How can you do visual literacy in History? This poster and template gives you an example of how a historical document can be deconstructed according to the principles of visual literacy. It is part of a cross-curriculum series that has been successfully used in a New England NSW high school to encourage teachers to use visual literacy to expand student literacy skills.

It's 1211 CE and the Mongol army approaches Wild Fox Ridge on the Great Wall. What happened next was the bloodiest battle of the Middle Ages. This set of tasks is designed to support student learning of the NSW History syllabus for the Australian Curriculum Stage 4 Depth Study 6: Expanding Contacts 6(a) The Mongol Expansion This worksheet consists of an outline of the battle, a mix and match activity of key personnel and their role, completing a table with details about why the Mongols won and the Chin lost and writing a paragraph to Conn Iggulden's description of the start of the battle in Lords of the Bow. The activities are high on blood, gore and student engagement.

Not only were the helots slaves, they were subjected to incredible social measures to ensure they stayed that way. This source-based homework task is designed to support student understanding of the NSW Ancient History Syllabus for the Australian Curriculum. Higher School Certificate course Part II: Ancient Societies Option G: Spartan Society to the Battle of Leuctra Students analyse a range of primary and secondary, visual and written sources to make a judgement as to whether the helots were slaves and examine the role they played in supporting the Spartan military state. Great opportunities to discuss the nature and purpose of slavery and discrimination.

Did I hear right? Alexander had a male partner? This source-based homework task is designed to support student understanding of the NSW Ancient History syllabus Higher School certificate course Part III - Personalities in their Times Option H - Alexander the Great Students analyse a range of primary and secondary, visual, archaeological and written sources to decide whether Hephaestion was Alexander the Great's male partner and what his contribution was to Alexander's murderous rampage across Asia. Hephaestion was a general and commander within the Companion cavalry. He was highly educated and a professionally trained military commander. A great opportunity to teach values around gender and sexuality.

Commander of the Praetorian Guard, Sejanus embodied Orwell's maxim that absolute power corrupts absolutely. Or does he? Why are modern historian's reviewing the traditional view of Sejanus as an archetypal villain and seeing him as another of Tiberius' victims. This source-based homework task is designed to extend student understanding of the NSW Ancient History syllabus Higher School Certificate course Part IV - Historical Periods Option O - Rome in the Time of the Julio-Claudians CE 14-69 One wonders if Sejanus would feel right at home in 21st century Australian politics! An interesting question for the classroom.

It is the stuff of legend: 300 Spartans battling the Persian army to their deaths at Thermopylae in 480 BCE. The Spartans led the Greek defence and despite their loss, their heroics are remembered today. This source-based homework task is designed to support student learning of the NSW Ancient History syllabus Higher School Certificate course Part II - Ancient Societies Option I - Spartan Society to the Battle of Leuctra 371 BCE and/or Part IV - Historical Periods Option H - The Greek World 500-440 BCE The Greek loss at Thermopylae bears many similarities with the Anzac loss at Gallipoli. Both sparked legends of heroics, remembrance events and a respect for a worthy enemy. Can students think of more examples? How exactly do military defeats become a matter of pride? Why does the same not apply to other defeats e.g. Singapore in 1942?

Introduced in 1924 following the successful 1915 adoption by the State of Queensland, compulsory voting may not have guaranteed democracy, but it did guarantee that everyone would have the opportunity to cast a vote. Preferential voting made the process of selecting a candidate easier. This source-based homework task assists lucky Year 9/10 students to understand the rationale behind the adoption of compulsory and preferential voting. It is designed for the NSW History syllabus for the Australian Curriculum Stage 5 Depth Study 4: Rights & Freedoms and/or Depth Study 6: Decade Study - The Roaring Twenties (and who said civics was boring?)

This is a source-based homework task to support student understanding for the History Australian National Curriculum Stage 5 Depth Study 6: School-Developed Topic - The Roaring Twenties. Students analyse a variety of written and visual primary and secondary sources to gain an understanding of the positive and negative experiences of returned Australian servicemen, 1919-1924.

This is a source-based homework task for the NSW Stage 6 Ancient History Syllabus Higher School Certificate course Part II Ancient Societies Option I - Spartan Society to the Battle of Leuctra. It examines archaeological and written evidence relating to Fifth Century BCE Spartan religious practices at the Sanctuary of Artemis Orthia, just north of the modern city of Sparta.

Sparta's dominance as a Greek city-state began with its invasion and takeover of the neighbouring state of Messenia that occurred in two stages, the First and Second Messenian Wars in the eighth century BCE. Historian, Paul Cartledge likens Spartan domination of Messenia to Britain's domination of Ireland - complete subjugation. This source-based homework task is designed to increase student understanding of the NSW Ancient History syllabus Higher School Certificate course Part II: Ancient Societies Option I: Spartan Society to the Battle of Leuctra 371 BCE

This poster is part of a series demonstrating how the techniques of visual literacy can be applied in every subject so that students can deconstruct a visual image in order to find the hidden meaning behind the image. In this poster a photograph of a New York street with a Benetton poster demonstrates the use of placement, colour, eye contact and representation. Visual literacy is a great way to help students build extended responses. There is a template on the second page that can be used as a scaffold.

Far from giving Aboriginal peoples equal rights, the 1967 referendum gave the Commonwealth Government the right to legislate for Aboriginal peoples and for the inclusion of Aboriginal peoples in the census. Both of these measures enabled accurate assessments of issues specific to Aboriginal peoples and the right of the federal government to legislate for improvements to the lives of Aboriginal peoples. This source-based homework task is designed to assist student understanding of the problems and issues in the NSW History syllabus for the Australian Curriculum Stage 5 Depth Study 4: Rights & Freedoms (1945-present)

Taras (Tarentum) is touted as the Spartan states only attempt at a colony. Evidence from Crete shows that this may not be true. However, Taras was certainly the most successful Spartan colony, with a mutually beneficial relationship between colony and mother country. This source-based homework task is designed for students studying the NSW Ancient History syllabus: Higher School Certificate course Part II: Ancient Societies Option I: Spartan Society to the Battle of Leuctra 371BCE

Sparta was unique in the ancient (and modern) world by having two kings. More than just the head of state, these kings performed significant religious, legal, diplomatic and military roles in Spartan society. This source-based homework task utilises primary and secondary materials. It is designed for students studying for the NSW Ancient History Higher School Certificate credential. The activity fits into: Higher School Certificate course Part II: Ancient Societies Option I: Spartan Society to the Battle of Leuctra 371 BCE

The early Achaemenid Persian monarch, Cyrus II established a city on the tableland north of the modern city of Shiraz in order to give himself a base from which to govern the Persian tribes in the area of Parsa (modern Fars). Both Cyrus and his immediate successor, Darius I set about building a fortress, palace and numerous other buildings associated with a small city. Such a settlement must have appeared foreign to the rural and nomadic Persians but Pasargardae was an important military and administrative base. This source-based homework task is designed for students of the NSW Ancient History Syllabus for the Australian Curriculum. Higher School Certificate course Historical Periods Option D: Persia - Cyrus II to the death of Darius III Historical Societies Option D: Persia in the time of Darius II and Xerxes

We don't associate a land-based power like Persia with sea conquest. Yet, Persia had a very strong navy that was constructed by and manned by subject peoples including Ionian Greeks, Egyptians and Cypriots, all of whom had a history of successful shipping industries. Cambyses' conquest of Egypt and the Greek Wars fought by Darius I and Xerxes would have been impossible without a navy. This source-based homework task is designed for students of the NSW Ancient History Syllabus for the Australian Curriculum. Higher School Certificate course Historical Periods Option D: Persia - Cyrus II to the death of Darius III Historical Societies Option D: Persia in the time of Darius II and Xerxes

There were many significant events during the reign of Artaxerxes including wars, revolts, a weakening of the cavalry as a significant military force, diplomatic events including involvement in the affairs of the Greek states and promotion of various religions including Zoroastrianism and Mithraism. This source-based homework task is designed for students of the NSW Ancient History Syllabus. Higher School certificate course Historical Periods Option D: Persia - Cyrus II to the death of Darius III

The South Vietnam Government believed that the best way of protecting civilians and identifying the Viet Cong was to separate the two by bringing civilians into protected of strategic hamlets which would leave the Viet Cong easily identifiable by being outside. But things didn't work out quite as planned. In fact, the Strategic Hamlets Program was a dismal failure. Why? The whole issue informs us of attitudes of the abuses of government, the frustration of civilians and the determination of the Viet Cong . This source-based homework task is designed for students of the NSW Modern History Syllabus for the Australian Curriculum. Higher School Certificate course Peace and Conflict Option A: Conflict in Indochina 1954-1979

The origins of Zoroastrianism are associated with the early Achaemenid Persian Empire. But what is less well known is that Zoroastrianism changed considerably over the Achaemenid period as it was adopted by the royal family and the Persian elite. It was a fluid and adaptive belief system. But it certainly wasn't the only religious belief in Persia. This source-based homework task is designed for students of the NSW ancient History Syllabus for the Australian Curriculum. Higher School Certificate course Historical Periods Option D: Persia - Cyrus II to the death of Darius III Historical Societies Option D: Persia in the time of Darius II and Xerxes

Heard about the Wicker Man? Was that even true? There is considerable documentary (written) evidence, archaeological evidence and forensic evidence provided by human remains to confirm that the Celts practiced human sacrifice and possibly even sacrifice in wicker baskets. There were protocols around the selection of victims and where the sacrifice was to take place. This source-based homework task is designed for students of the NSW Ancient History Syllabus for the Australian Curriculum. Preliminary HSC Course Part II - Studies of Ancient Societies, Sites and Sources 12. The Celts in Europe