Integrated Studies

Year Level Description

Integrated curriculum and inquiry develop the Year 1 student's skills across a number of subject areas – Civics and Citizenship, Geography, Health Education, History and Science – and are closely linked to the Year 1 Learning Journey.

By the end of the year students are expected to:

• use a range of teacher-selected resources to gather information;
• locate and report information related to the topic being investigated;
• organise and present information in a variety of formats.

Civics and Citizenship

Year 1 students identify the range of groups to which they, their family members and their class belong. They begin to appreciate the similarities and differences between individuals and groups, including the language, cultural and religious groups which make up the Australian nation. They explore the roles, rights and responsibilities of various family and community members. They discover why groups and communities have rules, begin to question rules which they believe are unfair, and make suggestions about improving the rules within the community. They begin to appreciate the common values important to groups and individuals; for example, fairness, tolerance, understanding and respect.

Students begin to participate in a range of class and school activities such as recycling, taking responsibility for class resources, and marking local and national celebrations and commemorations. They explore the purpose and benefits of school and community events. Students investigate the ways individuals, families, groups and communities can work to improve their environment.

By the end of the year students are expected to:

• appreciate similarities and differences between individuals and groups;
• present information in a variety of ways;
• draw conclusions based on information presented.

Geography

The primary focus for Year 1 is for students to engage with their own experiences to help them understand the world around them. Students develop spatial awareness through consideration of the local community, the different groups within society and their place in one or more groups. By seeing and hearing about other places outside their experience, their sense of curiosity and wonder leads them to contemplate how and why other places are different from their own.

By the end of the year students are expected to:

• extend their understanding of the geography of their local area;
• understand how resource use reflects community interdependence and economic sustainability;
• recognise the globe as a model representation of Earth and can locate on a map, Australia and other places to which they have links.

Health Education

As students work towards the achievement of Level 4 standards in the Health knowledge and promotion dimension, they begin learning about how they develop. They explore people’s needs at various stages of development and recognise that some needs apply to all stages of life. They describe what they like about themselves, how they are similar to others and how they are unique.

They begin to identify the benefits of safe behaviours and learn how they can protect and increase their health and safety and the health and safety of others. In considering personal safety issues, they discuss the way various situations and behaviours affect the way they feel, and develop personal responses to such behaviours and situations.

With guidance, they learn to make healthy food choices according to healthy eating models, and to consider the factors that influence their choice of foods. They begin to recognise the importance of variety and frequency of food consumption for an active and healthy life.

By the end of the year students are expected to:

• discuss the way various situations and behaviours affect the way they feel;
• develop personal responses to unsafe behaviours and situations;
• gain an understanding of how to make healthy food choices according to healthy eating models. 

History

The Year 1 curriculum provides a study of present and past family life within the context of the student’s own world. Students learn about similarities and differences in family life by comparing the past with the present.

By the end of the year students are expected to:

• explain how family life has changed or remained the same over time;
• describe personal and family events that have significance;
• sequence events in order about the passing of time;
• pose questions about the past and examine sources (physical and visual) to suggest answers to these questions;
• relate stories about life in the past using a range of texts.

Science

In Year 1, students infer simple cause-and-effect relationships from their observations and experiences, and begin to link events and phenomena with observable effects. They observe changes that can be large or small and happen quickly or slowly. They explore the properties of familiar objects and phenomena, identifying similarities and differences. Students begin to value counting as a means of comparing observations, and are introduced to ways of organising their observations. Students develop these understandings by investigating topics such as plants, lifecycles and weather.

By the end of the year students are expected to:

• identify and describe examples of the extended features and basic needs of living;
• recognise how different places meet the needs of living things;
• describe properties, behaviour uses and the effects of interacting with familiar materials and objects;
• discuss how light and sound can be produced and sensed;
• identify and describe the changes objects, materials, resources, living things and things in their local environment.