Summary of amendments to the Agriculture Stage 6 Syllabus
Course structure
There are no changes to the Preliminary course structure. Amendments to the Preliminary course are minimal and will have limited impact on schools’ teaching programs.
Changes to the HSC course structure:
- Core (page 7)
- the percentage of time for study of the core has increased from 70% to 80% (ie from approximately 84 to 96 indicative hours)
- Elective (page 7)
- the choices of elective have been reduced from six to three
- the number of electives to be studied has been reduced from two to one, providing an opportunity for study and research of the elective in greater depth
- the percentage of time for study of the elective has increased from 15% to 20% (ie from approximately 18 to 24 indicative hours)
- the Optional Research Project has been removed; opportunities have been provided for the study of current research and a focus on a research-based process in each elective.
Objectives and outcomes
The verbs in outcomes P3.1, P5.1 and H4.1 have been modified to strengthen the breadth and depth of the outcomes (from ‘describes’ to ‘explains’; ‘identifies’ to ‘investigates’; ‘applies’ to ‘justifies and applies’) (pages 8–9).
Content
Amendments have been made to various ‘learn about’ and ‘learn to’ statements to make them more contemporary, specific and detailed.
Selected content from the previous electives including Plant Management, Animal Management, Sustainable Land and Resource Management has been incorporated in the Plant and Animal Production Core. These amendments have reduced the overlap between the core and the electives in the HSC course.
Elective
Opportunities for in-depth study of contemporary aspects of Agriculture are provided in each of the three new electives (pages 27–33):
- Agri-Food, Fibre and Fuel Technologies
- Climate Challenge
- Farming for the 21st Century.