surrounding historical exploration, including land claims, treatment of Indigenous peoples, and environmental impact.

Investigate the historical significance of the Silk Road as a network of trade routes connecting East and West, long before European ocean exploration.

Explore the incredible navigational skills of Polynesian voyagers who settled vast areas of the Pacific Ocean using traditional methods.

Identify and describe Australia's diverse environments, including rainforests, deserts, coasts, and grasslands, and the unique life they support.

Investigate how Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have sustainably managed environments for thousands of years, including cultural burning and resource harvesting.

Define sustainability and explore its importance for current and future generations, linking human actions to environmental impact.

Identify and discuss the significant environmental challenges facing Australian environments, such as drought, bushfires, habitat loss, and pollution.

Explore the relationship between climate zones and the types of vegetation found in different regions of Australia.

Investigate the importance of water as a natural resource in Australia, its availability, and the challenges of water management.

Explore various conservation efforts and initiatives aimed at protecting Australia's unique environments and biodiversity.

Develop skills in interpreting and creating simple maps that show environmental features, land use, and natural resources.

Differentiate between renewable and non-renewable resources and discuss their importance and sustainable use.

Investigate local environmental issues and explore ways students can take action to improve their local environment.

Explore the fundamental reasons for having rules and laws in families, schools, and communities, focusing on safety, fairness, and order.

Identify the key services provided by local government (e.g., parks, waste, libraries) and understand how they benefit the community.

Investigate different methods groups use to make decisions, including consensus, voting, and traditional First Nations decision-making processes.

Explore ways individuals, including children, can contribute to their community, influence change, and participate in civic life.

Explore how migration has shaped Australia into a multicultural nation, celebrating the diverse backgrounds of its people.

Investigate how people express their cultural identity through food, festivals, language, and traditions from various backgrounds.

Examine Australia's geographical and cultural connections to its neighbours in the Asia-Pacific region.

Explore how Australia connects to the wider world through international trade, sport, technology, and global events.

Distinguish between essential needs and non-essential wants, and understand the concept of scarcity in economics.

Identify and classify different types of resources (natural, human, capital) used to produce goods and services.

Understand that limited resources necessitate choices, and explore the concept of opportunity cost in decision-making.

Explore the diverse types of work people do, both paid and unpaid, and how these contributions benefit the community and economy.

Connect economic choices to environmental impacts, emphasizing the importance of recycling, reusing, and reducing consumption for a sustainable future.