ANCIENT HISTORY – WHY STUDY IT?

• Helps students to understand the development of human institutions of government and understand many of the reasons why the world is the way it is today.

• Ancient History develops the skills of critical thinking where students learn to question information they encounter

• Ancient History develops and refines writing and research skills for students

• Ancient History helps students to develop an understanding of the complexities of cultures and lifestyles through an understanding of the historical background to modern cultures formed by ancient cultures

WHAT DO STUDENTS STUDY? Ancient History is the study of the

peoples, places and events fundamental to an understanding of humanity’s ancient past - from the dawn of civilization to the rise and fall of the Roman Empire.

Ancient History informs students about the nature of humanity, revealing the clues that fascinate and puzzle historians and students alike – how and why humanity has developed writing, religion, philosophy, warfare, technology, trade, laws, types of government and other things integral to the human experience.

LEARNING IN ANCIENT HISTORY

Research SkillsResearch Skills

Critical ThinkingCritical Thinking

Analyse of Analyse of

relevant issuesrelevant issues

Social SkillsSocial Skills

Decision-MakingDecision-Making

Participation in a Participation in a variety of group activitiesvariety of group activities

Information Processing Information Processing and Categorisationand Categorisation

Communication SkillsCommunication Skills

Students provide alternative explanations Students provide alternative explanations

to the paradigms of ancient history.to the paradigms of ancient history.

Students clarify and justify their viewsStudents clarify and justify their views on historical problems and issueson historical problems and issues

Ancient History focuses on Student Inquiry

HOW IS ANCIENT HISTORY STUDIED?HOW IS ANCIENT HISTORY STUDIED?

Students analyse viewpoints, Students analyse viewpoints, learn to recognise bias and learn to recognise bias and identify underlying valuesidentify underlying values

Students investigate relevant Students investigate relevant Historical issues or controversiesHistorical issues or controversies

Students are required to develop Students are required to develop skills of critical thinkingskills of critical thinking

and problem solving and problem solving

JOB SKILLSAn ability to think logicallyAn ability to think logically Oral communication SkillsOral communication Skills

Written communication skillsWritten communication skillsA general knowledge of theA general knowledge of the

social, political and religious and economic social, political and religious and economic

affairs and issues of the Ancient Worldaffairs and issues of the Ancient World

Research Skills

General General computer literacycomputer literacy

Internet Internet research skillsresearch skills

CAREER PATHS Historian School Teacher Researcher Librarian Museum Curator Archaeologist University Lecturer Biographer Writer

Journalist Anthropologist Bookseller Lawyer Archivist Author Diplomat Editor Political Scientist Social Researcher

What is that Job Anyway?o Researcher: someone who uses an active, diligent, and systematic

process of inquiry in order to discover, interpret or revise facts, events, behaviours, or theories, or to make practical applications with the help of such facts, laws, or theories.

o Librarian: a person who organizes information and provides services that assist people in identifying and accessing any needed information or information resource (article, book, magazine, etc.). In a library, there are many other positions besides the librarian, including library associates, library technicians, library assistants, pages, shelvers, and volunteers.

o Museum Curator: A curator of a cultural heritage institution (e.g. archive, gallery, library or museum) is a person who cares for the institution's collections.

o Biographer: authors who write an account of another person's life, or, if you get famous enough you could be an an autobiographer and write a biography about yourself. Studying History develops many of the research skills that are needed when researching someone’s life.

o Lecturer: generally divided into Lecturers, Senior Lecturers, and Principal Lecturers/Readers and are permanent positions in a university which involve carrying out both teaching and research.

o Writer: usually designates those who write creatively or professionally, or those who have written in many different forms. Skilled writers demonstrate skills in using language to portray ideas and images, whether producing fiction or non-fiction. The writing skills you learn in history complement what you will learn in Senior English and are especially useful for non-fiction.

o Archaeologist: Archaeologists and Prehistorians reconstruct cultures by studying material remains from archaeological excavations.

o Historian: If you choose to study Senior history you will be an historian, in terms of a career however, an historian is someone who professionally investigates and analyses competing ideas, facts, and purported facts to create coherent narratives that explain "what happened" and "why or how it happened."

o Anthropologist: Anthropologists gather and analyse data on social and cultural behaviour, artefacts, language and human biology of groups and societies

o Diplomat: Someone who practises the art and practice of conducting negotiations between groups or nations.

o Political Scientist: Someone who deals with the theory and practice of politics and the description and analysis of political systems and political behaviour.