EDF5854 Early childhood and primary humanities and social sciences
Faculty of Education
EDF5854 Early childhood and primary humanities and social sciences is a level 5, 6-credit-point, postgraduate unit from the Faculty of Education, offered in 2026 in Semester 2 at Clayton. It has no prerequisites.
- Credit points
- 6
- Offered in 2026
- Semester 2
- Clayton
- Assessment
- No exam
- 2 tasks
- Workload
- 144 hours
- per semester
This is the 2026 handbook entry. See the 2027 entry.
Reviews
No reviews yetNo reviews yet. Be the first to review EDF5854.
Requisites
Before EDF5854
No prerequisites or corequisites besides the enrolment rules below.
After EDF5854
No unit lists EDF5854 as a prerequisite in the 2026 handbook.
Enrolment rules
Must be enrolled in D6001
Overview
This unit develops your understandings of the humanities and social sciences learning areas in the Australian curriculum and within the Early Years Learning Framework. You will explore how humanities and social sciences are taught in various ways in both early childhood and primary school contexts, including through the subjects of geography, history, economics and citizenship, and/or through theme-based, integrated learning and play-based learning. You will also develop advanced knowledge and understanding of various theories and pedagogies involved in teaching these learning areas. You will learn and develop the skills of activity and lesson planning and implementation of curriculum, both through disciplinary and interdisciplinary integrated studies. You will also learn and develop skills in planning rich play-based learning that allows young children to explore their social worlds and develop awareness of their social and cultural heritage and their significance in the world with the intent of promoting active and informed citizenship. You will explore and evaluate a range of research, teaching resources and educational providers that support the teaching of humanities and social education.
Offerings in 2026
| Teaching period | Campus | Mode |
|---|---|---|
| Second semester | Clayton | Flx blk |
Assessment
- Early childhood community-based activity (2000 words or equivalent)Quiz / Test50%
- Primary education learning excursion (2000 words or equivalent)Project50%
Assessment details may change. Please refer to the assessment information in Moodle closer to the start of the teaching period.
Learning outcomes
When you finish this unit, you should be able to:
- 1
understand and evaluate how the humanities and social sciences are structured within the Australian Curriculum and the Early Years Learning Framework for early childhood and primary learners
- 2
develop expert knowledge and understanding of different theoretical and pedagogical approaches in the humanities and social sciences curriculum, including disciplinary, interdisciplinary and integrated approaches
- 3
design and implement community and centre-based early childhood specific pedagogy and experiences that advance HASS learning
- 4
design and implement primary school specific pedagogy and experiences that advance HASS learning, including a range of assessment approaches and their moderation to support consistent and comparable judgements of student learning.
- 5
demonstrate broad knowledge of, understanding of and respect for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories, cultures and languages
- 6
locate, evaluate and use a variety of appropriate teaching and educational resources (including ICT) that support humanities and social sciences teaching and learning for both early years and primary learners.
Workload and teaching
- Lectures8 hours
- Tutorials16 hours
- Teaching approachActive learning
You will be provided with the opportunity to engage with relevant literature and resources. Further, you will be encouraged to deepen your understanding of topic areas through collegial discussion and debate, and by participating in activities designed to extend your understanding.
Learning resources
Recommended resources
Please visit the unit Moodle site for further information.
Where it fits
EDF5854 is part of 1 area of study in the 2026 handbook.
Contacts
- Unit Coordinators
- Dr Leanne Higham
- Chief Examiners
- Dr Leanne Higham
Common questions
What are the prerequisites for EDF5854?
EDF5854 has no prerequisites, but enrolment rules apply.
When is EDF5854 offered?
In 2026, EDF5854 runs in Semester 2 at Clayton.
How much work is EDF5854?
The handbook expects about 144 hours of study across the semester. No students have rated its difficulty yet.
Does EDF5854 have an exam?
No. EDF5854 has 2 assessment tasks and no exam.
Which majors and minors include EDF5854?
EDF5854 is part of Early childhood and primary education.