Learning Area Humanities 2

This subject has the following teaching availabilities in 2015:

170 hours

You must have successfully completed the following subject/s prior to enrolling in this subject

None

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For the purposes of considering request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Cwth 2005), and Students Experiencing Academic Disadvantage Policy, academic requirements for this subject are articulated in the Subject Description, Subject Objectives, Generic Skills and Assessment Requirements of this entry.

The University is dedicated to provide support to those with special requirements. Further details on the disability support scheme can be found at the Disability Liaison website: http://www.services.unimelb.edu.au/disability

This subject builds on the concepts introduced in Learning Area Humanities 1. The major focus of this subject is to develop further teacher candidates understanding of the nature and purposes of humanities education in years 7 to 12. Teacher candidates will continue to explore the Australian Curriculum/AusVELS. They investigate the pedagogies associated with the disciplines of humanities in the secondary school, exploring ways to foster conceptual understandings and inquiry skills. This includes consideration of literacy and numeracy strategies appropriate to the humanities (interpreting source material in history, analysing data in geography).

The focus of the subject is on learning and teaching that is research led and uses disciplinary and interdisciplinary approaches to curriculum design and implementation. Through research and reflection teacher candidates will explore and critique recent developments in humanities education and their impact upon curriculum design and teaching approaches.

On the completion of this subject, students will:

• Be highly skilled humanities teachers who demonstrate the professional capabilities to meet the individual needs of learners using interventionist practice;
• Demonstrate an understanding of ways in which theory and research inform practice;
• Demonstrate strong disciplinary and pedagogical content knowledge;
• Utilise diverse pedagogical strategies to provide rich and creative learning environments that empower learners.

The subject covers a range of the National Professional Standards for Teachers (for Graduate Teachers). In particular, the subject will contribute to students attaining the following standards:

2.1 Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the concepts, substance and structure of the content and teaching strategies of the teaching area;

2.2 Organise content into an effective learning and teaching sequence;

2.3 Use curriculum, assessment and reporting knowledge to design learning sequences and lesson plans;

3.2 Plan lesson sequences using knowledge of student learning, content and effective teaching strategies;

3.3 Use a range of teaching strategies.

There are 3 assessment tasks:

• Unit Outline (1200 words) due mid semester (30%)
• Reading Responses and class presentation (800 words equivalent) due as individually scheduled (20%)
• Literature Review (2000 words) due end of semester (50%)

Attendance at all classes (tutorial/seminars/practical classes/lectures/labs) is obligatory. Failure to attend 80% of classes will normally result in failure in the subject.

Gilbert, R. & Hoepper, B. (2014). Teaching humanities and social science: history, geography, economics and citizenship in the Australian Curriculum. South Melbourne: Cengage Learning.

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This subject is not available as a breadth subject.

On completion of this subject, teacher candidates will have the knowledge, skills and understanding to enable them to:

• Be skilled communicators who can effectively articulate and justify their practices as knowledgeable agents of changes.
• Be flexible and able to adapt to change through knowing how to learn;
• Understand the significance of developing their practice on the basis of research evidence;
• Work in teams with skills in cooperation, communication and negotiation;
• Be independent of mind, responsible, resilient, self-regulating;
• Have a conscious personal and social values base.