What is HSIE?

Human Society and its Environment is a humanities subject studied across the K-6 curriculum. HSIE is a subject which enhances each students sense of personal, community, national and global identity and enables them to participate effectively in maintaining and improving the quality of their society and environment (Board of Studies, 2002).

HSIE has three main learning areas for students and within these three areas are the sub strands of HSIE as well as the skills and values the students will learn.

These three areas are:

·         Knowledge and Understandings

·         Values and Attitudes

·         Skills

Knowledge and Understandings

Within knowledge and understanding are the four content strands for students which are all interrelated these include:

• Change and continuity
• Cultures
• Environments
• Social systems and structures

Each of the four sub strands have their own learning content

Change and continuity

Within this sub strand students are learning about change and continuity and this begins in the early stages with topics such as the way we were and families past and present. Students need to learn about the past in order to compare ans understand what has and how things have changes in their world. This progresses into the middle and later stages of primary where students learn about their historical roots not only about their families, but about Australia as a nation. One of the main outcomes from this strand is that students  “recognise their connections with the past and develop understandings and values about themselves and others and their heritages, what it means to be human and, in particular, what it means to be Australian” (Board of Studies, 2002).

Cultures

Within this sub strand students learn about themselves as individuals and as part of a group. Students learn about different cultures and their similarities and differences to their own. Within this sub strand students begin to develop an appreciation and understanding of different cultures and how they are looked upon in our society. Within this sub strand Aboriginal heritage and their contribution to Australian society is taught which is an important part of Australia's history.

Environments

Within this strand students learn about environments around them, where they belong, the histories of the environments and how they came to be the way they are today. Not only are they learning about their own personal environments but how to keep the environment sustainable. I feel this is one very important subject area as the environment has such a big impact and students are able to learn how humans have impacted on the environment, but also learn about strategies and ideas to keep the environment sustained.

Social systems and structures

Within this strand students learn about their needs and wants, and how interacting with other people in social and economic systems contributes to society. Students also develop understandings about roles, rights and responsibilities within social systems and structures. This starts in the early stages with the subjects of meeting needs and this is me and carries right the way through to stage three where students move into learning about Australian government and the systems within all three levels of government. 

There are many skills, values and attitudes students learn from HSIE. When reading my personal reflections about HSIE as a subject I will touch on these areas in relation to why HSIE is important. 


References:


Board of Studies (2002). Human Society and its Environment K-6 Ssyllabus. Sydney: Australia.