HSIE Resources for Stage 3 (Years 5–6)

Stage 3 HSIE: Geography, History & Civics for Years 5–6

Human Society and Its Environment (HSIE) is a core learning area in the NSW syllabus covering history, geography, and civics and citizenship. At Stage 3 — covering Years 5 and 6 — students explore increasingly complex concepts about how places are organised, how Australians are connected to global communities, and how past events have shaped modern society.

Finding quality, classroom-ready HSIE resources for Stage 3 can be time-consuming. TeachBuySell offers teacher-created units, worksheets, and lesson sequences designed specifically for the NSW HSIE syllabus and aligned to the Australian Curriculum (HASS).

The NSW HSIE syllabus at Stage 3 is organised around three main strands that develop students' understanding of people, places, and the past.

Geography — Places Are Organised in Different Ways

Stage 3 Geography focuses on how natural and human features create the identity of places, how people's connections to places affect their perception and protection of those places, and how the world is divided into major regions. Students investigate factors that shape places — including climate, landforms, and human activity — and examine how places are managed sustainably.

Key inquiry questions include:

• How do people and environments influence one another?
• How do people livelihoods and wellbeing connected to places and environments?
• How can people contribute to the sustainable management of places and environments?

History — The Australian Colonies & Australia as a Nation

Stage 3 History takes students through the development of Australia from colonial settlement through to Federation. Students examine the reasons for British colonisation, the experiences of different groups (including First Nations peoples), the impact of significant events like the gold rushes, and the path to nationhood.

Civics and Citizenship

Students learn about the structure of Australian government, the role of laws and citizens, and how people can participate in democratic processes. This strand helps students understand their rights and responsibilities within Australian society.

Curriculum Alignment

While HSIE is the NSW syllabus term, the content aligns closely with the Australian Curriculum's Humanities and Social Sciences (HASS) learning area. Resources designed for Stage 3 HSIE will support teachers working within either framework.

You can view the full HSIE K–6 Syllabus (2024) on the NSW Curriculum website, or explore the national Australian Curriculum v9 for HASS.

Use an Inquiry-Based Approach

HSIE at Stage 3 lends itself to inquiry learning. Frame each unit around genuine questions that students investigate through research, fieldwork, and analysis. For example, a geography unit might begin with "How are places in our region managed to balance human needs and environmental sustainability?"

Integrate Primary and Secondary Sources

History and geography both require students to work with sources — maps, photographs, historical accounts, data sets, and interviews. Explicitly teach source analysis skills: Who created this? When? Why? What perspective does it represent?

Connect to Local Context

The most engaging HSIE lessons connect syllabus content to students' own communities. A unit on how places are organised becomes more meaningful when students map and analyse their own local area alongside case studies from other regions.

Build Geographical and Historical Skills Progressively

Stage 3 students should be developing skills in:

• Reading and creating maps with grid references and scale
• Constructing and interpreting timelines
• Comparing perspectives on events and places
• Presenting findings using a range of formats

Assessment Ideas

• Geography fieldwork reports where students investigate a local place
• Historical narratives written from different perspectives
• Inquiry projects with structured research and presentation
• Source analysis tasks examining primary historical documents

Early Stage 1 (Kindergarten)

Students explore their immediate environment — their family, school, and local area. They learn about personal identity, belonging, and how places are cared for.

Stage 1 (Years 1–2)

Stage 1 HSIE introduces concepts of community, connection to places, and the passing of time. Students compare their lives with those of people in other places and times, and begin developing basic mapping and timeline skills.

Stage 2 (Years 3–4)

Students examine how communities are organised, how Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have cared for Country, and how environments change over time. Geography focuses on the natural and human features of places in Australia and neighbouring countries.

Stage 3 (Years 5–6)

The most complex stage covers Australian colonial history, Federation, global geography, sustainability, and civics. Students analyse multiple perspectives, work with a range of sources, and develop structured inquiry skills that prepare them for high school.