Humanities and Social Sciences

The HaSS learning area aims to develop in students a deep knowledge and sense of wonder, curiosity and respect for places, people, cultures, events, ideas and environments throughout the world. Balga is a very multicultural school and we work to build a sense of place within Australia for our students whilst drawing on the rich and diverse cultural variety that the school enjoys.

The Year 7 to 10 curriculum encompasses the four subject strands of the Western Australian Curriculum Framework including, Geography, Economics and Business, History and Civics and Citizenship.

There is a gradual progression and development of knowledge evident across all of the HaSS subjects in the lower school. The Year 7’s focus on water, place and liveability, producers and consumers and work in the economy, ancient history and Australia’s political and legal system. The Year 8’s study landscapes and landforms, coasts and changing nations, Australian markets, consumer rights and business in Economics, the Medieval world and democracy and laws in action. The Year 9’s study geographies of interconnection, Australia and the global economy, the making of the modern World, WWI and our democratic rights. Finally, the Year 10 students focus on environmental change and management along with geographies of human well- being, economic performance and living standards, WWII and rights and freedoms and justice at home and overseas.

In the Senior School we offer the full suite of options in Career and Enterprise, including Foundation, General and ATAR. These courses aim to develop enterprising behaviours and capabilities that enable students to be active participants in career building activities and take control of their Career/life journey.

Highlights

• There is a literacy focus across all HaSS subjects and years where subject specific glossaries are used and reinforced along with ongoing vocabulary building and reinforcement of the need for correct punctuation and grammar.
• Strong Careers focus in the Senior School HaSS curriculum.
• Incursions, excursions, artifacts and guest speakers are used to bring the subject matter to life for our students.
• HaSS teachers are skilled practitioners who are passionate about their learning area.
• HaSS partnerships to enrich and enhance learning outcomes exist with: Aspire UWA; KW Mallesons; the ADF; Red Cross; ATO; the Constitutional Centre and CEAWA to name a few.
• A continual focus on the importance of building and strengthening relationships with individual students to enhance their learning opportunities and improve outcomes.