1. Human Society and its Environment K-6 (HSIE) Using the syllabus for consistency of moderation © 2006 Curriculum K-12 Directorate, NSW Department of Education and Training

2. Background to the work samples  A small P4 school in a suburb of Sydney  The class is one of two Stage 3 classes The girls are outnumbered by boys in the class  The majority of students are English speaking

3. Background to the assessment task The class was working on the topic ‘Australian Democracy’ with a focus on outcomes SSS3.8 and CCS3.2 The class was working on the topic ‘Australian Democracy’ with a focus on outcomes SSS3.8 and CCS3.2 The syllabus subject matter the planned assessment task references are: The syllabus subject matter the planned assessment task references are:  Key figures, events and issues in the development of Australian democracy  Aboriginal democratic practices before British colonisation

4. Teaching and learning for the planned assessment The teaching and learning activities were adapted from lessons in Discovering Democracy: The Law Rules for Upper primary. These lessons are part of a unit of work. Background information in A guide to government and law in Australia by John Hirst was used by the teacher.

5. Assessment task Under the heading Applying the law in Australia, write 3 points on : Under the heading Applying the law in Australia, write 3 points on :  Traditional Aboriginal law  The Governor’s Court in the early colony  The work of the courts today including how these have changed over time.

6. Assessment task criteria  lists some features of Aboriginal law, the early Governor’s court and the courts today  demonstrates an understanding of changes to the application of laws  communicates the development of Australian democracy over time.

7. ‘At’ Based on your understanding of the syllabus and performance standards and collaborative discussions with other teachers: Has the student a sound knowledge and understanding of the main areas of the task and achieved an adequate level of competence in the processes and skills.

8. Work samples  Use the following 4 student work samples to determine if the work sample is At, Above or Below  Refer to the HSIE assessment criteria

9. Make a decision BelowAtAbove

14. A decision BelowAtAbove RobertNashDanielAngus

15. Assessment and reporting At the time of reporting, assessment information gathered by teachers from observations, students’ work and planned assessment events, is used to make a holistic judgement about student performance in HSIE against a 5 point achievement scale.