Humanities & Social Sciences
The Humanities and Social Sciences (HASS) Learning Area at Shenton College recognises the importance of students understanding the society they live in, and the relationships, ideas, and structures within it. The Shenton HASS teaching team is a collection of vibrant committed individuals whose diverse interests, specialities and backgrounds allow us to deliver engaging and successful learning programs and opportunities to our students across Years 7-12.
Middle School
Our Middle School programs emphasise real life learning opportunities which encourage students to apply their skills and knowledge to the world around them. In Years 7 and 8, students study the core HASS disciplines of Geography, Civics and Citizenship, Economics and Business, and History.
Students explore the interconnectedness of the world around them by analysing how individuals both influence, and are influenced by, the social, economic, and political systems around them.
Senior School
Upper school learning in Years 9-10 seeks to expand students’ confidence in their problem solving skills through development of multi-modal communication skills and literacy. In Years 9 and 10 students are encouraged to develop deeper consideration of the economic, historical, political, and increasingly the changing geographical forces at work across society at local, national and global level.
In Years 11-12 student learning in HASS develops into a wide range of speciality areas in ATAR and General Courses as well as successful Vocational Education programs:
- Ancient History
- Accounting and Finance
- Business Management and Enterprise
- Career and Enterprise
- Economics
- Geography
- Modern History
- Politics and Law
- Certificate II in Tourism
- Certificate II in Financial Services
Since the College’s inception in 2001, Shenton’s successful HASS Learning Area has achieved:
- Subject Exhibitions for the Western Australian top Year 12 student in Economics, Politics and Law and Ancient History
- Certificates of Distinction for Year 12 students in the top 0.5% of the state in Ancient History, Economics, Geography, Modern History and Politics and Law.
Much More Than Marks
The HASS Learning Area seeks to support students in developing their critical thinking, problem solving skills and real world learning through access to a variety of enrichment and extra-curricular opportunities.
- Excursions: Fieldwork Geography Excursions (Montario Quarter, Herdsman Lake, Rottnest Island, Cottesloe Beach, Swan Valley, Optus Stadium), Civics Excursions to Parliament House, History Excursions to Boola Bardip and the WA Holocaust Museum.
- Incursions and Guest Speakers: ATAR markers, university and museum experts, US Consul General, visiting international archaeologists currently working on digs in Egypt and Greece, international NGO’s.
- Competitions and Extra Curricular: National History Competition, Premier’s Anzac Tour, Australian History Competition, Australian Geography Competition, History/economics Olympiad, World Scholars’ Cup, WADL Schools Debating Competition, UN Youth Evatt Model UN Competition, UN Youth Voice Public Speaking Competition, World of Money and Ancient History electives in Year 10.
Interstate and International Tours: Year 9 Sydney & Canberra Tour, Year 10-12 Classics (Ancient History) Tour to Greece and Italy, Year 10-12 Geography Tour to New York.