Clarification details
Updated December 2020. The volume of evidence section has been revised.
Interpreting different perspectives
Interpretation of different perspectives may be taken as describing and explaining, in increasing depth from Achieved to Excellence, people’s perspectives. Depth of interpretation can be shown through increasing sophistication of ideas presented and the depth of supporting historical evidence used to explain the ideas.
At Excellence, discernment is expected in the student’s evidence. At least one clear example of discernment should be evident. Discernment could, for example, include communication of more subtle aspects that account for a person’s perspective. Perspectives may include those of people at the time or since and/or those of historians at the time or since and/or be the student’s own perspective/s.
Format
A brief historian’s introduction to the context can be appropriate, but students need to be aware that this is usually not evidence that directly contributes to the assessment judgement and should be kept brief.
Students should structure their evidence so that a narrative or chronological approach is avoided and, instead, for each different person ensure that:
- at least one perspective is identified
- historical evidence that explains why the person has the perspective is then provided
- any actions that the person took because of the perspective/s held are then described (but students should not be penalised if the person was not able to take actions that can be described).
Use of role play
Perspectives may be communicated by students using a role play format or by writing as an historian. If a role play has been used, judgements of the evidence need to be based on the parts of the evidence that demonstrate an accurate understanding of the history rather than on historical fiction or imagination used to add authenticity.
Volume of evidence
Where assessment workload is an issue, teachers may wish to:
- suggest word counts
- ensure that contexts used for assessment are not too broad
- make use of the overlap in standards 91230 and 91232 to offer a combined assessment opportunity.