Aboriginal Studies 2015 HSC exam pack

Question 1–10

Candidates showed strength in these areas:

• understanding key course issues and concepts
• integrating sources effectively into responses
• understanding Aboriginal initiatives and strategies.

Candidates need to improve in these areas:

• explaining the effect of particular events on the status of Aboriginal peoples
• identifying the effect of government intervention
• referring to Aboriginal peoples correctly
• understanding the importance of education in addressing social justice issues.

Questions 11–16

Candidates showed strength in these areas:

• identifying the main issues that affect Aboriginal peoples
• demonstrating knowledge and understanding of programs and initiatives used by Aboriginal and other Indigenous peoples
• assessing the effectiveness of particular programs.

Candidates need to improve in these areas:

• referencing Australian and international Indigenous communities appropriately
• analysing or referencing Aboriginal/Indigenous programs and/or the communities
• using appropriate terminology such as, Aborigines/clans/nations
• making specific reference to an Aboriginal community.

Question 17

Candidates showed strength in these areas:

• making reference to two communities and two of the topics
• recognising the effect of socioeconomic status on disadvantage and having a clear understanding of the term ‘racism’.

Candidates need to improve in these areas:

• correctly naming an Australian Aboriginal community
• linking issues in the topics to the two communities
• correct use of terminology
• ensuring that the focus is post-1960 (note: the HSC course focuses on legislation, policy, legal decisions and current events from the 1960s)
• avoiding a narrative approach
• using evidence to support a response rather than making generalisations.

Question 18 – Research and inquiry methods

Candidates showed strength in these areas:

• identifying different types of traditional Aboriginal knowledge
• identifying research methodologies
• demonstrating understanding of the need to respect Aboriginal cultural knowledge when conducting research and acquiring information.

Candidates need to improve in these areas:

• differentiating between methodologies and traditional Aboriginal knowledge
• linking cultural knowledge to aspects of research.

Question 19 & 20 – Aboriginality and the land and heritage and identity

Candidates showed strength in these areas:

• referring to the sources and linking the sources to the key elements of the question
• explaining the importance of land and water rights.

Candidates need to improve in these areas:

• providing an explanation rather than a narrative
• ensuring that if they refer to more than one community, they do so without reducing the depth of the response
• ensuring that the focus is post-1960
• providing examples of the importance of Land Rights events and recognition of heritage and identity to Aboriginal communities
• assessing/analysing where required
• integrating the source into their answer
• referring to specific communities rather than just Aboriginal Australians
• avoiding general statements about ways Aboriginal people express their heritage and identity
• providing specific examples
• using the correct source for the question.