Commonwealth History Project Learning Circle - Cross-sector network developing curriculum materials for VCE Revolutions - Creating assessment tasks for Unit 4 Revolutions

Sep 20, 2026

Uploaded by William

Cross-sector Commonwealth History Project Learning Circle meeting minutes and shared teaching resource for VCE Revolutions, held at Kew High School on 12/7/06. The document records attendees and agenda actions, then provides generic guidelines for creating Assessment tasks for Area of Study One, Unit 4 Revolutions. It emphasizes aligning task structure with exam format, using published VCAA criteria, and offers specific models for analysis of visual and commentary tasks, short essays, and historiographical exercises with example question frameworks.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryExam

FormatPDF

Pages4

Reading Time10 min

AccessFree to download

Meeting Minutes

Agenda Item 1: Assessment Items AOS1 Unit 4

Creating Assessment Tasks for Unit 4 Revolutions

Format of Task

Analysis of Visual & Commentary

Short Essay

Historiographical Exercise

Commonwealth History Project Learning Circle | Circle name: | Cross –sector network developing curriculum materials for VCE Revolutions | | --- | --- | | Venue: | Kew High School | | Date /time: | 12/7/06 4.30-6.30pm | | Facilitator: | Jan Molloy | | Minutes: | Jan Molloy | Present: Christian Bickham (University HS), Robyn Ryan (St Catherines), Jan Molloy (Kew HS), Janine Goodrope (Alphington GS), Graham O’Rourke (Xavier), Anne Seares (CGCS), Alicia Senkic (Lyndhurst Secondary), Sheryl Kerwick (MGC), Lisa Philips (Korowa), Ian Jenkin (Forest Hills College) Apologies: Josephine Foxcroft (Carey), Penny Evans (PEGS), Peter Houlihan, Peter Crewe |
Meeting Minutes | | | | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Agenda Item | Description | Facilitator | Action | | 1 | Assessment Items AOS1 Unit 4 | Jan Molloy | Distributed assessment items between attendees. | | | Discussion of generic model – How to approach the creation of an assessment task. | Jan Molloy | See attached | | | General discussion. Participants who have been markers of the exam shared their experiences of marking the 2005 exam. | | | | | Next meeting WEDNESDAY 30th August
Topics: Assessment tasks AOS2 and revision activities. Please bring examples to share. | | | CREATING ASSESSMENT TASKS FOR UNIT 4 REVOLUTIONS Produced by Learning Circle participants, 12th July 2006 The following set of generic guidelines is presented as a model to guide the creation of Assessment tasks for Area of Study One Unit 4 Revolutions. All planning of assessment tasks needs to take into account the student cohort and the way in which the unit has been taught. The assessment criteria , as published by VCAA, should create the focus for the intent of the task. Whether you choose the historiographical exercise, the short essay or the Analysis of a Visual/Commentary, criteria establishes the limits of the task. FORMAT OF TASK It is important to mirror the exam in structure. Each style of assessment task should adopt a similar structure to the tasks on the exam, however the scope of assessment tasks will be extended, for example, two or more documents for analysis, a longer essay. ANALYSIS OF VISUAL & COMMENTARY • use a format which provides lines for students to write on • use more than one source and mimic exam question structure but provide opportunity for more in depth responses. Possible structures • one visual plus two short contemporary accounts of same event • one image (contemporary) • two images and one commentary. Possible structures Five specific questions for each /only document ranging from: 1. Name the groups/ events represented in this image 2. What does the relationship between the objects /individuals in the document suggest about the situation in XXXX at the time? 3. How did this/these (events – tensions) contribute to downfall of Ancien Regime, according to the document? 4. Using your own knowledge discuss the contribution of the event depicted in bringing about Revolutionary change? 5. To what extent is this image (helpful,useful) in determining the significance of XXXX during this period? OR A series of four broad questions which address the content of the document /s: 1. Why did this –happen, take place, occur 2. Use source X & Y to identify ideas, tensions, conflicts 3. What does source X suggest about revolutionary ideas and leadership? 4. To what extent is document XXX useful in determining the significance of ……… SHORT ESSAY • essay completed in 90 minutes • question will have the following intent Was Revolution generated by uprising of new ideas or old society imploding? • students given topic – research time in library, then write Essay in class. HISTORIOGRAPHICAL EXERCISE • use a range of extracts – combination of print and visual – and construct five questions developing from knowledge to analysis and allocate lined space for each response • use questions as detailed for Analytica

FAQs

What is the purpose of the learning circle resource for Unit 4 Revolutions?

It provides generic guidelines for creating assessment tasks aligned to Area of Study One Unit 4 Revolutions, taking into account the student cohort and how the unit has been taught.

How should assessment tasks mirror the exam structure?

Each assessment style should adopt a similar structure to the exam while extending scope where appropriate, such as using multiple documents for analysis or longer essay responses.

What task formats are suggested for analyzing visuals and commentary?

Options include one visual plus two short contemporary accounts, one contemporary image, or two images with one commentary, paired with either document-specific questions or a series of broad content questions.

Sep 20, 2026

Uploaded by William