Course performance descriptors for History Elective

Grade A

A student at this grade typically:

• demonstrates extensive knowledge and understanding of history, heritage and archaeology
• demonstrates extensive knowledge and understanding of the methods of historical inquiry and the ways in which historical meanings can be constructed
• evaluates a range of sources for their usefulness to support an historical inquiry
• demonstrates extensive knowledge and understanding of the importance of key features, personalities and groups in past societies or periods
• analyses major historical events or periods to show an understanding of causation, continuity and change
• evaluates the contribution of cultural groups, sites and/or families to our shared heritage
• assesses different perspectives, interpretations and constructions of the past
• communicates an understanding of the past by constructing sustained explanations and arguments for different audiences, in appropriate forms, with a sophisticated use of relevant historical terms and concepts.

Grade B

A student at this grade typically:

• demonstrates thorough knowledge and understanding of history, heritage and archaeology
• demonstrates thorough knowledge and understanding of the methods of historical inquiry and the ways in which historical meanings can be constructed
• analyses a range of sources for their usefulness in an historical inquiry
• demonstrates thorough understanding of the importance of key features, personalities and groups in past societies or periods
• explains major historical events or periods to show an understanding of causation, continuity and change
• explains the contribution of cultural groups, sites and/or families to our shared heritage
• explains different perspectives, interpretations and constructions of the past
• communicates an understanding of the past by constructing explanations and arguments for different audiences, in appropriate forms, using a range of relevant historical terms and concepts.

Grade C

A student at this grade typically:

• demonstrates sound knowledge and understanding of history, heritage and archaeology
• demonstrates sound knowledge and understanding of the methods of historical inquiry and the ways in which historical meanings can be constructed
• organises relevant information from a number of sources to undertake historical inquiry
• demonstrates sound understanding of the importance of key features, personalities and groups in past societies or periods
• describes major historical events or periods to show an understanding of causation, continuity and change
• describes the contribution of cultural groups, sites and/or families to our shared heritage
• describes different perspectives, interpretations and constructions of the past
• communicates an understanding of the past through explanations and arguments, in appropriate forms, using relevant historical terms and concepts.

Grade D

A student at this grade typically:

• demonstrates basic knowledge and understanding of history, heritage and/or archaeology
• demonstrates basic knowledge and understanding of the methods of historical inquiry and the ways in which historical meanings can be constructed
• organises relevant information from sources to answer historical questions
• outlines some key features, personalities or groups in past societies or periods
• recognises some events or periods and factors contributing to continuity and change
• outlines some contributions of cultural groups, sites and/or families to our shared heritage
• recognises different perspectives, interpretations and constructions of the past
• communicates an understanding of the past by describing historical events in appropriate forms, using historical terms and concepts.

Grade E

A student at this grade typically:

• demonstrates elementary knowledge and understanding of some aspects of history, heritage and/or archaeology
• demonstrates elementary knowledge and understanding of the methods of historical inquiry and the ways in which historical meanings can be constructed
• locates information from sources to answer historical questions
• recognises some key features, personalities or groups in past societies or periods
• recounts some historical events in chronological order and identifies significant changes
• recognises some contributions of cultural groups, sites and/or families to our shared heritage
• recognises different perspectives within historical accounts
• communicates an understanding of the past through basic accounts of events in forms, using simple historical terms and concepts.

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