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Year 9 · HASS · Western Australian Curriculum
Year 9 HASS (Humanities and Social Sciences) covers the period from 1750 to 1918: the Industrial Revolution, the movement of millions of people, and World War I, including Gallipoli and the story behind Anzac Day. Geography goes global with food security and interconnection, and economics places Australia inside the world economy. It is the most content-rich HASS year so far, and one of the most rewarding.
Where Year 9 sits in the journey
Year 9 history is the study of the making of the modern world, from the Industrial Revolution through to the end of World War I. For Australian students that includes the Anzac story: where Australians fought, what the war did to a young nation, and why we commemorate it the way we do. Geography examines the world's biomes and the challenge of feeding a growing population, then the ways trade, travel and technology connect distant places. Economics widens to Australia's place in the global economy, and civics looks at how citizens, parties and the media shape political decisions. Analysis and extended writing carry more weight than ever.
What the curriculum covers
History
The making of the modern world, 1750 to 1918: the Industrial Revolution and how it transformed work and daily life, the mass movement of peoples, and World War I. Your child studies Gallipoli, the Western Front and the debates at home, and comes to understand what Anzac Day actually commemorates.
Geography
Biomes and food security: how the world grows its food and whether it can keep doing so sustainably. Then interconnections: how trade, tourism, technology and migration tie places together, and what that means for the people at both ends.
Economics and Business
Australia as a trading nation inside the global economy, why economies depend on each other, and how to weigh financial risks against rewards. The thinking becomes noticeably more grown up this year.
Civics and Citizenship
How Australians decide who governs: elections, political parties and the influence of media on political choices. Your child also learns how Australia's courts work and why an independent legal system matters.
HASS skills
Sustained source analysis and essay-length argument. Year 9 is where students learn to hold several perspectives on the same event and still reach a judgement they can defend.
This year, your child will
Year 9 content is the backbone of an informed Australian adulthood: why we commemorate Anzac Day, how the modern economy came to be, and how political influence really works. It is also a proving ground. Subject selection is only a year away, and students who handle Year 9's reading and writing load confidently walk into those conversations with real choices. The analytical writing built here pays dividends across English and well beyond school.
How Sorsa supports Year 9 HASS
Home practice mirrors the WA achievement standards for Year 9, so effort lands where school assessment actually looks.
Your child can move from secure ground into real challenge at their own pace, with harder material always within reach.
You get a clear window into what has been covered and where the sticking points are, without needing to ask twice.
Questions parents ask
History covers the making of the modern world from 1750 to 1918, including the Industrial Revolution and World War I. Geography examines biomes, food security and global interconnections, economics places Australia in the world economy, and civics looks at elections, media influence and the courts.
Not directly. NAPLAN assesses literacy and numeracy rather than HASS content. That said, the persuasive and analytical writing your child practises in HASS is some of the best preparation for the NAPLAN writing task there is, so strong HASS habits quietly help.
They study why World War I began, where Australians fought, including Gallipoli and the Western Front, and what the war meant for a young nation, from the conscription debates to the way we commemorate Anzac Day. The aim is understanding built on evidence, not just remembrance.
Yes, more than most parents expect. Schools weigh Year 9 and 10 results when advising on senior courses, and a student who reads and writes confidently in Year 9 HASS keeps courses like Modern History, Geography, Economics and Politics and Law firmly on the table.
Launching soon
Sorsa opens to Western Australian families soon. Join the parent waitlist for launch access and early supporter pricing.
HASS in other years
More Year 9 subjects