LEARNING AND ASSESSMENT PLAN

Stage 2 Modern History

School

Contact Teacher

Blackwood High School

Kim Ellis

Other schools using this plan

SACE
School Code

No. of Credits
(10 or 20)

Program
Variant Code
(AW)

20

Enrolment Code

Year

Stage

2015

Subject Code

COHORT/CONTEXT DESCRIPTION
This should describe:
the cohort of students (e.g. student background and learning needs)
The cohort consists of 28 students with 15 girls and 13 boys. This class has a wide range of learning needs and
abilities. There are 6 NEPs in the class and several students who are easily distracted. There is about 10 more
academically driven students in the class, all but one, girls. The rest of the class falls in the middle of the scale.
Despite the differing abilities all students have an interest in history and have chosen to be here in Year 12. All
students are competent with IT and some are very skilled as they have had laptops and IT skills integrated from Year 8
onward.
PROGRAM DESIGN
This should describe:
how the program has been designed to engage the range of students in the cohort described above
the intended delivery of the program (e.g. students will undertake elements of the program off-campus, program
delivered in single and block lessons across a 5-day cycle)
topic choices (e.g. option topics) and give details of negotiated topics
The program has been designed to be accessible to all students in the cohort. Assignments have been scaffolded and
designed so the students of lower abilities can still achieve while not holding the higher ability students back or leaving
them bored. As a good number of students will not do the assignments if left unsupervised all assignments will be
heavily scaffolded with dates to check in for each step. This also allows students to ask questions privately that they
may not ask in front of the whole class. The Historical Essay will be available and recommended to start from Term 2
and will be similarly scaffolded to the other assignments, allowing me to monitor individuals progress throughout.
There is a mix of individual work and partner work to appeal to both introverted and social learners. There is no larger
group work for assessment as too many students in this cohort are distracted in larger groups and will leave the work
to one or two of their members. Partner work on presentations lends students more confidence when talking to the
class.
Assessment tasks have been chosen to broadly assist with future pathways. Many students in this cohort are unsure
of their future options while about a dozen have study or career paths in mind. Essays help develop research, writing
and argumentative skills needed for university but are important for other study paths and the workforce as well.
Presentation skills are integral to both university and work as well. The skills developed making PowerPoints,
podcasts or videos are sought after skills in many workplaces and will benefit students who want to go in to teaching
and business degrees especially.
Homework time will almost exclusively be for self-driven learning at this stage. Students will be able to decide to use it
for assignments and sometimes be given readings to complete for the next class. Check in dates along the way will
prevent the less driven students from falling behind.
To fill out the information below please double click here.
Recommended by Principal or nominee (signature)

Date

Signature of SACE Board Officer

Date

SACE Board Officer Number

Accession Number
Page 1 of 8

Approved / Not Approved

Expiry date of Learning and Assessment Plan
Stage 2 Modern History learning and assessment plan
Ref: A133138 (revised January 2013)
SACE Board of South Australia 2013

The French Revolution has been chosen for the Thematic Study (Topic 3: Revolutions and Turmoil: Social and Political
Upheavals since c. 1500) as it is fast paced and interesting and should keep the interest of more students. World War
I was selected for the Depth Study (Topic 8: The War to End All Wars: The First World War and Its Consequences,
c. 18701929) as it is similarly engaging.

CAPABILITIES, LITERACY AND NUMERACY OPPORTUNITIES

This should explain:
how the program provides opportunities for students to develop their capabilities and their literacy and numeracy
skills (e.g. strategies and resources)
Capabilities
Communication: Students will be given the opportunity to read and produce a wide variety of different text types.
Students will have the opportunity to critically analyse some of these sources.
Citizenship: As students study two chaotic, bloody parts of history they will be able to draw direct parallels to their own
experiences and beliefs, especially with the empathy tasks. Students should be able to examine which policies and
beliefs they agree and disagree with and how they feel they would react to situations studied.
Personal development: In this topic students will further hone their critical thinking skills, one of the most important skills
students can develop. Students will also be confronted with narratives foreign to their own and have to consider these
points of view, developing empathy and understanding of different viewpoints.
Work: Skills developed during this topic will be relevant for any future pathway the students chose. The ability to craft
well-reasoned arguments and speak well are equally important in academia and the workplace. Critical thinking as
highlighted above is a skill relevant to many situations. Skills developed in this topic are especially useful in the fields
of: teaching, tourism, archaeology, journalism, academic writing, government, law and politics.
Learning: The topic specific learning will assist the students who intend to go into teaching or a history based university
degree.
Literacy and Numeracy skills
Students will use different text types to communicate from academic essays, historical letters, podcasts and spoken
presentations. Instructions and examples will be provided for each of these types and in most cases this will be built
on prior learning. Skills in numeracy will be developed in source analysis and the use of statistics and timelines.

Page 2 of 8

Stage 2 Modern History learning and assessment plan

Ref: A133138 (revised January 2013)
SACE Board of South Australia 2013

Subject:

Modern History

Variant:

School:

Contact Teacher:

ASSESSMENT OVERVIEW
Complete the table below to demonstrate how the set of assessments addresses all of the learning requirements and assessment design criteria.

Folio

50

Essay: Causes of World War I

Oral Presentation: Nature and

Effects of World War I
Written Account: Empathy Task
on Impacts of World War I

Podcast: Causes of the French

Page 3 of 8

Stage 2 Modern History learning and assessment plan

Ref: A133138 (revised January 2013)
SACE Board of South Australia 2013

1,2

Communication

Reflection and Evaluation

Inquiry and Analysis

Knowledge and Understanding

Communicate informed and relevant

arguments using subject-specific language
and conventions

timesEvaluate why individuals and groups

acted in certain ways at particular

Assessment Design Criteria

(Indicate the specific features to
be addressed)

In-Class Essay: Consequences of

World War I
Essay: Conditions for Revolution

Reflect on the short-term and longterm impacts of individuals, events,

and phenomena

Please add/delete rows as

necessary

Construct reasoned historical

arguments based on a critical
understanding of evidence from
sources

Weighting
(%)

analysisApply the skills of historical

inquiry, including critical

Assessment
Type

Formulate hypotheses and/or

focusing questions and apply
them to explain historical
concepts

Weighting of Assessment
Name of Assessment
Types
(as described in the assessment
details following)

Demonstrate knowledge and

understanding of people,
places, events, and ideas in
the history of societies in
selected periods and places
since c. 1500

Learning Requirements
(Indicate the Learning Requirements addressed)

1
1,2

1,2

1,2

1,2

1,2

1,2

Revolution
Essay: Consolidation of Power
and Power Struggles During the
French Revolution

Oral Presentation: Threats to

the Revolution
Essay

20

Historical Essay

External
component

30

Examination

1,2

1,2

1,2

1,2

1,2

1,2

1,2

1,2

1,2

Please refer to the Subject Operational Information

Eight to ten assessments. Please refer to the History Subject Outline.

(Note: to record any changes to the assessment outline, please use the Addendum to Learning and Assessment Plan attached.)
Subject:

Modern History

Variant:

School:

Blackwood High School

Contact Teacher:

Kim Ellis

ASSESSMENT DETAILS
Use the table below to provide details of the assessments designed to provide opportunities for the range of students in the cohort to show evidence of their learning against the
performance standards.
Name of Assessment
(Assessment Type)

Essay: Causes of World War I

(Folio)

Description of Assessment (a description of the flexible, and where appropriate, negotiable, ways Assessment conditions as
in which students show evidence that demonstrates their learning against the performance
appropriate (e.g. task type, word
standards, including to the highest standard)
length, time allocated,
supervision)
Students will respond to one of the essay questions of their choosing:
Inadequate leadership between 1900 and 1914 led to the outbreak of the First World War.
How accurate is this statement?
To what extent was one of the following issues responsible for WWI?
Colonisation
Nationalism
Alliances

Oral Presentation: Nature and Effects Students individually or in pairs will be given a country involved in WWI. They will create a presentation
of World War I
addressing:
(Folio)
The countries views going into the war
The impact of the war on their country
Page 4 of 8

Stage 2 Modern History learning and assessment plan

Ref: A133138 (revised January 2013)
SACE Board of South Australia 2013

1000 word essay with bibliography.

Time allocation approximately 2
weeks including limited in class time
to begin with

6 minute presentation with

presentation notes and possibly
handouts. Time allocation 3 weeks
including in class time.

Name of Assessment
(Assessment Type)

Description of Assessment (a description of the flexible, and where appropriate, negotiable, ways Assessment conditions as
in which students show evidence that demonstrates their learning against the performance
appropriate (e.g. task type, word
standards, including to the highest standard)
length, time allocated,
supervision)
The changing attitude of the population during the war
Important battles in their country/ that their country was involved in
How the war changed their country.

They will present their findings to the class in the form of a PowerPoint presentation, or short film.
Students will write a letter from the perspective of one of the following:
A soldier on the Western Front
Written Account: Empathy Task on
Impacts of World War I
(Folio)

A mother on the home front

1000 word maximum written letter.

Time allocation 1 week including in
class time.

A suffragette
A soldier returned home with shellshock
An Armenian in the Ottoman Empire

Contrast their experience before and during the war and how this has affected them.
In-Class Essay: Consequences of
World War I
(Folio)

Students will write an argumentative essay answering the statement: To what extent were the harsh
conditions imposed by the Treaty of Versailles responsible for the outbreak of WWII?

1000 word essay in test conditions.

Time allocation 1 double lesson

In-class, test conditions.

Essay: Conditions for Revolution

(Folio)

Students will respond to one of the essay questions of their choosing:

The French Revolution was inevitable after The Seven Years War. Do you agree with this statement?
Argue your point.
To what extent was economic discontent a feature of pre-revolutionary society?
Pre-revolutionary society underwent significant change. How accurate is this statement?
How effective were pre-revolutionary societies in dealing with discontent?

Podcast: Causes of the French

Revolution
(Folio)

Choose one topic and provide a 6 minute podcast or video explaining its effect on the French Revolution 6 minute podcast or video including
script and bibliography.
The Enlightenment
Approximately 2 weeks
Economic problems
Rising social inequality
Sieyes The Third Estate

Page 5 of 8

Stage 2 Modern History learning and assessment plan

Ref: A133138 (revised January 2013)
SACE Board of South Australia 2013

1000 word essay with bibliography.

Time allocation approximately 2
weeks including limited in class time
to begin with.

Name of Assessment
(Assessment Type)

Essay: Consolidation of Power and

Power Struggles During the French
Revolution
(Folio)

Description of Assessment (a description of the flexible, and where appropriate, negotiable, ways Assessment conditions as
in which students show evidence that demonstrates their learning against the performance
appropriate (e.g. task type, word
standards, including to the highest standard)
length, time allocated,
supervision)
Chose a figure from the list below and argue their importance to the French Revolution. Address their
political ideas and how they fit into the power structure of the movement, why they are important and
how they affected the conflict.
Marie Antoinette
Olympe de Gouges
Maximilien Robespierre
George Danton
Louis XVI
Charlotte Corday
Jean Paul Marat

1000 word essay with bibliography.

Time allocation 2 weeks including
in class time.

Individually or in pairs students will research one issue, event or person they felt threatened the French 6 minute presentation with
Revolution and present their findings to the class. Students will choose their topic via negotiation with the presentation notes and bibliography.
teacher. Presentation can utilise PowerPoint slides, film clips and props.
Oral Presentation: Threats to the
Revolution
(Folio)

Students must cover:

Why their issue was a threat
How much of a threat it was
How/if it was resolved
The people involved
Its impact on the French Revolution
Students undertake an individual inquiry on a historical topic of their choice relevant to the period of the
history subject studied (i.e. since 1788 for Australian History, and since c. 1500 for Modern History).

Historical Essay

Examination
Page 6 of 8

The inquiry is presented in the form of a written essay and involves the formulation of a hypothesis
and/or focusing question(s), relevant research, critical analysis, conclusions, and appropriate
acknowledgment of sources. It should take the form of an informed, sequenced, reasoned and
persuasive historical argument in response to the hypothesis and/or focusing question(s).

The examination paper has three parts.

Part 1: Thematic study focusing on the key areas for inquiry in the thematic study. For each topic, the
Stage 2 Modern History learning and assessment plan
Ref: A133138 (revised January 2013)
SACE Board of South Australia 2013

2000 word essay with bibliography.

Time allocation, own time and
homework time throughout year.
Some in class time provided toward
end of year.

3-hour written external examination.

Name of Assessment
(Assessment Type)

(External component)

Page 7 of 8

Description of Assessment (a description of the flexible, and where appropriate, negotiable, ways Assessment conditions as
in which students show evidence that demonstrates their learning against the performance
appropriate (e.g. task type, word
standards, including to the highest standard)
length, time allocated,
supervision)
four key areas for inquiry are included in the examination. Students are required to answer one essay
question from Part 1.
Part 2: Depth study focusing on the key areas for inquiry in the depth study. For each topic, the four key
areas for inquiry are included in the examination. Students are required to answer one essay question
from Part 2.
Part 3: Sources analysis focusing on the skills of sources analysis. Students are required to analyse and
evaluate sources. Students are required to answer the sources analysis question in Part 3.

Stage 2 Modern History learning and assessment plan

Ref: A133138 (revised January 2013)
SACE Board of South Australia 2013

Addendum to:

LEARNING AND ASSESSMENT PLAN

Stage 2 Modern History
School

Contact Teacher

Other schools using this plan

SACE
School Code

Year

Enrolment Code
Stage

Subject Code

No. of Credits
(10 or 20)

Program
Variant Code
(AW)

20

CHANGES MADE TO THE LEARNING AND ASSESSMENT PLAN

Describe any changes made to the Learning and Assessment Plan to support students to be successful in meeting the
requirements of the subject. In your description, please explain:
what changes have been made to the plan
the rationale for making the changes
whether these changes have been made for all students, or individuals within the student group.

PRINCIPAL ENDORSEMENT
The changes made to the Learning and Assessment Plan support student achievement of the performance standards
and retain alignment with the subject outline.
Signature of Principal or nominee

Page 8 of 8

Date

Stage 2 Modern History learning and assessment plan

Ref: A133138 (revised January 2013)
SACE Board of South Australia 2013