Oxford Big Ideas Humanities and Social Sciences Western Australian Curriculum Skills and Activities Books are full-colour write-in Student workbooks supported by integrated digital resources. Designed to prepare students to enter ATAR-level HASS studies with confidence, they provide syllabus coverage and scaffolded skill development for Years 7–10 HASS students in Western Australia.

Each Student workbook has been written by expert Western Australian authors and features a range of recent, local case studies, practice source analysis and engaging skills-based activities, plus revision sections for each of the four subject areas.

Closely aligned to syllabus content, they support not only students using the market-leading Oxford Big Ideas Humanities and Social Sciences Western Australian Curriculum series, but also users of other HASS resources seeking additional opportunities for revision and extension.

Key features
Each Student workbook covers all four subject areas (History, Geography, Economics and Business, and Civics and Citizenship) and includes a range of innovative features:

• Glossary grab provides a space for students to record key terms and encourages students to develop their understanding of key terminology as they learn.
• Word wizard engages students’ literacy skills using key terminology from the unit of study.
• Skill school explicitly focuses on building key skills in each subject area.
• Analysis ace develops students’ confidence in analysing sources in each subject area.
• Case cracker enables students to develop and practice skills in context using engaging case studies.
• Writing winner develops essential HASS writing skills, from taking notes and referencing sources to constructing essays and using data.
• Fun finish engages students with fun tasks, including designing and drawing, group activities, working with their hands and thinking innovatively.
• Skills survey concludes each section with a self-assessment checklist for students to rate their confidence using essential HASS skills.
• Revision remedy offers students a range of skills-based multiple-choice and short-answer questions designed to consolidate learning.

Integrated digital resources
Each Student workbook comes complete with access to an exciting range of integrated digital material, including interactive maps, timelines and activities; videos; weblinks; auto-marking quizzes; a world statistics database; and other digital resources designed to enhance learning.

PART 1: GEOGRAPHY

Chapter 1: The Geography toolkit

Chapter 2: Landforms and landscapes
Word wizard: Code cracker
Skill school: Identifying landforms and landscapes
Analysis ace: Understanding change over time
Case cracker: Valuing landforms and landscapes
Writing winner: How to: Interpret population pyramids
Fun finish: Tourism WA

Chapter 3: Mountain landscapes
Word wizard: True or false
Skill school: Geographical diagrams
Analysis ace: Interpreting maps and photographs
Case cracker: Understanding volcanic activity
Writing winner: How to: Interpret a choropleth map
Fun finish: Helping the public

Chapter 4: Coastal landscapes
Word wizard: Match that
Skill school: Capturing the coast
Analysis ace: Interpreting dot distribution maps
Case cracker: Identifying coastal hazards
Writing winner: How to: Analyse photographs and draw conclusions
Fun finish: Creating a tsunami warning plan

Chapter 5: Life in different cities
Word wizard: Word scramble
Skill school: Making geographical predictions
Analysis ace:  Interpreting and inquiring
Case cracker: Verifying geographical claims
Writing winner: How to: Take notes
Fun finish: Celebrating World Cities Day

Chapter 6: Migration
Word wizard: Understanding population
Skill school: Pyramids
Analysis ace: Analysing and sketching maps
Case cracker: Understanding Australia’s internal migration
Writing winner: How to: Use feedback to develop writing skills
Fun finish: Make your own population survey

Skills survey: Geography
Revision remedy: Geography

PART 2: HISTORY

Chapter 7: The History toolkit

Chapter 8: The ancient to the modern world
Word wizard: Word puzzle
Skill school: Asking inquiry questions
Analysis ace: Evaluating the reliability of sources
Case cracker: Understanding different perspectives
Writing winner: How to: Look for bias in historical sources
Fun finish: Trading in the middle ages

Chapter 9: Medieval Europe
Word wizard: Cash in your word bank
Skill school: Using primary and secondary sources
Analysis ace: Discovering historians’ perspectives
Case cracker: Understanding time and chronology
Writing winner: How to: Reference historical sources
Fun finish: A medieval feast

Chapter 10: The Black Death in Asia, Europe and Africa
Word wizard: Word scramble
Skill school: Identifying the features of the Black Death
Analysis ace: Understanding cause, effect and change over time
Case cracker: Identifying the impacts of the Black Death
Writing winner: How to: Test your hypothesis
Fun finish: The plague doctor

Skills survey: History
Revision remedy: History

PART 3: ECONOMICS AND BUSINESS

Chapter 11: The Economics and Business toolkit

Chapter 12: The Australian marketplace
Word wizard: Pick the winner
Skill school: Developing investigation skills
Analysis ace: Understanding supply and demand
Case cracker: Interpreting the contemporary job economy
Writing winner: How to: Collect, interpret and evaluate economic data
Fun finish: Social media

Chapter 13: Consumers and business
Word wizard: Code cracker
Skill school: Understanding organisational practices and procedures
Analysis ace: Understanding cause and effect through source analysis
Case cracker: Identifying business belief and values
Writing winner: How to: Write about business ownership
Fun finish: Ethical consumers

Skills survey: Economics and Business
Revision remedy: Economics and Business

PART 4: CIVICS AND CITIZENSHIP

Chapter 14: The Civics and Citizenship toolkit

Chapter 15: Democracy in action
Word wizard: Match maker
Skill school: Freedom and responsibilities in action
Analysis ace: Interpreting media sources
Case cracker: Understanding alternative perspectives
Writing winner: How to: Structure paragraphs using TEEL
Fun finish: Democratic design

Chapter 16: Law in action
Word wizard: Word scramble
Skill school: Key features of Australia’s legal system
Analysis ace: Understanding criminal and civil law
Case cracker: Understanding customary law
Writing winner: How to: Differentiate between different types of civil laws and civil wrongs
Fun finish: Political pen pal

Skills survey: Civics and Citizenship
Revision remedy: Civics and Citizenship

Glossary grab

Leo Conti
Leo Conti is the President of the Geographical Association of Western Australia. He worked as an author on the Oxford Big Ideas Humanities and Social Sciences Western Australian Curriculum 7–10 Student books. Leo currently works as the Head of HASS at Ballajura Community College in Perth, and as a senior lecturer at the University of Notre Dame.

Kirstin Woodard
Kirstin Woodard is a currently working as a History teacher at Applecross Senior High School in Perth. Kirstin has experience teaching ATAR-level History, as well as Years 7–10 History and Geography.

Anna Griffin
Anna Griffin has worked as a HASS teacher for 19 years and is the former President of the Geographical Association of Western Australia. Anna has extensive experience teaching Economics and Geography. Anna is currently the Head of HASS at Swan Valley Anglican Community School in Perth.

Annie Rees
Annie Rees has been teaching HASS in independent schools in Perth since 2015. She holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Human Resource Management) and a Graduate Diploma of Education (Secondary), with a major in Business Studies and a minor in Humanities and Social Sciences. A passionate Business and Economics teacher, she has experience teaching Years 7–10 HASS, as well as Business Management and Enterprise ATAR.

Paul Stenner
Paul Stenner is an experienced HASS teacher. He has worked as a Head of Department in four schools, and previously worked as the UK Government Advisor for Citizenship, Holocaust and Genocide Education. Paul currently works as a HASS teacher at Guildford Grammar School in Perth.

Siobhan McCarthy
Siobhan McCarthy has experience teaching ATAR-level Politics and Law, as well as Years 7–10 HASS. Prior to teaching, Siobhan studied Law, Political Science, Languages and History. Most recently, Siobhan has worked at Prendiville Catholic College in Perth.

Haylie Pepper
Haylie Pepper is currently working as a Civics and Citizenship specialist at Perth College. Prior to teaching, Haylie worked as a laywer. She has experience teaching ATAR-level Politics and Law, as well as Years 7–10 HASS.