Girraween High School

Aspire - Respect - Unite

Telephone02 9636 7293

Emailgirraween-h.school@det.nsw.edu.au

Social science

In social science there are four teachers that teach the following areas:

Year 7 to 10 geography

Year 7 to 8

Includes topics such as:

  • Investigating the world
  • Global environments
  • Global change
  • Global issues and role of citizenship

Year 9 to 10

Includes topic such as:

  • Investigating Australia's physical environments
  • Changing Australian communities
  • Issue in Australian environments
  • Australia in its regional and global contexts

Excursions

In the past there have been excursions to Blue Mountains, North Coast (Entrance), Sydney Olympic Park and Cronulla Beach. Students also have the opportunity to participate in the national geography competition.

Year 9 and 10 Commerce

In Year 9 commerce topics include consumer choice which focuses on consumer decisions on making purchases and consumer protection which considers where consumers can go to get assistance and the laws that are available to protect them. In personal finance students will learn how to organise their finances including budgeting and investment decisions. Students will also have their entrepreneurial skills put to the test in running a school based business in which the students get to keep the profits. Some groups however in the past have donated their profits to charity. Other option topics include promoting and selling which focuses on marketing and the techniques used to sell. Other options in Year 9 include e-commerce and travel.

While in Year 10 commerce students learn about law in society which focuses on the importance of law, how laws are made, the legal system and how laws have changed. In employment Issues includes types of employment, changing work patterns, types of employment contracts and taxation.  While option topics political Involvement includes the study of structure of government, political issues, methods of voting and different political parties as well as the topic of our economy.

Students who do commerce also have the opportunity to participate in the "stock market game" as well as the "innovative youth challenge competition" which allows students to compete against other schools where they have to make a presentation focused on marketing.

NOTE: In 2011 we were the winners of the innovative youth challenge.

Planned excursions include justice and police museum, supreme court and state parliament house.

Year 11 and 12

Business Studies

In Year 11 students will cover topics such as nature of business which includes types of businesses and legal structure, influences on business and the business life cycle. In business management we focus on skills of management, business goals, management theories, as well the main functions of management and how managers implement change. In the last topic in Year 11 students will do business planning. Students learn how to write a business plan which is a major assignment in Year 11 business studies.

Whilst in Year 12, students study operations which focuses on operations processes involved in producing a good or service, strategies in running a business and global influences. In marketing we focus on influences such as consumer law, factors influencing customer choice and ethical issues. Also marketing strategies are analysed such as product, price, promotion and place otherwise known as the 4 P's of Marketing. In the finance topic we focus on financial management, students will learn how to analyse financial statements involving ratio calculations, types of finance available, and learn important strategies to manage business' cash flow. While in human resources topic we will focus on legal framework of employment, strategies in human resource management and how to measure the effectiveness of human resource management.

Economics 

The preliminary course is essentially microeconomic in nature, focusing on aspects of the economic behaviour of consumers, business and government. Much of this behaviour is influenced by the operation of markets. Two key markets, The labour market and the financial market, are examined in detail. The preliminary course provides an essential foundation for the HSC course.

The HSC course focuses on the management of the economy and is therefore essentially macroeconomic in nature. It examines the external framework in which the Australian economy operates. The course investigates the impact of the global economy on the Australian economy and the link between economic issues and the management of an economy, with specific reference to the Australian economy.

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