Accounting
Prerequisites
Nil.
Course Description
Unit 1: Semester 1 – Role of accounting in business
This unit explores the establishment of a business and the role of accounting in the determination of business success or failure. In this, it considers the importance of accounting information to stakeholders. Students analyse, interpret and evaluate the performance of the business using financial and non-financial information. They use these evaluations to make recommendations regarding the suitability of a business as an investment.
Students record financial data and prepare reports for service businesses owned by sole proprietors.
Where appropriate, the accounting procedures developed in each area of study should incorporate the application of the Conceptual Framework and financial indicators to measure business performance and take into account the range of ethical considerations faced by business owners when making decisions, including financial, social and environmental.
There are two areas of study:
- On completion of this unit the student should be able to describe the resources required to establish and operate a business and select and use accounting reports and other information to discuss the success or otherwise of the business.
- On completion of this unit the student should be able to identify and record financial data, report and explain accounting information for a service business, and suggest and apply appropriate financial and non-financial indicators to measure business performance.
ASSESSMENT
1. Coursework (50%)
2. Examination (50%)
Unit 2: Semester 2 – Accounting and decision-making for a trading business
In this unit students develop their knowledge of the accounting process for sole proprietors operating a trading business, with a focus on inventory, accounts receivable, accounts payable and non-current assets. Students use manual processes and ICT, including spreadsheets, to prepare historical and budgeted accounting reports.
Students analyse and evaluate the performance of the business relating to inventory, accounts receivable, accounts payable and non-current assets. They use relevant financial and other information to predict, budget and compare the potential effects of alternative strategies on the performance of the business. Using these evaluations, students develop and suggest to the owner strategies to improve business performance.
Where appropriate, the accounting procedures developed in each area of study should incorporate application of the Conceptual Framework, financial indicators and ethical considerations for business owners when making business decisions, including financial, social and environmental.
There are three Areas of Study:
- On completion of this unit the student should be able to record and report for inventory and discuss the effect of relevant financial and non-financial factors, and ethical considerations, on the outcome of business decisions.
- On completion of this unit the student should be able to record and report for accounts receivable and accounts payable and analyse and discuss the effect of relevant decisions on the performance of the business including the influence of ethical considerations.
- On completion of this unit the student should be able to record and report for non-current assets and depreciation.
ASSESSMENT
1. Coursework (50%)
2. Examination (50%)
Unit 3: Semester 1 – Financial accounting for a trading business
This unit focuses on financial accounting for a trading business owned by a sole proprietor and highlights the role of accounting as an information system. Students use the double entry system of recording financial data and prepare reports using the accrual basis of accounting and the perpetual method of inventory recording.
Students develop their understanding of the accounting processes for recording and reporting and consider the effect of decisions made on the performance of the business. They interpret reports and information presented in a variety of formats and suggest strategies to the owner to improve the performance of the business.
There are two Areas of Study:
- On completion of this unit the student should be able to record financial data using a double entry system; explain the role of the General Journal, General Ledger and inventory cards in the recording process.
- On completion of this unit the student should be able to record transactions and prepare, interpret and analyse accounting reports for a trading business.
Unit 4: Semester 2 – Recording, reporting, budgeting and decision-making
In this unit students further develop their understanding of accounting for a trading business owned by a sole proprietor and the role of accounting as an information system. Students use the double entry system of recording financial data, and prepare reports using the accrual basis of accounting and the perpetual method of inventory recording. Both manual methods and ICT are used to record and report.
Students extend their understanding of the recording and reporting process with the inclusion of balance day adjustments and alternative depreciation methods. They investigate both the role and importance of budgeting in decision-making for a business. They analyse and interpret accounting reports and graphical representations to evaluate the performance of a business. From this evaluation, students suggest strategies to business owners to improve business performance.
There are two Areas of Study:
- On completion of this unit the student should be able to record financial data and balance day adjustments using a double entry system, report accounting information using an accrual-based system and evaluate the effect of balance day adjustments and alternative methods of depreciation on accounting reports.
- On completion of this unit the student should be able to prepare budgeted accounting reports and variance reports for a trading business using financial and other relevant information, and model, analyse and discuss the effect of alternative strategies on the performance of a business.
ASSESSMENT
1. Coursework – Unit 3 (25%)
2. Coursework – Unit 4 (25%)
3. Examination (50%)
Australian and Global Politics
VCE Australian and Global Politics is a dynamic and exciting subject in which students consider contemporary power at both national and global levels. Students explore, explain, analyse, and evaluate key national and global issues and events to form a critical understanding of the world in which they live. As a result, students will also develop their skills of critical thinking, analysis, synthesis, and argument. The course provides knowledge and skills that prepare students for formal study at the tertiary level and leads to opportunities in a range of careers, including academia, management, government, journalism, and law. In addition, students will become informed citizens, voters and participants in their local, national and international communities.
There are no pre-requisites for entry to Units 1, 2 and 3. Year 11 students who decide to study Global Politics Units 1 and 2 will have an excellent opportunity to build foundational political knowledge and skills to help them excel in Global Politics Units 3 and 4 in Year 12. Some Year 11 students may choose to study the Unit 3 and 4 course if they meet the academic requirements.
Prerequisites
Nil.
Course Description
Unit 1: Semester 1 – Ideas, actors and power
In this unit students are introduced to the key ideas relating to the exercise of political power. They analyse and evaluate different approaches to governmental power by comparing Australian democracy with a non-democratic political system. Students will investigate case studies of political parties, interest groups and media issues to analyse the importance of these forms of participation in the Australian political system. They will also explore the ways social media and the 24-hour news cycle influence political debate.
ASSESSMENT:
1. Coursework (60%)
2. Examination (40%)
Unit 2: Semester 2 – Global connections
This unit introduces students to the global community and the global actors that are part of this community. In Area of Study 1 students explore the myriad ways lives have been affected by the increased interconnectedness – the global links – of the world through the process of globalisation. These links include a study of the roles of NGOs, global corporations and social media. Students will also evaluate Australia’s participation in the global community. In Area of Study 2, students consider the extent to which global actors cooperate and share visions and goals as part of the global community. They investigate the concept of a global community through considering contemporary case studies of global cooperation and conflict.
ASSESSMENT:
1. Coursework (60%)
2. Examination (40%)
Unit 3: Semester 1 – Global actors
Students investigate the key global actors in twenty-first century global politics, including states, intergovernmental organisations, non-state actors and transnational cooperations. They use contemporary evidence to analyse the key global actors and their aims, roles and power. This helps them to develop an understanding of the key actors through an in-depth examination of the concepts of national interest and power as they relate to the state. Students will also analyse and evaluate the way in which one Asia-Pacific state uses power within the region to achieve its objectives.
Unit 4: Semester 2 – Global challenges
In this unit students investigate key global challenges facing the international community in the twenty-first century. They examine and analyse the debates surrounding two ethical issues, which are underpinned by international law. Students will evaluate the effectiveness of responses to two ethical issues that are selected from the following: human rights, people movement, development (e.g. global poverty) and arms control. Students also explore the context and causes of global crises and consider the varying effectiveness of responses and challenges to solving them. Two global crises are selected from the following: climate change, armed conflict, terrorism, and economic instability.
ASSESSMENT
1. Coursework – Unit 3 (25%)
2. Coursework – Unit 4 (25%)
3. Examination – (50%)
Business Management
Business Management examines the ways businesses manage resources to achieve objectives. The VCE Business Management study design follows the process from the first idea for a business concept, to planning and establishing a business, through to the day-to-day management of a business. It also considers changes that need to be made to ensure continued success of a business. Students develop an understanding of the complexity of the challenges facing decision makers in managing these resources.
Prerequisites
Nil.
Course Description
Unit 1: Semester 1 – Planning a Business
Businesses of all sizes are major contributors to the economic and social wellbeing of a nation. Therefore how businesses are formed and the fostering of conditions under which new business ideas can emerge are vital for a nation’s wellbeing. Taking a business idea and planning how to make it a reality are the cornerstones of economic and social development. In this unit students explore the factors affecting business ideas and the internal and external environments within which businesses operate, and the effect of these on planning a business.
Students investigate how business ideas are created and how conditions can be fostered for new business ideas to emerge. New business ideas are formed through a range of sources, such as identifying a gap in the market, technological developments and changing customer needs. Students explore some of the issues that need to be considered before a business can be established.
The external environment consists of all elements outside a business that may act as pressures or forces on the operations of a business. Students consider factors from the external environment such as legal, political, social, economic, technological, global and corporate social responsibility factors and the effects these may have on the decisions made when planning a business. Students investigate how the internal environment relates to the external environment and the effects of this relationship on planning a business.
The internal environment affects the approach to and success of business planning. The owner will generally have more control over the activities, functions and pressures that occur within a business. These factors, such as business models, legal business structures and staffing, will also be influenced to some extent by the external environment. Students explore the factors within the internal environment and consider how planning decisions may have an effect on the ultimate success of a business.
ASSESSMENT
1. Coursework (50%)
2. Examination (50%)
Unit 2: Semester 2 – Establishing a Business
This unit focuses on the establishment phase of a business’s life. Establishing a business involves complying with legal requirements as well as making decisions about how best to establish a system of financial record keeping, staff the business and establish a customer base. In this unit students examine the legal requirements that must be satisfied to establish a business. They investigate the essential features of effective marketing and consider the best way to meet the needs of the business in terms of staffing and financial record keeping. Students analyse various management practices in this area by applying this knowledge to contemporary business case studies from the past four years.
It is essential to deal with legal and financial matters when establishing a business. Students are introduced to the legal requirements and financial considerations that are vital to establishing a business. They also consider the implications for the business if these requirements are not met.
Establishing a strong customer base for a business is an important component of success. Students develop their understanding that marketing encompasses a wide range of management practices, from identifying the needs of the target market and establishing a brand presence, through to considerations on price, product features and packaging, promotion, place, people, physical evidence and processes. They also consider effective public relations strategies and the benefits and costs these can bring to a business.
Staff are one of the business’s greatest assets and are an important consideration when establishing a business. The quantity and quality of staff has a direct link to business productivity and the achievement of business objectives. Students examine the staffing requirements that will meet the needs and objectives of the business and contribute to productivity and effectiveness. They research the processes undertaken by the business with relation to the recruitment, selection and induction of staff. Students consider the opportunities that the skills and capabilities of staff can contribute to the business, the legal obligations that must be addressed and the relationship between employers and employees within a business.
ASSESSMENT
1. Coursework (50%)
2. Examination (50%)
Unit 3: Semester 1 – Managing a Business
In this unit students explore the key processes and issues concerned with managing a business efficiently and effectively to achieve the business objectives. Students examine the different types of businesses and their respective objectives. They consider corporate culture, management styles, management skills and the relationship between each of these. Students investigate strategies to manage both staff and business operations to meet objectives. Students develop an understanding of the complexity and challenge of managing businesses and through the use of contemporary business case studies from the past four years have the opportunity to compare theoretical perspectives with current practice.
Business foundations
This area of study introduces students to the key characteristics of businesses and their stakeholders. Students investigate potential conflicts between and the different demands of stakeholders on a business. They examine a range of management styles and management skills that may be used when managing a business and apply these to contemporary business case studies.
Managing employees
In this area of study students investigate essential factors such as motivation and training involved in effectively managing employees during their time at a business to ensure the business objectives are achieved. They consider Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, Locke and Latham’s Goal Setting Theory and Lawrence and Nohria’s Four Drive Theory of motivation. Using the theories and motivation strategies, students propose and justify possible solutions to employee management in contemporary business case studies. Students gain an overview of workplace relations, including the main participants and their roles in the dispute resolution process.
Operations management
The production of goods and services is the core objective of businesses. Effective management of the process of transforming inputs into outputs is vital to the success of a business, both in terms of maximising the efficiency and effectiveness of the production process and meeting the needs of stakeholders. In this area of study students examine operations management and consider the best and most responsible use of available resources for the production of a quality final good or service in a competitive, global environment.
Unit 4: Semester 2 – Transforming a business
Businesses are under constant pressure to adapt and change to meet their objectives. In this unit students consider the importance of reviewing key performance indicators to determine current performance and the strategic management necessary to position a business for the future. Students study a theoretical model to undertake change, and consider a variety of strategies to manage change in the most efficient and effective way to improve business performance. They investigate the importance of leadership in change management. Using a contemporary business case study from the past four years, students evaluate business practice against theory.
Reviewing performance – the need for change
In this area of study students develop their understanding of the need for change. Managers regularly review and evaluate business performance through the use of key performance indicators and use the results to make decisions concerning the future of a business. Managers can take both a proactive and reactive approach to change. Students investigate the ways a business can search for new business opportunities as a source of future business growth and consider current forces for change on a business. They apply Lewin’s Force Field Analysis theory to contemporary case studies and consider approaches to strategic management, using Porter’s (1985) Generic Strategies.
Implementing change
In this area of study students explore how businesses respond to evaluation data. It is important for managers to know where they want a business to be positioned for the future before implementing a variety of strategies to bring about the desired change. Students consider the importance of leadership in change management, how leaders can inspire change and the effect change can have on the stakeholders in a business. They consider the principles of Senge’s Learning Organisation and apply the Three Step Change Model (Lewin) in implementing change in a business. Using a contemporary business case study from the past four years, students evaluate business practice against theory, considering how corporate social responsibility can be incorporated into the change process.
ASSESSMENT
1. Coursework – Unit 3 (25%)
2. Coursework – Unit 4 (25%)
3. Examination (50%)
Economics
Economics is the study of how resources are allocated to meet the needs and wants of society. It attempts to explain how and why individuals behave the way they do and the consequences of their decision making. Studying Economics as a social science enables students to gain valuable insight into the economic problems that they may face on an individual basis and collectively as a society to meet the needs and wants of citizens, and may therefore assist them in making more informed and responsible decisions.
Prerequisites
Nil.
Course Description
Unit 1: Semester 1 – The behaviour of consumers and businesses
This unit introduces students to some fundamental economic concepts. They examine basic economic models where consumers and businesses engage in mutually beneficial transactions and investigate the motivations and consequences of both consumer and business behaviour. They examine how individuals might respond to incentives and how technology may have altered the way businesses and consumers interact. Students are encouraged to investigate contemporary examples and case studies to enhance their understanding of the introductory economic concepts.
On completion of this unit the student should be able to describe the basic economic problem, discuss the role of consumers and businesses in the economy and analyse the factors that influence decision making. As well as explain the role of relative prices and other non-price factors in the allocation of resources in a market-based economy.
ASSESSMENT
1. Coursework (50%)
2. Examination (50%)
Unit 2: Semester 2 – Contemporary economics Issues
This unit focuses on the nature of key economic trade-offs; situations where the achievement of one goal may come at the expense of another. There may be a trade-off between the goal of economic growth and the goal of environmental sustainability. Students consider the effect of economic growth on future generations and begin to appreciate some of the current environmental challenges that have been created from past and current economic decisions.
On completion of this unit, the student should be able to to explain the factors and policies that may influence equity in the distribution of income and efficiency of resource allocation, and analyse the potential trade-off.
ASSESSMENT
1. Coursework (50%)
2. Examination (50%)
Unit 3: Semester 1 – Australia’s economic prosperity
In this unit students consider develop an understanding of the macroeconomy. They investigate the factors that influence the level of aggregate demand and aggregate supply in the economy and use models and theories to explain how changes in these variables might influence the achievement of the Australian Government’s domestic macroeconomic goals and affect living standards. Students would also analyse key contemporary factors that may have influenced the Australian Government’s domestic macroeconomic goals over the past two years and discuss how achievement
of these goals may affect living standards. Finally, student should be able to explain the factors that may influence Australia’s international transactions and evaluate how international transactions and trade liberalisation may influence the current account balance, the Australian Government’s domestic macroeconomic goals and living standards in Australia.
Unit 4: Semester 2 – Managing the economy
Initially students focus on the role of aggregate demand policies in stabilising the business cycle to achieve the government’s domestic macroeconomic goals. Students examine the role of the Reserve Bank of Australia with a focus on its responsibility to alter the cost and availability of credit in the economy. Students consider each of the transmission mechanisms through which changes to interest rates can affect the level of aggregate demand in the economy and how these changes might affect the achievement of the Australian Government’s domestic macroeconomic goals. Students examine and analyse the effects of the last two government budgets, and how particular initiatives have helped to stabilise the level of aggregate demand and influenced the achievement of domestic macroeconomic goals.
Students then consider how the government utilises aggregate supply policies to manage the Australian economy. If the productive capacity of the economy is expanding, growth in aggregate demand can be met and economic growth can be maintained both now and into the future. Students investigate the role of both market-based and interventionist approaches to managing the supply side of the economy. They evaluate these policy responses in terms of their effect on incentives and consider how they increase competition and efficiency in the economy.
On completion of this unit the student should be able to discuss the nature and operation of aggregate demand policies and analyse how the policies may influence the Australian Government’s domestic macroeconomic goals and living standards. Student should be able to discuss the nature and operation of aggregate supply policies and analyse how the policies may influence the Australian Government’s domestic macroeconomic goals and living standards.
ASSESSMENT
1. Coursework – Unit 3 (25%)
2. Coursework – Unit 4 (25%)
3. Examination (50%)
Geography
Prerequisites
Nil.
Course Description
Unit 1: Semester 1 – Hazards and disasters
In this unit students undertake an overview of hazards before investigating two contrasting types of hazards and the responses to them by people.
Hazards represent the potential to cause harm to people and or the environment, whereas disasters are judgments about the impacts of hazard events. Hazards include a wide range of situations including those within local areas, such as fast moving traffic or the likelihood of coastal erosion, to regional and global hazards such as drought and infectious disease. Students examine the processes involved with hazards and hazard events, including their causes and impacts, human responses to hazard events and interconnections between human activities and natural phenomena. This unit investigates how people have responded to specific types of hazards, including attempts to reduce vulnerability to, and the impact of, hazard events.
Types of hazards are commonly classified by their causes:
- geological (or geophysical) hazards include volcanic activity, erosion, earthquakes, tsunamis, landslides and avalanches.
- hydro-meteorological (weather, climate, water) hazards include droughts, floods, storms, storm surges and bushfires.
- biological hazards include infectious diseases such as HIV/AIDS and malaria, animal-transmitted diseases, water-borne diseases, and plant and animal invasion such as blackberries and cane toads in Australia.
- technological hazards are human-induced and exacerbated hazards including oil spills, air pollution, radiation leaks, flooding primarily caused by land clearances, epidemics caused by poor living conditions and hazards caused by current climate change such as rising sea levels or increased intensification of weather events.
There may be considerable interconnection between the causes and types of hazards. For example, a region may be at risk from a number of hazards: high seasonal rainfall may result in a primary flood hazard which may in turn generate a secondary hazard of landslides.
Students undertake fieldwork in this unit.
ASSESSMENT
1. Analysis Task (25%)
2. Fieldwork (25%)
3. Classwork (10%)
4. Examination (40%)
Unit 2: Semester 2 – Tourism
In this unit, students investigate the characteristics of tourism, with particular emphasis on where it has developed, its various forms, how it has changed and continues to change, and its impacts on people, places and environments.
They select contrasting examples of tourism from within Australia and elsewhere in the world to support their investigations. Tourism involves the movement of people travelling away from and staying outside of their usual environment for more than 24 hours but not more than one consecutive year (United Nations World Tourism Organization definition). Over one billion tourists a year cross international boundaries with greater numbers involved as domestic tourists within their own countries. The Asia and the Pacific hosts 23 per cent of international arrivals. The scale of tourist movements since the 1950s, and its predicted growth, continues to have a significant impact on local, regional and national environments, economies and cultures. The travel and tourism industry is directly responsible for one in every twelve jobs globally and generates around 5 per cent of its GDP. (UNTWO Annual Reports 2011–2013).
The study of tourism at local, regional and global scales emphasises the interconnection within and between places. For example, the interconnections of climate, landforms and culture help determine the characteristics of a place that can prove attractive to tourists. There is an interconnection between places tourists originate from and their destinations through the development of communication and transport infrastructure, employment, together with cultural preservation and acculturation. The growth of tourism at all scales requires careful management to ensure environmentally sustainable and economically viable tourism.
Students undertake fieldwork in this unit.
ASSESSMENT
1. Analysis Task (25%)
2. Fieldwork (25%)
3. Classwork (10%)
4. Examination (40%)
Unit 3: Semester 1 – Changing the land
This unit focuses on two investigations of geographical change: change to land cover and change to land use. Land cover includes biomes such as forest, grassland, tundra and wetlands, as well as land covered by ice and water.
Land cover is the natural state of the biophysical environment developed over time as a result of the interconnection between climate, soils, landforms and flora and fauna and, increasingly, interconnections with human activity.
Natural land cover has been altered by many processes such as geomorphological events, plant succession and climate change. People have modified land cover to produce a range of land uses to satisfy needs such as housing, resource provision, communication, recreation and so on.
Students investigate three major processes that are changing land cover in many regions of the world:
- deforestation
- desertification, and
- melting glaciers and ice sheets.
Students investigate the distribution and causes of these three processes. They select one location for each of the three processes to develop a greater understanding of the changes to land cover produced by these processes, the impacts of these changes and responses to these changes at different scales.
At a local scale, students investigate land use change using appropriate fieldwork techniques and secondary sources. They investigate the scale of change, the reasons for change and the impacts of change.
Students undertake fieldwork and produce a fieldwork report.
Unit 4: Semester 2 – Human population – trends and issues
In this unit students investigate the geography of human populations. They explore the patterns of population change, movement and distribution, and how governments, organisations and individuals have responded to those changes in different parts of the world.
In this unit, students study population dynamics before undertaking an investigation into two significant population trends arising in different parts of the world. They examine the dynamics of populations and their economic, social, political and environmental impacts on people and places.
The growth of the world’s population from 2.5 billion in 1950 to over 7 billion since 2010 has been on a scale without parallel in human history. Much of the current growth is occurring within developing countries while the populations in many developed countries are either growing slowly or are declining.
Populations change by growth and decline in fertility and mortality, and by people moving to different places.
The Demographic Transition Model and population structure diagrams provide frameworks for investigating the key dynamics of population.
Population movements such as voluntary and forced movements over long or short terms add further complexity to population structures and to economic, social, political and environmental conditions. Many factors influence population change, including the impact of government policies, economic conditions, wars and revolution, political boundary changes and hazard events.
ASSESSMENT
UNIT 3
1. Structured questions and Fieldwork report – Unit 3 (50%)
2. Analysis of geographic data – Unit 3 (50%)
UNIT 4
3. Analysis of geographic data – Unit 4 (40%)
4. Structured questions – Unit 4 (60%)
History – Overview
History is a dynamic discipline that involves structured inquiry into the human actions, forces and conditions that have shaped the past and present. The study of history assists students to understand themselves, others, and the contemporary world, and broadens their perspective by examining a range of people, groups, events, ideas, and movements. The potential scope of historical inquiry is vast and formed by the questions that historians pursue, the availability of historical sources, and the capacity of historians to interpret those sources. VCE History reflects this by enabling students to explore a variety of eras, events and people.
At GGS, we offer Unit 1 and 2 courses in Ancient History and/or Modern History, and Unit 3 and 4 course in History – Revolutions.
Ancient History investigates individuals and societies (Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece, Rome, and China) across three millennia. Modern History examines the causes and consequences of conflict and change in the modern era. Revolutions explores the causes and consequences of significant social upheaval (in France and Russia) in the modern period.
Ancient History
Prerequisites
Nil.
Course Description
Unit 1: Semester 1 – Ancient Mesopotamia
In this unit students investigate the emergence of early societies in Ancient Mesopotamia. The lands between the rivers Tigris and the Euphrates have been described as the ‘cradle of civilisation’. Although this view is now contested in ancient history and archaeology, the study of Ancient Mesopotamia provides important insights about the growth of cities and the development of civilisations.
ASSESSMENT
1. Assessment Tasks (70%)
2. Examination (30%)
Unit 2: Semester 2 – Ancient Egypt or Early China (at teacher’s discretion)
Ancient Egypt:
Ancient Egypt gave rise to a civilisation that endured for approximately three thousand years. Unlike Mesopotamia, Egypt was not threatened by its neighbours for the greater part of its history. Kingdoms rose, flourished and fell around the banks of the River Nile – the lifeblood of urban settlements in Upper and Lower Egypt. In this unit students investigate features of the Old Kingdom Egypt and the representation of power, authority, beliefs, values and attitudes in Middle Kingdom Egypt and the Second Intermediate Period.
OR
Early China:
Early China begins with the pre-imperial period (up to 221 BCE) which is known as Ancient China and concludes with the end of the Han Empire in 220 CE. Students initially investigate the development of civilisation in early China and use a range of primary sources to investigate the origins and features of early civilisations. Students will subsequently consider the rise, expansion and fall of the Qin and Han dynasties, and how these dynasties presented their power and authority.
ASSESSMENT
1. Assessment Tasks (70%)
2. Examination (30%)
History (Modern)
Prerequisites
Nil.
Course Description
Unit 1: Semester 1 – Change and Conflict
Modern History provides students with an opportunity to explore the later part of the 19th century and the first half of the 20th century in a global context. Students will initially focus on the topic of ideology and conflict and will examine events, ideologies, individuals, and movements of the period that led to the end of empires and the emergence of new nation states before and after World War One. They will investigate the impact of World War One on nations and how, despite the post-war peace treaties and the establishment of the League of Nations, the world became increasingly hostile and unstable, and a second global conflict began. Students will also consider the significant social, political, economic, cultural, and technological change in the 1920s and 1930s. Through a consideration of change in nations such as the USA, Germany or the USSR, students will examine the patterns of social and cultural change in everyday life and analyse the conditions which influenced these changes.
ASSESSMENT
1. Assessment Tasks (70%)
2. Examination (30%)
Unit 2: Semester 2 – The changing world order
In Unit 2 students explore the nature and impact of the Cold War and challenges and changes to social, political, and economic structures and systems of power in the second half of the twentieth century and the first decade of the twenty-first century. Students will investigate the causes and consequences of the Cold War; the competing ideologies that underpinned events, the course of the war including proxy wars and conflicts, the consequences on people, groups and nations, and the causes of the end of the Cold War and the collapse of the USSR. In addition, there will also be a study of key political and/or social movements that challenged the traditional ideas, values, and political systems of the time. This will include a focus on the anti-apartheid campaign in South Africa, with a consideration of the causes, methods, and achievements of the movement.
ASSESSMENT
1. Assessment Tasks (70%)
2. Examination (30%)
History (Revolutions)
Prerequisites
Nil.
Course Description
Units 3 and 4: Semester 1 and 2 – Revolutions
Revolutions represent great ruptures in time and are a major turning point in the collapse and destruction of an existing political order which results in extensive change to society. Students will investigate the significant historical causes and consequences of two political revolutions: the French Revolution of 1789 and the Russian Revolution of October 1917.
In both units, students will develop an understanding of the complexity and multiplicity of causes and consequences in the revolutionary narrative. They will learn to ask historical questions and construct arguments using primary sources and historical interpretations as evidence. Students will analyse the different perspectives and experiences of people who lived through dramatic revolutionary moments and use historical interpretations to evaluate the causes and consequences of revolution.
ASSESSMENT
1. Coursework – Unit 3 (25%)
2. Coursework – Unit 4 (25%)
3. Examination (50%)
Across Units 3 and 4, students will complete four pieces of coursework: a historical inquiry, evaluation of historical sources, extended responses, and an essay.
Legal Studies
Prerequisites
Nil.
Course Description
Unit 1: Semester 1 – Guilt and Liability
In this unit students develop an understanding of legal foundations, such as the different types and sources of law and the existence of a court hierarchy in Victoria. Students investigate key concepts of criminal law and civil law and apply these to actual and/or hypothetical scenarios to determine whether an accused may be found guilty of a crime, or liable in a civil dispute. In doing so, students develop an appreciation of the way in which legal principles and information are used in making reasoned judgments and conclusions about the culpability of an accused, and the liability of a party in a civil dispute.
On completion of this unit the student should be able to describe the main sources and types of law, and assess the effectiveness of laws
ASSESSMENT
1. Coursework (50%)
2. Examination (50%)
Unit 2: Semester 2 – Remedies and rights
Criminal law and civil law aim to protect the rights of individuals. When rights are infringed, a case or dispute may arise which needs to be determined or resolved, and sanctions or remedies may be imposed. This unit focuses on the enforcement of criminal law and civil law, the methods and institutions that may be used to determine a criminal case or resolve a civil dispute, and the purposes and types of sanctions and remedies and their effectiveness. Students undertake a detailed investigation of two criminal cases and two civil cases from the past four years to form a judgment about the ability of sanctions and remedies to achieve the principles of justice. Students develop their understanding of the way rights are protected in Australia and in another country, and possible reforms to the protection of rights. They examine a significant case in relation to the protection of rights in Australia.
On completion of this unit the student should be able to explain key concepts in the determination of a criminal case, and discuss the principles of justice in relation to the determination of criminal cases, sanctions and sentencing approaches
ASSESSMENT
1. Coursework (50%)
2. Examination (50%)
Unit 3: Semester 1 – Rights and justice
The Victorian justice system, which includes the criminal and civil justice systems, aims to protect the rights of individuals and uphold the principles of justice: fairness, equality and access. In this unit students examine the methods and institutions in the justice system and consider their appropriateness in determining criminal cases and resolving civil disputes. Students consider the Magistrates’ Court, County Court and Supreme Court within the Victorian court hierarchy, as well as other Victorian legal institutions and bodies available to assist with cases. Students explore matters such as the rights available to an accused and to victims in the criminal justice system, the roles of the judge, jury, legal practitioners and the parties, and the ability of sanctions and remedies to achieve their purposes. Students investigate the extent to which the principles of justice are upheld in the justice system. They discuss recent reforms from the past four years and recommended reforms to enhance the ability of the justice system to achieve the principles of justice. Throughout this unit, students apply legal reasoning and information to actual and/or hypothetical scenarios.
On completion of this unit the student should be able to explain the rights of the accused and of victims in the criminal justice system, discuss the means used to determine criminal cases and evaluate the ability of the criminal justice system to achieve the principles of justice.
Unit 4: Semester 2 – The people and the law
The study of Australia’s laws and legal system involves an understanding of institutions that make and reform our laws, and the relationship between the Australian people, the Australian Constitution and law-making bodies. In this unit, students explore how the Australian Constitution establishes the law-making powers of the Commonwealth and state parliaments, and protects the Australian people through structures that act as a check on parliament in law-making. Students develop an understanding of the significance of the High Court in protecting and interpreting the Australian Constitution. They investigate parliament and the courts, and the relationship between the two in law-making, and consider the roles of the individual, the media and law reform bodies in influencing law reform. Throughout this unit, students apply legal reasoning and information to actual scenarios.
On completion of this unit the student should be able to discuss the significance of High Court cases involving the interpretation of the Australian Constitution and evaluate the ways in which the Australian Constitution acts as a check on parliament in law-making.
ASSESSMENT
1. Coursework – Unit 3 (25%)
2. Coursework – Unit 4 (25%)
3. Examination (50%)
Texts and Traditions
This course is available in Year 12 level and as an acceleration course in Year 11
The study of VCE Texts and Traditions equips students to come to a deeper understanding of the relationship between religious traditions and the written texts, which have grown from and shaped those traditions. Many religious traditions have a special relationship with a set of written texts, often referred to as scriptures. Through this study, students are taught to understand that these written texts have particular authority for the tradition and may act as an important reference and foundation for the tradition’s social organisation, rituals, values, beliefs and behaviour, both historically and in the world today.
Students study the texts in their original social, cultural, religious, political and historical settings, as well as investigate the impact such texts have had throughout history and are having on the world today. Different methods of interpretation are taken into account throughout this study. Students also investigate the texts as pieces of literature and consider how others have been inspired by the interpretation of such writings.
The study of VCE Texts and Traditions encourages independent and critical thinking in students that will assist them in work and study, and in fields that require critical thinking about, and research, analysis and interpretation of, written text.