Unit 1: Twentieth Century History (1918-1939)
In Unit 1, students explore the nature of political, social and cultural change in the period between the world wars. This unit considers the way in which Western societies responded to these changes, how they affected people’s lives and the development of domestic and international crises.
Areas of study
- Ideology and Conflict (with a case study focus on the rise of Hitler and Nazism in Germany)
- Social and Cultural Change (with a case study focus on the Great Depression in the USA)
Outcomes:
Satisfactory completion and assessment grades for both Unit 1 will be determined by students’ demonstration of outcomes based on the Areas of Study. Assessment across Units 1 includes:
- an historical enquiry;
- an analysis of primary sources;
- an analysis of historical interpretations;
- and an essay.
Unit 2: Twentieth Century History (1945-2000)
In Unit 2, students explore the nature and impact of the Cold War and the challenges and changes to existing political, economic and social arrangements in the second half of the 20th Century.
Areas of study
- Competing Ideologies (with a focus on the causes, course and impact of the Cold War)
- Challenge and Change (with a case study focus on the US Civil Rights movements)
Outcomes:
Satisfactory completion and assessment grades for both Unit 2 will be determined by students’ demonstration of outcomes based on the Areas of Study. Assessment across Units 2 includes:
- an historical enquiry;
- an analysis of primary sources;
- an analysis of historical interpretations;
- and an essay.
Unit 3 & Unit 4: Australian History
In VCE Australian History, student will explore some of the events that have created modern Australia. Unit 3 focuses on Transformation: Colonial Society to Nation, while Unit 4 examines Transformations: Old Certainties and New Visions.
Areas of study
- The reshaping of Port Phillip District/Victoria 1834-1860 (including land issues and the gold rush)
- Making a people and a nation 1890-1920 (including national identity and World War I)
- Crises that tested the nation 1929-1945 (including the Great Depression and World War II)
- Voices for change 1965-2000 (including immigration, women’s rights, Aboriginal land rights, Vietnam War and globalisation)
Outcomes and Assessment
Satisfactory completion and assessment grades for Units 3 and 4 will be determined on students’ demonstration of outcomes based on each Area of Study. There are four Student Assessed Coursework tasks (SACs) across the year:
- an historical enquiry;
- an analysis of primary sources;
- an analysis of historical interpretations;
- and an essay.
These four SACs account for 50 per cent of the overall grade, with a two-hour end-of-year examination also contributing to 50 per cent of the final study score.
