7-10 History
Year 7: Discovering the Ancient World
How did people survive, build communities, develop cultures and make sense of the ancient world?
Year 7 History takes students on a journey from the earliest human communities to the end of the ancient period, from approximately 60,000 BCE to 650 CE. Students explore Australia, ancient Egypt and ancient China, investigating the lives, achievements, beliefs, conflicts and cultures of people from the past.
Students become historical detectives, using archaeological evidence, artefacts, written sources and different perspectives to uncover what we know about the past and investigate the mysteries that remain.
Through engaging historical inquiries, students develop the skills to question evidence, explain change and continuity, investigate cause and effect, consider different perspectives and assess the significance and contestability of the past.
Year 8: A World in Transformation
Year 8 History explores the period from the end of the ancient world to the beginning of the modern age, a time of dramatic change in society, religion, politics and the economy.
Students investigate the world of the Vikings, exploring their raids, exploration, beliefs, achievements and way of life. They then journey to Shogunate Japan, examining the samurai, powerful shoguns, social hierarchy, warfare and distinctive culture.
Through these fascinating historical societies, students become historical investigators, using evidence and different perspectives to uncover the past, challenge interpretations and understand the people, ideas and events that helped shape the modern world.
Year 9 History: The Making of the Modern World
Year 9 History examines a world undergoing rapid and profound transformation from 1750 to 1918. Industrialisation changed the way people lived and worked, while nationalism, imperialism and new political ideas reshaped nations and relationships between societies. The colonisation of Australia formed part of this wider expansion of European power, while the devastation of World War I brought the period to a dramatic close.
Students explore the Industrial Revolution, the history and legacy of slavery, and Australia’s experience of World War I. They consider the experiences of different groups and examine how these events continue to influence the world today.
Students develop increasingly sophisticated historical skills by analysing evidence, evaluating perspectives and interpretations, and explaining the causes, consequences, change and significance of major events.
Year 10 History: World War II
Year 10 History examines World War II and its profound impact on the modern world. Students investigate the causes, major events and outcomes of the conflict, while exploring the experiences of individuals and societies caught up in one of the most devastating periods in history.
Through an in-depth study of the Holocaust, students examine persecution, resistance, survival and the consequences of hatred and prejudice. They also investigate the decision to use atomic bombs to end the war, considering the evidence, perspectives and ethical debates surrounding this pivotal moment.
Students develop sophisticated historical thinking by analysing evidence, evaluating competing interpretations, examining cause and consequence, and making informed judgements about significant and contested events.
7-9 Geography
Year 7: Water in the World
Water is essential to every community, economy and ecosystem, yet it is not equally available to everyone. In this unit, students explore where water comes from, how it moves through our environment, how people use and value it, and why access to clean water is one of the world’s most important challenges.
Students investigate water as a renewable resource and examine issues including water scarcity, drought, flooding, sustainability and competing demands for water. They explore how natural processes connect places and how human decisions can change the availability and quality of water.
Using case studies from Australia and Asia, students investigate real world water challenges and consider how communities can manage this vital resource sustainably for the future.
Year 8: Urbanisation
Urbanisation explores the growth and transformation of cities and the ways urban environments shape people’s lives. Students investigate why people move to cities, how urban populations and communities change, and the opportunities and challenges created by rapid urban growth.
Students examine issues including population growth, housing, transport, infrastructure, inequality, environmental impacts and access to services. They investigate how cities are planned and managed and consider how urban environments can become more liveable, sustainable and resilient.
Using local and national case studies, students explore different experiences of urbanisation and consider how governments, communities and individuals can respond to the challenges and opportunities of an increasingly urbanised world.
Year 9: Biomes and Food Security
How we grow food depends on the natural environments that support life on Earth. In this unit, students explore the world’s major biomes and investigate how climate, soils, water and ecosystems influence the production of food and fibre.
Students examine how human activity is changing biomes and agricultural landscapes, andinvestigate the challenges of feeding a growing global population. They explore issues such as food security, sustainable agriculture, climate change, water availability and environmental pressures on food production.
Using case studies from Australia and around the world, students investigate real world food challenges and consider innovative and sustainable ways to produce enough food for the future.
7-9 Civics and Citizenship
Year 7: Active citizens
Civics and Citizenship helps students understand how Australia is governed, how laws affect our lives and how citizens can make a difference in their communities.
Students explore the roles and responsibilities of citizens, governments and the legal system, developing an understanding of how decisions are made and how people can participate in Australia’s democracy.
Students then investigate a local issue that matters to their community, researching its causes, considering different perspectives and developing practical solutions. Through discussion, research and problem solving, students learn how informed citizens can participate, influence decisions and contribute positively to their community.
Year 9: Power, Government and Society
Year 9 Civics and Citizenship takes students deeper into the workings of Australia’s democracy and the ways societies are organised. Students examine the role of the Australian Federal Parliament, exploring how laws are made, how government is formed, how power is distributed and how citizens can influence political decision making. They consider the roles of elected representatives, political parties and the media in Australia’s democratic system.
Students then compare different systems for organising and governing societies, exploring how political and economic ideas shape the distribution of power, rights, freedoms and resources. Through discussion, research and analysis, students develop the skills to compare perspectives, question political ideas and make informed judgements about how societies should be organised.
8-10 Business
Year 8: innovation Expo
Year 8 Business introduces students to the fundamentals of business and entrepreneurship, while giving them the opportunity to turn their ideas into something real.
Students explore how businesses operate, including customers, products and services, resources, marketing, finance and decision making. They then work in teams to develop an original product, identify their target market and create a strategy to promote and sell their idea.
The experience culminates in an Innovation Expo, where teams pitch and showcase their products to an audience. Students put their creativity, teamwork, communication and entrepreneurial skills into action as they compete for awards and celebrate the most innovative, marketable and successful business ideas.
Year 9: Business in a changing world
Year 9 Business explores how businesses compete, adapt and make decisions in an increasingly connected and rapidly changing world. Students investigate why Australia trades with other countries and explore how local, national and global economic forces influence business and consumer choices. They examine the challenges faced by entrepreneurs and consider how businesses can develop products and services that are both competitive and sustainable.
Students experience the rewards and risks of business decision making through the ASX Sharemarket Game, developing an understanding of investment, financial risk and return. They also investigate how businesses create and maintain a competitive advantage, including the growing impact of Artificial Intelligence on different industries.
Through practical activities, research and decision making, students develop their ability to think like entrepreneurs, evaluate business strategies and respond creatively to a changing business environment.
Year 10: Economics and business
Year 10 Business explores how businesses, governments and individuals make decisions in a changing world, connecting classroom learning to real issues in the local community, Australian economy and students’ own futures.
Students investigate the impact of events on Noosa, exploring their effects on businesses, residents, visitors and the environment. They examine business decisions involving technology, innovation and location and consider their short and long term consequences. Students also explore how inflation, unemployment and economic growth affect living standards and how governments respond to economic change. They finish by investigating superannuation, ethical investment and financial decision making as they consider their own financial futures.
Through real world case studies and practical activities, students develop the skills to analyse issues, evaluate options and make informed business and economic decisions.
Preparatory subjects and senior schooling
Students can then choose to either do a Preparatory course in Ancient History, Business, Geography, Legal Studies, Modern History or Philosophy and Reason in Year 10 Semester 2.
Prep Ancient History
Ancient History takes students deep into the past to explore powerful leaders, extraordinary societies and mysteries that remain unsolved thousands of years later. Students investigate how the decisions and achievements of ancient leaders shaped their societies and left legacies that continue to influence the modern world.
Students study leaders of the ancient world, examining figures who gained and exercised power, faced challenges and transformed the societies they ruled. They also investigate unsolved ancient mysteries, using archaeological evidence, ancient sources and competing interpretations to investigate questions that historians still debate today.
Ancient History is unique because the evidence is often fragmentary, incomplete and open to interpretation. Students become historical detectives, piecing together clues, questioning sources and weighing competing explanations. Through critical inquiry, debate and reflection, students develop the skills to analyse evidence, evaluate perspectives and construct convincing historical arguments.
Prep Business
Prep Business introduces students to the exciting world of business, entrepreneurship and innovation through practical, creative and hands on experiences. Students explore how businesses identify customer needs and wants, develop products and services, use resources and make decisions. They investigate familiar businesses and discover how people work together to create value for customers and communities.
Through engaging activities, students develop early skills in entrepreneurship, creativity, problem solving, communication, teamwork and financial decision making. They have opportunities to develop their own business ideas, consider marketing strategies and explore how innovation can help businesses respond to changing customer needs.
Prep Geography
Geography takes students beyond maps and places to explore the forces shaping our world and our future. Students investigate the relationships between people, places and environments, exploring how natural processes and human decisions create change, opportunity and challenge.
Through contemporary issues at local, regional, national and global scales, students investigate topics that matter, from population and development to environmental change, resource management and the future of communities. They work with real geographical data, maps and evidence to uncover patterns, understand different perspectives and evaluate possible solutions.
The course challenges students to think critically, question assumptions and make evidence-based judgements about some of the most important issues facing people and the planet.
Prep Modern History
Modern History helps students understand the forces that have shaped the world we live in today. By examining the past, students explore how societies change, why people and movements act as they do, and how historical events continue to influence our lives.
Students investigate the powerful influence of popular culture, examining how music, film, television, fashion and media can reflect and shape social values, identities and political ideas. They also explore the history of terrorism, investigating its causes, development, impact on societies and responses to it.
Through these topics, students develop the skills to question evidence, challenge assumptions, debate competing perspectives and make informed judgements. They consider how values influence historical events and how societies respond to conflict, change, inequality and competing ideas.
Prep Legal Studies
Law is part of everyday life, shaping the choices we make, the rights we have and the responsibilities we carry. Legal Studies gives students the opportunity to explore real issues that affect people and society today.
Students investigate a contemporary legal issue, exploring different perspectives and examining how the law responds to complex social challenges. They develop an understanding of the Australian legal system, including how laws are made, interpreted and enforced, and how individuals can access justice.
Students also explore human rights, considering how rights are protected, challenged and balanced within Australian society. Through inquiry, research, analysis and debate, students learn to evaluate evidence, question assumptions and develop informed views about law, justice and fairness.
The course encourages students to understand not only what the law is, but how and why it changes and how it affects their lives and the wider community.
Prep Philosophy and Reason
Philosophy and Reason encourages students to think critically, question ideas and explore different ways of understanding the world. Students learn that good thinking involves more than having an opinion. It requires asking thoughtful questions, considering evidence and giving clear reasons for what we believe.
Students develop the foundations of argument and reasoning, learning how to construct, analyse and challenge arguments respectfully. They explore major schools of philosophical thought and discover how philosophers have approached questions about knowledge, truth, ethics, society and human nature.
Students apply these ideas to contemporary issues that matter to them, including artificial intelligence, technology, freedom, responsibility and what it means to be human. Through discussion, debate and inquiry, students learn to think independently, listen to different perspectives and develop well-reasoned conclusions.