Unit Outline
EPR260
Introduction to Humanities and Social Sciences Education
Semester 2, 2024
Louise Zarmati
Faculty of Education
College of Arts, Law and Education
CRICOS Provider Code: 00586B

Unit Coordinator
Louise Zarmati
Email: Louise.Zarmati@utas.edu.au
 

What is the Unit About?
Unit Description
EPR260 Introduction to Humanities and Social Sciences Education will provide you with the foundational knowledge, threshold concepts and skills you need to teach Humanities and Social Sciences to students aged 5 to 13 years. By studying Humanities and Social Sciences, you—and your future students—will learn to ask questions, think critically, solve problems, communicate effectively, make decisions, and learn how to adapt to change. 
This unit will help you understand learning about identity and place through the study of Australian history, and geography. We will begin by examining issues about teaching History: What are our origins? What is History, how much do you know about Australian History, what does it mean to ‘think historically’, and how is History constructed in the Australian Curriculum? 
EPR260 focuses on place-based learning through outside the classroom experiences. You will learn about Australia’s Deep Time past, nineteenth century colonial history and effective and engaging methods of communicating Australian  History to students. We then examine the processes of teaching Geography with relevant cross-curriculum priorities. 
Assessment tasks are authentic and meaningful to provide you with practical resources you can use during your Professional Experience and early years of teaching. The overall aim of the unit is to achieve a balance between current theory and praxis that will give you the sound professional knowledge to teach Humanities and Social Sciences with confidence and enthusiasm.
Intended Learning Outcomes
As per the Assessment and Results Policy 1.3, your results will reflect your achievement against specified learning outcomes.
On completion of this unit, you will be able to:
1
Recall and apply substantive and procedural knowledge of Australian history, geography and civics and citizenship from the Australian Curriculum: Humanities and Social Sciences to specific learning contexts
2
Design engaging learning and teaching activities using curriculum documents, age-appropriate pedagogies, and research
3
Communicate to students and other teachers about Humanities and Social Sciences substantive and procedural knowledge research, and pedagogies using appropriate written, oral, or digital forms
Requisites
REQUISITE TYPE
REQUISITES
Pre-requisite
ESH102 or EDU102
Alterations as a result of student feedback
 
 
 

Teaching arrangements
ATTENDANCE MODE
TEACHING TYPE
LEARNING ACTIVITY
CONTACT HOURS
FREQUENCY
On Campus
Tutorial
Face-to-face tutorials
2
Once only (6 times)
Fieldwork
3 x excursions
2
Once only (6 times)
Online
Lecture (Online)
Online lectures
1.50
Weekly
Tutorial (Online)
Zoom tutorials
2
Once only (6 times)
Attendance / engagement expectations
If your unit is offered On campus, it is expected that you will attend all on-campus and onsite learning activities. This is to support your own learning and the development of a learning community within the unit. If you are unable to attend regularly, please discuss the situation with your course coordinator and/or our UConnect support team.

If your unit is offered Online or includes online activities, it is expected you will engage in all those activities as indicated in the Unit Outline or MyLO, including any self-directed learning.

If you miss a learning activity for a legitimate reason (e.g., illness, carer responsibilities) teaching staff will attempt to provide alternative activities (e.g., make up readings) where it is possible.
 
This unit is designed to provide you with practical pedagogical skills you can use to teach HASS topics during your Professional Experience and when you are a Graduate teacher. The emphasis is on active, inquiry learning, which is why we offer excursions and design fun and engaging learning activities which can also be experienced by your students in outside-the-classroom learning contexts.
For on-campus units, it is expected that you will attend all on-campus and onsite learning activities. This is to support your own learning and the development of a learning community within the unit.
If you miss a learning activity for a legitimate reason (e.g., illness, family commitments) teaching staff will attempt to provide alternative activities (e.g., make-up readings) where it is possible.
If you are unable to attend regularly, please discuss the situation with your course coordinator and/or our UConnect support team.
 
 

How will I be Assessed?
 
For more detailed assessment information please see MyLO.
Assessment schedule
ASSESSMENT TASK #
ASSESSMENT TASK NAME
DATE DUE
WEIGHT
LINKS TO INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES
Assessment Task 1:
Knowledge Quiz
Week 3
10 %
LO1
Assessment Task 2:
Museum-in-a-box
Week 6
30 %
LO1, LO2, LO3
Assessment Task 3:
Yarning Story Video
Week 9
30 %
LO1, LO2, LO3
Assessment Task 4:
LOTC Geography Activities
Week 14
30 %
LO1, LO2, LO3
 
Assessment details
Assessment Task 1: Knowledge Quiz
Task Description:
Complete an online quiz in MyLO.

Completion of this Assessment Task relates to Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (APST) 2.1
Task Length:
Approximately 100 words
Due Date:
Week 3
Weight:
10 %
 
CRITERION #
CRITERION
MEASURES INTENDED
LEARNING OUTCOME(S)
1
Recall knowledge about Australia's Origin stories and Deep Time past
LO1
2
Recall knowledge about historical thinking and pedagogy
LO1
 
Assessment Task 2: Museum-in-a-box
Task Description:
See MyLO for description of Assessment Task.
Completion of this Assessment Task relates to Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (APST) 1.2, 1.3, 1.6, 2.1, 2.2, 3.1, 3.3, 3.4, 3.5, 4.1
Task Length:
1300 words equivalent
Due Date:
Week 6
Weight:
30 %
 
 

CRITERION #
CRITERION
MEASURES INTENDED
LEARNING OUTCOME(S)
1
Select and describe primary sources relating to information presented in the museum or heritage site (25%)
LO1
2
Communicate to students using appropriate language presented in written, visual, or digital form (35%)
LO3
3
Design learning activities using primary sources to facilitate historical inquiry (40%)
LO2
 
Assessment Task 3: Yarning Story Video
Task Description:
See MyLO for description of Assessment Task.
Completion of this Assessment Task relates to Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (APST) 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 2.1, 2.4, 2.5, 3.3, 3.4, 3.5, 4.1
Task Length:
1300 words equivalent
Due Date:
Week 9
Weight:
30 %
 
CRITERION #
CRITERION
MEASURES INTENDED
LEARNING OUTCOME(S)
1
Apply knowledge of Aboriginal pedagogy to design a yarning story for (25%)
LO1, LO3
2
Use visual aids and age-appropriate language to communicate in video format (25%)
LO2
3
Use the Australian Curriculum, Aboriginal pedagogy, and research to communicate a yarning story to learners (50%)
LO3
 
Assessment Task 4: LOTC Geography Activities
Task Description:
See MyLO for description of Assessment Task.

Completion of this Assessment Task relates to Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (APST) 1.2, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, 2.6, 3.3, 3.4, 3.5, 4.1
Task Length:
1300 words
Due Date:
Week 14
Weight:
30 %
 
CRITERION #
CRITERION
MEASURES INTENDED
LEARNING OUTCOME(S)
1
Apply knowledge of curriculum and pedagogy to design inquiry learning activity stations (30%)
LO1, LO2
2
Explain to students how to participate in geographical inquiry learning activities outside the classroom (30%)
LO2, LO3
3
Explain to co-teachers how to facilitate learning activities outside the classroom that teach geographical inquiry (40%)
LO2, LO3
 
 
 

How your final result is determined
To pass this unit, you need to demonstrate your attainment of each of the Intended Learning Outcomes, achieve a final unit grade of 50% or greater, and pass any hurdle tasks.
Submission of assignments
Where practicable, assignments should be submitted to an assignment submission folder in MYLO. You must submit assignments by the due date or receive a penalty (unless an extension of time has been approved by the Unit Coordinator). Students submitting any assignment in hard copy, or because of a practicum finalisation, must attach a student cover sheet and signed declaration for the submission to be accepted for marking.
Academic integrity
Academic integrity is about acting responsibly, honestly, ethically, and collegially when using, producing, and communicating information with other students and staff members.

In written work, you must correctly reference the work of others to maintain academic integrity. To find out the referencing style for this unit, see the assessment information in the MyLO site, or contact your teaching staff. For more detail about Academic Integrity, see
Important Guidelines & Support.
Requests for extensions
If you are unable to submit an assessment task by the due date, you should apply for an extension.
 
A request for an extension should first be discussed with your Unit Coordinator or teaching support team where possible. A request for an extension must be submitted by the assessment due date, except where you can provide evidence it was not possible to do so. Typically, an application for an extension will be supported by documentary evidence: however, where it is not possible for you to provide evidence please contact your Unit Coordinator.
 
The Unit Coordinator must notify you of the outcome of an extension request within 3 working days of receiving the request.
Late penalties
Assignments submitted after the deadline will receive a late penalty of 5% of the original available mark for each calendar day (or part day) that the assignment is late. Late submissions will not be accepted more than 10 calendar days after the due date, or after assignments have been returned to other students on a scheduled date, whichever occurs first. Further information on Late Penalties can be found on the Assessments and Results Procedure.
Review of results and appeals
You are entitled to ask for a review of the marking and grading of your assessment task if there is an irregularity in the marking standards or an error in the process for determining the outcome of an assessment. Details on how to request a review of a mark for an assignment are outlined in the Review and Appeal of Academic Decisions Procedure.
 
 

 
 

Required Resources
Required reading materials
Gilbert, R., Tudball, L. and Brett, P. (2020). Teaching Humanities & Social Sciences (7th ed.). Cengage.
You will also use this textbook for EPR360: Advanced Humanities and Social Sciences.
 
Recommended reading materials
Reading Lists provide direct access to all material on unit reading lists in one place. This includes eReadings and items in Reserve. You can access the Reading List for this unit from the link in MyLO, or by going to the Reading Lists page on the University Library website.
 
 
Other required resources