English/History/Legal Studies/Politics/Philosophy Faculty
English
Narrabundah College has the widest ranging choice of Tertiary English courses in the ACT. Where else can you take units such as Latin-American Literature, European Classics, Aboriginal Literature, Gothic Literature or Creative Writing. We also offer the units that have proved popular at all colleges such as Children's Literature, Science Fiction, and Fantasy Fiction. Anyone can find his or her own level of ability and area of interest. Although we have a number of units to offer, students demand largely determines what is offered each session. We also run an Accredited course that is flexible enough to tailor learning to the needs of individual students.
Almost all the students at Narrabundah who are not doing ESL (English as a Second Language) do English; many people take it on two lines.
There are two Tertiary streams of English at Narrabundah College: English and Literature. Both are cognitively the same, have the same type of assessment tasks and are compared against each other for scoring purposes. The only difference is that the subject matter varies. Students may switch from English to Literature, or back again, at the beginning of any session – all units still count towards a major.
English and Literature Units
| Y11 English | Y11 Literature |
Session 1 | Communication of Meaning | Ways of Reading and Creating |
Session 2 | The Hero Burning Issues Love, Lust and Literature Children’s Literature | Aboriginal Experience Australian Identity Latin American Literature Asian Narratives African and Pacific Narratives African American Experience Irish Writers North American Literature |
Session 3 | The Journey Language: Use and Abuse Fantasy Fiction Science Fiction Writer’s Workshop | Poetry Then and Now Life Stories Plays |
| Y12 English | Y12 Literature |
Session 1 | Gothic Literature Detective Fiction | Page to Screen: Adaptations |
Session 2 | Women in Literature Travel Literature Images of War Orwell/Miller | Modern Novels Texts Through Time Dystopias 19th Century British Literature Shakespeare’s Tragedies European Classics Crime and Punishment Post-Colonial Literature |
Session 3 | Shakespeare’s Comedies Satire and Subversion | Intertextuality: Appropriations |
Useful Documents
Creative Response Rationale Guidelines
History
Why History?
History is a means of satisfying a natural curiosity regarding the diversity of human experience in time. Through the study of history, students acquire perspectives that give them a clearer understanding of many aspects of societies both past and present. Such understanding fosters a deeper appreciation of human experiences, providing a vital understanding of the world, the society in which we live, and a valuable set of skills.
The skills of history include examining and comprehending a wide variety of materials, seeing conflicts, making judgements, developing thinking, communicating ideas and making logical conclusions. Anyone with these skills is capable of succeeding in many subjects and occupations. Moreover, history provides a rewarding leisure interest. Many television shows or books have historical incidents as their central focus and many news items have historical origins. History will give you an insight into such areas.
History has a direct connection with a number of professions such as law, journalism, politics, teaching, librarianship and archaeology. Research skills provide a useful background course of study for occupations in the public service, travel, banking, business and administration. Students undertaking trade courses which require a communications or humanities component in their course requirements will also benefit from studying history.
Anyone with skills gained by a study of history is capable of succeeding in many subjects and occupations.
History has a direct connection with a number of professions such as law, journalism, politics, teaching, librarianship and archaeology.
Within the history courses mentioned there is a broad range of very interesting units. They will provide you with a vital understanding of the modern world plus an extremely valuable set of skills.
At Narrabundah, students can choose to study the modern or ancient streams, or both.
Modern History Units
| Year 11 | Year 12 |
Session 1 | The French Revolution | Civil Rights in the USA |
Session 2 | World War One & Weimar to Reich | Apartheid South Africa and the Cold War |
Session 3 | China Under Mao | Conflict in the Middle East |
Ancient History Units
| Year 11 | Year 12 |
Session 1 | Egypt | Rome in the Middle Republic |
Session 2 | Greece, Bronze Age and the Peloponnesian War | Roman Revolution 133BC-14AD |
Session 3 | Alexander the Great | The Julio-Claudians |
Legal Studies
Legal Studies at Narrabundah College teaches students about how the legal systems of Australia and the world influence their everyday lives. From learning about how the Australian political system influences our laws to grappling with pirates, cybercrime, police powers, serial killers and terrorism, students are encouraged to question the ethics and morality that underpin our society.
At its heart, Legal Studies gives students the opportunity to learn and understand about their rights as citizens both in Australia and on a global stage.
Course overview
| Year 1 | Year 2 |
SESSION ONE | SESSION ONE |
SESSION TWO | SESSION TWO |
SESSION THREE | SESSION THREE |
Australian and Global Politics
This course explains how and why politicians behave as they do, and how issues in public debate such as the republic, human rights, the environment, taxes and censorship are resolved. Australia's democratic system is compared with other democratic and authoritarian systems, and major governments around the world: USA, Russia, Japan, and India. Students often have opportunities to attend youth conventions and meet politicians, or do work experience in government departments.
Narrabundah College offers a series of units in Politics which ask the following questions:
- Are you interested in election results and who governs Australia?
- Find leadership battles within political parties fascinating?
- How are politicians elected?
- What is an election system?
- Interested in the political systems of the USA, Russia, Japan, China or the United Nations?
- What role do women play in politics?
- What is a democracy?
- How well are minorities represented?
The Politics course will help you with the answers!
Available Units:
- Political Theory
- Politics of Russia and China
- USA Politics
- Introduction to Australian Politics
- International Relations
- Elections, Pressure Groups & the Media
PHILOSOPHY
'Philosophy is the adult attempt to deal with genuinely baffling questions of childhood.' (Gareth Matthews).
In 2018, we will be offering the new Year 11 & 12 ACT Philosophy Course
The various units address such questions as:
- Is there a God? Are Science and Religion compatible?
- Is doubt the key to knowledge?
- Who am I? Do we have freewill?
- What is life about? Is happiness enough?
- Why should I be moral?
- Is morality against self interest?
- Can we, and should we judge other cultures?
- What is the relationship between language and thought?
- Does art have to be beautiful? Does beauty matter?
Some benefits of doing Philosophy
- You become more aware of value assumptions in the positions that you or others hold.
- You are introduced to the big questions of life and to an exciting tradition of enquiry
- Philosophy provides a ‘conceptual scaffold’ as you acquire new knowledge and form your own position.
- Studying Philosophy prepares you for tertiary studies
Available Units include:
Epistemology
Ethics
Philosophy of Language
Metaphysics