International Studies

Course Description

International Studies provides students with an opportunity to explore and recognise their own culture and to appreciate the richness and abundance of a multicultural world.

Students gain knowledge of different cultural practices, values and beliefs to form a broader worldview. They gain the skills to recognise fact from bias and challenge social stereotypes by exploring cultural difference. This enables them to understand and value inclusion and to respect the rights of others. They will be immersed in hands-on activities which explore the extraordinary cultures of the world, both past and present.

What will students learn about?

The aim of International Studies is for students to appreciate the significance of culture; respect the culturally diverse world in which they live; and experience culture first hand. The course incorporates concepts that will be relevant for students interested in studying either Society and Culture or Studies of Religion in Year 11 and 12.

What will students learn to do?

Students will learn:

• sacred cultural arts such as meditation, origami, calligraphy, tea chan and tai chi
• ancient cultural recreational games and sports such as ‘dao’, ‘kanche’ and ‘gutte’
• traditional cultural art such as indigenous painting, Celtic war paint and Maori art
• to explore the core values, beliefs and language of the world’s major cultures
• to deconstruct cultural stereotypes represented in film, television and media
• the concept of cultural diversity and its role in contemporary society
• to examine and assess contemporary cultural issues
• an in-depth study and research project on a culture of the students own choosing

How will students be assessed?

Assessment will be based on individual inquiry into other cultures, communication of knowledge through a variety of written and graphic forms, a research project as well as practical competencies.

Record of School Achievement

International Studies is a Personal Interest Elective course that will be studied for 100 hours in Year 10. Satisfactory completion of 100 hours of study in this course during Stage 5 (Year 10) will be recorded with a grade on the student’s Yearly Report but NOT on their Record of School Achievement.