Investigating Social Studies Curriculum Policy Statement understandings, skills, and values and attitudes about people and their social and physical environments.K–6 syllabuses are organised in broad stages that describe the sequence of learning experiences through which students will progress. The outcomes and content in this Human Society and Its Environment
K–6 Syllabus are organised in four strands: 

1. Change and Continuity
2. Cultures 
3. Environments 
4. Social Systems and Structures
 

 K-6 Human Society and Its Environment (HSIE) Syllabus

PDF format - 96 pages - 350 KB

Web update - May 2006

The syllabus now includes the foundation statements

K-6 Human Society and Its Environment (HSIE) UnIts of Work

PDF format - 210 pages - 4.3 MB

Web Publication - February 1999

Separate files - smaller download:

• Early Stage 1
• PDF format - 40 pages - 544 KB

• Stage 1
• PDF format - 34 pages - 612 KB

• Stage 2
• PDF format - 38 pages - 748 KB

• Stage 3
• PDF format - 38 pages - 952 KB

• Teaching Strategies and Practices
• PDF format - 60 pages - 1.9 MB

K-6 HSIE Resource List

Texts, CD-ROMs, websites and other resources. relating to the K-6 HSIE UnIts of Work.

Background Sheets and Visual Texts

Visual texts, timelines and historical profiles.

HSIE K-6 Proformas

Sample proformas for programming, assessing and reporting.

K-6 Human Society and Its Environment (HSIE) Principal's Package

PDF format - 18 pages - 225 KB

Web Publication - February 1999

Information for parents:

K-6 Human Society and Its Environment (HSIE) Parents Guide

Introducing the HSIE Syllabus to Parents and School community Members.

Download this guide on the Information for Parents page

K-6 Human Society and Its Environment (HSIE) Information flyers

This 2-page flyer in Adobe Acrobat format is available in 8 languages: English, Arabic, Chinese, Greek, Korean, Spanish, Tagalog and Vietnamese.

Download these flyers on the Information for Parents page

K-6 Human Society and Its Environment (HSIE) Special Education

Support document for students with Special Education needs.

PDF format - 50 pages - 488 KB

Web Publication - June 2000

K-6 Human Society and Its Environment (HSIE) Consultation Report

PDF format - 49 pages - 293 KB

 

The consultation processes included the collection of data from focus group meetings in five locations in NSW, staff interviews in five schools, written submissions, fax-back response sheets and a survey sent to all schools and over 80 relevant organisations and institutions (including five different faculties in each NSW university). Teachers from 18 schools that trialled the draft syllabus and units of work also provided feedback on the document.
The Office of the Board of Studies received a total of 506 survey returns and 13 faxed comments. The survey items and the discussion agenda at the focus group meetings and staff interviews questioned the extent to which the Human Society and Its Environment K-6 documents met the requirements of the writing brief endorsed by the Board in December 1997.
Focus group meetings were conducted by the strategic research and planning firm Yann, Campbell, Hoare and Wheeler. These meetings, which were held at Glen Innes, Sydney's northern beaches, south-west Sydney, Parkes and Wollongong, involved 40 teachers and school executives.
The first staff interview was held at Tyalla Public School on 22 July 1998 and the last was held at North Rocks Public School on 5 August 1998. A total of 127 teachers and school executives participated in the five staff interview meetings.
The Office of the Board of Studies also received 13 written submissions on the draft documents.
A working party of representatives from the peak parent organisations provided advice during the development of the Human Society and Its Environment K-6 Parents' Package. A working party of principals provided advice during the development of the support document for principals, Human Society and Its Environment K-6 Principal's Package.

Primary Schools Human Society and Its Environment is the key learning area in which students develop knowledge.