F–6Humanities
Oxford Connections: People and Places
Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander peoples are advised that this page and the contents in Oxford Connections: People & Places may include names and images of people now deceased.
A knowledge-rich, F–6 Humanities program with explicit teaching and literacy at its core
Oxford Connections: People & Places is a brand-new program that will provide all the teacher and student resources needed to explicitly teach the full humanities curriculum, while embedding and developing core literacy skills.
The series supports a knowledge-rich curriculum by offering carefully curated reading passages that immerse students in diverse subjects, build background knowledge and strengthen literacy skills. With videos, interactives and check for understanding opportunities, Humanities becomes engaging and accessible.
Upcoming Professional Learning
-
-
60 minsKnowledge-rich Curriculum in Action: Exploring Oxford Connections: People & Places
Monday 10th August | 7:30pm AEST
Program Components
-
Student Workbooks
The program features engaging print Student Workbooks with reading passages, source materials and activities that inspire curiosity and help students understand how people, places and connections shape our world. Whether exploring history, geography, civics, business or real-world issues, students gain more than content knowledge – they build confidence in reading, writing and comprehension, empowering success across the curriculum. -
Teacher Resources
Teachers are supported by extensive digital teacher resources in the Digital Subscription, including detailed lesson plans, front of class presentations, assessment support and project ideas. These curated, ready-to-use resources ease workload and build confidence in addressing complex and sensitive topics. Lessons are structured around the Gradual Release of Responsibility model and include videos, interactives and check-for-understanding opportunities.
Experience full curriculum coverage with an explicit, clear pedagogical framework
The program draws on the Victorian Teaching and Learning Model (VTLM 2.0), which emphasises explicit teaching as a clear pedagogical framework that support teacher effectiveness and student growth. Lessons are structured around sequenced stages – moving learners from modelled instruction and guided practice to independent application.
This structured, evidence-based approach reduces planning time and ensures consistent curriculum delivery.
Learning Design Principles
At Oxford University Press, we are passionate about helping everyone achieve their full potential. By combining research-informed learning design and pedagogy with our extensive global experience and expertise, we develop educational solutions that advance knowledge and learning and deliver real impact.
Oxford Connections: People & Places has been designed around evidence-informed learning principles that support both student achievement and teacher effectiveness.
Cut through a packed curriculum with integrated literacy learning
In a crowded curriculum, the program integrates literacy with developmentally appropriate texts and provides editable lesson plans, flexible scope and sequence templates, and customisable review and assessment lessons to support meaningful engagement across diverse school contexts.
Oxford Connections ensures students build essential reading, writing and comprehension skills while engaging deeply with knowledge-rich humanities learning.
Every Oxford Connections: People & Places lesson is planned, prepared and ready to use
The Teaching Subscriptions for the series provide everything you need to teach a lesson. They include:
- detailed lesson plans, including background information, Check for Understanding questions and differentiation support
- front of class presentations that guide teachers through the lesson
- assessments for Years 3-6, including multiple choice, short answer and extended answer questions
- Scope and sequence, digital Student Books, Student Book answers, curriculum alignment documents and more!
Lesson Plans
Detailed lesson plans provide comprehensive support for every part of each lesson. Background information for lesson content is provided, for quick review prior to a lesson.
Check for Understanding questions are provided for both the Teach and Practice and the Practice sections of the lesson, these allow a check-in on students’ comprehension of lesson content and provide opportunities for engagement and discussion.
Front of Class materials
Every Oxford Connections: People & Places lesson is planned, prepared and ready to use.
The front of class materials:
- Provide all the content for the teaching of every lesson (all planning and preparation is done)
- Guide teachers and students through the whole lesson
- Uses a consistent structure to reduce cognitive load
- Include interactive elements and video content, bringing subject area content to life.
Further application activities
Further Application Lessons are an optional lesson included at the end of every unit from Year 1-6 and are an opportunity for students to demonstrate their learning from the unit in a focused writing task.
In Years 1 and 2 students are asked to demonstrate their understanding through the writing of simple to complex sentences and making of comparisons based on content. In Years 3-6 students are asked to complete either an Extended Writing Task or a Source Analysis and Response Task which gives students the opportunity demonstrate their learning and extend their understanding beyond what was taught in the unit.
Students will draw on knowledge gained throughout the unit and the key focus literacy skills covered to build confidence in their understanding and foster mastery over time.
Assessment
Assessment in Oxford Connections: People & Places can occur after every unit, or at the end
of each school term. Teachers and schools are free to choose which schedule of assessment works best for them and their students. All assessments can be accessed and printed from the Teacher Subscriptions.
Assessments are provided for Years 3-6 along with support for teachers to ensure accessible assessment practices for all students.
Assessments are split into three question types: multiple-choice, short answer and extended answer. Each question is linked to lesson content and curriculum outcomes to ensure all curriculum points are assessed throughout the year.
-
Grace Romano
Grace Romano is a passionate Literacy Coach with over 30 years of experience in primary education. She holds a Bachelor of Education, a Certificate in Gifted Education, and a Master’s in Educational Leadership, complemented by numerous coaching certifications. Grace is highly skilled in curriculum planning and design across all key learning areas, ensuring cohesive, purposeful, and evidence-aligned teaching and learning programs. She is committed to fostering evidence-based and data-informed pedagogy in the classroom. -
Anna Jones
Anna Jones is an educator with teaching experience in England and Australia. She has over 15 years of experience in educational publishing, developing high-quality content across a range of primary subjects, including English, systematic synthetic phonics, science, mathematics and humanities. Her work has contributed to a number of successful education programs, including nationally recognised and award-winning resources honoured at the Educational Publishing Awards Australia. -
Vanessa Rendall
Vanessa Ryan-Rendall is a primary school teacher with a Masters in Gifted Education. She is a published author who is passionate about making learning engaging and meaningful for all students. -
Kate Durling
Kate Durling is an education professional with 24 years of primary teaching experience in Victorian schools. As a Learning Specialist and in leadership roles for more than 15 years, Kate has mentored teachers in the design and implementation of state and national curriculum across all primary school levels. She brings expertise in developing unit sequences, lesson plans and resources that incorporate effective classroom practices and differentiated learning to meet diverse student needs. -
Joanna Brown
Joanna Brown is an English/Humanities teacher who has worked in both Primary and Secondary education. She is currently the Head of Inclusive Education at St Michael’s Collegiate in lutruwita (Tasmania). Joanna loves poetry, bush walks and poodles. -
Aria Ritz
Aria Ritz is a proud Palawa woman, undertaking her Bachelor of Laws. Grounded in a deep commitment to Aboriginal rights, truth-telling, and human rights, she brings experience as a public speaker and workshop facilitator, creating spaces that centre Aboriginal voices and lived experience. Aria’s passion for culturally safe education is at the heart of both her community engagement and professional work, guiding her commitment to justice, accountability, and self-determination. -
Amanda Coleman
Amanda Coleman is a passionate primary school teacher with 14 years of experience teaching across all year levels from Prep to Year 6. She has a strong interest in creating engaging and meaningful learning experiences for students. She enjoys researching, writing, and developing educational resources that help bring history, geography and civics to life in the classroom. -
Lisa Kebbell
Lisa Kebbell is an experienced primary school teacher and curriculum writer with two decades of experience working with young learners in coastal communities along Victoria’s Surf Coast. A lifelong learner, Lisa holds a Master of Positive Psychology and is passionate about creating engaging, supportive learning environments where students feel confident, curious and connected to the world around them. She brings together explicit teaching with opportunities for inquiry, encouraging students to explore ideas, ask questions and think deeply about their learning.
Pre-order the series
School Digital Subscriptions
There are a number of ways to purchase the Teacher Digital Subscriptions, either as a whole class or school adoption, or as an individual licence. Speak to your local Education Consultant to find the most cost-effective solution for your school.
Contact your Education Consultant
Your local Education Consultant can give you a full demonstration of the resource, answer your questions and support you with ordering and implementation.