Aus VELS

TheAusVELS
Curriculum
Domain
CivicsandCitizenship,Communication,Design,Creativityand Technology,English,HealthandPhysicalEducation,Informationand CommunicationsTechnology,InterpersonalDevelopment,Languages, Mathematics,PersonalLearning,Science,TheArts,TheHumanities, TheHumanitiesEconomics,TheHumanitiesGeography,The HumanitiesHistory,ThinkingProcesses 5 Monday,20May2013
Level Dated
The Arts
TableofContents Overview Introduction ApproachestoTheArtsdisciplines Domainstructure Stagesoflearning CurriculumF10 Level5
2 2 2 3 4 7 7
VCAA | AusVELS Curriculum | Date PDF created: Monday, 20 May 2013
The Arts
IntroductiontoTheArts
TheArtsareunique,expressive,creativeandcommunicativeformsthatengagestudentsincriticalandcreativethinkingand helpthemunderstandthemselvesandtheworld.IneverysocietytheArtsplayapivotalrolesocially,economicallyand culturally.TheArtsencouragethedevelopmentofskillsandtheexplorationoftechnologies,formsandprocessesthrough singleandmultimodalforms.Theyfueltheexplorationofideasthatcrossthegamutofhumanemotionsandmoodsthrough holisticlearningusingcognitive,emotional,sensory,aesthetic,kinaestheticandphysicalfields. TheArtsdomainencompassesadiverseandeverchangingrangeofdisciplinesandformsthatcanbeusedtostructure teachingandlearningprograms.Thedomainallowsstudentstocreateandcriticallyexplorevisualculture,performancesin contemporaryandtraditionalgenres,andworksthatinvolvethefusionoftraditionalformswithdigitalmedia.Schoolsusethe artsdisciplinesofArt,Dance,Drama,Media,MusicandVisualCommunicationtoplanprograms.Theseprogramsreflectthe culturaldiversityofstudentsandschoolcommunitiesandthevastgrowthininformationandcommunicationstechnologythat hasmadeartsformsincreasinglyvisible.Theyrecognisethemulticulturalworldsaturatedwithimagery,soundsand performancesthatstudentsinhabit.EngagementintheArtsinvolvestheinspiredandpassionateexplorationofideasand theresultantproductsandperformances.Bytheirverynature,theArtsnurtureculturalunderstanding,invention,new directionsandnewtechnology.Imaginationandcreativity,pivotaltotheArts,areessentialtoourwellbeingbecausewe createmuchofourworldinordertoenhanceourexperiencesandunderstandingsofthediverseperspectivesthatconstitute ourculturalheritage.Forstudents,interactionthroughtheArtsbringscontactwiththeIndigenousculturesofAustraliaandthe culturesofournearestneighbours. LearningintheArtsallowsstudentstocommunicatetheirperceptions,observationsandunderstandingofstructures, functionsandconceptsdrawnfromotherareasofthecurriculum.TheArtsareavehicleforconfrontingandexploringnew ideas.ThroughlearningintheArts,studentspreparefortheirrolesinapostindustrialeconomythatdependsoninnovative ideas,creativeuseoftechnologiesandthedevelopmentofnewandblendedforms.Artslearningexpectsethicalconductin thecreating,making,presentingandrespondingtoartsworksforexample,adherencetoagreedapproachesbyindividuals inacollaborativeperformanceoracknowledgmentoftheuseofotherartistsproducts. LearningintheArtsissequentialandstudentsshouldhavecontinuousexperienceinthedifferentartsdisciplinesthey undertakeataparticularlevel.AtFoundationLevelandLevels1,2,3and4allstudentsshouldexperiencelearningin PerformingArts(Dance,DramaandMusic)andVisualArts(Art,includingtwodimensionalandthreedimensional,and Media)disciplinesandforms.Theartsdisciplinesmaybeofferedbyschoolsindividuallyand/orincombinationforexample, inacrossdisciplinarymannerorusingnewartsformsthatcombinetraditionalartsdisciplines.AtLevels5,6,7and8,the studyofarangeofartsdisciplinesbroadensanddeepensstudentsunderstandingoftheArtsasanareaofhumanactivity andprovidesincreasedopportunitiesforpersonalexpressionandcommunication.Allstudentsshouldhavecontinuous experienceinatleasttwoartsdisciplinesateachoftheselevels.AtLevels910,learningprogramsshouldprovide opportunitiesforstudentstocontinuesequentialdevelopmentoflearningintheartsdisciplinestheyhaveundertakenat Levels58.Opportunitiesshouldalsobeprovidedforstudentstoexplorepersonalinterestsanddevelopskills,knowledge andunderstandingrelevanttospecificartsformsanddisciplinesinincreasinglysophisticatedways. Atalllevels,learningprogramsintheartsdisciplinesshouldprovideopportunitiesforstudentstoexperiencearangeof traditional,contemporary(includingdigital)andnewmedia/multidisciplinaryformsandgenres.
ApproachestoTheArts
The Arts
ApproachestoTheArts,whichprovidesadviceaboutapproachesforusingArt,Dance,Drama,Media,MusicorVisual CommunicationtoimplementstandardsforTheArts,isnowfoundontheVCAAAusVELSResourceandSupport
website.
StructureofTheArtsdomain
TheArtsdomaindomaininAusVELSusesanelevenlevelstructuretobothreflectthedesignofthenewAustralian CurriculumandtoprovideaconsistentstructureacrossalltheAusVELSdomains(formoredetails,pleaseseeOverview). Eachlevelincludesalearningfocusstatementandasetofstandards.Aglossaryisincludedwhichprovidesdefinitionsofor informationaboutunderlinedterms.
Learningfocus
Learningfocusstatementsarewrittenforeachlevel.Theseoutlinethelearningthatstudentsneedtofocusoniftheyareto progressinthedomainandachievethestandardsatthelevelswheretheyapply.Theysuggestappropriatelearning experiencesfromwhichteacherscandrawtodeveloprelevantteachingandlearningactivities.Adviceregardingtherangeof artsdisciplinesthatstudentsshouldexperienceisincludedasanintroductiontoeachlearningfocusstatement.
Standards
Standardsdefinewhatstudentsshouldknowandbeabletodoatdifferentlevelsandarewrittenforeachdimension.Inthe Arts,standardsforassessingandreportingonstudentachievementapplyfromFoundationLevel.
Dimensions
StandardsintheArtsdomainareorganisedintwodimensions:
l l
Creatingandmaking Exploringandresponding.
StandardsfortheExploringandrespondingdimensionareintroducedfromLevel4. Theframesofreferenceinterpreting,responding,performing,presenting,ideas,skills,techniques,processes,context, aestheticsandcriticismareintegraltobothdimensionsasExploringandrespondingdrawsonstudentsexperiencesas creators,makers,performersand/oraudience.
Creatingandmaking
TheCreatingandmakingdimensionfocusesonideas,skills,techniques,processes,performancesandpresentations.It includesengagementinconceptsthatemergefromarangeofstartingpointsandstimuli.Studentsexploreexperiences, ideas,feelingsandunderstandingsthroughmaking,interpreting,performing,creatingandpresenting.Creatingandmaking artsworksinvolvesimaginationandexperimentationplanningtheapplicationofartselements,principlesand/or conventionsskills,techniquesandprocessesmedia,materials,equipmentandtechnologiesreflectionandrefinement. Individuallyandcollaboratively,studentsexploretheirownworksandworksbyotherartistsworkingindifferenthistoricand culturalcontexts.
Exploringandresponding
The Arts
TheExploringandrespondingdimensionfocusesoncontext,interpretingandresponding,criticismandaesthetics.It involvesstudentsanalysinganddevelopingunderstandingabouttheirownandotherpeoplesworkandexpressing personalandinformedjudgmentsofartsworks.Involvementinevaluatingmeaning,ideasand/orcontentinfinished productsisintegraltoengagementintheArts. Explorationof,andresponseto,expressivequalitiesofartsworksisinformedbycriticalanalysisoftheuseofelements, contentandtechniquesanddiscussionaboutthenature,content,andformal,aestheticand/orkinaestheticqualitiesofarts works.Exploringthequalitiesofartsworksinvolvesuseofartslanguageandalsodrawsonresearchintothepurposesand functionsforwhichtheworksarecreatedandaudiencestowhomtheyarepresented.Thisinvolvesstudentsdevelopingan understandingofsocial,cultural,political,economicandhistoriccontextsandconstructs,anddevelopingaconsiderationof waysthatartsworksreflect,construct,reinforceandchallengepersonal,societalandculturalvaluesandbeliefs.
StagesofLearninginTheArts
AusVELStakesaccountofthedevelopmentalstagesoflearningyoungpeopleexperienceatschool.Whilestudentlearning isacontinuumanddifferentstudentsdevelopatdifferentrates,theybroadlyprogressthroughthreestagesoflearning. Thefollowingstatementsdescribewaysinwhichthesecharacteristicsrelatetolearningexperiencesandstandardsineach ofthethreestagesoflearningintheArtsdomain. Essentiallearningintheartsinvolvessequentialandindepthlearning.Duringtheirschoolingstudentsdevelopknowledge andskillsinartsdisciplinesandforms,increasetheirabilitytoexplore,manipulateandapplytheseskillsindifferent combinationsandcontextsinordertorealisetheirownideasandbetterunderstandthetechniques,productsand performancesofothers. Todaysstudentsseeimages,productsandperformancesthathavebeencreatedbyartistsworkingbothindependentlyand incollaborationwithotherpractitioners.Newmediaartsandartsworksinmultidisciplinaryformsrequirenewwaysof thinkinginandaboutthearts.Inquirymodelsinwhichstudentsexaminecultural,socialandconceptualmeaningsprovide thelearningelementsnecessaryforexploringthemultiplicityofinterpretativeframes. AcrossFoundationto10,studentsshouldhaveaccesstoartslearningthatstimulates,developsandrefinescognitive, affective,creative,technical,aestheticandkinaestheticskills.Thishasbeenshowntoaidthedevelopmentofflexiblethinkers whocanexamineandmanipulateideas,products,conceptsandpossibilities. FoundationtoLevel4Layingthefoundations FromFoundationtoLevel4,studentsbegintoexplorecontentandcontextsrelatingtospecificartsdisciplinesaswellas creative,aestheticandkinaestheticperspectives.Intheselevelstheyfocusonmakingandinquiring.Newmultimedia approachestotheartsofferamodelforcrossandinterdisciplinarypracticalactivitiessuitedtotheselevels. Atthisstage,studentsobservationsareprimarilyconcreteandstudentsusetheirperceptionsandrealitiesastheirinquiry framework.Itisimportanttoofferopportunitiesforstudentstoreflecton,monitorandplantheirthinkingandmaking.Arts learning,wheregoodthinkingdispositionsaremodelled,valuedandsupported,assiststhebridgingofthinkingfromthe concretetoabstractdimensions.Studentsshouldbeabletoexplainsomethingnewafteradiscussionorpractical exploratorysession,andtalkaboutchangesintheirownthinking,performanceormaking,givingreasonsfortheiractions andexplaininganddemonstratingtheirorganisationofideas.Studentsbegintorecognise,appreciateandvaluewaysthat othersthink,actandsolveproblemsdifferently.
The Arts
Studentsuseabroadrangeoftraditional,newmediaandmultidisciplinaryformsandmaterialstoimprovise,designand makeworksinmanytwodimensional,threedimensional,digitalandperformanceforms.Throughmakingworksthatselect andcombineartselements,principlesandconventions,studentsdeveloparangeofcognitive,motor,crossdisciplineand disciplinespecifictechniquesandunderstandings. Levels5to8Buildingbreadthanddepth DuringLevels5to8studentsbroadenanddeepentheirunderstandingofartsdisciplinesasanareaofhumanactivity acrosscultural,historical,andtechnicaltraditions.Theyareusuallyengagedby,andrespondwithenthusiasmto,socialand experientiallearningthatprovidesopportunitiestoexploreaestheticqualities.Suchengagementfosterspersonal expression,criticalandcreativethinking,andcommunicationskills. Astheyprogressthroughthisstageoflearning,studentsincreasinglyunderstandtheadvantagesofusingarangeof problemsolvingstrategieswhenconsideringoptionstomakeconsideredchoicesaboutartsideasandwaysof communicatingmeaningsandmessages.Theydevelopawarenessoftherolethatemotions,motivation,technicalskills andbeliefsplayinexplorationandproduction,andcandescribehowothersintheirsocietyandothercultureshavedifferent perspectives,valuesandsolutionstoproblems.Artslearningatthisstageshouldprovideopportunitiesforstudentstoplan, monitor,analyseandevaluatetheirperceptions,ideasandsolutionsthroughreflectingontheeffectivenessoftheirthinking strategiesandoutput,andhowtheymightmakeproductivechanges. Studentsarebeginningtoadoptacriticalandanalyticstance.Theycanmakeconnectionsbetweentraditional,experimental, technologicalandcontemporaryartsformsdevelopinganunderstandingoftheelements,principles,conventionsand processesthatmaybeappliedinarangeofcontexts.Classroomactivitiesshouldbecreativelyandcognitivelydemanding andbuildontheintensityofstudentinterestinexperiences. Levels9to10Developingpathways Intheselevelsstudentsincreasinglyspecialiseinartsformsanddisciplinesofinteresttothem.Theyareawarethatnew media,multidisciplinaryandmultimodalforms,withtheirnotionsofappropriationandconnectivity,existalongsidetraditional formswhosetechniquesneedtobemastered. Studentsdevelopindependentwaysoflearninginandthroughthearts.Theirinvolvementinartslearningmayhavea vocationalfocusormayinvolvedevelopingunderstandingofwaysartsformsandconceptsimpactonindustriesandother situationswherevisual,sonicandelectroniccuesformthebasisofhumaninteractionwithmachines.Theyexploreand analysetheaestheticqualitiesandcontextsofotherartsworksandareabletoexplaintheroleoftheartsintheirownand othersocial,historicalandculturalcontexts.Theybecomeawareoftheneedtoadoptacriticalandanalyticapproachto meaningandmessage.Theiremotionalreactionstoimages,productsandperformancesareenhancedbycriticalskillsas insightsandcomparisonsareexplored,andsocialanduniversalconcernsarecombinedwiththeexplorationofindividual andpersonalvalues. Artslearningatthisstageshouldinvolvestudentreflectionontheprocessestheyundertakeandmakingjudgmentsabout bothqualityanduseofrelevantcriteriaforexploringandmanipulatingmedia,technologies,materialandpersonalspace. Studentsselectandmanipulateskills,tools,techniquesandprocessesfromacrossthecurriculumandwithinspecificarts disciplinestocommunicateideas,conceptsandfeelings. Studentsareinvolvedineveryaspectofthemakingandpresentationofartsimages,productsandperformances,working bothindividuallyandcollaboratively.Theymodelthepracticesofprofessionalartists,experiencingandexperimentingwith innovativewaysofusingartselements,principlesandprocesses.Thismightinvolvedevelopingcreativewaysofusing visionandsound,experimentingwithartsformsthatcombinetraditionalanddigitalmedia,andreflectingthetransitory natureofcontemporaryartsperformancesandproducts.
The Arts
Atthisstage,studentsshouldbemakinginformedpersonalchoicesbyapplyingthinkingstrategies,aestheticawareness, meaningfuluseoflanguage,possibilitythinkingandtheuseofknowledgetoarriveatoriginalideasbylinkingunrelated ideasandconcepts.
The Arts
Level5
LearningFocus
AsstudentsworktowardstheachievementofLevel6standardsintheArts,theyinvestigatearangeoftraditionaland contemporaryartsforms,styles,media,materials,equipmentandtechnologiesintheartsdisciplinesofDance,Drama, Media,MusicandVisualArtsArt(twodimensionalandthreedimensional)individuallyandincombination.Theylearn aboutwaystodesign,improvise,represent,interpret,makeandpresentartsworksthatcommunicatefeelingsandtheir interestsandunderstandingofthemselves,theirrelationshipsandotherpeople.Forexample:
l
inDance,studentsmirrorthemovementsofapartnerandthenperformthesamemovementsexpressingcontrasting emotions inDrama,studentsroleplaysituationsandevents,sustainingrole/characterthroughouttheirgrouporsolo performance.
Theyexperimentwithimaginativeandinnovativewaysofgeneratingideasandmanipulatingartselements,principles and/orconventionstoexplorethepotentialofideas,gaininginspirationfromabroadrangeofsources,includingarts worksfromdifferentcultures,stylesandhistoricalcontexts.Forexample:

l
inArt,studentsviewanddiscussexamplesofportraitsbyartistsfromdifferentculturalcontexts,thenusingmixed media,theycreateaworkusingtechniquesfromaculturethatisnottheirown inMusic,studentslistentoanddiscussthemoodcreatedinselectedadvertisementjinglesorsoundtracksfora cartoonorathemeforamoviecharacter,thenusingavarietyofsoundsourcesandarangeofsoundstheycreatetwo arrangementsofgroupdevisedmusictoconveytwodifferentmoods.
Studentsresearch,improvise,practiseandrehearseskills,techniquesandprocesses,usingarangeofmedia, materials,equipmentandtechnologies.Withsomeguidance,theymaintainarecordoftheirplanninganddevelopment (forexample,inavisualdiaryormultimediajournal)notingwhentheyareachievingtheiraim.Theyalsorecordthe refiningofspecificaspectsoftheworkwhenideasorattemptsarenotrealisingtheirintendedpurpose.Studentslearnto evaluatetheirownandotherpeoplesartsworksshowingsomeunderstandingofselectedartsformsandtheirparticular techniquesandprocessesaswellasanemergingunderstandingofthequalitiesofartselements,principlesand/or conventions.Theyindependentlyandcollaborativelyexploreandexperimentwithdifferentwaysofpresentingartsworks andconsiderappropriatenessofpresentationforintendedaudience.Throughexploringandresponding,studentsbegin todevelopavocabularyofappropriateartslanguagetheycanusetodescribeanddiscussthecontentandstructural qualitiesoftheirownandotherpeoplesartsworks.Theybegintoresearch,andwithguidance,analyseartsworksto interpretandcomparekeyfeatures,symbolsandculturalcharacteristicsofartsworksinarangeofcontemporaryand traditionalformsfromdifferenthistoric,socialandculturalcontexts.Forexample:
l
inMedia,studentsresearchmediatextsfocusingontheuseofarangeofmediatechnologiesintheproductionand presentationofnewsindifferenthistoricalcontexts,andthencreatearealorimaginednewsitemfortheirschool communitybyworkingcollaborativelyfrompreproductiontopostproductionandpresentationofthenewsitem.
Theybegintoreflectontheirresponsestootherpeoplesworksandconsiderothersperspectiveswhendiscussingarts works.
Standards
AtLevel5,studentsareworkingtowardtheLevel6standards.
Civics and Citizenship

TableofContents Overview Introduction Domainstructure Stagesoflearning CurriculumF10 Level5
2 2 2 3 6 6
IntroductiontoCivicsandCitizenship
TheCivicsandCitizenshipdomainprovidesstudentswithknowledge,skillsandopportunitiestounderstandandpractise whatitmeanstobeacitizeninademocracy.Citizensrequireknowledgeandunderstandingofcivicinstitutionsandtheskills andwillingnesstoactivelyparticipateinsociety.Theyneedknowledgeofpoliticalandlegalsystemsandprocessesandthe historythatunderpinstheminordertoachievecivicunderstanding.Theyneedtounderstandtheirrightsandresponsibilities ascitizens,anddemocraticvaluesandprinciplessuchasdemocraticdecisionmaking,representativeandaccountable government,freedomofspeech,equalitybeforethelaw,socialjusticeandequality.Thisdomainfacilitatesthepracticeof citizenshipskills,theexplorationanddevelopmentofvaluesanddispositionstosupportcitizenshipandtheempowermentof informeddecisionmaking.Teachingofcivicsengagesstudentsinactiveinteractionwiththecommunity. Inaworldwherepeople,environments,economicsandpoliticsareinextricablylinked,andwheredislocationandchangeis accelerating,astrongsenseofpersonalidentitydevelopedthroughparticipationincommunitiesisasoundbasisfrom whichtoconnectwiththeworld.CivicsandCitizenshipeducationstrengthensunderstandingandvaluingoftheself.It teacheswhycitizensneedasenseofpersonalidentitywithintheirowncommunityandhowtheycancontributetolocal, nationalandglobalcommunities.ThroughCivicsandCitizenship,studentsdevelopanappreciationfortheuniquenessand diversityofAustraliasmulticulturalsocietyandtheeffortsofindividualsandgroupstoachievepoliticalrightsandequality. TheyvaluewhatitmeanstobeanAustralianandexploreAustraliasroleintheglobalcommunity.Theyconsiderhuman rightsandsocialjusticeissuesatlocal,nationalandgloballevels. InCivicsandCitizenship,studentsinvestigatehow,inademocratictradition,informedanddiversecontributionsand participationbycitizensareimportant.Theylearnabout,contestandenactthevaluesthatareimportanttobeanengaged citizenwithinacommunity.Theyareprovidedwithopportunitiestoinvestigateandparticipateinactivitiesthatsupport sustainablepractices,socialjusticeandunderpinthefuturewellbeingofsocietiesfromalocaltoagloballevel.Civicsand CitizenshipprovidesavehicleforstudentstochallengetheirownandothersviewsaboutAustraliansocietyandtoformally participateinandpractiseactivitiesandbehaviourswhichinvolvedemocraticdecisionmaking.
StructureoftheCivicsandCitizenshipdomain
TheCivicsandCitizenshipdomaininAusVELSusesanelevenlevelstructuretobothreflectthedesignofthenewAustralian CurriculumandtoprovideaconsistentstructureacrossalltheAusVELSdomains(formoredetails,pleaseseeOverview). Eachlevelincludesalearningfocusstatementand,fromLevel3,asetofstandardsorganisedbydimension.
Learningfocus
Learningfocusstatementsarewrittenforeachlevel.Theseoutlinethelearningthatstudentsneedtofocusoniftheyareto progressinthedomainandachievethestandardsatthelevelswheretheyapply.Theysuggestappropriatelearning experiencesfromwhichteacherscandrawtodeveloprelevantteachingandlearningactivities.
Standards
Standardsdefinewhatstudentsshouldknowandbeabletodoatdifferentlevelsandarewrittenforeachdimension.In CivicsandCitizenship,standardsforassessingandreportingonstudentachievementapplyfromLevel3.
Dimensions
StandardsintheCivicsandCitizenshipdomainareorganisedintwodimensions:
l
Civicknowledgeandunderstanding

l
Communityengagement.
Civicknowledgeandunderstanding
TheCivicknowledgeandunderstandingdimensionfocusesontheprinciplesandpracticesthatunderpincivicinstitutions andciviclifeincommunitiesandsocieties.StudentsexploreconceptsofdemocracyandthekeyfeaturesofAustralianand otherdemocracies.TheydevelopknowledgeandunderstandingoftheoriginsandkeyfeaturesoftheAustralianpolitical, governmentandlegalsystems.Theydevelopunderstandingoftheorigins,uniquenessanddiversityofAustralias multiculturalsociety.TheylearnabouttheprinciplesandvalueswhichunderpinAustraliandemocracy,suchasequality beforethelaw,freedomofspeech,democraticrepresentation,accountabilityofgovernment,socialjusticeandrespectfor others.Theyexploretheelementsofsustainabilityinlocal,nationalandglobalcontexts.Theylearnaboutthecontribution democracyhasmadetoAustraliashistoryandnationalidentityandAustraliasplaceintheworld.
Communityengagement
TheCommunityengagementdimensionfocusesonthedevelopmentofskillsandbehavioursstudentsneedtointeractwith thecommunityandtoengagewithorganisationsandgroups.Studentsparticipateinprocessesassociatedwithcitizenship suchasdecisionmaking,votingandleadership,usingtheirknowledgeofrulesandlawsofgovernance,andconceptssuch ashumanrightsandsocialjustice.Theythinkcriticallyabouttheirownvalues,rightsandresponsibilitiesandthoseof organisationsandgroupsacrossarangeofsettings,andexplorethediversityinsociety. Studentsexploreandconsiderdifferentperspectivesandarticulateandjustifytheirownopinionsonlocal,nationaland globalissues.Theyrefinetheirownopinions,valuesandallegiances.Theyapplytheirknowledgeandskillsinarangeof communitybasedactivities.
StagesoflearninginCivicsandCitizenship
AusVELStakeaccountofthedevelopmentalstagesoflearningyoungpeopleexperienceatschool.Whilestudentlearningis acontinuumanddifferentstudentsdevelopatdifferentrates,theybroadlyprogressthroughthreestagesoflearning. Thefollowingstatementsdescribewaysinwhichthesecharacteristicsrelatetolearningexperiencesandstandardsineach ofthethreestagesoflearningintheCivicsandCitizenshipdomain. InCivicsandCitizenshipstudentsprogressivelydevelopknowledge,skillsandbehaviourswhichsupportthedevelopmentof activeandinformedcitizenswithanunderstandingandappreciationofAustraliassystemofgovernmentandciviclife,and thevalueswhichcontributetoharmonyinadiversemulticulturalsociety.FromFoundationtoLevel4,thislearningtakes placeinfamiliarcontextsstudentslearnabouttheirsocietythroughengagementatschoolandinthelocalarea.InLevels5 to8theirlearningtakesplaceinbroadercontextsandtheybecomeincreasinglyawareofthecomplexitiesofsocietyandable tolinkcurrentissuesandeventstobroadunderstandings,reflectingthedevelopmentofmorecomplexthinking.InLevels9 to10studentsareincreasinglyfocusedontheworldbeyondschoolandincreasinglyexploreissuesindepth,developcritical andevaluationskills,andacceptresponsibilityfortheirlearning. FoundationtoLevel4Layingthefoundations StudentsinFoundationtoLevel4developtheirlearningaboutcivicsandcitizenshipinfamiliarcontextshomeandfamily, schoolandlocalcommunity.Theyareintroducedtorelevantskills,valuesandknowledgebyexploringanddeveloping understandingoffamiliarenvironments.

Thefamilyisthefirstlearningenvironmentforstudentsandprovidesthemwithasenseofbelonging,basicsocialskillsand experiences,andlearningaboutvaluessuchasrespect,fairnessandcareforothersvalueswhichunderpinacommunity. Familyisalsowherestudentsfirstlearnaboutrulesandresponsibilities.Theschoolprovidesanenvironmentforthemto buildontheirlearningaboutbelongingtothecommunitiesoftheschool,thelocalcommunityandthenation. Studentsdeveloptheirsocialskillsandunderstandingofnormsandvaluesthroughlearningwithothers.Theybegintonote thesimilaritiesanddifferencesbetweenindividualsandgroupsintheclassroom,schoolandcommunity,andtoappreciate thatdifferentcultural,languageandreligiousgroupsmakeuptheAustraliannation.Theylearnaboutthereasonsforrulesin classroomsandschoolgamesandsport,andlearntoobservetheserulesintheireverydayactivities. TheybegintolearnaboutthehistoryofAustraliansandthetraditionsunderpinningtheirdemocraticsocietythrough classroomandschoolcelebrationsandcommemorationsofspecialdayssuchasAnzacDay.Inthesecontextstheyalso learnaboutthesymbolsofournation,suchastheflag,thenationalanthem,thecoloursgreenandgold,andthe Commonwealthcoatofarms.Theyaresupportedtoconsiderthevaluesandmeaningassociatedwiththesesymbols. Studentsinvestigatetherolesandcontributionsofvariousindividualsandgroupsinthecommunityandnation,andtheways thattheycanparticipateinacommunity.Theyreflectandactonappropriateissues,suchasrecyclingintheschool,to practisecitizenship. Levels5to8Buildingbreadthanddepth StudentsinLevels5to8progressivelydevelopgreatercognitiveabilityandskillsandbecomemorecomplexthinkers.They areintroducedtobroaderunderstandingsofAustraliandemocracy,includingtheestablishmentoftheAustraliannationand theoriginsofourpoliticalandlegalsystems.Theybegintounderstandthestructureofgovernmentthroughtheactivitiesof governmentthattheyarefamiliarwithinlocal,state,nationalcontexts.Theybecomeincreasinglyawareofthecomplexity anddiversityofAustraliansocietyandthegroupsthatmakeupthatsociety.Theyreflectonthevaluesthatareimportanttoa democratic,multiculturalsociety. Studentsareincreasinglyindependent,flexibleandselfmotivated,andcanorganisetheirthinkingandunderstand processessuchasresearch,criticalthinkingandproblemsolving.Theyaresupportedtoresearchissuesthatareimportant tothem,learningtoframetheirowninvestigations,reflectontheirfindingsandreporttheirconclusions.Theylearnthat diversityofopinions,avarietyofperspectives,anddebateaboutissuesaresignsofahealthydemocracy.Theybecome increasinglyawareofnationalevents,environmental,socialandpoliticalissues,andinternationaleventsandcrises. ThroughthesetheyevaluatetheroleoftheAustraliangovernmentasaglobalcitizen. Studentspractisedemocraticskillsandbehavioursthroughactivelyshapingandcontributingtotheirlearning,their classroomsandschooleventsandgovernance.Theyaregivenopportunitiestopractisedemocracythroughexperienceof leadershipingroups,classroomsandschoolevents.Theyassumeresponsibilitiesforclassandschoolactivities,andare supportedtocontributetotheschoolcommunity. Levels9to10Developingpathways Intheselevelsstudentsaremoreorientedtothefutureandawareoftheworldbeyondschool.Theyarebeginningtothinkof themselvesasadults.Theyaremoreindependentaslearnersandabletoassumegreaterresponsibilityfortheirlearning.

StudentsaremorefocusedondevelopingacriticalunderstandingofcontemporaryAustraliandemocracythroughastudyof democraticheritage,politicalandlegalinstitutions.Theyusecurrentpolitical,legal,nationalandinternationalissuesas springboardsforunderstandingandcriticalthinkingaboutarangeofconceptssuchastherightsandresponsibilitiesof citizens,valuesthatareimportantinademocracy,andtheroleoftheAustraliangovernmentasaglobalcitizen.Studentsare increasinglyattunedtotheworldbeyondschool,andlocal,nationalandinternationalissuesprovideameansthroughwhich theyunderstandandevaluateAustraliasdemocracy. Studentsexploreideasandissuesindepththroughresearchonissuesimportanttothem,theircommunityandtheirnation. Throughactiveinvestigation,theylearnaboutandpractisetheskillsandvaluesrequiredfordemocraticparticipation includingworkingwithothers,organising,solvingproblems,respectingotherpointsofview,definingareasforinvestigation, collectingevidence,analysingdata,thinkingcritically,presentingpointsofviewbasedonevidenceandevaluatingthe effectivenessoftheirwork. Studentsalsoengageinschool,localandcommunityactivitiesandeventsinwhichtheypractiseresponsibility,decision making,planning,problemsolving,cooperationwithothers,socialskillsandleadership.Thesecouldinclude:schoolwide activitiesandevents,levellevelandschoolgovernance,communityservice,environmentalprogramsinthelocalcommunity, enterpriselearningandinvolvementinlocalresponsestonationalandinternationalissues.
Level5
LearningFocus
AsstudentsworktowardstheachievementofLevel6standardsinCivicsandCitizenship,theylearnabouttheorigins andestablishmentoftheAustraliannationatFederation.TheyexaminethenatureoftheAustralianfederalsystemof governancethatdeveloped.TheyconsidertheeffectsofAustralianfederationonthedemocraticrightsofdifferentgroups ofpeoplesuchasAboriginalandTorresStraitIslander(ATSI)people,womenandnonBritishmigrants. StudentslearnaboutthethreelevelsofgovernmentinAustraliaandinvestigateexamplesofthefunctionsandservicesof thesegovernmentssuchascurrency,defence,education,health,parksandlibraries.Theyexamineotherfeaturesof Australiandemocracyforexample,theroleofgovernmentinrepresentingthepeople,thekeytasksofamemberof parliamentorcouncillor,howparliamentmakeslawsandtheimportanceofvoting.Theylearnaboutthevaluesof democracy,andtherightsandresponsibilitiesofcitizenship. Theyconsidertheexperiencesofdiverseculturalgroups,includingATSIcommunities,andtheircontributionsto Australianidentity.Theyconsiderthevaluesimportantinamulticulturalsocietysuchasrespectandtolerance. Studentslearnabouttheprocessesofmakingandchanginglawsandtheroleofthecourtsandpolice.Theyconsider importantprinciplessuchastheindependenceofthejudiciary,equalitybeforethelaw,andthepresumptionof innocence.TheycompareAustralianlegalprocesseswiththoseofothercultures,suchasthoseofATSIcommunities. StudentsunderstandthatwhenAustralianstraveloverseas,thelawsofothercountriesapplytothem. StudentsunderstandthewaysinwhichAustraliancitizensareinfluencedbyandcaninfluencelocal,state,national, regionalandglobaldecisionsandmovements,includingissuesofsustainability.Theyinvestigatethesocialandpolitical linksbetweenAustraliaandothercountriesintheAsiaPacificregionandexploreglobaldevelopmentsandtheirpotential impactonAustralia.Theyunderstandthatprotectingtheenvironmentrequiresthatpeopleworktogetherascitizensand consumersandparticipateinappropriateactionsasenvironmentalstewardsorinothercivicactiontoeffectpositive change. Studentsresearchanissue,orissuesusingarangeofresourcesincludingelectronicmedia.Thesecouldinclude currentlocal,nationalandglobalissuesforexample,naturaldisastersandhumanrightsissues.Theyconsideractual andpossibleactionsbycitizensandnationsinresponsetotheissue/s. Studentsexplorewaysinwhichtheycanactivelyparticipateintheirschoolandcommunity.Theyinvestigatethequalities ofleadershipthroughpastandpresentexamples.Theyareprovidedwithopportunitiestoparticipateinschoolevents andexperienceclassandschoolleadershiprolesandtheirresponsibilities.
Standards
Communication
2 2 2 3 5 5
Communication
IntroductiontoCommunication
Communicationiscentraltothecapacitytoconstructmeaningandtoconveyinformationandunderstandingtoothersina rangeofwaysandinavarietyofsettings.Successfulcommunicationrequiresstudentstobefamiliarwiththeforms, languageandconventionsusedindifferentcontextsandemploythemtocommunicateeffectively. TheCommunicationdomainfocusesondevelopingstudentswhocommunicateclearlyandconfidentlyinarangeofcontexts bothwithinandbeyondschool.Itaimstoassiststudentstodevelopawarenessthatlanguageanddiscoursedifferacross thecurriculumandthatthereisaneedtolearnliteraciesinvolvedineachsubjecttheyundertake.Tocommunicate successfully,studentsneedtodeveloptheknowledge,skillsandbehavioursthatempowerthemtorespondto,make meaningof,anddeconstructarangeofcommunicationforms.Theyalsoneedtodeveloptheknowledge,skillsand behaviourstoeffectivelypresentinformation,ideasandopinionsinarangeofforms,includingverbal,written,graphic, multimediaandperformance,appropriatetotheircontext,purposeandaudience.
StructureoftheCommunicationdomain
TheCommunicationdomaininAusVELSusesanelevenlevelstructuretobothreflectthedesignofthenewAustralian CurriculumandtoprovideaconsistentstructureacrossalltheAusVELSdomains(formoredetails,pleaseseeOverview). Eachlevelincludesalearningfocusstatementand,fromLevel5,asetofstandardsorganisedbydimension.
Learningfocus
Standards
Standardsdefinewhatstudentsshouldknowandbeabletodoatdifferentlevelsandarewrittenforeachdimension.In Communication,standardsforassessingandreportingonstudentachievementapplyfromLevel5.
Dimensions
StandardsintheCommunicationdomainareorganisedintwodimensions:
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Listening,viewingandresponding Presenting.
Listening,viewingandresponding
Effectivecommunicationdemandsthatstudentsdeveloptheabilitytolisten,viewandrespondtocommunicationformswith respecttocontentandcontext.TheListening,viewingandrespondingdimensionfocusesondevelopingstudent understandingofcommunicationconventions,strategiestoassistthemtomakemeaningofcommunicationformsandthe abilitytodeconstructandrespondtoadiversityofforms.Thisinvolvesdevelopingfamiliaritywithforms,languageand conventionsusedindifferentcontextsacrossthecurriculum.
Presenting
Communication
Theabilitytopresentinformationandlearninginacoherentandappropriatemanneriscriticalforalllearners.The Presentingdimensioninvolvesstudentsgainingtheknowledge,skillsandbehaviourstounderstandcontext,purposeand audienceselectanduseappropriatestructureandorganisationtoconveymeaningandreflectonthestyleandcontentof thepresentationstheymake.
StagesofLearninginCommunication
AusVELStakesaccountofthedevelopmentalstagesoflearningyoungpeopleexperienceatschool.Whilestudentlearning isacontinuumanddifferentstudentsdevelopatdifferentrates,theybroadlyprogressthroughthreestagesoflearning. Thefollowingstatementsdescribewaysinwhichthesecharacteristicsrelatetolearningexperiencesandstandardsineach ofthethreestagesoflearningintheCommunicationdomain. FoundationtoLevel4Layingthefoundations Whenchildrenenterschool,theybringwiththemagreatdiversityofexperienceascommunicatorsfromthehomeandother settings.InFoundationtoLevel4,theydevelopunderstandingofcommunicationconventionsintheformalandinformal contextsoftheschoolandtheclassroom.Learninginalldomains,fromtheearliestlevelsofschool,isdependentonthe acquisitionofeffectivecommunication,andonstudentsunderstandingoftheinteractivenatureofcommunication. Studentslearntolistenattentivelyandwithoutinterrupting.Theytaketurns,askclarifyingquestions,paraphrasewhathas beensaidtocheckmeaning,andbuildontheideasofothers.Theypractisetheskillsofbeingattentivelistenersandviewers inpairs,insmallgroupsandinwholeclasssituations. Theylearntoworkwithavarietyofaural,writtenandvisualtexts,andsharetheirunderstandingofthesetextswiththeteacher andpeers.Theylearnhowtoidentifykeypoints,developtheirowninterpretations,andprovideevidencetosupportthese interpretations. Theycommunicateideasandpersonalexperiencesinoralpresentationstoindividuals,groupsandthewholeclassand developskillsincommunicatinginformationonspecifiedtopicsinallcurriculumareas.Theyexploretheuseofarangeof verbalandnonverbalcuesandstrategiestoenhanceandengageanaudience.Theydevelopskillsincommunicatingideas inalogicalorder. Intheselevels,studentslearnabouthowcommunicatingwithothersvariesaccordingtodifferentcontexts,purposesand audiences,forexample,intheplaygroundandinavarietyofclassroomsituations.Theylearntopresentmoreformal presentations,suchasdramaticperformances. Levels5to8Buildingbreadthanddepth InLevels5to8studentsconsolidateandbuildontheirknowledgeandskillsrelatedtoeffectivecommunication.Students strengthentheircommunicationskillsastheybecomemoreindependent,flexibleandselfregulatoryintheirlearning,and participateinavarietyofinteractiveclassroomsituations,bothformalandinformal,andincludingcooperativelearning situations. Asthecurriculumprogrambroadens,theydevelopunderstandingofthepurposesofthespecialisedformsandlanguageof differentdomains,andpractiseusingtheseformsandlanguageappropriatelyintheirowncommunication. Astheyprogressthroughthisstage,studentsdevelopawiderrangeofstrategiesforlisteningattentivelyandforextracting meaningfromdifferentkindsofcommunication.Theyregularlypresentideas,informationandopinionsforavarietyof purposes,toarangeofaudiences,inbothformalandinformalsettings.
Communication
Inalllearningareas,studentsrespondtoawidevarietyofaural,writtenandvisualmedia.Theyinterpretincreasingly complexinformationandevaluatetheeffectivenessofthewaysinwhichitispresented. Levels9and10Developingpathways InLevels9and10studentscommunicatetomeettheirownlearningneedsandtomeettherequirementsofawiderangeof purposes,bothinandbeyondschool.Theyexplorenewideasindepth,oftenincooperationwiththeirpeers.Theyfurther developtheirskillsincommunicatingwithothersindifferentkindsofsituations,includingininformal,unstructuredgroups,in teams,andinproblemsolvingsituations. Atthisstage,studentsdevelopgreaterknowledgeandunderstandingofthelanguage,formsandcommunication conventionsofdifferentlearningareas,andofarangeofoccupationsandfurthereducationpathways.Theybecomemore fluentinmakingchoicesabouttheuseofspecialisedandappropriatelanguagetocommunicatecomplexinformationto differentaudiencesandfordifferentpurposes. Studentsexperimentwithcommunicatingcomplexinformationinavarietyofways.Theyfurtherdevelopskillsinstructuring oralandwrittenpresentationstoachieveclearandcoherentcommunication.Theyareabletomakeinformeddecisions aboutselectingresourcesandtechnologiesappropriatetotheformat,contentandmodeofcommunication.Theyevaluate theeffectivenessoftheirownandotherpeoplescommunication,andmodifytheirownpresentationstoimprove communications. Inalllearningareas,andinvariousworkplaceandcommunitycontexts,studentsrespondtomanydifferentkindsofaural, writtenandvisualtexts,inprintandotherforms.Theyanalysedifferentinterpretationsandareabletoexplainandjustifytheir owninterpretations.Theyreflectcriticallyonhowsocietalconventionsandideologyinfluencethepresentationofideasand information.
Communication
Level5
LearningFocus
AsstudentsworktowardstheachievementofLevel6standardsinCommunication,theyusetheirunderstandingof communicationconventionstocommunicateeffectivelywithpeersandtorespondappropriatelywhentheyarepartofan audienceforexample,bywaitingforthecommunicationofotherstobecompletedbeforeresponding.Theypractise listeningattentivelytoidentifyandcommunicatemainpointstoothers.Theyreflectontheimplicitmessagesreceived throughbodylanguageandbegintounderstandthatverbalandnonverbalmessagesdonotalwayscorrespond.They practisesendingconsistentmessagesduringtheirinteractions. Studentsexperienceavarietyofaural,writtenandvisualcommunicationformsinbothformalandinformalsettingsfor exampleelectroniccommunication,performanceandoralpresentations.Withsupport,theyinterprettheseformsand begintounderstandthattheirinterpretationmaybeinfluencedbytheirownknowledge,valuesandbeliefs,bypersuasive devicessuchasemotivelanguage,andbytheopinionsofothers.Whenmakingmeaning,studentscontinuetodevelop skillsinaskingclarifyingquestionsandseekingvalidationoftheirinterpretationsfromtheirpeers.Theycompareand contrastdifferinginterpretationsandexplorewhytheydiffer. Studentsbegintorecognisethepurposeofspecialisedlanguageacrossthecurriculumandtousethisappropriatelyin theirowncommunicationforexample,theEarthispartofasystemofplanetsorbitingaroundastar(theSun)or,when describingcharacteristicsofamusiccomposition,Iuseddottedrhythmsandlotsofstaccatotogiveafeelingofenergy. Studentsdeveloptheirskillsinorganisingideasandinformationlogicallyandclearlytosuittheirpurposeandtheneeds oftheiraudience.Forformalpresentationstheybegintoselectappropriateformsforsharingknowledgeandinfluencing othersforexample,addingsoundtopresentationsoftware. Inresponsetoaudiencefeedback,studentsexperimentwithwaystoimprovetheircommunicationforexample, projectingtheirvoicetobeheardclearlyandmakingsurethattheaudiencecanseeanyvisualaids.Withsupport, studentsuseprovidedcriteriatoevaluateandreflectontheeffectivenessoftheircommunicationandtoprovidefeedback onthecommunicationofothers.
Standards
Design, Creativity and Technology

2 2 2 4 7 7
IntroductiontoDesign,CreativityandTechnology
ThedomainofDesign,CreativityandTechnology(DCT)emphasisesengagementindesigning,creatingandevaluating processes,productsandtechnologicalsystemsusingarangeofmaterialsasawayofdevelopingcreativityandinnovation. Creativityinthisdomaincanbedescribedasapplyingimaginationandlateralandcriticalthinkingthroughoutdesignand developmentprocesses.Innovationisanoutcomeofthebroadexplorationofideas,useofmaterials/ingredients,and technicalprocessesthatcanoccurwhenindividualsareinvolvedininvestigating,designing,producing,analysingand evaluatingtheirownandothersproductsand/orsystems. Designisavitalstepintransformingideasintocreative,practicalandcommercialrealitiesbyoptimisingthevalueof productsandsystems.Designinganditsapplicationinvolveplanningandorganisingproduction,andevaluatingproductsin arealcontext.Contextsmayrelatetoforexample,whatwegrow,eat,wear,build,make,ourhealthandsafety,andhowwe travelandspendourleisuretime.Designersconsiderproblems,needs,wantsandopportunitiesandrespondtothemby developingarangeofideas,whicharedevelopedintoutilitarianproductsorsystems. Developmentofcapabilityinthisdomainincludestheabilitytouse,manage,assessandunderstanddesign,creativity, technology,andtheirrelationshiptoinnovation.Inmoredetail,thisinvolvesstudents:
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posingproblemsandactivelyidentifyingneeds,wants,opportunitiesandareasforimprovement gatheringinformationandbuildingknowledgeaboutthenatureofneeds,wants,opportunitiesandareasfor improvementandthebestroutestotaketowardsdesigningasolution developingandusingdesignandtechnologyskills,knowledgeandprocesses,includingproposing,experimenting, learningfromresultsandsynthesising,tocreatenewand/orimprovedproductsand/orsystems usingtools,equipment,materials/ingredientsandsystemscomponentssafelyandcreativelytomakequalityproducts and/orsystems understandingthatdesign,creativityandtechnologyleadstoinnovation assessingtheoutcomesofdesignandtechnologyprocesses,andtheresultingproductsandtechnologicalsystems inrelationtoenvironmental,socialandeconomicfactors.
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Thisdomaininvolvesexperiential,practicalandappliedknowledgeaswellastheoreticalunderstanding.Itrequiresstudents tobeautonomousandcreativeproblemsolvers,asindividualsandasmembersofateam.Studentscombinean understandingofdesign,functionality,aesthetics,social,cultural,economicandenvironmentalissues,andindustrial practiceswithpracticalskills.Astheydoso,theyreflectonandevaluatepastandpresentdesignandtechnology,itsuses andeffects. TheDCTdomainfocusesondevelopmentofstudentsskillsinmanagingandmanipulatingmaterialsandresourcesusing arangeoftools,equipmentandmachinestomake,produceorgrowfunctionalphysicalproductsorsystems.These materialsandresourcesincludefood,wood,metal,timber,plastics,textiles,ceramics,plantsandsoil/growingmediaand componentssuchaswheelsandaxles,pulleysandbelts,gears,switches,lights,motors,connectingwires,batteriesand printedcircuitsboards.
StructureoftheDesign,CreativityandTechnologydomain
TheDCTdomaininAusVELSusesanelevenlevelstructuretobothreflectthedesignofthenewAustralianCurriculumand toprovideaconsistentstructureacrossalltheAusVELSdomains(formoredetails,pleaseseeOverview).

Eachlevelincludesalearningfocusstatementand,fromLevel3,asetofstandardsareintroduced,organisedbydimension. Aglossaryisincludedwhichprovidesdefinitionsofunderlinedterms.
Learningfocus
Standards
Standardsdefinewhatstudentsshouldknowandbeabletodoatdifferentlevelsandarewrittenforeachdimension.InDCT, standardsforassessingandreportingonstudentachievementareintroducedfromLevel3.
Dimensions
StandardsintheDesign,CreativityandTechnologydomainareorganisedinthreedimensions:
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Investigatinganddesigning Producing Analysingandevaluating.
Activitiesassociatedwiththethreedimensionsarelinkedandmaybeappliedsequentially,wherestudentsmovedirectly frominvestigatingtodesigning,producingandevaluating.Oralternatively,studentsmaymovebetweenthedimensionsas theysolveaproblem.Forexample,toassisttheirdecisionmakingwhiledesigningaproductorsystem,studentsmay evaluatethepotentialimpactontheenvironmentoftheintendeduseofmaterials/ingredients,componentsorprocesses requiredtomaketheproductorsystem.Additionally,afterevaluatingaproducttheyhavemade,studentsmayreturntothe InvestigatinganddesigningandProducingdimensionstoimprovetheproduct.Inthisway,studentsmayworkinanon sequentialmannerthroughthedimensionsinthisdomain.Inorderforstudentstodemonstrateknowledge,skillsand behavioursinthisdomainadesignandmakeprojectbasedlearningapproachmustbetaken,thatfocusesonmeetingthe problem,need/sorrequirementsdefinedinadesignbrief.
Investigatinganddesigning
IntheInvestigatinganddesigningdimension,studentsidentifyideas,problems,needs,wantsandopportunities.Adesign briefcanbeastartingpointoritcanbedevelopedtoclearlydefinetheidea,problem,need,wantoropportunityand requirementsforasolution.Studentsundertakeresearchandinvestigationtoidentifythehuman,material,equipment, and/orenergyresourcesavailabletomeettheidea,problem,need,wantoropportunity. Studentscombinepracticalanddesignskillswithknowledge,skillsandbehavioursfromotherdomainstoselectandrecord creativemethodsofgeneratinganddepictingdesignpossibilitiesandoptions.Theydeviseaplantooutlinetheprocesses involvedinmakingaproduct,andselectandjustifytheoptionthatbestmeetstherequirementsofthedesignbrief.
Producing
TheProducingdimensioninvolvesstudentsinthemanagementoftheproductionphaseandincludestheappropriate selectionandsafemanipulationanduseoftools,equipment,materials/ingredientsandcomponentstocarryoutprocesses appropriatetothematerials/ingredientsorassemblyofsystemscomponentstoproduceaqualityproductortechnological system.

Studentsexplore,shareandusebothtraditionalandmoreinnovativetechniques.Theyreflectupontheirprogressandalter plansasappropriate.Progressandchangestoplansarereflecteduponandalteredasappropriate.
Analysingandevaluating
IntheAnalysingandevaluatingdimension,studentscomparetheoutcomesofdesignandproductionactivitieswithearlier designworkandplannedintentions.Followingtheapplicationoftesting,improvements,modificationsandalternative approachesareconsidered. Thisdimensionalsoinvolvesstudentsindescribing,analysingandevaluatingtheimpactandvalueofboththeirownand otherstechnologicalproducts,technologicalsystems,processesandinnovations(past,presentandpredictedfuture)onthe individual,societyandculture,theenvironmentandtheeconomy.Thisincludesconsiderationofsustainabilityissues.
StagesofLearninginDesign,CreativityandTechnology
AusVELStakeaccountofthedevelopmentalstagesoflearningyoungpeopleexperienceatschool.Whilestudentlearningis acontinuumanddifferentstudentsdevelopatdifferentrates,theybroadlyprogressthroughthreestagesoflearning. Thefollowingstatementsdescribewaysinwhichthesecharacteristicsrelatetolearningexperiencesandstandardsineach ofthethreestagesoflearningintheDesign,CreativityandTechnology(DCT)domain. InDCTstudentsdevelopknowledge,skillsandbehavioursininvestigating,designing,producing,analysingandevaluating products.Intheearlystagesoftheirlearningtheydevelopanawarenessoftheplaceofdesignandtechnologyintheirworld andsomebasicskillsandknowledgeindesign,productionandevaluationofproducts.Intheseearlystages,studentsare abletodevelopdesignandtechnologyawarenessinintegratedlearningcontexts.Theydevelopbasicknowledgeof materialsandsystems,understandingoftheconceptofdesign,andapplytheirknowledgeandunderstandingtomake simpleproducts. Studentsbuildonknowledge,skillsandbehavioursgainedinFoundationtoLevel4,extendingtheirabilitytogenerateand communicatedesignideas.Theydevelopthemotorskillsand,moregradually,thestrengthtouseanincreasedrangeof tools.Theyfurtherdevelopthevocabularyfordescribingtheprocessesinwhichtheyareengaged.Studentsbegintoengage with,andreflecton,morechallengingdesignbriefsandworkwithspecificmaterialsandsystemsinincreasinglycomplex productionprocesses. FoundationtoLevel4Layingthefoundations InFoundationtoLevel4,studentsbegintounderstandthatpeopleusecreativeandinventivethinkingtohelpthemmeet humanneedsandwants.InDCTstudentsareencouragedtowonder,becuriousandimaginative.Theyexplorepossibilities andconceptsandverbalisetheirthoughtprocesses. Astheirawarenessoftheirlocalcommunitydevelops,studentsbegintounderstandtheneedfordesignandtechnologyin theworld.Theyaskquestionsandidentifyproblems,needsandopportunities.Theybecomefamiliarwithdesignbriefsasa wayofposingproblemsandchallenges,andareabletointerpretandcontributetobriefs.Designprovidesacontextfor engagingstudentsintheirlearning.Theyrecognisethatthereareprocessesfordesigning,producingandevaluating products. Theydeveloptheirknowledgeofhoweverydayproductsandsystemswork,andhowthecharacteristicsofthematerialsused caninfluencethelookandfunctionofproducts.Theyrecognisethatmaterialsandproductscanbereusedandrecycled,and considerwaysinwhichthiscanhappenaswellastheimpactthatthismighthaveontheenvironment.

StudentsacquirethevocabularythatisuniquetoDCTandapplyittotheirwork.Theybegintounderstandthatthereisusually morethanonesolutiontoaproblemanddevelopskillsingeneratingcreativeideas.Findingattimesthattheirideasmaybe toocomplexexceedingtheirplanningandproductionabilitytheylearntorefinetheirideastoreflecttheirproduction capability. Studentsdevelopdesignstoaddresschallengesposed,initiallywithinfamiliarcontexts.Theycommunicatetheirdesign ideasinavarietyofways,includingsimpledrawings,diagrams,annotations,listsandmodels,andverbally.Withteacher assistance,theyorganisetheirideastodevelopsimpleplansformakingproducts. Initially,studentsareencouragedtoexplorefamiliarmaterials/ingredientsandobjects.Throughplay,andusingtheirexisting knowledge,theydevelopskillsinmanipulationandunderstandingsaboutthecharacteristicsofmaterials/ingredients.They observethatsomeproductshavemovingpartsandrecognisethatavarietyofcomponentsenablethistohappen.They explorewaysinwhichtocreatemovementintheirownproductsusingarangeofmaterials,includingpaper,cardboard, fabrics,twines,plastics,wood,food,playdough,plasticine,aswellasotherrecycledmaterialssuchascartonsand containers.Theyusearangeofjoiningtechniquesincludingavarietyoftapesandglues. Atthisstage,thetoolsandequipmentusedincludescissors,brushes,rulers,needlesandthread,bowls,spoonsand knives.Studentsunderstandtheneedforsafetyrulesassociatedwiththeuseoftoolsandequipment.Asstudentsdevelop theirmanipulativeskillstheyareabletouseagreaterrangeofmaterials,toolsandequipment.Astheirlevelofliteracy develops,studentsareabletodescribeproductsandprocessesinmoredetailanddiscuss,explainandjustifychangesthat theyhavemadetoplans. Levels5to8Buildingbreadthanddepth InLevels5to8studentsareabletothinkconceptuallyandanalytically.Theybecomemorecomplexthinkerswhoworkwith increasingindependencewhendesigning,planningandmakingproducts.Theybecomeawareoftheimpactofdesignand manufacturingonthewidersocietyandtheenvironment.Theyrecognisethatmanyissuescanhaveanimpactonthedesign ofproductsandsystems. Designbriefsbecomemorecomplexandthecontextsforthesebroadenasstudentsdevelopthecapacitytoanalyseand conceptualiseideas.Whilesomedesignbriefswillfocusonareasthatareofpersonalinteresttostudents,thecontextsfor othersmightbebeyondstudentsimmediateenvironment,includingothercommunitiesandenvironmentsandpossibly worldcontexts. Studentsexpandtheirvocabularyinthedomainanddevelopagreaterawarenessofthemselvesinatechnologicalworld. Theyshowincreasingcompetenceinapplyingtheskillstheyhavelearntinpreviouslevelsinalldimensionsofthedomain. Inthisstage,studentsdevelopgreaterspatialawarenessandcanrepresentideasintwoandthreedimensions.Theyapply arangeofdesignelementsandprinciplestoenhancetheirdesignideas,andcommunicatedesignideasinawidervariety ofways,includingusingmoreadvanceddrawingtechniques,makingmodels,writinglistsandmenus,creatingconcept mapsandblockdiagrams,andusingcomputersoftware.Plansforproductionbecomemoredetailed,withstudents increasingabilitytomanagetimeandresources. Bytheendofthisstage,studentsareproficientintheuseofarangeofmaterials,toolsandequipment,havefurther developedfinemotorskills,andhavegreaterphysicalstrength.Thisallowsthemtousemorecomplextoolsandequipment, includinghandandpowertools,andtocarryoutabroaderrangeofproductionprocesses.

Studentscanperformsimpleriskassessmentsandmakesomechoicesabouttheappropriatenessoftoolsandequipment forparticularpurposes.Theyfurtherdeveloptheirunderstandingofsafetyissueswhenworkingwithtoolsandequipment. Studentsunderstandwhatsystemsareandcandescribeinsimpletermshowsomesystemswork.Theybegintodevelop anunderstandingoftherelationshipbetweenenergyandsystems. Studentsfurtherdevelopskillsintestingandreflectingonthefunctionandperformanceoftheirproductsandtheprocesses plannedandfollowedforproduction.Theyreflectontheirthinkingwhileworkingthroughtheseprocessesandareableto describeandjustifychangesmadetoplansandproducts.Astheydeveloptheirabilitytorecogniseanddescribestrengths andweaknesses,studentsbecomemoreableinsuggestingappropriatemodificationstoimproveproductsandprocesses. Levels9to10Developingpathways Studentsbecomediscerning,discriminatingandindependentthinkersatthisstageoftheirlearning.Asaresult,theycan discusstheplaceofdesignandtechnologyinsocietyaswellasdescribesomeoftheeconomicandenvironmentalbenefits andimplicationsofproductandsystemdesign.Theyfurtherdevelopcriticalawarenessofdesignandtechnologyfromthe perspectivesofbothconsumeranddesigner. Designbriefsbecomemorecomplexandchallenging,and,asstudentsseektoapplytheirlearningbeyondschool,they becomeawareofclientanduserfocuseddesign.Studentsgainconfidenceanddisplayautonomyandinitiativein constructingdesignbriefs.Theyexpandtheirstrategiesforexploringideasthatinformtheirdesigns,andselectappropriate strategiesforspecificcontexts. Theybroadentheirrangeofresourcesforinspirationandtheirideasaremorevariedandinnovative.Theyareabletomake informedchoicesaboutthesuitabilityofideasforparticularpurposesandcircumstances. StudentsbuildtheirexpertiseandbecomemorespecialisedintheirapproachtoDCT.Theydevelopknowledgeofagreater varietyofmaterialsandsystemsandareabletomakedecisionsabouttheappropriatenessofmaterialsandcomponentsfor particularproducts.Theybecomemoreskilledinusingandunderstandingspecificmaterialsandsystems. Asstudentsspatialawarenessismorefullydevelopedtheyusearangeofmethodsforcommunicatingdesignideas, includingtheuseofcomputersoftwarewherepossible.Theyemploybothtwoandthreedimensionaltechniquesandmake judgmentsaboutthemosteffectivemethodsforrepresentingideasinagivensituation.Theydevelopproceduralplansto assistintheproductionprocessandcontinuetodeveloptheirabilitytomanagetimeandresources. Atthisstage,studentshavewelldevelopedfinemotorskillsandareabletousemorecomplextoolsandequipment.They alsobegintomaintainsomeofthese.Theydevelopfurthertheirskillsincarryingoutriskassessmentsandidentifying possiblesafetyissues.Asstudentsdevelopspecialistskillsforthetechnologicalactivitiestheyareengagedin,theybecome increasinglyindependentintheiruseoftoolsandequipment,andintheirabilitytomakechoicesaboutthesuitabilityof particulartools,equipmentandcomponentsforparticularpurposes. Throughthedesignandtechnologyprocessesandbyapplyingevaluationcriteria,studentsareabletoexamineandrespect arangeofperspectivesandconsiderthevalueofdiverseopinionsaboutdesignandtechnology.Theymonitorandevaluate theirproducts,processesandthinkingandmakedecisionsaboutimprovementstothese.Theydevelopandapplyevaluation criteriathatenablethemtomakejudgementsabouttheeffectivenessoftheproductsandprocesses,justifyingchanges madeanddescribingmodificationsandimprovements.
Level5
LearningFocus
AsstudentsworktowardstheachievementofLevel6standardsinDesign,CreativityandTechnology,theycontributeto thedevelopmentofdesignbriefsthatincludesomelimitationsandspecificationsbyposingquestionsaboutand identifyingsituations,problems,needsandopportunitiesforthecreationofusefulproductsandsimplesystems.They exploreideasandconceptsaboutdesign,materials/ingredientsandsystems,andconsiderhowthesecanbecombined ininnovativewaystocreatesolutionsforexample,foramodelsolarboatorafunparkride. Individuallyandinsmallteams,studentsdeveloppossiblesolutionsinresponsetodesignbriefs,usingsimplemind maps,sketches,plansandannotateddrawings,labelleddiagramsmodelsandflowcharts.Theyincreasinglyuse informationandcommunicationstechnologytoolsandtechniquestoresearch,developandcommunicateideas.They areencouragedtoconsciouslyselectpreferredoptionsandexplainwhytheyhavechosenthem,referringto materials/ingredients,functionandaesthetics. Studentslearntodevelopstepbystepplansforproductionanduseavarietyofproductiontechniques,tools, materials/ingredients(forexample,atemplateformarkingashapetobecutoutoffabricorwood,atapemeasure,pliers forbendingmetalwire,ahotmeltgluegunforjoiningwoodorfabric,ahandbeaterforcombiningfoodingredients,a clampforholdingmaterials/ingredientstoatable,atrysquareforsquaringapieceofwood,secateursfortrimminga plant,apeelerforremovingappleskin)andsystemscomponentstomakeproductssafely.Theybegintorecordtheir progressusingwordsandimages.Studentslearntoanalysehowproductsandsystemsfunctionandwhattheylooklike, anddiscussthemeaningofqualityinthecontextofdesign.Theylearntoidentifyevaluationcriteriafromthedesignbrief andusethemtojustifydesignchoices.Theyalsousethemtothinkabouthowwelltheircompletedproductsuitsthe designsituation.Theyusesimpleteststodeterminethesuitabilityorperformanceofproductsand/ortechnological systems. Takingintoaccountfeedbackfrompeersandteachers,studentsconsiderhowtheproductorsystemtheyhavemade, andtheprocessestheyhaveused,couldbeimproved.Theyalsoreflectontheimpactthatproductsandsystemsandthe usesofmaterialshaveonpeopleandtheenvironment.
Standards
English
TableofContents Overview RationaleandAims Contentstructure EnglishacrossFoundationtoLevel10 Achievementstandards Diversityoflearners Crosscurriculumpriorities CurriculumF10 Level5
2 2 2 7 8 9 10 12 12
English
Rationale
ThestudyofEnglishiscentraltothelearninganddevelopmentofallyoungAustralians.Ithelpscreateconfident communicators,imaginativethinkersandinformedcitizens.ItisthroughthestudyofEnglishthatindividualslearntoanalyse, understand,communicatewithandbuildrelationshipswithothersandwiththeworldaroundthem.ThestudyofEnglish helpsyoungpeopledeveloptheknowledgeandskillsneededforeducation,trainingandtheworkplace.Ithelpsthem becomeethical,thoughtful,informedandactivemembersofsociety.InthislightitisclearthattheAustralianCurriculum: Englishplaysanimportantpartindevelopingtheunderstanding,attitudesandcapabilitiesofthosewhowilltake responsibilityforAustraliasfuture. AlthoughAustraliaisalinguisticallyandculturallydiversecountry,participationinmanyaspectsofAustralianlifedependson effectivecommunicationinStandardAustralianEnglish.Inaddition,proficiencyinEnglishisinvaluableglobally.The AustralianCurriculum:Englishcontributesbothtonationbuildingandtointernationalisation. TheAustralianCurriculum:Englishalsohelpsstudentstoengageimaginativelyandcriticallywithliteraturetoexpandthe scopeoftheirexperience.AboriginalandTorresStraitIslanderpeopleshavecontributedtoAustraliansocietyandtoits contemporaryliteratureanditsliteraryheritagethroughtheirdistinctivewaysofrepresentingandcommunicatingknowledge, traditionsandexperience.TheAustralianCurriculum:Englishvalues,respectsandexploresthiscontribution.Italso emphasisesAustraliaslinkstoAsia.
Aims
TheAustralianCurriculum:Englishaimstoensurethatstudents:
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learntolistento,read,view,speak,write,createandreflectonincreasinglycomplexandsophisticatedspoken,written andmultimodaltextsacrossagrowingrangeofcontextswithaccuracy,fluencyandpurpose appreciate,enjoyandusetheEnglishlanguageinallitsvariationsanddevelopasenseofitsrichnessandpowerto evokefeelings,conveyinformation,formideas,facilitateinteractionwithothers,entertain,persuadeandargue understandhowStandardAustralianEnglishworksinitsspokenandwrittenformsandincombinationwithnon linguisticformsofcommunicationtocreatemeaning developinterestandskillsininquiringintotheaestheticaspectsoftexts,anddevelopaninformedappreciationof literature.
ContentStructure
TheAustralianCurriculum:EnglishFoundationtoLevel10isorganisedintothreeinterrelatedstrandsthatsupportstudents' growingunderstandinganduseofStandardAustralianEnglish(English).Togetherthethreestrandsfocusondeveloping studentsknowledge,understandingandskillsinlistening,reading,viewing,speakingandwriting.Thethreestrandsare:
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Language:knowingabouttheEnglishlanguage Literature:understanding,appreciating,respondingto,analysingandcreatingliterature Literacy:expandingtherepertoireofEnglishusage.
Strandsandsubstrands
Contentdescriptionsineachstrandaregroupedintosubstrandsthat,acrossthelevels,presentasequenceof developmentofknowledge,understandingandskills.Thesubstrandsare:
Language
Literature
Literacy
English
Languagevariationandchange Languageforinteraction Textstructureandorganisation Expressinganddevelopingideas Soundandletterknowledge Literatureandcontext Respondingtoliterature Examiningliterature Creatingliterature Textsincontext Interactingwithothers Interpreting,analysingandevaluating Creatingtexts
Texts
Textsprovidethemeansforcommunication.Theycanbewritten,spokenormultimodal,andinprintordigital/onlineforms. Multimodaltextscombinelanguagewithothermeansofcommunicationsuchasvisualimages,soundtrackorspokenword, asinfilmorcomputerpresentationmedia.Textsprovideimportantopportunitiesforlearningaboutaspectsofhuman experienceandaboutaestheticvalue.Manyofthetasksthatstudentsundertakeinandoutofschoolinvolveunderstanding andproducingimaginative,informativeandpersuasivetexts,mediatexts,everydaytextsandworkplacetexts. Thetermliteraturereferstopastandpresenttextsacrossarangeofculturalcontextsthatarevaluedfortheirformandstyle andarerecognisedashavingenduringorartisticvalue.Whilethenatureofwhatconstitutesliterarytextsisdynamicand evolving,theyareseenashavingpersonal,social,culturalandaestheticvalueandpotentialforenrichingstudentsscopeof experience.Literatureincludesabroadrangeofformssuchasnovels,poetry,shortstoriesandplaysfictionforyoungadults andchildren,multimodaltextssuchasfilm,andavarietyofnonfiction.Literarytextsalsoincludeexcerptsfromlongertexts. Thisenablesarangeofliterarytextstobeincludedwithinanyonelevelforclosestudyorcomparativepurposes. Englisheducatorsusemanywaysofcategorisingtexts.ThedescriptionsoftextsusedintheAustralianCurriculum:English arebasedonpracticalaswellasconceptualconsiderations.Thespecificdesignationofastrandlabelledliteratureis aimedatencouragingteachersworkingatalllevelsnotonlytousetextsconventionallyunderstoodasliterary,butalsoto engagestudentsinexamining,evaluatinganddiscussingtextsinincreasinglysophisticatedandinformedliteraryways. Theusefulnessofdistinctionsamongtypesoftextsrelateslargelytohowclearlyateachlevelthesedistinctionscanguide theselectionofmaterialsforstudentstolistento,read,view,writeandcreate,andthekindsofpurposefulactivitiesthatcan beorganisedaroundthesematerials.
Thelanguagemodes
Theprocessesoflistening,speaking,reading,viewingandwriting,alsoknownaslanguagemodes,areinterrelatedandthe learningofoneoftensupportsandextendslearningoftheothers.Toacknowledgetheseinterrelationships,content descriptionsineachstrandoftheAustralianCurriculum:Englishincorporatetheprocessesoflistening,speaking,reading, viewingandwritinginanintegratedandinterdependentway. Classroomcontextsthataddressparticularcontentdescriptionswillnecessarilydrawfrommorethanoneofthese processesinordertosupportstudentseffectivelearning.Forexample,studentswilllearnnewvocabularythroughlistening andreadingandapplytheirknowledgeandunderstandingintheirspeakingandwritingaswellasintheircomprehensionof bothspokenandwrittentexts.
English
Contentdescriptionscanalsobeviewedbytheseprocessesorlanguagemodes.Inthisaspect,eachcontentdescription hasbeenplacedinthemodeinwhichamajorfocusofitslearningoccurs.Contentdescriptionscanbefilteredtoidentifyall relevantprocessesorlanguagemodes.
Leveldescriptions
Leveldescriptionshavethreefunctions.First,theyemphasisetheinterrelatednatureofthethreestrandsandtheexpectation thatplanninganEnglishprogramwillinvolveintegrationofcontentfromthestrands.Second,theyprovideinformationabout thelearningcontextsthatareappropriateateachlevelforlearningacrosstheLanguage,LiteratureandLiteracystrands. Third,theyprovideanoverviewoftherangeoftextstobestudiedandanindicationoftheircomplexityandkeyfeatures.They alsodescribedifferencesinthetextsthatstudentscreate.Intheearlylevels,developmentinreadingandwritingisrapidand cleardistinctionsintextcomplexitycanbemadesodescriptionsarewrittenforeachlevelatFoundation,1and2.InLevels 310,thetwoleveldescriptionprovidesforgreaterflexibility.
Contentdescriptions
TheAustralianCurriculum:Englishincludescontentdescriptionsateachlevel.Thesedescribetheknowledge, understanding,skillsandprocessesthatteachersareexpectedtoteachandstudentsareexpectedtolearn,butdonot prescribeapproachestoteaching.LearninginEnglishisrecursiveandcumulative,andbuildsonconcepts,skillsand processesdevelopedinearlierlevels.Nevertheless,thecontentdescriptionshavebeenwrittentoensurethatlearningis appropriatelyorderedandthatunnecessaryrepetitionisavoided.However,aconceptorskillintroducedatonelevelmaybe revisited,strengthenedandextendedatlaterlevelsasneeded.
Contentelaborations
ContentelaborationsareprovidedforFoundationtoLevel10toillustrateandexemplifycontentandassistteachersin developingacommonunderstandingofthecontentdescriptions.Theyarenotintendedtobecomprehensivecontentpoints thatallstudentsneedtobetaught.
Glossary
Aglossaryisprovidedtosupportacommonunderstandingofkeytermsinthecontentdescriptions.
Language:knowingabouttheEnglishlanguage
IntheLanguagestrand,studentsdeveloptheirknowledgeoftheEnglishlanguageandhowitworks.Theylearnthat changesinEnglisharerelatedtohistoricaldevelopmentsandthegeographicaldifferencesofitsusersoverthecenturies, andthattherearemanydifferencesindialectandaccent.Theylearnhowlanguageenablespeopletointeracteffectively,to buildandmaintainrelationshipsandtoexpressandexchangeknowledge,skills,attitudes,feelingsandopinions.They discoverthepatternsandpurposesofEnglishusage,includingspelling,grammarandpunctuationatthelevelsoftheword, sentenceandextendedtext,andtheystudytheconnectionsbetweentheselevels.Bydevelopingabodyofknowledgeabout thesepatternsandtheirconnections,studentslearntocommunicateeffectivelythroughcoherent,wellstructuredsentences andtexts.Theygainaconsistentwayofunderstandingandtalkingaboutlanguage,languageinuseandlanguagea s system,sotheycanreflectontheirownspeakingandwritinganddiscusstheseproductivelywithothers.
Language
Languagevariationandchange:Studentslearnthatlanguagesanddialectsareconstantlyevolvingduetohistorical,social andculturalchanges,demographicmovementsandtechnologicalinnovations.Theycometounderstandthatthesefactors, alongwithnewvirtualcommunitiesandenvironments,continuetoaffectthenatureandspreadofEnglish.
English
Languageforinteraction:Studentslearnthatthelanguageusedbyindividualsvariesaccordingtotheirsocialsettingand therelationshipsbetweentheparticipants.Theylearnthataccentsandstylesofspeechandidiomarepartofthecreation andexpressionofpersonalandsocialidentities. Textstructureandorganisation:Studentslearnhowtextsarestructuredtoachieveparticularpurposeshowlanguageis usedtocreatetextsthatarecohesiveandcoherenthowtextsaboutmorespecialisedtopicscontainmorecomplex languagepatternsandfeaturesandhowtheauthorguidesthereader/viewerthroughthetextthrougheffectiveuseof resourcesatthelevelofthewholetext,theparagraphandthesentence. Expressinganddevelopingideas:Studentslearnhow,inatext,effectiveauthorscontrolanduseanincreasingly differentiatedrangeofclausestructures,wordsandwordgroups,aswellascombinationsofsound,image,movement, verbalelementsandlayout.Theylearnthattheconventions,patternsandgeneralisationsthatrelatetoEnglishspelling involvetheoriginsofwords,wordendings,GreekandLatinroots,basewordsandaffixes. Soundandletterknowledge:StudentsdevelopknowledgeaboutthesoundsofEnglishandlearntoidentifythesoundsin spokenwords.Theylearnthelettersofthealphabetandhowtorepresentspokenwordsbyusingcombinationsofthese letters.
Language
TheLanguagestrandisbasedonconceptsdrawnlargelyfromhistoricalandlinguisticaccountsoftheEnglishlanguage. Theseapproachesdrawattentiontothewaysinwhichlanguageschange,andtothedistinctionbetweenlanguageinuse andlanguagea ssystem.Theseapproachesalsoacknowledgethatstudentsabilitytousegrammarwillexceedtheirability toexplicitlyreflectongrammar.Youngchildren,forexample,willusecomplexsentencesbeforetheycanexplainhowthese arestructured.Theseapproaches,indescribinglanguage,alsopayattentiontoboththestructure(syntax)andmeaning (semantics)attheleveloftheword,thesentenceandthetext.TheAustralianCurriculum:Englishusesstandard grammaticalterminologywithinacontextualframework,inwhichlanguagechoicesareseentovaryaccordingtothetopicsat hand,thenatureandproximityoftherelationshipsbetweenthelanguageusers,andthemodalitiesorchannelsof communicationavailable.ThisstrandinformstheplanningandconductofteachingandlearningactivitiesinEnglishand providesresourcesthatconnecttokeyconceptsandskillsintheotherstrands.
Literature:understanding,appreciating,respondingto,analysingand creatingliterature
TheLiteraturestrandaimstoengagestudentsinthestudyofliterarytextsofpersonal,cultural,socialandaestheticvalue. Thesetextsincludesomethatarerecognisedashavingenduringsocialandartisticvalueandsomethatattract contemporaryattention.Textsarechosenbecausetheyarejudgedtohavepotentialforenrichingthelivesofstudents, expandingthescopeoftheirexperience,andbecausetheyrepresenteffectiveandinterestingfeaturesofformandstyle. Learningtoappreciateliterarytextsandtocreatetheirownliterarytextsenrichesstudentsunderstandingofhuman experiencesandthecapacityforlanguagetodeepenthoseexperiences.Itbuildsstudentsknowledgeabouthowlanguage canbeusedforaestheticends,tocreateparticularemotional,intellectualorphilosophicaleffects.Studentsinterpret, appreciate,evaluateandcreateliterarytextssuchasshortstories,novels,poetry,prose,plays,filmandmultimodaltexts,in spoken,printanddigital/onlineforms.Textsrecognisedashavingenduringartisticandculturalvaluearedrawnfromworld andAustralianliterature.TheseincludetheoralnarrativetraditionsofAboriginalandTorresStraitIslanderpeoples,texts fromAsia,textsfromAustraliasimmigrantculturesandtextsofthestudentschoice.
Literature
English
Literatureandcontext:Studentslearnhowideasandviewpointsaboutevents,issuesandcharactersthatareexpressedby authorsintextsaredrawnfromandshapedbydifferenthistorical,socialandculturalcontexts. Respondingtoliterature:Studentslearntoidentifypersonalideas,experiencesandopinionsaboutliterarytextsand discussthemwithothers.Theylearnhowtorecogniseareasofagreementanddifference,andhowtodevelopandrefine theirinterpretationsthroughdiscussionandargument. Examiningliterature:Studentslearnhowtoexplainandanalysethewaysinwhichstories,characters,settingsand experiencesarereflectedinparticularliterarygenres,andhowtodiscusstheappealofthesegenres.Theylearnhowto compareandappraisethewaysauthorsuselanguageandliterarytechniquesanddevicestoinfluencereaders.Theyalso learntounderstand,interpret,discussandevaluatehowcertainstylisticchoicescancreatemultiplelayersofinterpretation andeffect. Creatingliterature:Studentslearnhowtousepersonalknowledgeandliterarytextsasstartingpointstocreateimaginative writingindifferentformsandgenresandforparticularaudiences.Usingprint,digitalandonlinemedia,studentsdevelop skillsthatallowthemtoconveymeaning,addresssignificantissuesandheightenengagementandimpact.
Literature
Therearemanyapproachestothestudyofliterature.IntheAustralianCurriculum:Englishthesourcesdrawnonmost substantiallyinclude:
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culturalstudies,withemphasisonthedifferentwaysinwhichliteratureissignificantineverydaylife structuralism,withitsemphasisoncloseanalysisofliteraryworksandthekeyideasonwhichtheyarebasedfor example,thedetailedstylisticstudyofdifferingstylesofliterarywork comparativism,withitsemphasisoncomparisonsofworksofliteraturefromdifferentlanguage,ethnicandcultural backgrounds historicism,withitsemphasisonexploringtherelationshipsbetweenhistorical,culturalandliterarytraditions.
TheLiteraturestrandalsogivesstudentstheopportunitytostudytheprocessesbywhichcertainliteraryworksbecome prizedandperennial,thevaluingprocessitself,andwhyitisthatmostcultureshaveworkstheycherish.Theapproachto learninginthisstrandisnottopresentstudentswithanEnglishliterarycanonthatisastaticentity,butrathertoinvitetheir curiosityabout,anddevelopanincreasinglyspecialisedinquiryinto,thehistorical,culturalandaestheticprocessesbywhich workscometoberegardedasvaluedandcherished.
Literacy:expandingtherepertoireofEnglishusage
TheLiteracystrandaimstodevelopstudentsabilitytointerpretandcreatetextswithappropriateness,accuracy,confidence, fluencyandefficacyforlearninginandoutofschool,andforparticipatinginAustralianlifemoregenerally.Textschosen includemediatexts,everydaytextsandworkplacetextsfromincreasinglycomplexandunfamiliarsettings,rangingfromthe everydaylanguageofpersonalexperiencetomoreabstract,specialisedandtechnicallanguage,includingthelanguageof schoolingandacademicstudy.Studentslearntoadaptlanguagetomeetthedemandsofmoregeneralormorespecialised purposes,audiencesandcontexts.Theylearnaboutthedifferentwaysinwhichknowledgeandopinionarerepresentedand developedintexts,andabouthowmoreorlessabstractionandcomplexitycanbeshownthroughlanguageandthrough multimodalrepresentations.Thismeansthatprintanddigitalcontextsareincluded,andthatlistening,viewing,reading, speaking,writingandcreatingarealldevelopedsystematicallyandconcurrently.
Literacy
English
Textsincontext:Studentslearnthattextsfromdifferentculturesorhistoricalperiodsmayrevealdifferentpatternsinhow theygoaboutnarrating,informingandpersuading. Interactingwithothers:Studentslearnhowindividualsandgroupsuselanguagepatternstoexpressideasandkey conceptstodevelopanddefendarguments.Theylearnhowtopromoteapointofviewbydesigning,rehearsingand deliveringspokenandwrittenpresentationsandbyappropriatelyselectingandsequencinglinguisticandmultimodal elements. Interpreting,analysing,evaluating:Studentslearntocomprehendwhattheyreadandviewbyapplyinggrowingcontextual, semantic,grammaticalandphonicknowledge.Theydevelopmoresophisticatedprocessesforinterpreting,analysing, evaluatingandcritiquingideas,informationandissuesfromavarietyofsources.Theyexplorethewaysconventionsand structuresareusedinwritten,digital,multimediaandcinematictextstoentertain,informandpersuadeaudiences,andthey usetheirgrowingknowledgeoftextualfeaturestoexplainhowtextsmakeanimpactondifferentaudiences. Creatingtexts:Studentsapplyknowledgetheyhavedevelopedinotherstrandsandsubstrandstocreatewithclarity, authorityandnoveltyarangeofspoken,writtenandmultimodaltextsthatentertain,informandpersuadeaudiences.Theydo sobystrategicallyselectingkeyaspectsofatopicaswellaslanguage,visualandaudiofeatures.Theylearnhowtoeditfor enhancedmeaningandeffectbyrefiningideas,reorderingsentences,addingorsubstitutingwordsforclarity,andremoving repetition.Theydevelopandconsolidateahandwritingstylethatislegible,fluentandautomatic,andthatsupportssustained writing.Theylearntousearangeofsoftwareprogramsincludingwordprocessingsoftware,selectingpurposefullyfroma rangeoffunctionstocommunicateandcreateclear,effective,informativeandinnovativetexts.
Literacy
TheLiteracystrandtakesaccountofapproachestoliteracylearningthatarebasedonthedevelopmentofskills,socialand psychologicalgrowth,andcriticalandculturalanalysis.Theseapproachesholdthatthetechnical,intellectualandcultural resourcesrelatedtocompetenceinliteracyhavedevelopedtoservethebigandsmallpractical,everydaycommunication purposesassociatedwithlivingandparticipatinginsocietiessuchascontemporaryAustralia.Thesetechnical,intellectual andculturalresourcesinclude:
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fluencyinthesoundlettercorrespondencesofEnglish anexpandingreading,writingandspeakingvocabularyandagraspofgrammaticalandtextualpatternssufficientto understandandlearnfromtextsencounteredinandoutofschool,andtocreateeffectiveandinnovativetexts fluencyandinnovationinreading,viewingandcreatingtextsindifferentsettings theskillanddispositionneededtoanalyseandunderstandthephilosophical,moral,politicalandaestheticbaseson whichmanytextsarebuilt aninterestinexpandingtherangeofmaterialslistenedto,viewedandread,andinexperimentingwithinnovativeways ofexpressingincreasinglysubtleandcomplexideasthroughtexts.
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Relationshipsbetweenthestrands
EachstrandcontributestothestudyofEnglishitsowndistinctivegoals,bodyofknowledge,historyofideasandinterests, andeachrelatestomaterialworthstudyinginitsownright.Teaching,learningandassessmentprogramsshouldbalance andintegratethethreestrandsinordertosupportthedevelopmentofknowledge,understandingandskills.Thekeyfocal pointforaunitofworkoralearningactivitymayarisefromanyoneofthestrands,buttheintentionisthatunitsandactivities drawonallthreestrandsinwaysthatareintegratedandcleartolearners.
EnglishacrossFoundationtoLevel10
English
Althoughthecurriculumisdescribedbylevel,thisdocumentprovidesadvicebylevelandage,onthenatureoflearnersand therelevantcurriculum:
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FoundationtoLevel2:typicallystudentsfrom5to8yearsofage Levels3to6:typicallystudentsfrom8to12yearsofage Levels7to10:typicallystudentsfrom12to16yearsofage.
FoundationtoLevel2
Studentsbringwiththemtoschoolawiderangeofexperienceswithlanguageandtexts.Theseexperiencesareincludedin thecurriculumasvalidwaysofcommunicatingandasrichresourcesforfurtherlearningaboutlanguage,literatureand literacy.FromFoundationtoLevel2,studentsengagewithpurposefullistening,reading,viewing,speakingandwriting activitiesfordifferentpurposesandcontexts. Thecurriculumintheselevelsaimstoextendtheabilitiesofstudentspriortoschoollearningandtoprovidethefoundation neededforcontinuedlearning.ThestudyofEnglishfromFoundationtoLevel2developsstudentsskillsanddispositionto expandtheirknowledgeoflanguageaswellasstrategiestoassistthatgrowth.Itaimstodothisthroughpleasurableand variedexperiencesofliteratureandthroughthebeginningsofarepertoireofactivitiesinvolvinglistening,viewing,reading, speakingandwriting.
Levels3to6
Studentspractise,consolidateandextendwhattheyhavelearned.Theydevelopanincreasinglysophisticatedunderstanding ofgrammarandlanguage,andareincreasinglyabletoarticulatethisknowledge.Gradually,morecomplexpunctuation, clauseandsentencestructures,andtextualpurposesandpatternsareintroduced.Thisdeeperunderstandingincludes moreexplicitmetalanguage,asstudentslearntoclassifywords,sentencestructuresandtexts.Toconsolidatebothlearning toreadandwriteandreadingandwritingtolearn,studentsexplorethelanguageofdifferenttypesoftexts,includingvisual texts,advertising,digital/onlineandmediatexts.
Levels7to10
Studentscontinuetopractise,consolidateandextendwhattheyhavelearnedfrompreviouslevels.Theyalsoextendtheir understandingofhowlanguageworks,andlearntotransferthisknowledgetodifferentcontexts.Toachievethis,students developanunderstandingoftherequirementsofdifferenttypesoftextstheyareintroducedtoincreasinglysophisticated analysesofvariouskindsofliterary,popularculture,andeverydaytexts,andtheyaregivenopportunitiestoengagewiththe technicalaspectsoftexts,includingthoseoftheirownchoosingandtoexplainwhytheymadethatchoice. Thenotionofvaluingcertaintextsasliteratureisintroduced.Studentslearnhowsuchtextscanbediscussedandanalysed inrelationtothemes,ideasandhistoricalandculturalcontexts. Studentsengagewithavarietyofgenresandmodes.Theyreenact,representanddescribetextsinordertodisplaytheir understandingofnarrative,theme,purpose,contextandargumentandtodefendtheirideasinwrittenandoralmodes. Studentsaregivenfurtheropportunitiestocreateincreasinglysophisticatedandmultimodaltextsingroupsandindividually. TheAusVELSEnglishScopeandSequencechartisavailablefromtheVCAAwebsite.
Achievementstandards
English
AcrossFoundationtoLevel10,achievementstandardsindicatethequalityoflearningstudentsshouldtypicallydemonstrate byaparticularpointintheirschooling.Achievementstandardscompriseawrittendescriptionandstudentworksamples. Anachievementstandarddescribesthequalityoflearning(theextentofknowledge,thedepthofunderstandingandthe sophisticationofskills)thatwouldindicatethestudentiswellplacedtocommencethelearningrequiredatthenextlevelof achievement. ThesequenceofachievementstandardsacrossFoundationtoLevel10describesprogressinthelearningarea.This sequenceprovidesteacherswithaframeworkofgrowthanddevelopmentinthelearningarea. Studentworksamplesplayakeyroleincommunicatingexpectationsdescribedintheachievementstandards.Eachwork sampleincludestherelevantassessmenttask,thestudentsresponse,andannotationsidentifyingthequalityoflearning evidentinthestudentsresponseinrelationtorelevantpartsoftheachievementstandard.Together,thedescriptionofthe achievementstandardandtheaccompanyingsetofannotatedworksampleshelpteacherstomakejudgmentsabout whetherstudentshaveachievedthestandard.
DiversityofLearners
TheAustralianCurriculumhasbeendevelopedtoensurethatcurriculumcontentandachievementstandardsestablishhigh expectationsforallstudents.Everystudentisentitledtoenrichinglearningexperiencesacrossallareasofthecurriculum. StudentsinAustralianclassroomshavemultiple,diverseandchangingneedsthatareshapedbyindividuallearning historiesandabilitiesaswellasculturallanguagebackgroundsandsocioeconomicfactors.
Specialeducationneeds
TheobjectivesoftheAustralianCurriculumarethesameforallstudents.Thecurriculumoffersflexibilityforteacherstotailor theirteachinginwaysthatproviderigorous,relevantandengaginglearningandassessmentopportunitiesforstudentswith specialeducationneeds. Moststudentswithspecialeducationneedscanengagewiththecurriculumprovidedthenecessaryadjustmentsaremade tothecomplexityofthecurriculumcontentandtothemeansthroughwhichstudentsdemonstratetheirknowledge,skillsand understanding. Forsomelearners,makingadjustmentstoinstructionalprocessesandtoassessmentstrategiesenablesstudentsto achieveeducationalstandardscommensuratewiththeirpeers. Forotherstudents,teacherswillneedtomakeappropriateadjustmentstothecomplexityofthecurriculumcontent,focusing instructiononcontentdifferenttothattaughttoothersintheiragegroup.Itfollowsthatadjustmentswillalsoneedtobemade tohowthestudentsprogressismonitored,assessedandreported. Forasmallpercentageofstudents,theFoundationtoLevel10curriculumcontentandachievementstandardsmaynotbe appropriatenormeaningful,evenwithadjustments.Mostofthesestudentshaveasignificantintellectualdisability.ACARA willdevelopadditionalcurriculumcontentandachievementstandardsforthisgroupofstudentsinordertoprovidean AustralianCurriculumthatisinclusiveofeverylearner. Intheinterim,adviceabouthowtousethecurriculumwithstudentswithspecialeducationneedsisavailablehereand fromtheDEECD.
English
SchoolscanalsocontinuetousetheVELSStudentswithDisabilitiesGuidelines(PDF615KB).Thesewillbe updatedduring2013.
Englishasanadditionallanguageordialect
ManystudentsinAustralianschoolsarelearnersofEnglishasanadditionallanguageordialect(EAL/D).LearnersofEAL/D arestudentswhosefirstlanguageisalanguageotherthanStandardAustralianEnglishandwhorequireadditionalsupport toassistthemtodevelopEnglishlanguageproficiency.WhilemanyEAL/Dlearnersdowellinschool,asignificantgroupof theselearnersleaveschoolwithoutachievingtheirpotential. EAL/Dstudentscomefromdiversebackgroundsandmayinclude:
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overseasandAustralianbornchildrenwhosefirstlanguageisalanguageotherthanEnglish AboriginalandTorresStraitIslanderstudentswhosefirstlanguageisanIndigenouslanguage,includingtraditional languages,creolesandrelatedvarieties,orAboriginalEnglish.
EAL/DlearnersenterAustralianschoolsatdifferentagesandatdifferentstagesofEnglishlanguagelearningandhave variouseducationalbackgroundsintheirfirstlanguages.Forsome,schoolistheonlyplacetheyuseEnglish. TheaimsoftheAustralianCurriculum:Englishareultimatelythesameforallstudents.However,EAL/Dlearnersare simultaneouslylearninganewlanguageandtheknowledge,understandingandskillsoftheEnglishcurriculumthroughthat newlanguage.Theyrequireadditionaltimeandsupport,alongwithinformedteachingthatexplicitlyaddressestheir languageneeds,andassessmentsthattakeintoaccounttheirdevelopinglanguageproficiency. AnationalEAL/DdocumentisbeingproducedthatwillsupporttheAustralianCurriculum.Itwillprovideadescriptionofhow languageproficiencydevelops,andwillbeavaluablereferenceforallteachers.ItwillallowEnglishteacherstoidentifythe languagelevelsoftheEAL/Dlearnersintheirclassroomsandtoaddresstheirspecificlearningrequirementswhen teaching,ensuringequityofaccesstotheEnglishlearningareaforall. Intheinterim,adviceabouthowtousethecurriculumwithEAL/Dstudentsisavailablehere.
Crosscurriculumpriorities
TherearethreecrosscurriculumprioritiesintheAustralianCurriculum:
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AboriginalandTorresStraitIslanderhistoriesandcultures AsiaandAustraliasengagementwithAsia Sustainability.
Thecrosscurriculumprioritiesareembeddedinthecurriculumandwillhaveastrongbutvaryingpresencedependingon theirrelevancetoeachofthelearningareas.
AboriginalandTorresStraitIslanderhistoriesandcultures
AboriginalandTorresStraitIslandercommunitiesarestrong,richanddiverse.AboriginalandTorresStraitIslanderIdentityis centraltothispriorityandisintrinsicallylinkedtoliving,learningAboriginalandTorresStraitIslandercommunities,deep knowledgetraditionsandholisticworldview.
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English
AconceptualframeworkbasedonAboriginalandTorresStraitIslanderPeoplesuniquesenseofIdentityhasbeen developedasastructuraltoolfortheembeddingofAboriginalandTorresStraitIslanderhistoriesandcultureswithinthe Australiancurriculum.ThissenseofIdentityisapproachedthroughtheinterconnectedaspectsofCountry/Place,Peopleand Culture.Embracingtheseelementsenhancesallareasofthecurriculum. TheAboriginalandTorresStraitIslanderpriorityprovidesopportunitiesforalllearnerstodeepentheirknowledgeofAustralia byengagingwiththeworldsoldestcontinuouslivingcultures.Thisknowledgeandunderstandingwillenrichtheirabilityto participatepositivelyintheongoingdevelopmentofAustralia. TheAustralianCurriculum:EnglishvaluesAboriginalandTorresStraitIslanderhistoriesandcultures.Itarticulatesrelevant aspectsofAboriginalandTorresStraitIslanderlanguages,literaturesandliteracies. Allstudentswilldevelopanawarenessandappreciationof,andrespectfortheliteratureofAboriginalandTorresStrait IslanderPeoplesincludingstorytellingtraditions(oralnarrative)aswellascontemporaryliterature.Studentswillbetaughtto developrespectfulcriticalunderstandingsofthesocial,historicalandculturalcontextsassociatedwithdifferentusesof languageandtextualfeatures. StudentswillbetaughtthattherearemanylanguagesanddialectsspokeninAustraliaincludingAboriginalEnglishand Yumplatok(TorresStraitIslanderCreole)andthattheselanguagesmayhavedifferentwritingsystemsandoraltraditions. TheselanguagescanbeusedtoenhanceenquiryandunderstandingofEnglishliteracy.
AsiaandAustralia'sengagementwithAsia
IntheAustralianCurriculum:English,thepriorityofAsiaandAustraliasengagementwithAsiaprovidesrichandengaging contextsfordevelopingstudentsabilitiesinlistening,speaking,reading,viewingandwriting. TheAustralianCurriculum:Englishenablesstudentstoexploreandappreciatethediverserangeoftraditionaland contemporarytextsfromandaboutthepeoplesandcountriesofAsia,includingtextswrittenbyAustraliansofAsianheritage. ItenablesstudentstounderstandhowAustraliancultureandtheEnglishlanguagehavebeeninfluencedbythemanyAsian languagesusedinAustralianhomes,classroomsandcommunities. Inthislearningarea,studentsdrawonknowledgeoftheAsiaregion,includingliterature,toinfluenceandenhancetheirown creativepursuits.Theydevelopcommunicationskillsthatreflectculturalawarenessandinterculturalunderstanding.
Sustainability
IntheAustralianCurriculum:English,thepriorityofsustainabilityprovidesrichandengagingcontextsfordeveloping studentsabilitiesinlistening,speaking,reading,viewingandwriting. TheAustralianCurriculum:Englishassistsstudentstodeveloptheskillsnecessarytoinvestigate,analyseand communicateideasandinformationrelatedtosustainability,andtoadvocate,generateandevaluateactionsforsustainable futures.Thecontentinthelanguage,literatureandliteracystrandsiskeytodevelopingandsharingknowledgeaboutsocial, economicandecologicalsystemsandworldviewsthatpromotesocialjustice. Inthislearningarea,studentsmayinterrogatearangeoftextstoshapetheirdecisionmakinginrelationtosustainability. Theydeveloptheunderstandingandskillsnecessarytoactresponsiblyandcreatetextsthatinformandpersuadeothersto takeactionforsustainablefutures.
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English
Level5
TheEnglishcurriculumisbuiltaroundthethreeinterrelatedstrandsofLanguage,LiteratureandLiteracy.Teachingand learningprogramsshouldbalanceandintegrateallthreestrands.Togetherthestrandsfocusondevelopingstudents knowledge,understandingandskillsinlistening,reading,viewing,speaking,writingandcreating.LearninginEnglish buildsonconcepts,skillsandprocessesdevelopedinearlierlevels,andteacherswillrevisitandstrengthentheseas needed. InLevels5and6,studentscommunicatewithpeersandteachersfromotherclassesandschools,community members,andindividualsandgroups,inarangeoffacetofaceandonline/virtualenvironments. Studentsengagewithavarietyoftextsforenjoyment.Theylistento,read,view,interpretandevaluatespoken,writtenand multimodaltextsinwhichtheprimarypurposeisaesthetic,aswellastextsdesignedtoinformandpersuade.These includevarioustypesofmediatextsincludingnewspapers,filmanddigitaltexts,juniorandearlyadolescentnovels, poetry,nonfiction,anddramaticperformances.
TherangeofliterarytextsforFoundationtoLevel10comprisesAustralianliterature,includingtheoral narrativetraditionsofAboriginalandTorresStraitIslanderpeoples,aswellasthecontemporary literatureofthesetwoculturalgroups,andclassicandcontemporaryworldliterature,includingtextsfrom andaboutAsia.

LiterarytextsthatsupportandextendstudentsinLevels5and6asindependentreadersdescribecomplexsequences,a rangeofnonstereotypicalcharactersandelaboratedeventsincludingflashbacksandshiftsintime.Thesetextsexplore themesofinterpersonalrelationshipsandethicaldilemmaswithinrealworldandfantasysettings.Informativetexts supplytechnicalandcontentinformationaboutawiderangeoftopicsofinterestaswellastopicsbeingstudiedinother areasofthecurriculum.Textstructuresincludechapters,headingsandsubheadings,tablesofcontents,indexesand glossaries.Languagefeaturesincludecomplexsentences,unfamiliartechnicalvocabulary,figurativelanguage,and informationpresentedinvarioustypesofgraphics. Studentscreatearangeofimaginative,informativeandpersuasivetypesoftextsincludingnarratives,procedures, performances,reports,reviews,explanationsanddiscussions.
Level5contentdescriptions
Readingandviewing Language Understandhowtextsvaryinpurpose, structureandtopicaswellasthe degreeofformality(ACELA1504) Elaborations
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becomingfamiliarwiththetypicalstagesandlanguagefeaturesofsuch texttypesas:narrative,procedure,exposition,explanation,discussion andinformativetextandhowtheycanbecomposedandpresentedin written,digitalandmultimediaforms
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English
Investigatehowtheorganisationof textsintochapters,headings, subheadings,homepagesandsub pagesforonlinetextsandaccordingto chronologyortopiccanbeusedto predictcontentandassistnavigation (ACELA1797) Explainsequencesofimagesinprint textsandcomparethesetotheways hyperlinkeddigitaltextsareorganised, explainingtheireffectonviewers interpretations(ACELA1511) Understandhowtousebanksof knownwords,aswellaswordorigins, prefixesandsuffixes,tolearnand spellnewwords(ACELA1513)
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interpretingnarrativetextstoldaswordlesspicturebooks identifyingandcomparingsequencesofimagesrevealedthrough differenthyperlinkchoices
learningthatmanycomplexwordswereoriginallyhyphenatedbuthave becomeprefixedasinuncommon,renewemailandrefine talkingabouthowsuffixeschangeovertimeandnewformsareinvented toreflectchangingattitudestogender,forexamplepolicewoman, salespersonairhostess/stewardorflightattendant usingknowledgeofwordoriginsandrootsandrelatedwordsto interpretandspellunfamiliarwords,andlearningabouthowtheseroots impactonplurals
Recogniseuncommonplurals,for examplefoci(ACELA1514)
Literature Recognisethatideasinliterarytexts canbeconveyedfromdifferent viewpoints,whichcanleadtodifferent kindsofinterpretationsandresponses (ACELT1610)
Elaborations
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identifyingthenarrativevoice(thepersonorentitythroughwhomthe audienceexperiencesthestory)inaliterarywork,discussingtheimpact offirstpersonnarrationonempathyandengagement examiningtextswrittenfromdifferentnarrativepointsofviewand discussingwhatinformationtheaudiencecanaccess,howthisimpacts ontheaudiencessympathies,andwhyanauthormightchoosea particularnarrativepointofview examiningthenarrativevoiceintextsfromAboriginalandTorresStrait Islandertraditions,whichincludeperspectivesofanimalsandspirits, abouthowweshouldcarefortheEarth,forexamplereflectingonhow thisaffectssignificance,interpretationandresponse describinghowaspectsofliterature,forexamplevisuals,symbolic elements,dialogueandcharacterdescriptions,canconveyinformation aboutculturalelements,suchasbeliefs,traditionsandcustoms identifyingvariabilitywithinculturalcontextsinliterarytexts,recognising thediversityofpeoplesexperienceswithinaculturalgroupsuchas differencesinsettingandlifestylebetweenurbanandremoteAboriginal andTorresStraitIslanderpeoples
Identifyaspectsofliterarytextsthat conveydetailsorinformationabout particularsocial,culturalandhistorical contexts(ACELT1608)
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Understand,interpretandexperiment withsounddevicesandimagery, includingsimile,metaphorand personification,innarratives,shape poetry,songs,anthemsandodes (ACELT1611)
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discussinghowfigurativelanguageincludingsimileandmetaphorcan makeuseofacomparisonbetweendifferentthings,forexampleMy loveislikeared,redroseTyger!,Tyger!burningbright,Intheforestsof thenightandhowbyappealingtotheimagination,itprovidesnew waysoflookingattheworld investigatingthequalitiesofcontemporaryprotestsongs,forexample thoseaboutIndigenouspeoplesandthoseabouttheenvironment
Usemetalanguagetodescribethe effectsofideas,textstructuresand languagefeaturesonparticular audiences(ACELT1795) Literacy Showhowideasandpointsofviewin textsareconveyedthroughtheuseof vocabulary,includingidiomatic expressions,objectiveandsubjective language,andthatthesecanchange accordingtocontext(ACELY1698) Identifyandexplaincharacteristictext structuresandlanguagefeatures usedinimaginative,informativeand persuasivetextstomeetthepurpose ofthetext(ACELY1701) Navigateandreadtextsforspecific purposesapplyingappropriatetext processingstrategies,forexample predictingandconfirming,monitoring meaning,skimmingandscanning (ACELY1702)
orally,inwritingorusingdigitalmedia,givingaconsideredinterpretation andopinionaboutaliterarytext,recognisingthatastudentsviewmay notbesharedbyothersandthatothershaveequalclaimstodivergent views
Elaborations
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identifyingthenarrativevoice(thepersonorentitythroughwhomthe audienceexperiencesthestory)inaliterarywork,discussingtheimpact offirstpersonnarrationonempathyandengagement
explaininghowthefeaturesofatextadvocatingcommunityaction,for exampleactiononalocalareapreservationissue,areusedtomeetthe purposeofthetext
bringingsubjectandtechnicalvocabularyandconceptknowledgeto newreadingtasks selectingandusingtextsfortheirpertinencetothetaskandthe accuracyoftheirinformation usingwordidentification,selfmonitoringandselfcorrectingstrategies toaccessmaterialonlessfamiliartopics,skimmingandscanningto checkthepertinenceofparticularinformationtostudentstopicandtask readingawiderangeofimaginative,informativeandpersuasivetextsfor pleasureandtofindanduseinformation usingresearchskillsincludingidentifyingresearchpurpose,locating texts,gatheringandorganisinginformation,evaluatingitsrelativevalue, andtheaccuracyandcurrencyofprintanddigitalsourcesand summarisinginformationfromseveralsources
Usecomprehensionstrategiesto analyseinformation,integratingand linkingideasfromavarietyofprintand digitalsources(ACELY1703) Writing Language
Elaborations
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Understandthatthestartingpointofa sentencegivesprominencetothe messageinthetextandallowsfor predictionofhowthetextwillunfold (ACELA1505) Understandthedifferencebetween mainandsubordinateclausesand thatacomplexsentenceinvolvesat leastonesubordinateclause (ACELA1507)
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observinghowwritersusethebeginningofasentencetosignaltothe readerhowthetextisdeveloping(forexample'Snakesarereptiles.They havescalesandnolegs.Manysnakesarepoisonous.However,in Australiatheyareprotected')
knowingthatthefunctionofcomplexsentencesistomakeconnections betweenideas,suchas:toprovideareason(forexample'Hejumped upbecausethebellrang.')tostateapurpose(forexample'Sheraced homeinordertoconfrontherbrother.')toexpressacondition(for example'Itwillbreakifyoupushit.')tomakeaconcession(forexample 'Shewenttoworkeventhoughshewasnotfeelingwell.')tolinktwo ideasintermsofvarioustimerelations(forexample'Nerofiddledwhile Romeburned.') learninghowtoexpandadescriptionbycombiningarelatedsetof nounsandadjectivesTwooldbrowncattledogssatontheruined frontverandaofthedesertedhouse observinghowdescriptivedetailscanbebuiltuparoundanounoran adjective,formingagroup/phrase(forexample,thisverysmelly cleaningclothinthesinkisanoungroup/phraseandasprettyasthe flowersinMayisanadjectivegroup/phrase) movingfromgeneral,allpurposewords,forexamplecuttomore specificwords,forexampleslice,dice,fillet,segment
Understandhownoun groups/phrasesandadjective groups/phrasescanbeexpandedina varietyofwaystoprovideafuller descriptionoftheperson,place,thing oridea(ACELA1508)
Understandtheuseofvocabularyto expressgreaterprecisionofmeaning, andknowthatwordscanhavedifferent meaningsindifferentcontexts (ACELA1512) Understandhowthegrammatical categoryofpossessivesissignalled throughapostrophesandhowtouse apostropheswithcommonandproper nouns(ACELA1506)
learningthatinStandardAustralianEnglishregularpluralnounsending insformthepossessivebyaddingjusttheapostrophe(forexample myparents'car) learningthatinStandardAustralianEnglishforpropernounsavariant formwithoutthesecondsissometimesfound(forexampleJamess houseorJameshouse)
Literature Createliterarytextsthatexperiment withstructures,ideasandstylistic featuresofselectedauthors (ACELT1798)
Elaborations
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drawinguponfictionelementsinarangeofmodeltextsforexample mainidea,characterisation,setting(timeandplace),narrativepointof viewanddevices,forexamplefigurativelanguage(simile,metaphor, personification),aswellasnonverbalconventionsindigitalandscreen textsinordertoexperimentwithnew,creativewaysofcommunicating ideas,experiencesandstoriesinliterarytexts usingtextswithcomputerbasedgraphics,animationand2Dqualities, considerhowandwhyparticulartraitsforacharacterhavebeenchosen
Createliterarytextsusingrealisticand fantasysettingsandcharactersthat drawontheworldsrepresentedin textsstudentshaveexperienced (ACELT1612) Literacy
Elaborations
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Plan,draftandpublishimaginative, informativeandpersuasiveprintand multimodaltexts,choosingtext structures,languagefeatures,images andsoundappropriatetopurposeand audience(ACELY1704)
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usingresearchfromprintanddigitalresourcestogatherandorganise informationforwriting selectinganappropriatetextstructureforthewritingpurposeand sequencingcontentaccordingtothattextstructure,introducingthetopic, andgroupingrelatedinformationinwellsequencedparagraphswitha concludingstatement usingvocabulary,includingtechnicalvocabulary,appropriatetopurpose andcontext usingparagraphstopresentandsequenceatext usingappropriategrammaticalfeatures,includingmorecomplex sentencesandrelevantverbtense,pronounreference,adverbandnoun groups/phrasesforeffectivedescriptions editingforflowandsense,organisationofideasandchoiceof language,revisingandtryingnewapproachesifanelementisnot havingthedesiredimpact
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Rereadandeditstudent'sownand othersworkusingagreedcriteriafor textstructuresandlanguagefeatures (ACELY1705) Developahandwritingstylethatis becominglegible,fluentandautomatic (ACELY1706) Usearangeofsoftwareincluding wordprocessingprogramswith fluencytoconstruct,editandpublish writtentext,andselect,editandplace visual,printandaudioelements (ACELY1707) Speakingandlistening Language Understandthatthepronunciation, spellingandmeaningsofwordshave historiesandchangeovertime (ACELA1500)
usinghandwritingwithincreasingfluencyandlegibilityappropriatetoa widerangeofwritingpurposes
writinglettersinprintandbyemail,composingwithincreasingfluency, accuracyandlegibilityanddemonstratingunderstandingofwhatthe audiencemaywanttohear
Elaborations
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recognisingthataknowledgeofwordoriginsisnotonlyinterestinginits ownright,butthatitextendsstudentsknowledgeofvocabularyand spelling exploringexamplesofwordsinwhichpronunciation,writingand meaninghaschangedovertime,includingwordsfromarangeof cultures identifyingwaysinwhichculturesdifferinmakingandrespondingto commonrequests,forexampleperiodsofsilence,degreesofformality
Understandthatpatternsoflanguage interactionvaryacrosssocialcontexts andtypesoftextsandthattheyhelpto signalsocialrolesandrelationships (ACELA1501)
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Understandhowtomovebeyond makingbareassertionsandtake accountofdifferingperspectivesand pointsofview(ACELA1502)
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recognisingthatabareassertion(forexample'It'sthebestfilmthis year')oftenneedstobetemperedby:usingthe'impersonalit'to distanceoneself(forexample'Itcouldbethatitisthebestfilmthis year')recruitinganonymoussupport(forexample'Itisgenerallyagreed thatitisthebestfilmthisyear.')indicatingageneralsourceofthe opinion(forexample'Mostcriticsagreethatitisthebestfilmthisyear.') specifyingthesourceoftheopinion(forexample'DavidandMargaret bothagreethatitisthebestfilmthisyear')andreflectingontheeffectof thesedifferentchoices
Literature Presentapointofviewaboutparticular literarytextsusingappropriate metalanguage,andreflectingonthe viewpointsofothers(ACELT1609) Literacy Clarifyunderstandingofcontentasit unfoldsinformalandinformal situations,connectingideasto studentsownexperiencesand presentandjustifyapointofview (ACELY1699) Useinteractionskills,forexample paraphrasing,questioningand interpretingnonverbalcuesand choosevocabularyandvocaleffects appropriatefordifferentaudiencesand purposes(ACELY1796)
Elaborations
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posinganddiscussingquestions,suchasShouldthischaracterhave behavedastheydid?,andbeginningtomakebalancedjudgments aboutthedilemmascharactersfaceandrelativemeritandharm
Elaborations
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askingspecificquestionstoclarifyaspeakersmeaning,making constructivecommentsthatkeepconversationmoving,reviewingideas expressedandconveyingtentativeconclusions
participatinginpair,group,classandschoolspeakingandlistening situations,includinginformalconversations,discussionsand presentations usingeffectivestrategiesfordialogueanddiscussionincluding speakingclearlyandtothepoint,pausinginappropriateplacesfor otherstorespond,askingpertinentquestionsandlinkingstudentsown responsestothecontributionsofothers choosingvocabularyandsentencestructuresforparticularpurposes includingformalandinformalcontexts,toreportandexplainnew conceptsandtopics,toofferapointofviewandtopersuadeothers experimentingwithvoiceeffectsinformalpresentationssuchastone, volume,pitchandpace,recognisingtheeffectsthesehaveonaudience understanding planningareportonatopic,sequencingideaslogicallyandproviding supportingdetail,includinggraphics,soundandvisualstoenhance audienceengagementandunderstanding
Plan,rehearseanddeliver presentationsfordefinedaudiences andpurposesincorporatingaccurate andsequencedcontentand multimodalelements(ACELY1700)
Level5achievementstandard
Readingandviewing
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BytheendofLevel5,studentsexplainhowtextstructuresassistinunderstandingthetext.Theyunderstandhowlanguage features,imagesandvocabularyinfluenceinterpretationsofcharacters,settingsandevents.Theyanalyseandexplainliteral andimpliedinformationfromavarietyoftexts.Theydescribehowevents,charactersandsettingsintextsaredepictedand explaintheirownresponsestothem. Writing Studentsuselanguagefeaturestoshowhowideascanbeextended.Theydevelopandexplainapointofviewaboutatext. Theycreateavarietyofsequencedtextsfordifferentpurposesandaudiences.Whenwriting,theydemonstrate understandingofgrammar,selectspecificvocabularyanduseaccuratespellingandpunctuation,editingtheirworkto providestructureandmeaning. Speakingandlistening Studentslistenandaskquestionstoclarifycontent.Theyuselanguagefeaturestoshowhowideascanbeextended.They developandexplainapointofviewaboutatextselectinginformation,ideasandimagesfromarangeofresources.They createavarietyofsequencedtextsfordifferentpurposesandaudiences.Theymakepresentationsandcontributeactivelyto classandgroupdiscussions,takingintoaccountotherperspectives.
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Health and Physical Education

TableofContents Overview Introduction Domainstructure Stagesoflearning Safetyandsensitiveissues Sexualityeducation CurriculumF10 Level5
2 2 2 3 6 7 9 9
IntroductiontoHealthandPhysicalEducation
TheHealthandPhysicalEducationdomainprovidesstudentswithknowledge,skillsandbehaviourstoenablethemto achieveadegreeofautonomyindevelopingandmaintainingtheirphysical,mental,socialandemotionalhealth.This domainfocusesontheimportanceofahealthylifestyleandphysicalactivityinthelivesofindividualsandgroupsinour society. Thisdomainisuniqueinhavingthepotentialtoimpactonthephysical,social,emotionalandmentalhealthofstudents.It promotesthepotentialforlifelongparticipationinphysicalactivitythroughthedevelopmentofmotorskillsandmovement competence,healthrelatedphysicalfitnessandsporteducation. Engaginginphysicalactivity,games,sportandoutdoorrecreationcontributestoasenseofcommunityandsocial connectedness.Thesearevitalcomponentsofimprovedwellbeing. Studentsinvolvementinphysicalactivitycantakemanyforms,rangingfromindividual,noncompetitiveactivitythroughto competitiveteamgames.Emphasisisplacedoncombiningmotorskillsandtacticalknowledgetoimproveindividualand teamperformance.Studentsprogressfromthedevelopmentofbasicmotorskillstotheperformanceofcomplexmovement patternsthatformpartofteamgames.Theylearnhowdevelopingphysicalcapacityinareassuchasstrength,flexibilityand enduranceisrelatedtobothfitnessandphysicalperformance. Studentsprogressfromlearningsimplerulesandprocedurestoenablethemtoparticipateinmovementandphysical activitysafely,tousingequipmentsafelyandconfidently.Studentsundertakeavarietyofroleswhenparticipatinginsports suchasumpire,coach,playerandadministratorandassumeresponsibilityfortheorganisationofaspectsofasporting competition. Thisdomainexploresthedevelopmentalchangesthatoccurthroughoutthehumanlifespan.Itbeginsbyidentifyingthe healthneedsnecessarytopromoteandmaintaingrowthanddevelopment,followedbydiscussionofsignificanttransitions acrossthelifespanincludingpuberty,togaininganunderstandingofhumansexualityandfactorsthatinfluenceits expression.Theexplorationofhumandevelopmentalsoincludesafocusontheestablishmentofpersonalidentity,factors thatshapeidentityandthevalidityofstereotypes. Studentsdevelopanunderstandingoftherighttobesafeandexploretheconceptsofchallenge,riskandsafety.Theyidentify theharmsassociatedwithparticularsituationsandbehavioursandhowtotakeactiontominimisetheseharms. Throughtheprovisionofhealthknowledge,thisdomaindevelopsanunderstandingoftheimportanceofpersonaland communityactionsinpromotinghealthandknowledgeaboutthefactorsthatpromoteandprotectthephysical,social,mental andemotionalhealthofindividuals,familiesandcommunities.Studentsinvestigateissuesrangingfromindividuallifestyle choicestoprovisionofhealthservicesbybothgovernmentandnongovernmentbodies.Ininvestigatingtheseissues,they exploredifferingperspectivesanddevelopinformedpositions. Thisdomainexaminestheroleoffoodinmeetingdietaryneedsandthefactorsthatinfluencefoodchoice.Students progressfromlearningabouttheimportanceofeatingavarietyoffoodstounderstandingtheroleofahealthydietinthe preventionofdisease. TheHealthandPhysicalEducationdomainprovidesstudentswiththeknowledge,skillsandbehavioursnecessaryforthe pursuitoflifelonginvolvementinphysicalactivity,healthandwellbeing.
StructureoftheHealthandPhysicalEducationdomain

TheHealthandPhysicalEducationdomaininAusVELSusesanelevenlevelstructuretobothreflectthedesignofthenew AustralianCurriculumandtoprovideaconsistentstructureacrossalltheAusVELSdomains(formoredetailspleasesee
Overview).Eachlevelincludesalearningfocusstatementandasetofstandardsorganisedbydimension.
Learningfocus
Standards
Standardsdefinewhatstudentsshouldknowandbeabletodoatdifferentlevelsandarewrittenforeachdimension.In HealthandPhysicalEducation,standardsforassessingandreportingonstudentachievementapplyfromFoundationto Level10.
Dimensions
StandardsintheHealthandPhysicalEducationdomainareorganisedintwodimensions.
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MovementandphysicalactivityfromLevel1 HealthknowledgeandpromotionfromLevel3.
Movementandphysicalactivity
TheMovementandphysicalactivitydimensionfocusesontheimportantrolethatphysicalactivity,sportandrecreationneed toplayinthelivesofallAustraliansbyprovidingopportunitiesforchallenge,personalgrowth,enjoymentandfitness.It promotesinvolvementinamannerthatreflectsawarenessthateveryonehastherighttoparticipateinahealthyandactive lifestyle.Itdevelopsstudentsconfidenceinusingmovementskillsandstrategiestoincreasetheirmotivationtobecome activeaswellasimprovetheirperformanceandmaintainaleveloffitnessthatallowsthemtoparticipateinphysicalactivity withoutunduefatigue.Itbuildsunderstandingofhowtrainingandexerciseinareassuchasstrength,flexibilityand endurancerelatetophysicalperformance.
Healthknowledgeandpromotion
TheHealthknowledgeandpromotiondimensionexaminesphysical,social,emotionalandmentalhealthandpersonal developmentacrossvariousstagesofthelifespan.Itfocusesonsafetyandtheidentificationofstrategiestominimiseharms associatedwithparticularsituationsorbehaviours.Studentsexaminethepromotionofhealthofindividualsandthe communitythroughtheuseofspecificstrategiesandtheprovisionofhealthresources,servicesandproducts.Theyexamine thefactorsthatinfluencefoodselectionandtheroleofnutritiononhealthgrowthanddevelopment.
HealthandPhysicalEducation
Stagesoflearning
AusVELStakesaccountofthedevelopmentalstagesoflearningyoungpeopleexperienceatschool.Whilestudentlearning isacontinuumanddifferentstudentsdevelopatdifferentrates,theybroadlyprogressthroughthreestagesoflearning. Thefollowingstatementsdescribewaysinwhichthesecharacteristicsrelatetolearningexperiencesandstandardsineach ofthethreestagesoflearningintheHealthandPhysicalEducationdomain.

FoundationtoLevel4Layingthefoundations Studentsintheearlylevelsofschoolingexperiencesteadygrowththeygenerallyhaveabundantenergyandasenseof adventure.Duringmostofthisperiodthereislittledifferencebetweenboysandgirlsinheight,weight,strengthandspeed. LearninginHealthandPhysicalEducationlaysthefoundationsforthedevelopmentoffundamentalorbasicmotorskillsthat willassiststudentstoparticipateinphysicalactivityandinahealthyandactivelifestyle.Knowledge,skillsandbehaviours developedinthisstageformthebasisforfuturelearning,andcontributetoastudentsphysical,social,emotionaland cognitivedevelopmentandwellbeing. Duringthisstage,studentsbegintodevelopbasicmotorskillsandmovementpatterns,includinglocomotorand manipulativeskills,inarangeofmovementenvironments(indoor,outdoorandaquatic).Thedevelopmentofbasicmotor skillsiscriticalandlaysthefoundationforfutureparticipationinphysicalactivity.Althoughplayhasanimportantroleinthe contributiontoastudentssocial,emotionalandcognitivegrowth,evidencesuggeststhatplayinggamesisnotaneffective methodforthedevelopmentofbasicmotorskills.Teachersshouldaimtoteachforskillmasteryratherthanjustskill awareness.Thisrequiresdirectteachingofthecomponentsofbasicmotorskills.Whileattemptingtoengagestudentsin physicalactivitythroughparticipationinorganisedgames,teachersneedtobemindfulthatthefocusofgamesatthisstage shouldbeonspecificskilldevelopment. Atthebeginningofthisstage,studentsdevelopbasicmotorskillssuchasrunning,hopping,jumping,skipping,catching, throwing,kicking,rolling,balancing,twistingandturning.Latertheydevelopthecapacitytolinktheseskillsintomorecomplex andcoordinatedmovementsequences.Towardstheendofthisstageoflearning,studentsdevelopincreasinglycomplex motorskillsandbegintoapplythesetoappropriatelymodifiedgamesandsportspecificsettings.Studentswillalsobeginto usebasictacticsinappropriatelymodifiedgamesandsportspecificsituations,andapplytheirincreasingknowledgeof rulestokeepgamesandactivitiessafe. Studentsusetheirnewlydevelopedskillswhileregularlyparticipatinginmoderatetovigorousactivitiesaspartofanactive andhealthylife.Theybegintoformunderstandingsaboutthelinksbetweenphysicalactivityandhealth.Theyalsolearnthat theyneedenergytomaintaintheiractivitylevels. Throughparticipationinphysicalactivity,studentsdeveloptheirmovementvocabulary,includingmotortermsandwaysof describingthephysicalresponsesoftheirbodiestomovementandfeelingsassociatedwithparticipationinphysicalactivity. Studentsintheearlylevelsofschoolingtendtounderstandtheworldbylinkingnewconceptstotheirownexperiences.Their initialexplorationofthemeaningofhealthisthroughtheirownexperiencesathomeandatschool,whichprovideconcrete examplesofrelationships,food,physicalactivity,safety,care,illnessandchangesassociatedwiththetransitionfromhome toschool. Asstudentsgrowanddevelop,theybecomemoreawareofthebroaderworldofothersviewsandperspectives,how peoplediffer,andthephysicalandsocialenvironmentsinwhichtheylive,learnandplay.Theybecomemoreskilledat observingwhatmakesfamiliarenvironmentssafeorunsafeandhealthyorunhealthy.Theirincreasingcapacitytoquestion allowsthemtoconsiderhowtheywouldrespondtodifferentscenarioswheretheirhealthorsafetycouldbethreatened. Studentsincreasingattentionspan,recognitionofaspectsoftheworldoutsidethemselvesandcontinuingintellectual curiositymakesthemmorereflectiveandabletosettheirexperienceswithinthebroaderfamilyandcommunitycontext.For example,theylearnaboutinfluencesontheirchoicesandactionsrelatedtohealthandphysicalactivity,howtheypromote feelingsofselfworthinothers,andthecharacteristicsandneedsofpeopleatdifferentstagesofthehumanlifespan. Levels5to8Buildingbreadthanddepth

Duringthisstageoflearning,studentsbegintodevelopmorecomplexthinkingskillsandcanapplymoreabstractthinking strategiestotheirlearning. Studentsintheselevelsofschoolingareexperiencingrapidpersonalchange,includingphysicalgrowth,emotionaland socialdevelopment,andsexualdevelopmentassociatedwithpuberty.Thedifferentratesatwhichindividualsdevelopisalso amajorissue. Thedevelopmentassociatedwithpubertyaffectsstudentsinvolvementinphysicalactivity.Theirincreasingstrength, coordinationandcontrolallowsthemtodevelopandrefinelocomotorandmanipulativeskillsthroughpractiseandrehearsal, sothattheycanparticipateeffectivelyingames,activitiesandsports.Atthisstage,studentsrefinebasicandcomplexmotor skillsandapplythemtoincreasinglycomplexgames,activitiesandsportspecificsituations.Studentsparticipateinoutdoor adventureactivitiesinnaturalenvironments,whichdevelopskills,knowledgeandbehaviourstoenhanceandpromotesafety. Theyuseskillssuchasstrategicthinkingtosolvereallifeproblemstoimprovegameperformance. Studentslearnskillssuchasmonitoringintensityduringexercise,whichhelpthemmaintainhealthenhancinglevelsof physicalactivity.Theyparticipateregularlyinmoderatetovigorousphysicalactivityandexplorefactorsthatinfluence participation. Theirsocialdevelopmenthelpsfacilitatecooperation,communication,planningandteamdevelopmentinsportsand games,andtheyconsiderhowthesefactorscaninfluenceparticipationandperformance.Theyfavourworkingwiththeir peersduringlearningactivitiestoimproveperformance,anddevelopskillsinprovidingconstructivefeedbacktoapartner basedonperformancecriteria.Theyalsomonitorandanalysetheirownperformance. Studentsatthisstageacquiredescriptiveandanalyticalskillsfordiscussingrolesandrulesincompetitivesports.They undertakeavarietyofrolesinteamgames,includingplayer,coach,umpireandadministrator.Theyreflectontheir experiencesanddevelopanawarenessoftheresponsibilitiesthataccompanyleadershiproles. Studentsatthisstageareexperiencingsignificantphysical,socialandemotionalchangesassociatedwithpuberty.The changesassociatedwithpubertyusuallyoccurbetweentheagesof10and14levels.Forafew,pubertymaybeginasearly as8or9levelsandforothersitmaybemuchlater.TheHealthknowledgeandpromotiondimensiontakesinto considerationtheintensedevelopmentalchangesthatstudentsmayexperienceatthisstage.Asstudentsincreasingly differentiatethemselvesfromtheirpeers,theyreflectonthecommonlyaskedquestion,AmInormal?. Studentsincreasingrecognitionofbelongingtoapeergroupparallelstheirdevelopingsenseofself.Theyexplorehowthey definetheirownidentityandthatofothers,includinglookingatbeliefsandgeneralisationsassociatedwithcharacteristics suchasgender,raceandreligion.Theydiscussthevalidityofsuchclassifications.Atthisstage,theyuseproblemsolving strategiesrelevanttothehealthinterestsandneedsofyoungpeople,suchasissuesassociatedwithsexualhealthand druguse.Theydiscussandevaluatestrategiestominimiseharmandprotecttheirownandothershealth. Theyincreasinglyidentifywithgroupsandcommunitiesoutsidethefamily,whichprovidesacontextforstudyingtherangeof peersandsocialinfluencesontheirhealthrelatedbehaviours,learningaboutestablishingandmaintainingrelationships andconsideringviewsofwhatisright/wrong,good/bad,acceptable/unacceptable.Theybegintoseethemselvesas membersoflargercommunitiesandtoconsiderfactorsthataffecttheirownandothersabilitytoaccessandusehealth information,productsandserviceswithintheirlocalarea. Studentsregularlyengagewithnewsubjectmatterforexample,discoveringtherangeofinfluencesonfoodandthe importanceofnutritionalrequirementsforgrowthandactivityatdifferentstagesoflife.Accordingly,theylearnhowtoset nutritionalgoalsusingfoodselectionmodels. Levels9to10Developingpathways

Studentsengageinauthenticandpersonallymeaningfulactivitiesthatassistindevelopingpathwaysfortheirfuture.They explorehowtheirlearninglinkstotheworldaroundthemandappliestospecificsituations.Importantly,studentsbecome morefocusedonhowtheirlearningrelatestotheirpersonalfuture. Studentsincreasingstrengthanddevelopmentallowsforgreatercontrolandskillinphysicalactivity.Studentsdevelop proficiencyinarangeofhighlevelmovementandmanipulativeskillsforexample,combiningseveralskillssimultaneously, devisingandemployingtacticsandstrategiestocountertacticalchallenges.Theirincreasingskillsinplanning,observation andanalysisallowthemtodevelopandevaluatewaysofrefiningtechniquesandenhancingtheirownandothers performance.Theyarecapableofanalysingtheirpersonalskilllevelandmovementstrengthsinordertodeviseeffective individualgamestrategies.Theyareabletosetpersonalfitnessgoalsandimplementplanstoachievethese. Theyareintroducedtonewsportsthatrequirethelearningofnewskills,ortheadaptationofpreviouslylearntskillsinnew contexts,andimplementwaystoimprovethequalityoftheirownperformance. Studentsregularlyparticipateinmoderatetovigorousphysicalactivity,setpersonalfitnessgoals,developafitnessprogram andevaluateitssuccess.However,duringthisstageofschooling,involvementinphysicalactivitybecomesproblematicfor somestudents,particularlyyoungwomenastheyexperienceissuessuchasbodyimage,socialpressuresabout appropriatebehaviourforyoungpeople,andcompetinginterestsfortime. Studentsparticipateinpeerteachingorcoaching,withafocusonskilldevelopmentandimprovement.Theyengageina varietyofrecreationalandoutdooradventureactivities,anddevelopskills,knowledgeandbehavioursforsafeparticipationin theseactivities.Theylearnbasicfirstaidskills. Studentsatthisstagerealisethattheyhavesomeinputintofactors,viewsoractionsaffectingtheenvironmentoftheir classesandtheircommunity.Theydevelopanappreciationoftheimportanceofsportingcodesofconduct,implementingfair playandmodellinggoodsportingbehavioursforyoungermembersofthecommunity.Theyalsoassumeresponsibilityfor theorganisationofasportingcompetition. Studentsareatastagewhentheirbodies,emotionsandsocialbehavioursarecontinuingtochangerapidly.TheHealth knowledgeandpromotiondimensionacknowledgesthesocialrealityofyoungpeople.Atthisstage,youngpeopleare acknowledgedassexualbeingswithfeelingsanddesiresthatareanormalpartofdevelopment.Theyareawareoftheir developingsexuality,andconsiderhowdifferentrolesandresponsibilitiesinsexualrelationshipscanaffecttheirhealthand wellbeing.Theyexploretheassumptions,communityattitudesandstereotypesaboutyoungpeopleandsexuality.They evaluatepoliciesandpracticesinrelationtosexualharassment,homophobiaand/ordiscrimination,andconsidertheir rightsandresponsibilitiesintheseareas.Theylearnaboutdifferentviewsofsexualityandsexualbehaviour,rightsand responsibilitiesinrelationships,andeffectivewaysofestablishing,maintainingandendingrelationships. Studentsexaminetheperceptionsofchallenge,riskandsafetyinavarietyofsettings.Theyexaminestrategiesthatpromote safety,includingthoseassociatedwiththeworkplace.Theyalsodemonstrateanunderstandingofhowtoexpress independence,andusestrategiesforbeingassertivewhenprotectingtheirownandothershealthintheirclassroom,home andcommunity.Theyexploreissuesrelatedtotheirincreasingindependence,suchastheprovisionofservicesthrough Medicare. Studentsdevelopgreaterindependence.Theyseekdeeperconnectionsbetweentheirlearningandtheworldaroundthem. Theyusehealthdatatoexplorepersonalbehavioursandcommunityactionsthatcontributetothehealthofspecificgroups. Theyinvestigatecommunityfacilitiesavailableforhealthandphysicalfitnessactivities,andexplorehowtheymightusethem tomaintaintheirwellbeing.
SafetyandsensitiveissuesinHealthandPhysicalEducation
Furtherconsiderations
Communityconcernsandkeyinitiatives
Therearevariousissuesthatelicitahighlevelofcommunityawarenessandconcern.Thegovernmentsector,business communityandmanynongovernmentagenciesprovideandsupportinitiativesthatcomplementtheHealthandPhysical Educationdomain.TheflexibilityandcontemporarynatureofAusVELSallowstheincorporationofcurrentandfuture initiativesaspartoftheongoingteachingandlearningprocess.Examplesinclude:
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healthpromotingschools drugeducation watersafety:PlayitSafebytheWater healthyeatingandphysicalactivity:GoforYourLife roadsafety NationalMentalHealthinSchoolsProject:MindMatters.
Safety
TheHealthandPhysicalEducationdomainincludespracticalactivitiesaswellaslearningexperiencesthatexplorearange ofpersonalissues.Teachingpracticesneedtoensurethatcarefulconsiderationisgiventothephysical,socialand emotionalsafetyofeachindividualstudentatalltimes.Inplanningandimplementingcoursesofthisnature,teachers shouldconferwiththePrincipalforrelevantprocedures,guidelinesanddocumentation. TheimportanceofsafetyintheHealthandPhysicalEducationdomainisimplicitineachofthedimensionsothatstudents areawareofandtakeaproactiveroleinthesafetyofthemselvesandothers.
Sensitiveissues
TheVCAArecognisesthatanumberofissueswithintheHealthandPhysicalEducationdomainneedtobehandled sensitively. Thepartnershipbetweenschoolandhomeisespeciallyimportant.ThepreparationandimplementationoftheHealthand PhysicalEducationcurriculumshouldbeconsistentwiththeschoolethos,communityandparentalexpectationsand prescribedguidelinesoftherelevanteducationalsector.ThePrincipalshouldbeconsultedtoclarifyappropriateprocedures, guidelinesanddocumentation.
SexualityEducationandAusVELS
Introduction
TheSexualityEducationCurriculumAuditToolassistsschoolstoevaluatetheirsexualityeducationcurriculumagainst AusVELS.Inusingthetool,schoolswillidentify:
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thecomponentsofsexualityeducationthatarecurrentlyincludedintheschoolcurriculum topicsandthemesrelevanttosexualityeducationthatarenotcurrentlyaddressedintheschoolcurriculumthatcould beincludedinthefuture theteachingandlearningresourcesrequiredtosupporttheteachingofspecifictopicsorthemesrelevanttosexuality education

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theadditionalskillsandsupportrequiredtoimplementacomprehensivesexualityeducationcurriculum.
ThisaudittoolfocusesontheHealthandPhysicalEducationandInterpersonalDevelopmentdomainswhichhavethe strongestcurriculumlinkstosexualityeducation.Auditpageshavebeenprovidedforthesetwodomains.Otherdomains suchasEnglish,History,CivicsandCitizenshipandSciencecouldpotentiallyprovideopportunitiestoaddresstopics relevanttosexualityeducation.Ablankauditformathasbeenprovidedtoallowschoolstoinvestigateotherdomainsthatmay addresstopicsrelevanttosexualityeducation.
Downloads
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SexualityEducationCurriculumAuditTool(
PDF141KB)
Level5
LearningFocus
AsstudentsworktowardstheachievementofLevel6standardsinHealthandPhysicalEducation,theyrefineandexpand theirrangeofskills,andperformthemwithincreasingprecision,accuracyandcontrolinmorecomplexmovements, sequencesandgames.Studentsbegintoobserve,andgiveconstructivefeedbackon,theskillperformanceoftheir peers.Theyconsolidatetheirmobilityandsafetyskillsinaquaticenvironmentsanddevelopconfidenceandresponsibility inthewaterby,forexample:swimmingcompetentlyforacontinuousdistanceof50metres(25metersinfreestyleand25 metresinanotherstroke)demonstratingsoundbreathingandstroketechniquesthrowingaropeorbuoyantobjecttoa personatleastfivemetresfromthesideofthepoolandpullingorinstructingthemtosafetyandperformingsurvival techniquesofsculling,treadingwater,floatingandsurvivalstrokesforanextendedtime(fourtosixminutes),while clothed,inapooland/orinopenwater. Studentslearnaboutandexperienceavarietyofoutdooradventureactivitiesinnaturalenvironmentssuchas bushwalkingandbasicorienteering. Asstudentscontinuetoparticipateinregularperiodsofmoderatetovigorousphysicalactivity,theyexplorethetraining principlesforimprovingcomponentsofhealthrelatedfitnessandwaystomonitorexerciseintensity. Theyusestrategicthinking,communicationandcooperationtoenhanceperformanceandparticipationinorderto improvegameperformanceforexample,encouragingtacticalawarenessofspace,force,time,selfandotherswhen makinggamesbaseddecisions.Studentsbegintosetpersonalgoalstoimproveperformancebyreflectingontheirskill developmentneeds,andexplorestrategiestoachievethem. Studentsundertakeavarietyofroleswhenparticipatinginmodifiedsports,suchasumpire,coachorselector,andare supportedintakingresponsibilityfororganisingandconductingcompetitiveactivitiesinwhichdecisionsaremadeabout procedures,rulesandfairplay. Workingingroups,theydiscusswaystodesignormodifyasimpleactivityorgame,andconsidertheobjectofthegame, theplayingconditions,thescoringandtherulesandproceduresforitssafeconduct. Studentsdiscusssignificanttransitionsbetweenlifestages,particularlythechangesassociatedwithpubertyandthe changingrolesandresponsibilitiesduringthesestages.Theydiscusshowtheirroleandresponsibilitieswithinthe familysettingandamongfriendsmaychange.Theydiscussreproductivesystems,sexualdevelopmentandsexual maturation.Theyconsiderthevariouswaysthatpeoplevieweachotheronthebasisofcharacteristicssuchasgender, raceandreligion,aswellasqualitiessuchasneeds,abilitiesandaspirations.Theydiscussthevalidity,advantagesand disadvantagesofsuchclassifications. Studentsdevelopanunderstandingoftherighttobesafe.Theylearntodescribeandassessthestrategiesfor respondingtosituationsthatarepotentiallyunsafe,riskyorharmfulinarangeofsettings(athome,atschoolandinthe community).

Studentsconsiderwhatitmeanstobephysically,sociallyandemotionallyhealthy.Theyexploretheirownandothers viewsabouthealthandsuggestwhatitmightmeanforcertaingroupsofpeopleforexample,theelderly,peoplewitha disabilityorthosefromanotherculture.Studentsconsiderfactorsthataffecttheirownandothersabilitytoaccessand effectivelyusehealthinformation,productsandservices.Theydiscussanddevelopstrategiesforimprovingtheir personalhealth. TheyinvestigatedifferentfoodselectionmodelssuchastheHealthyEatingPyramidandtheAustralianGuidetoHealthy Eatingandtheircharacteristics,andreflectonhowtheycanbeusedtoassistindecisionsaboutfoodchoices.Theylearn aboutthesafeandhygienicpreparationandstorageoffood.
Standards
10
The Humanities
TableofContents Overview Introduction Domainstructure CurriculumF10
2 2 2
The Humanities
IntroductiontoTheHumanities
TheHumanitiesinFoundationtoLevel10involvethestudyofhumansocietiesandenvironments,peopleandtheircultures inthepastandthepresent.TheHumanitiesprovideaframeworkfordevelopinginstudentsthekeyideasandconceptsthat enablethemtounderstandthewayinwhichpeopleandsocietieshaveorganisedtheirworldunderparticularconditionsand mademeaningofit. TheHumanitiestakeastheirsubjectmatterhumanbehaviour.Theyprovideuniquewaystounderstandhowandwhygroups ofpeoplehavesettledwheretheyhave,organisedtheirsocieties,developedmeansofgeneratinganddistributingwealth, developedcodes,lawsandbeliefsystems,relatedtoothergroupsofpeopleandinteractedwiththeirphysicalenvironment. TheHumanitiesencourageuseofresearchskillsandinquiryprocesses.Studentslearntoplananinvestigationandaskkey questions.Theyquestionandanalysearangeofdataandsourcesincludingartefacts,photographs,maps,stories,special events,interviews,sitevisitsandelectronicmedia.Theyformconclusionssupportedbyevidenceandpresentinformationin avarietyofways.
StructureoftheHumanitiesDomain
TheHumanitiesdomainisorganisedasfollows:
l l l l
TheHumanities:FoundationLevel4(includesHistory AC) TheHumanities:History ACLevels510 TheHumanities:GeographyLevels510 TheHumanities:EconomicsLevels510
AusVELSusesanelevenlevelstructuretobothreflectthedesignofthenewAustralianCurriculumandtoprovidea consistentstructureacrossalltheAusVELSdomains(formoredetails,pleaseseeOverview).ToviewtheHumanities: History ACcontentdescriptorsandachievementstandardsforF10,gotoTheHumanitiesHistory AC.
TheHumanities(FoundationLevel2)
AtFoundationtoLevel2,studentsareintroducedtobasicconceptsrelatedtohistory,geographyandeconomics.These conceptsaresetoutindiscretecontentdescriptionsandachievementstandardsforHistory ACandunderthegeneral umbrellaofTheHumanitiesforGeographyandEconomics.AchievementstandardsforHistory ACareintroducedfrom Foundation.StandardsfortherestoftheHumanitiesareintroducedfromLevel3.
TheHumanities(Levels34)
TheHumanities(34)includestheHistory ACcontentdescriptionsandachievementstandardsforlevels34.Thelearning focusandstandardsforGeographyandEconomicscontinuetobesetoutunderthegeneralumbrellaofTheHumanities.
TheHumanities(Levels510)
TheHumanities(510)arestructuredbytheseparatedomainsofHistory,GeographyandEconomics.Thedomainsof GeographyandEconomicsincludeslearningfocusstatementsandstandardsforlevels510.ThedomainofHistory AC includescontentdescriptionsandachievementstandardsforlevels510. ThefollowingprovidesasummaryofthestructuralelementsoftheHumanities.
TheHumanitiesGeographyandEconomics
The Humanities
Learningfocus
Standards
Standardsdefinewhatstudentsshouldknowandbeabletodoatdifferentlevelsandarewrittenforeachdimension. StandardsthatfocusonhistoricalandgeographicalknowledgeandunderstandingareintroducedatLevel3.Standardsfor assessingandreportingonstudentachievementforEconomicsandGeographyareintroducedatLevel5.
Dimensions
StandardsintheHumanitiesforGeographyandEconomicsareorganisedintwodimensions:
l l
Humanitiesknowledgeandunderstanding Humanitiesskills.
Humanitiesknowledgeandunderstanding
TheHumanitiesknowledgeandunderstandingdimensionfocusesonkeyhumanitiesknowledgeandconcepts.Students learnabouttheirimmediateandlocalcommunityandenvironmentandareintroducedtothehistoryandgeographyoftheir countryandthediversityofcultureandenvironment.Throughstructuredactivitiestheylearntheconceptsoftimechronology andsequencing,changeandcontinuityandthespatialconceptsoflocation,distance,scaleanddistribution.
Humanitiesskills
TheHumanitiesskillsdimensionfocusesonthedevelopmentofbasicinquiryskillsincludingobservation,thecollectionof varioustypesofevidence,askingandansweringquestionsaboutevidenceandpresentinginformationinavarietyofways.
TheHumanitiesHistory AC
ContentDescriptions
Contentdescriptionsspecifywhatteachersareexpectedtoteach.ContentelaborationsareincludedforHistory AC.The contentelaborationsareintendedtoprovideadditionalclaritybywayofillustrativeexamplesonly.Theyarenotstatementsof mandatorycontent.
AchievementStandards
Achievementstandardsdescribesthequalityoflearning(theextentofknowledge,thedepthofunderstandingandthe sophisticationofskills)thatwouldindicatethestudentiswellplacedtocommencethelearningrequiredatthenextlevelof achievement.
Strands
History ACisorganisedintotwointerrelatedstrands:
l l
Historicalknowledgeandunderstanding Historicalskills
Historicalknowledgeandunderstanding
The Humanities
Thisstrandincludespersonal,family,local,stateorterritory,national,regionalandworldhistory.Thereisanemphasison AustralianhistoryinitsworldhistorycontextatFoundationtoLevel10andafocusonworldhistoryintheseniorsecondary levels.Thestrandincludesastudyofsocieties,events,movementsanddevelopmentsthathaveshapedworldhistoryfrom thetimeoftheearliesthumancommunitiestothepresentday. Thisstrandexploreskeyconceptsfordevelopinghistoricalunderstanding,suchas:evidence,continuityandchange,cause andeffect,significance,perspectives,empathyandcontestability.Theseconceptsmaybeinvestigatedwithinaparticular historicalcontexttofacilitateanunderstandingofthepastandtoprovideafocusforhistoricalinquiries.
Historicalskills
Thisstrandpromotesskillsusedintheprocessofhistoricalinquiry:chronology,termsandconceptshistoricalquestions andresearchtheanalysisanduseofsourcesperspectivesandinterpretationsexplanationandcommunication.Withinthis strandthereisanincreasingemphasisonhistoricalinterpretationandtheuseofevidence.
The Humanities - Economics

2 2 2 3 7 7
IntroductiontoTheHumanitiesEconomics
Economicsisthestudyofhowdifferentsocietiesallocatescarceresourcestosatisfythewantsandneedsofitsmembers. Aswithanysocialscience,economicsisconcernedwithhumansocialbehaviour:thebehaviourofindividualsandthe interactionamongthem.Economicsisalsoconcernedwithhowtobestmanageresourcescarcityandaddressesthe requirementsforhumansurvivalandeconomicsustainability. Economicdecisionstakenbyindividuals,groups,businessesandgovernmentshaveimplicationsforthewelfareof individuals,families,communities,countries,regionsandgeopoliticalunionsofnations.Allpeoplearetouchedbyeconomic decisionsonmultipleoccasionseveryday.Economicsplaysacriticaland,often,contestedroleinlocal,state,nationaland internationalpublicpolicy.Lifegloballyisdominatedbyeconomictransactionsanditisthequalityofeconomicdecision makingatalllevelsofsocietythatsignificantlydeterminesthewellbeingofindividualsandnations. ThestudyofEconomicsassistsstudentstobetterunderstandhowwealthisgeneratedanddistributed,andtounderstand:
l l
microeconomicconceptsthatexplainhowbusinessesandmarketsoperate macroeconomicconceptsthathelptoexplainhowanationseconomyworks.
Itenablesstudentstounderstandtheimportanceofentrepreneurshipandenterpriseingeneratingahealthyeconomy. Economicsprovidesstudentswiththeknowledgeandskillstoengagewitheconomicmattersandtoconsidertheeffectsof alternativeeconomicdecisionsonthemselvesandothers.Theyaretheninabetterpositionto:

l l l
actrationallyandethicallywhenmakingeconomicandpersonalfinancialdecisions appreciatethecomplexityofeconomicdecisionmaking understandtheeconomicdecisionsmadebyothers.
Notonlycantheymanagetheirpersonalaffairsbetter,theycanbemoreeffectiveandproductivemembersofsocietyasthey arecapableofmakingreasonablejudgmentsonpublicpolicyissuesthathaveabearingontheirpersonalprospectsand thoseofthenation.
StructureofTheHumanitiesEconomicsdomain
TheEconomicsdomaininAusVELSusesasixlevelstructurefromLevels5to10tobothreflectthedesignofthenew AustralianCurriculumandtoprovideaconsistentstructureacrossalltheAusVELSdomains. Eachlevelincludesalearningfocusstatementandasetofstandardsorganisedbydimension.Aglossaryisincludedwhich providesdefinitionsofunderlinedterms.
Learningfocus
LearningfocusstatementsarewrittenforLevels5to10.AtFoundationtoLevel4,basicconceptsrelatedtohistory, geographyandeconomicsareincludedunderthegeneralumbrellaofTheHumanities.Learningfocusstatementsoutline thelearningthatstudentsneedtofocusoniftheyaretoprogressinthedomainandachievethestandardsatthelevels wheretheyapply.Theysuggestappropriatelearningexperiencesfromwhichteacherscandrawtodeveloprelevantteaching andlearningactivities.
Standards

Standardsdefinewhatstudentsshouldknowandbeabletodoatdifferentlevelsandarewrittenforeachdimension.Inthe Humanities,standardsforassessingandreportingonstudentachievementareintroducedatLevel3.Thesefocuson historicalandgeographicalknowledgeandunderstanding.SpecificstandardsforEconomicsapplyfromLevel5.
Dimensions
StandardsintheEconomicsdomainareorganisedintwodimensions:
l l
Economicknowledgeandunderstanding Economicreasoningandinterpretation.
Economicknowledgeandunderstanding
TheEconomicknowledgeandunderstandingdimensionfocusesoneconomicconcepts,principles,methodsandmodels. Studentslearnhowtheirneedsandwantsaremetandunderstandtheirrolesasproducers,workersandconsumersand recognisetheimpactofmarketforces.Theylearnthateconomicdecisionsareabouttheallocationofresourcesinproducing goodsandservicesandaboutthedistributionoftheproceedsofproductionandthatthesedecisionshavelocal,national andglobalconsequences.Theyexploretheimportanceandtheroleofenterpriseandentrepreneurshipintheproduction processandintheconstruction,developmentandprosperityofaneconomicsystem. Studentslearnhowtomanagetheirpersonalfinancesandhowtobeinformedconsumers.Theyexploretheworldofworkin ordertodeveloptheabilitytomakeinformeddecisionsabouttheirfutureeducationandtrainingneeds,andemployment. StudentsinvestigatefactorsaffectingtheAustralianandinternationaleconomiesandtheroleofgovernmentinestablishing conditionsforeconomicactivityandtheydeveloptheabilitytouseeconomicknowledgeandunderstandingtoevaluate economicdecisionsandpolicies.
Economicreasoningandinterpretation
TheEconomicreasoningandinterpretationdimensioncoversthenatureofeconomicthinking.Studentslearntouseand practiserational,objectivedecisionmakingbyapplyingeconomicreasoning,includingthefundamentaleconomicconcepts ofopportunitycostandcostbenefitanalysis,tosolveproblemswhichassisttheminunderstandingtheeconomy,society andenvironment.Theydevelopanabilitytoidentify,collectandprocessdatafromarangeofsources,includingelectronic media,andtointerprettables,chartsandgraphsdisplayingeconomicdata.Theylearntoclarifyandjustifypersonalvalues andattitudesaboutissuesaffectingtheeconomy,societyandenvironment.Theydevelopanunderstandingofthestrengths andlimitationsofeconomicreasoninganditsrelationshiptoothersourcesofdecisionmaking.
StagesofLearninginTheHumanitiesEconomics
AusVELStakesaccountofthedevelopmentalstagesoflearningyoungpeopleexperienceatschool.Whilestudentlearning isacontinuumanddifferentstudentsdevelopatdifferentrates,theybroadlyprogressthroughthreestagesoflearning. Thefollowingstatementsdescribewaysinwhichthesecharacteristicsrelatetolearningexperiencesandstandardsineach ofthethreestagesoflearningintheEconomicsdomain. Acrossthestagesoflearningstudentsareintroducedtokeyeconomicthemesandthenrevisitthesekeythemesinorderto embedunderstandingsandbuildtheireconomic,consumerandfinancialliteracies.Studentsdevelopeconomicknowledge andunderstandingsandtheabilitytouseeconomicreasoningandinterpretationskillsandindoingso,recognisethe importanceoftheseknowledge,skillsandbehavioursinensuringAustraliasfutureeconomicgrowth,developmentand livingstandards.
FoundationtoLevel4Layingthefoundations

InFoundationtoLevel4,learningabouteconomicstakesplacethroughthegeneralHumanitiesdomain.Studentsare introducedtoeconomicknowledgeandthenatureofeconomicthinkingbymakingobservationsabouttheirworldandtheir interactionswithit.Theyexplorehowtheirneeds(forexample,food,clothing,shelter)andwants(forexample,askateboard, anelectronicgame)aremet.Theyalsoidentifyresources(land,minerals,labour,machinery)usedathome,atschoolandin thelocalcommunityanddescribehowsomeoftheseresourcesareusedtomeetparticularneeds.Theybegintoinvestigate waysinwhichresourcesareallocatedwithintheirfamily,schoolandlocalcommunity.Theybegintolearnhowandwhy resourcesareusedandmanaged,reflectingtheinterdependenceofcommunitiesandtheneedforsustainability. Intheselevels,studentsbegintocomparedifferenttypesofworkandenterpriseintheirlocalcommunityandidentifythe specificjobsandthevarietyoftasksinvolvedindifferentworkplacessuchastheirschool.Theyusethisknowledgeto describethenatureofworkandrelateittocontemporaryissues,suchastheimpactoftechnologicalchange. Theybegintodevelopaneconomicvocabularytodiscuss,forexample,needs,wants,markets,goods,services,money, banking,choice,buying,selling,workandtrade.Theyusethisvocabularytodescribeandexplaintheirobservationsandto framequestionsrelatingtoeconomicdecisions.Theyareintroducedtothelinksbetweentheeconomy,societyand environment.
Levels5to8Buildingbreadthanddepth
InLevels5to8studentsdevelopfurtherknowledgeofeconomicconceptslearnedinFoundationtoLevel4.Therelevanceof economicsisillustratedandreinforcedthroughexamplesdrawnfrompersonal,localandnationalexperience.Studentsare introducedtorelevanteconomictheories,modelsandsystemssuchasthemarketsystemandthewaystheseareusedto helpexplainwhathappensandwhyandtheycontinuetoexpandtheireconomicvocabulary.Theyexplainhoweconomic decisionmakingaffectstheuseofresourcesanddescribetherelationshipbetweenspendingandresourceuse.They analysethenatureandmeaningofwork,appreciatingthedifferencebetweenpaidandunpaidworkanditsrelationshipto otheractivitiesinpeopleslivessuchasleisure.Theyexamineviewsaboutdifferenttypesofworkandenterpriseandidentify particularskillsinarangeofjobsandexaminehowtheyareacquired. Studentslearntouseandpractiserational,objectivedecisionmakingbyapplyingeconomicreasoningandcostbenefit analysistosolveproblemswhichassisttheminunderstandingthewayresourcesareallocatedbothpersonallyandinthe economy.Theydevelopanabilitytoidentify,collectandprocesseconomicdatafromarangeofsources,includingelectronic mediaandbegintousetheinquiryprocesstoplaneconomicsinvestigations,analysedataandformconclusionssupported byevidence.Studentsbegintodevelopskillstocontestideas,todebateandtouseevidencetoformandexpressopinions oneconomicissuesthatinterestand/orimpactonthempersonallyandonsociety.
Levels9to10Developingpathways
InLevels9to10,studentsdevelopconfidenceintheirabilitytoidentifyeconomicproblems,alternatives,costs,andbenefits analysetheincentivesatworkineconomicsituationsexaminetheconsequencesofchangesineconomicconditionsand publicpoliciescollectandorganiseeconomicevidenceandweighcostsagainstbenefits.Theyareprogressivelymore independentlearnersandabletosystematicallyplantheirowninvestigationsandusetheskillsofposingquestions,testing hypotheses,collectingdata,analysis,synthesis,criticalthinking,decisionmakingandformingconclusionssupportedby evidence. Studentsinterpretmediareportsaboutcurrenteconomicconditionslocally,nationallyandgloballyandexplainhowthese conditionscaninfluencedecisionsmadebyconsumers,producersandgovernmentpolicymakers.Predictionsaboutthe economicconsequencesofproposedgovernmentpoliciesaredevelopedandinformedopinionsaremadeconcerning alternativepublicpolicyproposals.Studentsdevelopanabilitytopredicttheimpactofeconomicpoliciesonthemselvesand others.

Studentsexplorewhatitmeanstobeanethicalproducerandconsumerandtheroleofvaluesineconomicdecisionmaking ofproducersandconsumers.Theyexaminewayspoliticalandfinancialsystemsandinstitutionsimpactoneconomicactivity andthewelfareofcitizens.Studentsdevelopanunderstandingofhowtheeconomyismanagedandareawarethat economicpoliciesadvancedbygovernmentswillhaveanimpactonthempersonallyandontheirfellowcitizens.Students investigateeconomicdisparityacrosstheglobeandstudentsseekreasonsforwhythismightbesoandwhatcouldbedone tomakeresourcedistributionmoreequitableamongstnations.Theyrecognisetheimportanceofeconomicallyliterate citizenstoAustraliasfutureeconomicgrowthanddevelopment. Studentsdeveloptheabilitytousedatatoanalyseeconomicperformanceofbusinessandeconomies.Studentsbecome moreconfidentinusingeconomicreasoning,includingcost/benefitanalysis,tosolveproblemswhichassisttheminmaking meaningabouttheeconomy,societyandenvironmentandtoclarifyandjustifyvaluesandattitudesaboutissuesaffectingthe economy,societyandenvironment. Studentsidentifydifferentwaystomanagepersonalresourcesbyreferringtotheirownandothersexperiencesofresource management.Theyexaminefactorsthatinfluencepersonalfinancialwellbeingandarebuildingtheirowncapacityin relationtofinancialliteracy.Theydeveloptheabilitytoapplyknowledgeandskillstotheirpersonalfinancialcircumstances. Studentslearnabouttherelationshipbetweeneducation,trainingandworkoptions.Theydevelopandapplyappropriate knowledge,skillsandbehavioursfortransitiontoemploymentand/orfurthereducationandtraining.Theylearnabout enterpriseskillsandattributesandhowenterpriseandinnovationaffecttheeconomy,societyandenvironment.
ExamplesacrosstheStagesoflearning
TheEconomicsstandardshavebeenwrittenaroundtheideaofthecurriculumasaspiralratherthanlinealprogression. Thismeansthatkeyconceptsandthemesassociatedwithresourceallocationandecologicalsustainability,consumerand financialliteracy,enterprise,innovationandworkrelatededucationareexaminedandreviewedoverarangeoflevelssothat theknowledge,skillsandbehavioursbecomeembeddedacrossthestagesoflearning.Seethetablebelowforsome examples. FoundationtoLevel 4 Identifyand investigate issuesrelated toresource allocation, ecological sustainability andeconomic activities Studentsdescribea varietyofeconomic thoseinwhichthey areinvolvedsuchas shopping,makinga sandwich,tendinga garden,keepinga pet EconomicsStandards Level6 EconomicsStandards Level8 EconomicsStandards Level10 Studentsappreciatethe complexityofeveryform ofeconomicactivityand thewaysresourcesare allocatedwhetherwithin internationalsetting, understandingthe sourcesofconflict motivesforeconomic activity.
Studentsunderstandthat Studentsdistinguish resourcesarelimitedin wantsandthatpeople makechoicesbecause theywant.Studentsare abletoidentifysome choicestheyhavemade tomakeachoice. betweentheuse, ownershipand managementof resourcesinpersonal, contextsandappreciate thateconomicchoices involvetradeoffsthat futureconsequences.
activities,inparticular relationtounlimited
theycan'thaveeverything businessandcommunity theirfamilycontextor
andexplainwhytheyhad havebothimmediateand betweendifferent

Identifyand investigate issuesrelated tothenature andmeaningof work. Studentsrecognise andareableto identifyavarietyof jobsusing categoriesor pictures. Studentsdistinguish workandcompare differenttypesofwork andenterpriseinthe localcommunity. Studentsdescribe ofemploymentand opportunitiesforcurrent andfuturework,and explaintherelationship betweeneducation, trainingandwork opportunities Studentsdemonstrate skillsrequiredformoving fromschoolto employmentorfurther education.
betweenpaidandunpaid factorsthataffectchoice
Useskillsof economic reasoningand interpretation.
Studentsorganise informationfroma reviewindividual economicactions suchassavingfora treatorrecycling waste.
Studentsorganise informationfroma reviewgroupeconomic tobuyanewpetforthe familyororganisinga schoolfair.
Studentsorganise informationfroma numberofsourcesto
Studentsorganise informationfroma numberofsourcesto viewsaboutsome internationaleconomic issuesuchaswhether Australiashould increasetheintakeof skilledmigrantsorwhy Australianeedsexports.
numberofsourcesto numberofsourcesto
advocateandreviewtheir advocateandreviewtheir ornationaleconomic issuesuchaswhether tollsshouldbecharged onanewfreewayintheir areaorwhether unemployedpeople shouldworkforthedole.
actionssuchasplanning viewsaboutsomelocal
Level5
LearningFocus
AsstudentsworktowardstheachievementofLevel6standardsinEconomics,theylearnaboutthenatureofthe economicproblem(scarcity):thatis,thatourneedsandwantsareunlimitedbuttheresourcesavailabletosatisfythese wantsarelimited.Theyexplorehowthecommunitydefines,classifiesandusesresources.Theylearnaboutthe processesofconsumption,productionanddistributioninmeetingneedsandwants,andtheroleofconsumers,workers andproducersintheeconomy.Theyconsiderfactorsaffectingtheirspendingandwhyitisimportanttobeaninformed consumerwhenmakingspendingdecisions.Theyinvestigatetheimportanceofpersonalmoneymanagementandthe roleofbanking,budgetingandsaving. Studentsconsiderthenatureandmeaningofworkanditsrelationshiptootheractivitiesinpeople'slives,including leisure.Theyexaminevarioustypesofworkandenterpriseinarangeofsettings,includinghome,schoolandthe community,andidentifythedifferentnaturesofpaidandunpaidwork. Studentsusetheinquiryprocesstoplaninvestigationsabouteconomicissuesinthehome(forexample,whichmobile phoneorpairofrunnerstobuy),school(forexample,whichbuscompanytohireforanexcursion)orlocalcommunity(for example,whetherasmallfactoryorresidentialtownhousesshouldbebuiltonavacantlotnexttotheschool)andform conclusionssupportedbyevidence. Studentspractisecontestingideas,debatingandusingevidencetoformandexpressopinionsoneconomicissuesthat interestand/orhaveanimpactonthemselvesandonsociety,particularlytheirlocalcommunity. Theyexpandtheireconomicvocabularytoincludesuchtermsasconsumption,production,distribution,enterpriseand identify,andlearntocollectandprocessdatafromarangeofsources,includingelectronicmedia.
Standards
The Humanities - Geography

2 2 2 3 6 6
IntroductiontoTheHumanitiesGeography
Geographyisthestudyofphysicalandhumanenvironmentsfromaspatialperspective.Itprovidesstudentswiththe knowledgeandskillstoobserveanddescribeplacesonthesurfaceoftheEarthandtoanalyseandprovideexplanations fromaspatialperspectiveofhumanandphysicalphenomenaandtheircomplexinteractions.Studentsevolving understandingoftheirworldprovidesabasisforevaluatingstrategiesforthesustainableuseandmanagementofthe worldsresources. Geographersuseanumberofspatialconcepts(suchaslocation,distribution,spatialinteractionandscale)astoolstohelp themtoinvestigate,interpretandexplainpatternsonthesurfaceoftheEarthandtheprocessesthatcreatedthem.These spatialconceptsprovideauniqueconceptualstructureandframeworkofideasforageographicinvestigationofphenomena andprovidethekeytodeterminingmeasuresofthespatialvariationbetweenplaces.TheessenceoftheGeographydomain isthatitisaninquirybasedapproachwhichfocusesonquestionsofwhat,where,how,why,whatimpact,whatought. Thefundamentaltoolofgeographyisthemap,andinaworldwhereover75percentofdataisreferencedspatiallytoa location,geographicunderstandingisavitalskill.TheessentialskillsstudentsdevelopinGeographyaretheabilityto:
l
identifyandcollectevidencefrom l primarysourcesthroughfieldwork
l l
secondarysources,includingmapsatavarietyofscales,photographs,satelliteimages,statisticaldata informationandcommunicationstechnologybasedresources
record,representandinterpretdataindifferenttypesofmaps,graphs,tables,sketches,diagramsandphotographs.
StructureofTheHumanitiesGeographyDomain
TheGeographydomaininAusVELSusesasixlevelstructurefromLevels5to10tobothreflectthedesignofthenew AustralianCurriculumandtoprovideaconsistentstructureacrossalltheAusVELSdomains. Eachlevelincludesalearningfocusstatementandasetofstandardsorganisedbydimension.Aglossaryisincludedwhich providesdefinitionsofunderlinedterms.
Learningfocus
LearningfocusstatementsarewrittenforLevels5to10.AtFoundationtoLevel4,basicconceptsrelatedtohistory, geographyandeconomicsareincludedunderthegeneralumbrellaofTheHumanities.Learningfocusstatementsoutline thelearningthatstudentsneedtofocusoniftheyaretoprogressinthedomainandachievethestandardsatthelevels wheretheyapply.Theysuggestappropriatelearningexperiencesfromwhichteacherscandrawtodeveloprelevantteaching andlearningactivities.
Standards
Standardsdefinewhatstudentsshouldknowandbeabletodoatdifferentlevelsandarewrittenforeachdimension.Inthe Humanities,standardsforassessingandreportingonstudentachievementareintroducedatLevel3.Thesefocuson historicalandgeographicalknowledgeandunderstanding.SpecificstandardsforGeographyapplyfromLevel5.
Dimensions
StandardsintheGeographydomainareorganisedintwodimensions:
l
Geographicalknowledgeandunderstanding

l
Geospatialskills.
Geographicalknowledgeandunderstanding
TheGeographicalknowledgeandunderstandingdimensioncoversthepatternsandinteractionsofphysicalandhuman phenomenaonthesurfaceoftheEarthandtheprocessesthatcreatedthem.Itfocusesonspatialconcepts:location, distance,distribution,location,movement,region,scale,spatialchangeovertime,spatialassociation,spatialinteractionand scale.Theseconceptsunderpinthekindsofquestionsgeographersaskandhelpstudentstoorganisethevastamountof informationandideasthatgeographyusestounderstandtheregularities,intricaciesanduncertaintiesofoccurrencesonthe Earthssurface. Studentslearntoaskaseriesofgeographicalquestionsandfollowaninquirybasedapproachincorporatingidentification, observation,description,analysis,explanation,synthesisandevaluation.Thisextendstheirunderstandingandprovides studentswithawellresearched,informedspatialperspectivetoapplytolocalandglobalissues,includingsustainableuse andmanagementoftheworldsresources.
Geospatialskills
IntheGeospatialskillsdimensionstudentsreadandinterpretmapsofdifferentkindsandatdifferentscales,includingstreet directories,atlasmaps,ordnancesurveymapsandtopographicmaps.Studentsidentifyandcollectinformationfrommaps, plans,photographs,satelliteimages,statisticaldata,andinformationandcommunicationstechnologybasedresources andrecordandrepresentdataindifferenttypesofmaps,graphs,tables,sketches,diagramsandphotographs.Students developskillsingatheringinformationfirsthandfromfieldworkstudies.Theymakeobservations,takefieldmeasurements, conductsurveysandinterviews,mapandrecordphenomenainarangeofsettings.
StagesofLearninginTheHumanitiesGeography
AusVELStakesaccountofthedevelopmentalstagesoflearningyoungpeopleexperienceatschool.Whilestudentlearning isacontinuumanddifferentstudentsdevelopatdifferentrates,theybroadlyprogressthroughthreestagesoflearning. Thefollowingstatementsdescribewaysinwhichthesecharacteristicsrelatetolearningexperiencesandstandardsineach ofthethreestagesoflearningintheGeographydomain. Geographyhelpsstudentstounderstandtheirindividualworldandtheglobalworldinspatialterms.Geographyhelpsto developanunderstandingofglobalcitizenshipandthewaysinwhichplacesandenvironmentsareinterdependent. FoundationtoLevel4Layingthefoundations InFoundationtoLevel4,geographylearningtakesplacethroughthegeneralHumanitiesdomain.Asastartingpointfor learningstudentsengagewiththeirownexperiencestohelpthemunderstandtheworldaroundthem.Studentsdeveloptheir spatialawarenessthroughaconsiderationofthelocalcommunity,thedifferentgroupsinsocietyandtheirplaceinoneor moregroups.Byseeingandhearingaboutotherplacesoutsidetheirexperience,theirsenseofcuriosityandwonderleads themtoconsiderhowandwhyotherplacesaredifferentfromtheirown.TowardstheendofLevel4studentsdistinguishand describethenaturalandbuiltfeaturesoftheenvironmentsidentifyingandexplainingchanges.Theymakecomparisons betweenavarietyofplacesanddeveloptheirunderstandingofthegeographyofVictoria.Theybegintodevelopan understandingoftheinterconnectednatureoftheworld.

Throughstructuredexperienceswithintheirimmediateenvironmentandcommunity,studentsdevelopspatialawareness andcanbegintoorganisetheirideasthroughtheapplicationofthespatialconceptsingeographysuchaslocation,distance anddirectiontogetherwithsimplespatialassociationsandspatialchangeovertime.Intheselevelsstudentsdeveloptheir knowledgeandspatialawarenessaboutwherehome,schoolandtheplaygroundarelocatedandwheretheyareinrelation tooneanother.Theyextendtheirunderstandingtothegeographyoftheirlocalareaandinvestigateanddescribeelementsof thenaturalandhumanenvironments.Studentsdevelopavocabularytodescribetheirobservationsandinvestigations. Earlyinthisstagethegeospatialskillsofstudentsinvolvethedrawingofsimplepictorialmapsofwheretheyareinspacein relationtootherphenomena.Studentsdevelopincreasinglysophisticatedmapskillsenablingthemtovisualiseand describelocationanddirectionusinggridsandcompasspoints. Studentsexplorehowandwhynaturalfactorsandhumanactivitiesaffecttheirlives.Beginningintheirlocalenvironment,for example,selectingsaferoutestoschools(spatialconceptsoflocation,directionanddistance)theyprogresstogroupand collaborativetasksandconsiderenvironmentaldifferencesandresourcemanagementthroughoutAustralia.Students collect,recordanddescribedataobtainedthroughfieldstudysurveysandmeasurementstoformconclusionsabouttheuse ofresources. Levels5to8Buildingbreadthanddepth Intheselevelswithincreasingcognitivedevelopmentandexperience,studentsbegintodevelopabreadthofunderstanding aboutnaturalprocessesandhumanactivitiesbeyondtheirimmediateenvironment.Theydevelopanexpanded understandingofAustraliaandtheregionofwhichAustraliaisaparttheAsiaPacific.Studentsbegintoapplythemore abstractcognitiveprocessestoenvironmentalissues. Studentsapplytheirspatialawarenessinamoresophisticatedwaytomorecomplexquestionsandissuesthroughtheuse ofadditionalcoreconceptssuchasspatialinteraction,movement,regionandscale.Studentsidentifypatternsand processesinnaturalenvironmentsandhumanactivitiestounderstandincreasinglycomplexinteractionsofphysicaland humanphenomenawithinAustralianandotherenvironmentsandtogeneralisefromparticularcontexts.Theylearntousea processofinquirythatasks:What?Where?How?Why?Whatought?Theyinvestigateenvironmentalissuesandanalyse differentperspectivesandconsiderpossiblesolutionstocurrentandfuturechallengestoenablesustainableuseof resources.Theydescribeandexplainspatialchangesthroughtimefromtheirowndirectobservationandbycomparing maps,photographsandothervisualmedia. Studentsdescribespecificlocationsthroughreadingandinterpretingtopographicandotherlargescalemaps.Theyapply theirunderstandingofscale(distance),grids(location),compassbearings(direction)andlegendtoidentifyfeaturesand patternsandinterprettrendswhenusingmapsassourcesofinformation.Theyparticipateinfieldworkandusean increasingvarietyoftechniquesforcollectingandpresentingdata.Studentsapplymanyofthepracticalskillsthattheyhave acquiredoverthepreviouslevels. Levels9and10Developingpathways Intheselevelsstudentsdeveloptheabilitytoanalyseandexplainincreasinglycomplexspatialassociationsandinteractions ofnaturalsystemsandhumanactivitiesinAustraliaandinotherpartsoftheworld.Theyapplyinquirybasedstrategiesto investigateissuesandcommunicatetheirfindingsasarangeofscales:local,regional,nationalandglobal.Studentsask questionsthatfocusnotonlyonwhat,where,how,why,butalsoonwhatimpact,howoughtandwhatwillitbeinthefuture? Theybecomeincreasinglyawareofthegloballinksbetweensocieties,culturesandnaturalenvironmentsandtheimpactof globalisationontheirownandotherpeopleslives.Studentsusetheirunderstandingofsustainabilitytoevaluatevarious managementstrategiesanddeveloppoliciestoresolveanissue.

Studentsareskilledininterpretingdifferentkindsofmaps,photographsandsatelliteimagesatdifferentscales.Theyapply theirgeospatialskillssuchasmapoverlays,databasemanipulationsandgeographicinformationsystem(GIS)tothespatial analysisofphenomena. Studentsundertakefieldinvestigationstocollect,collate,analyseandevaluatedata.Theypresentdatausingavarietyof maps,graphs,photographs,diagramsandotherforms.Theyanalysefieldworkandotherdatatoprovideexplanations,make informeddecisionsanddevelopapolicyforthemanagementofalocalissuethatisimportantandrelevanttotheirlives. Aguidetointroducingthespatialconcepts Spatialconcept Fto4:Layingthe foundations 5to8:Buildingbreadthand depth 9to10:Developingpathways
Location
Introducingconceptual understanding
Applyingtheconcepts
Applyinggeographicterminology
Scale
Distance
Distribution
Region
Spatialchangeover time
Movement
Introducingconceptual understanding
Applyingconceptsand geographicterminology
Spatialassociation
Introducingandapplying conceptualunderstandingwith theuseofgeographic
Spatialinteraction
terminology
Level5
LearningFocus
AsstudentsworktowardstheachievementofLevel6standardsinGeography,theyinvestigatesomeofthesignificant naturalprocessesthatoperateacrossAustralia(forexample,rainfall,drought,flood,earthquake,cyclonesandbushfire), andhowpeoplereacttothem,includingtheirpreparationfor,andmanagementof,naturaldisasters. StudentsexplorehowhumanshaveaffectedtheAustralianenvironment.Examplescouldinclude:AboriginalandTorres StraitIslandercommunitiescareofthelandclearancebyfarmersandsubsequentproblemsoflanddegradationand salinityandprotectionofthenaturalenvironmentthroughthecreationofnatureparks,nationalparksandmarineparks. Usinganinquirybasedapproach,studentsexploreenvironmentalissuesandconsiderpossiblesolutionstocurrentand futurechallenges.Studentslearnaboutenvironmentallysensitiveareassuchaslocalremnantvegetation,rivers,alpine Victoria,GippslandLakesandnationalparksandexplorewaysofprotectingtheseuniqueenvironmentsinasustainable wayforfuturegenerations. Studentsdevelopmappingskillsanduseconventionalgeographiclanguage,includingscale,compasspointsfor direction,alphanumericgridreferencesandlegends,tolocateplaces.Theylearnaboutandinterprettheirlocation relativetootherplaces.Theybegintoidentifyfeaturesonmaps,satelliteimages,andobliquephotographsanduse mapsatdifferentscalestolocateplaces,findtheirwayaround,andplantripstovisitspecificplaces.Toenhancethe electronicpresentationstheydevelop,studentssearchforandannotaterelevantimagesfromtheInternet. Studentsparticipateinfieldworkusingsimpletechniquesforexample,collectingandrecordingdataonhowthehuman andphysicalcharacteristicsofaselectedsitearechangingorhavechanged.Theyexploreeffectivewaystocareforlocal places,andareprovidedwithopportunitiestoinitiateandparticipateinanactiononanenvironmentalissueofpersonal orgroupconcernforexample,pollutionofalocalwaterway.
Standards
The Humanities - History

TableofContents Overview RationaleandAims Contentstructure HistoryacrossFoundationtoLevel10 Achievementstandards Diversityoflearners Crosscurriculumpriorities CurriculumF10 Level5
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Rationale
Historyisadisciplinedprocessofinquiryintothepastthatdevelopsstudents'curiosityandimagination.Awarenessof historyisanessentialcharacteristicofanysociety,andhistoricalknowledgeisfundamentaltounderstandingourselvesand others.Itpromotestheunderstandingofsocieties,events,movementsanddevelopmentsthathaveshapedhumanityfrom earliesttimes.Ithelpsstudentsappreciatehowtheworldanditspeoplehavechanged,aswellasthesignificantcontinuities thatexisttothepresentday.History,asadiscipline,hasitsownmethodsandprocedureswhichmakeitdifferentfromother waysofunderstandinghumanexperience.Thestudyofhistoryisbasedonevidencederivedfromremainsofthepast.Itis interpretativebynature,promotesdebateandencouragesthinkingabouthumanvalues,includingpresentandfuture challenges.Theprocessofhistoricalinquirydevelopstransferableskills,suchastheabilitytoaskrelevantquestions criticallyanalyseandinterpretsourcesconsidercontextrespectandexplaindifferentperspectivesdevelopandsubstantiate interpretations,andcommunicateeffectively. ThecurriculumgenerallytakesaworldhistoryapproachwithinwhichthehistoryofAustraliaistaught.Itdoesthisinorderto equipstudentsfortheworld(local,regionalandglobal)inwhichtheylive.Anunderstandingofworldhistoryenhances studentsappreciationofAustralianhistory.Itenablesthemtodevelopanunderstandingofthepastandpresentexperiences ofAboriginalandTorresStraitIslanderpeoples,theiridentityandthecontinuingvalueoftheirculture.Italsohelpsstudents toappreciateAustralia'sdistinctivepathofsocial,economicandpoliticaldevelopment,itspositionintheAsiaPacificregion, anditsglobalinterrelationships.Thisknowledgeandunderstandingisessentialforinformedandactiveparticipationin Australia'sdiversesociety.
Aims
TheAustralianCurriculum:Historyaimstoensurethatstudentsdevelop:
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interestin,andenjoymentof,historicalstudyforlifelonglearningandwork,includingtheircapacityandwillingnessto beinformedandactivecitizens knowledge,understandingandappreciationofthepastandtheforcesthatshapesocieties,includingAustralian society understandinganduseofhistoricalconcepts,suchasevidence,continuityandchange,causeandeffect,perspectives, empathy,significanceandcontestability capacitytoundertakehistoricalinquiry,includingskillsintheanalysisanduseofsources,andinexplanationand communication.
ContentStructure
TheAustralianCurriculum:Historyisorganisedintotwointerrelatedstrands:HistoricalKnowledgeandUnderstandingand HistoricalSkills.
HistoricalKnowledgeandUnderstanding
Thisstrandincludespersonal,family,local,stateorterritory,national,regionalandworldhistory.Thereisanemphasison AustralianhistoryinitsworldhistorycontextatFoundationtoLevel10andafocusonworldhistoryintheseniorsecondary levels.Thestrandincludesastudyofsocieties,events,movementsanddevelopmentsthathaveshapedworldhistoryfrom thetimeoftheearliesthumancommunitiestothepresentday.

Thisstrandexploreskeyconceptsfordevelopinghistoricalunderstanding,suchas:evidence,continuityandchange,cause andeffect,significance,perspectives,empathyandcontestability.Theseconceptsmaybeinvestigatedwithinaparticular historicalcontexttofacilitateanunderstandingofthepastandtoprovideafocusforhistoricalinquiries.
HistoricalSkills
Thisstrandpromotesskillsusedintheprocessofhistoricalinquiry:chronology,termsandconceptshistoricalquestions andresearchtheanalysisanduseofsourcesperspectivesandinterpretationsexplanationandcommunication.Withinthis strandthereisanincreasingemphasisonhistoricalinterpretationandtheuseofevidence.
Relationshipbetweenthestrands
Thetwostrandsareintegratedinthedevelopmentofateachingandlearningprogram.TheHistoricalKnowledgeand Understandingstrandprovidesthecontextsthroughwhichparticularskillsaretobedeveloped.HistoricalSkillshavebeen describedinbandsofschooling(overthreelevelsatFoundationtoLevel2andattwolevelintervalsinsubsequentlevels). ThesequencinganddescriptionoftheHistoricalSkillsstrand,inbandsofschoolingwillassistinmultiageprogrammingby providingacommonfocusfortheteachingandlearningofcontentintheHistoricalKnowledgeandUnderstandingstrand.
Inquiryquestions
EachlevelfromFoundationtoLevel10includeskeyinquiryquestionsthatprovideaframeworkfordevelopingstudents historicalknowledge,understandingandskills.
Overviews
HistoricalKnowledgeandUnderstandingincludesanoverviewofthehistoricalperiodtobecoveredineachlevel710.The overviewisnotintendedtobetaughtindepthitwillconstituteapproximately10%ofthetotalteachingtimeforthelevel.The overviewcontentidentifiesimportantfeaturesofthehistoricalperiodattherelevantlevelandprovidesanexpansive chronologythathelpsstudentsunderstandbroadpatternsofhistoricalchange.
Depthstudies
Inadditiontotheoverview,HistoricalKnowledgeandUnderstandingincludesthreedepthstudiesforthehistoricalperiodat eachlevel710.Foreachdepthstudy,thereareuptothreeelectivesthatfocusonaparticularsociety,event,movementor development.ItisexpectedthatONEelectiveisstudiedindetail,whichwillconstituteapproximately30%ofthetotalteaching timeforthelevel.Thecontentineachelectiveisdesignedtoallowdetailedstudyofspecificaspectsofthehistoricalperiod. Theorderanddetailinwhichcontentistaughtisaprogrammingdecision.Contentmaybeintegratedinwaysappropriateto thespecificlocalcontextanditmaybeintegratedwiththecontentofotherdepthstudyelectives.
Relationshipbetweenoverviewsanddepthstudies
Aspartofateachingandlearningprogram,thedepthstudycontentateachlevel710maybeintegratedwiththeoverview content.Theoverviewprovidesthebroadercontextfortheteachingofdepthstudycontent.Thismeansthattheoverview contentcanprovidestudentswithanintroductiontothehistoricalperioditcanmakethelinkstoandbetweenthedepth studies,anditcanconsolidateunderstandingthroughareviewoftheperiod.
Conceptsfordevelopinghistoricalunderstanding
TheAustralianCurriculum:Historyincludesconceptsfordevelopinghistoricalunderstanding,suchas:evidence,continuity andchange,causeandeffect,perspectives,empathy,significanceandcontestability.

InFoundationtoLevel2,thereisaparticularemphasisontheconceptsofcontinuityandchange,causeandeffect,and significancewithinthecontextofpersonal,familyandlocalhistory.TheseconceptscontinuetobeafocusofstudyinLevels 36withtheinclusionofcontentrelatedtoperspectiveschallengingthenotionthatthepastisagivenandisunproblematic. InLevels710theconceptsofevidenceandcontestabilityareintroducedtofurtherdevelopstudent'sunderstandingofthe natureofhistoricalinterpretationandargument.
Leveldescriptions
Leveldescriptionsprovideanoverviewofthecontentthatisbeingstudiedatthatlevel.Theyalsoemphasisetheinterrelated natureofthetwostrandsandtheexpectationthatplanningwillinvolveintegrationofcontentfromacrossthestrands.
Contentdescriptions
TheAustralianCurriculum:Historyincludescontentdescriptionsateachlevel.Thesesetouttheknowledge,understanding andskillsthatteachersareexpectedtoteachandstudentsareexpectedtolearn.Howevertheydonotprescribeapproaches toteaching.Thecontentdescriptionshavebeenwrittentoensurethatlearningisappropriatelyorderedandthatunnecessary repetitionisavoided.However,aconceptorskillintroducedatonelevelmayberevisited,strengthenedandextendedatlater levelsasneeded.
Contentelaborations
ContentelaborationsareprovidedforFoundationtoLevel10toillustrateandexemplifycontentandtoassistteachersin developingacommonunderstandingofthecontentdescriptions.Theyarenotintendedtobecomprehensivecontentpoints thatallstudentsneedtobetaught.
Glossary
Aglossaryisprovidedtosupportacommonunderstandingofkeytermsandconceptsinthecontentdescriptions.
HistoryacrossFoundationtoLevel10
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FoundationtoLevel2:typicallystudentsfrom5to8yearsofage Levels3to6:typicallystudentsfrom8to12yearsofage Levels7to10:typicallystudentsfrom12to16yearsofage.
FoundationtoLevel2
Curriculumfocus:Awarenessoffamilyhistoryandcommunityheritage
Throughexperimentation,practiceandplay,childrenintheselevelsusetheirinterestinpeopleandhowthingsworktomake senseoftheirworld. ThishistorycurriculumenablesstudentsinFoundationtoLevel2tolearnabouttheirownsocialcontextoffamily,friendsand school,andthesignificanceofthepast.Theyengagewiththeremainsofthepastdevelopaconceptoftimeaspresent,past andfuture,andthroughroleplayusetheirimaginationtospeculateaboutthelivesofothersinthepast.
Levels3to6

Curriculumfocus:Local/nationalhistoryanduseofarangeofsources
Studentsdrawontheirgrowingexperienceoffamily,schoolandthewidercommunitytodeveloptheirunderstandingofthe worldandtheirrelationshiptootherspastandpresent.Intheselevels,studentsbegintobetterunderstandandappreciate differentpointsofviewandtodevelopanawarenessofjusticeandfairplay. ThishistorycurriculumseekstotargetthedistinctnatureoflearnersinLevels3to6byincludingcontentaboutAboriginal andTorresStraitIslandersocieties,democraticconceptsandrights,andthediversityofAustraliansociety. Inthisway,studentsdevelopanunderstandingoftheheritageoftheircommunityandoftheirabilitytocontributetoit.They becomeawareofsimilaritiesanddifferencesbetweenpeopleandbecomemoreawareofdiversityinthewidercommunity aswellastheconceptofchangeovertime.
Levels7to10
Curriculumfocus:WorldandAustralianhistory,theanalysisanduseofsourcesandhistorical interpretation
Asstudentsmoveintoadolescence,theyundergoarangeofimportantphysical,cognitive,emotionalandsocialchanges. Studentsoftenbegintoquestionestablishedconventions,practicesandvalues.Theirinterestsextendwellbeyondtheirown communitiesandtheybegintodevelopconcernsaboutwiderissues. Studentsinthisagerangeincreasinglylookforandvaluelearningthatisperceivedtoberelevant,isconsistentwithpersonal goals,and/orleadstoimportantoutcomes.Increasinglytheyareabletoworkwithmoreabstractconceptsandarekeento explorethenatureofevidenceandthecontestabilityofideas. Throughthishistorycurriculum,studentsinLevels7to10pursuebroadquestionssuchas:Howdoweknowaboutthe ancientpast?Whatkeybeliefsandvaluesemergedandhowdidtheyinfluencesocieties?Howdidthenatureofglobal conflictchangeduringthetwentiethcentury?Thiscurriculumalsoprovidesopportunitiestoengagestudentsthrough contextsthataremeaningfulandrelevanttothemandthroughpastandpresentdebates.
Curriculumstructure:FoundationtoLevel6andLevels7to10
Thecurriculumstructureateachlevel(Fto6)includesadescriptionofthecontentfocusandkeyinquiryquestions.The curriculumprovidesopportunitiesforthecontenttobetaughtusingspecificlocalcontexts. Thecurriculumstructureateachlevel(7to10)includesadescriptionofthecontentfocus,keyinquiryquestions,overviewof thehistoricalperiod,anddepthstudies.Theoverviewisdesignedtointroducethebroadcontentandcontextsforstudy.In addition,forLevels7to10therearethreedepthstudiesthatprovideanopportunitytoinvestigateaspectsingreaterdepth andthusprovidescopeforthedevelopmentofhistoricalknowledge,understandingandskills.Thecurriculumprovides opportunitiesforthecontenttobetaughtusingspecificlocalcontexts.ThestudyofhistoryinLevels7to10consistsoffour historicalperiods:
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theLevel7curriculumfocusesonhistoryfromthetimeoftheearliesthumancommunitiestotheendoftheancient period(approximately60,000BCEc.650CE)aperioddefinedbythedevelopmentofculturalpracticesandorganised societies theLevel8curriculumfocusesonhistoryfromtheendoftheancientperiodtothebeginningofthemodernperiod (c.6501750)aspanofhumanhistorymarkedbysignificanteconomic,religiousandpoliticalchange theLevel9curriculumfocusesonthemakingofthemodernworldandAustraliafrom1750to1918aneraof industrialism,nationalismandimperialism theLevel10curriculumfocusesonthehistoryofthemodernworldandAustraliafrom1918tothepresentThe twentiethcenturywasanimportantperiodinAustraliassocial,cultural,economicandpoliticaldevelopment.

TheAusVELSHistoryScopeandSequencechartisavailablefromtheVCAAwebsite.
AcrossFoundationtoLevel10,achievementstandardsindicatethequalityoflearningthatstudentsshouldtypically demonstratebyaparticularpointintheirschooling.Achievementstandardscompriseawrittendescriptionandstudentwork samples. Anachievementstandarddescribesthequalityoflearning(theextentofknowledge,thedepthofunderstanding,andthe sophisticationofskills)thatwouldindicatethestudentiswellplacedtocommencethelearningrequiredatthenextlevelof achievement. ThesequenceofachievementstandardsacrossFoundationtoLevel10describesprogressinthelearningarea.This sequenceprovidesteacherswithaframeworkofgrowthanddevelopmentinthelearningarea. Studentworksamplesplayakeyroleincommunicatingexpectationsdescribedintheachievementstandards.Eachwork sampleincludestherelevantassessmenttask,thestudentsresponse,andannotationsidentifyingthequalityoflearning evidentinthestudentsresponseinrelationtorelevantpartsoftheachievementstandard.Together,thedescriptionofthe achievementstandardandtheaccompanyingsetofannotatedworksampleshelpteacherstomakejudgmentsabout whetherstudentshaveachievedthestandard.
DiversityofLearners
TheAustralianCurriculumhasbeendevelopedtoensurethatcurriculumcontentandachievementstandardsestablishhigh expectationsforallstudents.Everystudentisentitledtoenrichinglearningexperiencesacrossallareasofthecurriculum. StudentsinAustralianclassroomshavemultiple,diverseandchangingneedsthatareshapedbyindividuallearning historiesandabilitiesaswellascultural,languagebackgroundsandsocioeconomicfactors.
TheobjectivesoftheAustralianCurriculumarethesameforallstudents.Thecurriculumoffersflexibilityforteacherstotailor theirteachinginwaysthatproviderigorous,relevantandengaginglearningandassessmentopportunitiesforstudentswith specialeducationneeds. Moststudentswithspecialeducationneedscanengagewiththecurriculumprovidedthenecessaryadjustmentsaremade tothecomplexityofthecurriculumcontentandtothemeansthroughwhichstudentsdemonstratetheirknowledge, understandingandskills. Forsomelearners,makingadjustmentstoinstructionalprocessesandtoassessmentstrategiesenablesstudentsto achieveeducationalstandardscommensuratewiththeirpeers. Forotherstudents,teacherswillneedtomakeappropriateadjustmentstothecomplexityofthecurriculumcontent,focusing instructiononcontentdifferenttothattaughttoothersintheiragegroup.Itfollowsthatadjustmentswillalsoneedtobemade tohowthestudentsprogressismonitored,assessedandreported. Forasmallpercentageofstudents,theFoundationtoLevel10curriculumcontentandachievementstandardsmaynotbe appropriatenormeaningful,evenwithadjustments.Mostofthesestudentshaveasignificantintellectualdisability.ACARA willdevelopadditionalcurriculumcontentandachievementstandardsforthisgroupofstudentsinordertoprovidean AustralianCurriculumthatisinclusiveofeverylearner.

Intheinterim,adviceabouthowtousethecurriculumwithstudentswithspecialeducationneedsisavailablehereand fromtheDEECD. SchoolscanalsocontinuetousetheVELSStudentswithDisabilitiesGuidelines(PDF615KB).Thesewillbe updatedduring2013.
ManystudentsinAustralianschoolsarelearnersofEnglishasanadditionallanguageordialect(EAL/D).LearnersofEAL/D arestudentswhosefirstlanguageisalanguageotherthanStandardAustralianEnglishandwhorequireadditionalsupport toassistthemtodevelopEnglishlanguageproficiency.WhilemanyEAL/Dlearnersdowellinschool,thereisasignificant groupoftheselearnerswholeaveschoolwithoutachievingtheirpotential. EAL/Dstudentscomefromdiversebackgroundsandmayinclude:
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EAL/DlearnersenterAustralianschoolsatdifferentagesandatdifferentstagesofEnglishlanguagelearningandhave variouseducationalbackgroundsintheirfirstlanguages.Forsome,schoolistheonlyplacetheyuseEnglish. TheaimsoftheAustralianCurriculum:Historyareultimatelythesameforallstudents.However,EAL/Dlearnersare simultaneouslylearninganewlanguageandtheknowledge,understandingandskillsofthehistorycurriculumthroughthat newlanguage.Theyrequireadditionaltimeandsupport,alongwithinformedteachingthatexplicitlyaddressestheir languageneeds,andassessmentsthattakeintoaccounttheirdevelopinglanguageproficiency. AnationalEAL/DdocumentisbeingproducedthatsupportstheAustralianCurriculum.Itprovidesadescriptionofhow languageproficiencydevelops,andisavaluablereferenceforallteachers.Itallowshistoryteacherstoidentifythelanguage levelsoftheEAL/Dlearnersintheirclassroomsandtoaddresstheirspecificlearningrequirementswhenteaching,ensuring equityofaccesstothehistorylearningareaforall. Intheinterim,adviceabouthowtousethecurriculumwithEAL/Dstudentsisavailablehere.
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AboriginalandTorresStraitIslandercommunitiesarestrong,richanddiverse.AboriginalandTorresStraitIslanderIdentityis centraltothispriorityandisintrinsicallylinkedtoliving,learningAboriginalandTorresStraitIslandercommunities,deep knowledgetraditionsandholisticworldview.

AconceptualframeworkbasedonAboriginalandTorresStraitIslanderPeoplesuniquesenseofIdentityhasbeen developedasastructuraltoolfortheembeddingofAboriginalandTorresStraitIslanderhistoriesandcultureswithinthe Australiancurriculum.ThissenseofIdentityisapproachedthroughtheinterconnectedaspectsofCountry/Place,Peopleand Culture.Embracingtheseelementsenhancesallareasofthecurriculum. TheAboriginalandTorresStraitIslanderpriorityprovidesopportunitiesforalllearnerstodeepentheirknowledgeofAustralia byengagingwiththeworldsoldestcontinuouslivingcultures.Thisknowledgeandunderstandingwillenrichtheirabilityto participatepositivelyintheongoingdevelopmentofAustralia. TheAustralianCurriculum:historyvaluesAboriginalandTorresStraitIslanderhistoriesandcultures.ItcelebratesAboriginal andTorresStraitIslanderhistoriesaspartofthesharedhistorybelongingtoallAustralians. StudentswillexaminehistoricalperspectivesfromanAboriginalandTorresStraitIslanderviewpoint.Theywilllearnabout AboriginalandTorresStraitIslanderPeoplespriortocolonisationbytheBritish,theensuingcontactanditsimpacts.They willexaminekeypoliciesandpoliticalmovementsoverthelasttwocenturies.Studentswilldevelopanawarenessofthe significantrolesofAboriginalandTorresStraitislanderpeopleinAustraliansociety.
AsiaandAustraliasengagementwithAsia
IntheAustralianCurriculum:History,thepriorityofAsiaandAustraliasengagementwithAsiaprovidesrichandengaging contentandcontextsfordevelopingstudentshistoricalknowledge,understandingandskills. TheAustralianCurriculum:HistoryenablesstudentstodevelopanunderstandingofhistoriesofthediversepeoplesofAsia andtheircontributionstotheregionandtheworld,andanappreciationoftheimportanceoftheregionforAustraliaandthe world.Thishappensasstudentslearnabouttheimportanceofthetraditions,beliefsandcelebrationsofpeoplesfromthe Asiaregionandthroughthestudyofancientsocieties,trade,conflicts,progressivemovementsandmigrationtoAustraliaby peoplefromAsia. Inthislearningarea,studentsrecognisethedynamicnatureofsociopoliticalrelationshipswithintheregionovertime,and therolethatindividuals,governmentsandotherorganisationsplayinshapingrelationshipsbetweenpeoplesandcountries. TheydevelopanappreciationofthehistoryofAustraliaAsiaengagementandhowthisinfluencescontemporary relationshipswithinAustraliansocietyandrelationshipsbetweenAustraliaandthecountriesofAsia.Studentsalso understandtheongoingroleplayedbyAustraliaandindividualAustralians,includingAustraliansofAsianheritage,inmajor eventsanddevelopmentsintheAsiaregion.
Sustainability
IntheAustralianCurriculum:History,thepriorityofsustainabilityprovidesacontextfordevelopingstudentshistorical knowledge,understandingandskills.Itassistsstudentsinunderstandingtheforcesthatinfluencecontinuityandchange. TheAustralianCurriculum:Historyprovidescontentthatsupportsthedevelopmentofstudentsworldviews,particularlyin relationtojudgmentsaboutpastsocialandeconomicsystems,andaccesstoanduseoftheEarthsresources.Itprovides opportunitiesforstudentstodevelopanhistoricalperspectiveonsustainability.Makingdecisionsaboutsustainabilitytohelp shapeabetterfuturerequiresanunderstandingofhowthepastrelatestothepresent,andneedstobeinformedby historicaltrendsandexperiences. Inthislearningarea,studentsdevelopunderstanding,forexample,ofthechangesinenvironmentsovertime,theroleplayed byindividualsandcommunitiesinprotectingenvironments,theemergenceoffarmingandsettledcommunities,the developmentoftheIndustrialRevolutionandthegrowthofpopulation,theoveruseofnaturalresourcesandtheriseof environmentalmovements.
Level5
TheAustralianColonies TheLevel5curriculumprovidesastudyofcolonialAustraliainthe1800s.StudentslookatthefoundingofBritish coloniesandthedevelopmentofacolony.Theylearnaboutwhatlifewaslikefordifferentgroupsofpeopleinthecolonial period.Theyexaminesignificanteventsandpeople,politicalandeconomicdevelopments,socialstructures,and settlementpatterns. Thecontentprovidesopportunitiestodevelophistoricalunderstandingthroughkeyconceptsincludingsources, continuityandchange,causeandeffect,perspectives,empathyandsignificance. Theseconceptsmaybeinvestigatedwithinaparticularhistoricalcontexttofacilitateanunderstandingofthepastandto provideafocusforhistoricalinquiries. Thehistorycontentatthislevelinvolvestwostrands:HistoricalKnowledgeandUnderstandingandHistoricalSkills. Thesestrandsareinterrelatedandshouldbetaughtinanintegratedwaytheymaybeintegratedacrosslearningareas andinwaysthatareappropriatetospecificlocalcontexts.Theorderanddetailinwhichtheyaretaughtareprogramming decisions. Aframeworkfordevelopingstudentshistoricalknowledge,understandingandskillsisprovidedbyinquiryquestions throughtheuseandinterpretationofsources.Thekeyinquiryquestionsatthislevelare:
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WhatdoweknowaboutthelivesofpeopleinAustraliascolonialpastandhowdoweknow? HowdidanAustraliancolonydevelopovertimeandwhy? Howdidcolonialsettlementchangetheenvironment? WhatwerethesignificanteventsandwhowerethesignificantpeoplethatshapedAustraliancolonies?
HistoricalKnowledgeandUnderstanding TheAustralianColonies Reasons(economic,politicalandsocial)for theestablishmentofBritishcoloniesin Australiaafter1800.(ACHHK093) Elaborations

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investigatingthereasonsfortheestablishmentofoneormore Britishcoloniessuchasapenalcolony(forexampleMoreton Bay,VanDiemensLand)oracolonythatlaterbecameastate (forexampleWesternAustralia,Victoria)

Thenatureofconvictorcolonialpresence, includingthefactorsthatinfluencedpatternsof development,aspectsofthedailylifeofthe inhabitants(includingAboriginalPeoplesand TorresStraitIslanderPeoples)andhowthe environmentchanged.(ACHHK094)
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investigatingcoloniallifetodiscoverwhatlifewaslikeatthat timefordifferentinhabitants(forexampleaEuropeanfamilyand anAboriginalorTorresStraitIslanderLanguagegroup,a convictandafreesettler,asugarcanefarmerandan indenturedlabourer)intermsofclothing,diet,leisure,paidand unpaidwork,language,housingandchildrens'lives'. mappinglocal,regionalandstate/territoryruralandurban settlementpatternsinthe1800s,andnotingfactorssuchas geographicalfeatures,climate,waterresources,thediscovery ofgold,transportandaccesstoportfacilitiesthatshapedthese patterns investigatingtheimpactofsettlementontheenvironment(for examplecomparingthepresentandpastlandscapeandthe floraandfaunaofthelocalcommunity) investigatinganeventordevelopmentandexplainingits economic,socialandpoliticalimpactonacolony(forexample theconsequencesoffrontierconflicteventssuchastheMyall CreekMassacre,thePinjarraMassacretheimpactofSouth SeaIslandersonsugarfarmingandthetimberindustrythe impactoftheEurekaStockadeonthedevelopmentof democracy) creatingwhatifscenariosbyconstructingdifferentoutcomes forakeyevent,forexampleWhatifPeterLalorhadencouraged goldminerstopayratherthanresistlicencefees? identifyingthereasonswhypeoplemigratedtoAustraliainthe 1800s(forexampleasconvictsassistedpassengers indenturedlabourerspeopleseekingabetterlifesuchasgold minersandthosedislocatedbyeventssuchastheIndustrial Revolution,theIrishPotatoFamineandtheHighland Clearances) investigatingtheexperiencesandcontributionsofaparticular migrantgroupwithinacolony(forexampleGermansinSouth Australia,JapaneseinBroome,AfghanCameleersinthe NorthernTerritory,ChineseatPalmerRiver,PacificIslandersin theTorresStrait) connecting(whereappropriate)storiesofmigrationtostudents ownfamilyhistories investigatingthecontributionorsignificanceofanindividualor grouptotheshapingofacolonyinthe1800s(forexample groupssuchasexplorersorpastoralistsorindividualssuchas Blaxland,LawsonandWentworth,G.J.Macdonald,Elizabethand JohnMacarthur,CarolineChisholm,SaintMaryMackillop,Peter Lalor,JamesUnaipon) exploringthemotivationsandactionsofanindividualorgroup thatshapedacolony
Theimpactofasignificantdevelopmentor eventonacolonyforexample,frontierconflict, thegoldrushes,theEurekaStockade,internal exploration,theadventofrail,theexpansionof farming,drought.(ACHHK095)
ThereasonspeoplemigratedtoAustraliafrom EuropeandAsia,andtheexperiencesand contributionsofaparticularmigrantgroup withinacolony.(ACHHK096)
Therolethatasignificantindividualorgroup playedinshapingacolonyforexample, explorers,farmers,entrepreneurs,artists, writers,humanitarians,religiousandpolitical leaders,andAboriginaland/orTorresStrait Islanderpeoples.(ACHHK097) HistoricalSkills Chronology,termsandconcepts
Elaborations
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Sequencehistoricalpeopleandevents (ACHHS098)
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compilinganannotatedtimelineshowingkeystagesinthe developmentofcolonialAustraliaincludingthedateof Europeansettlementineachstate,thedatethecolonywas established,thedateofselfgovernment usinghistoricalterms(suchasthegoldera,theEureka Stockade,theMyallCreekMassacre,colony) understandingthekeyconceptsrelatedtothecontentsuchas settlement,expansion,migration,protection,development, rural,urban)
Usehistoricaltermsandconcepts (ACHHS099)
Historicalquestionsandresearch Identifyquestionstoinformanhistoricalinquiry (ACHHS100)
Elaborations
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developingkeyquestionsaboutthelocalcommunityorregion (forexample:Whywastheareasettled?Whatpeoplecameto liveinthearea?Howdidtheymaketheirliving?Howdidmen, women,andchildrenlive?) usinginternetsearchengines,museums,librarycatalogues andindexestofindmaterialrelevanttoaninquiry(forexample primarysourcessuchasstories,songs,diaries,official documents,artworks) understandingtheinternetdomainnamescom,edu,govas indicatorsoftheprovenanceofasource visitingalocalcemeteryandsurveyingthegravestofindclues aboutthepatternsofsettlement,agesandcausesofdeathin thelocalarea
Identifyandlocatearangeofrelevantsources (ACHHS101)
Analysisanduseofsources Locateinformationrelatedtoinquiryquestions inarangeofsources(ACHHS102)
Elaborations
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findingrelevanthistoricalinformationaboutcolonialAustralia fromprimaryandsecondarysources usingproformasanddatasheetstodevelopquestions,and recordinformationandsources/references examiningtwosourcesofevidencetoidentifysimilaritiesand/or differences,anddescribingwhattheyrevealaboutthepast checkingpublicationdatestoputinformationcontainedinatext inhistoricalcontext(forexamplea1965Australianhistorybook mayprovideadifferentperspectivetoonepublishedin2010)
Compareinformationfromarangeofsources (ACHHS103)
Perspectivesandinterpretations Identifypointsofviewinthepastandpresent (ACHHS104)
Elaborations
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identifyingthedifferentmotivesandexperiencesofindividuals andgroupsinthepast(forexamplethereasonspeople migratedtoAustraliaandtheirdiverseexperiences)
Explanationandcommunication
Elaborations
11

Developtexts,particularlynarrativesand descriptions,whichincorporatesource materials(ACHHS105)
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usingsourcestodevelopnarratives(forexamplereasonsfor theestablishmentofcolonies,effectsofkeydevelopmentsand eventsoncolonies,theimpactofsignificantgroupsor individualsondevelopment) usingsomeofthelanguagedevicesofnarratives,evocative vocabulary,andliterarysentencestructuresbutusingreal charactersandeventstotelltheirstory creatingvisual,oralorwrittenjournalsreflectingthedailylife experiencesofdifferentinhabitantsofaconvictorcolonial settlement usingICTtocreatepresentationswhicharesuitableforthe targetaudienceandincludetext,imagesand/oraudiovisuals. usingcommunicationtechnologiestoexchangeinformation andtofosteracollaborativeresponse(forexampleawiki)
Usearangeofcommunicationforms(oral, graphic,written)anddigitaltechnologies (ACHHS106)
BytheendofLevel5,studentsidentifythecausesandeffectsofchangeonparticularcommunities,anddescribeaspectsof thepastthatremainedthesame.Theydescribethedifferentexperiencesofpeopleinthepast.Theydescribethe significanceofpeopleandeventsinbringingaboutchange. Studentssequenceeventsandpeople(theirlifetime)inchronologicalorder,usingtimelines.Whenresearching,students developquestionstoframeanhistoricalinquiry.Theyidentifyarangeofsourcesandlocateandrecordinformationrelatedto thisinquiry.Theyexaminesourcestoidentifypointsofview.Studentsdevelop,organiseandpresenttheirtexts,particularly narrativesanddescriptions,usinghistoricaltermsandconcepts.
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Information and Communications Technology

2 2 2 4 6 6
IntroductiontoInformationandCommunicationsTechnology
Informationandcommunicationstechnology(ICT)isthehardwareandsoftwarethatenablesdatatobedigitallyprocessed, storedandcommunicated.ICTcanbeusedtoaccess,process,manageandpresentinformationmodelandcontrolevents constructnewunderstandingandcommunicatewithothers. ICT,aninterdisciplinarydomain,focusesonprovidingstudentswiththetoolstotransformtheirlearningandtoenrichtheir learningenvironment.Theknowledge,skillsandbehavioursidentifiedforthisdomainenablestudentsto:
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developnewthinkingandlearningskillsthatproducecreativeandinnovativeinsights developmoreproductivewaysofworkingandsolvingproblemsindividuallyandcollaboratively createinformationproductsthatdemonstratetheirunderstandingofconcepts,issues,relationshipsandprocesses expressthemselvesincontemporaryandsociallyrelevantways communicatelocallyandgloballytosolveproblemsandtoshareknowledge understandtheimplicationsoftheuseofICTandtheirsocialandethicalresponsibilitiesasusersofICT.
Learninginthisdomainenablesstudentstofocusonthetasktobeaccomplishedratherthanonthetechnologytheyare usingtodothework.Throughtheselectionandapplicationofappropriateequipment,techniquesandprocedures,they processdataandinformationskilfullytocreateinformationproductsinformsthataremeaningfulforthemselvesandtheir audience.Theseproductseffectivelydemonstratetheirknowledgeandunderstandingoftheconcepts,issues,relationships andprocessesthatarethesubjectofthetask. Studentsareprovidedwithtoolsandstrategiestomonitorlearningpatternsandproblemsolvingstrategies.Thisprovidesa soundfoundationfortransformingpersonallearning.TheygainanunderstandingofInternetprotocolsandstrategiesfor exchanginginformation,whichenablesthemtoshareandchallengetheirownandotherpeoplesideasandsolutionswitha globalaudience.
StructureoftheInformationandCommunicationsTechnologyDomain
TheInformationandCommunicationsTechnologydomaininAusVELSusesanelevenlevelstructuretobothreflectthe designofthenewAustralianCurriculumandtoprovideaconsistentstructureacrossalltheAusVELSdomains(formore details,pleaseseeOverview). Eachlevelincludesalearningfocusstatementand,whereapplicable,asetofstandardsorganisedbydimension.A glossaryisincludedwhichprovidesdefinitionsofunderlinedterms.
Learningfocus
Standards
Standardsdefinewhatstudentsshouldknowandbeabletodoatdifferentlevelsandarewrittenforeachdimension.In InformationandCommunicationsTechnology,standardsforassessingandreportingonstudentachievementapplyfrom Level2.StandardsareorganisedbydimensionsfromLevel4.
Dimensions

StandardsintheInformationandCommunicationsTechnologydomainareorganisedinthreedimensions.
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ICTforvisualisingthinking ICTforcreating ICTforcommunicating.
ICTforvisualisingthinking
IntheICTforvisualisingthinkingdimensionstudentsuseICTtoolstoassisttheirthinkingprocessesandreflectonthe thinkingstrategiestheyusetodevelopunderstanding. ICTprovidesarichandflexiblelearnercentredenvironmentinwhichstudentscanexperimentandtakeriskswhen developingnewunderstanding.Itsextensivecapabilitiesallowstudents,byvisuallycodingandrepresentingtheirthinking,to clarifythoughts,andtoidentifypatternsandformrelationshipsbetweennewandexistingknowledge. ICTtoolsthatfacilitatevisualthinkingareonesthatallowideasandinformationinallareasofthecurriculumtobeeasilyand quicklydrafted,filtered,reorganised,refinedandsystematicallyassessedinordertomakemeaningforstudents. Studentsuselinguisticandnonlinguisticrepresentations,suchasgraphicorganisers,ICTgeneratedsimulationsand modelsandICTcontrolledmodelstohelpstructuretheirthinkingprocessesandassistinconstructingknowledge. UsingICT,studentsrecordtheirdecisionsandactionswhensolvingproblemsandclarifyingthoughts.Theymonitorthe changesintheirthinkingandevaluatetheirownandothersthinkingstrategies.Studentsreviewtheserecordstoassess theirsuitabilityfornewsituations.
ICTforcreating
TheICTforcreatingdimensionfocusesonstudentsusingICTtoolsforcreatingsolutionstoproblemsandforcreating informationproducts.Throughtheselectionandapplicationofappropriateequipment,techniquesandprocedures,students learnto:
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processdataandinformationtocreatesolutionstoproblemsandinformationproductsthatdemonstratetheir knowledgeandunderstandingsoftheconcepts,issues,relationshipsandprocessesrelatedtoallareasofthe curriculum managetheirfilestosecuretheircontentsandenableefficientretrieval planandmonitortheprogressofextendedtasks.
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StudentslearntouseICTefficientlytocapture,validateandmanipulatedataforrequiredpurposes.Inordertoimprovethe appearanceandfunctionalityofinformationproductsandsolutions,theyapplycommonlyacceptedconventions.They examinetheethicalandlegalimplicationsofusingICTinarangeofsettingssuchasthehome,schoolandtheworkplace. StudentsevaluatetheusefulnessofICTforsolvingdifferenttypesofproblemsandreflectontheeffectivenessoftheirown useofICT.
ICTforcommunicating
TheICTforcommunicatingdimensionfocusesonstudentsusingICTto:
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presentideasandunderstandingstoaudiences communicatewithknownandunknownaudiences supportknowledgebuildingamongteams.

StudentsuseICTtosupportoralpresentationstolivelocalaudiencesandtopresentideasandunderstandingstounknown, remoteaudiences.TheyuseICTtocommunicatewithothers,bothknownandunknown,withthepurposeofseekingand discussingalternativeviews,acquiringexpertopinions,sharingknowledgeandexpressingideas.Studentsalsolocate informationfromarangeofonlineandmultimediaresourcestosupporttheirownlearning. ICTsupportsknowledgebuildingamongteamsandenablesteammemberstocollaborate,enquire,interactandintegrate priorknowledgewithnewunderstanding. Protocolsforreceiving,transferringandpublishingideasandinformationareneededtopromotecommunicationthat respectsintendedaudiences.
StagesofLearninginInformationandCommunicationsTechnology
AusVELStakesaccountofthedevelopmentalstagesoflearningyoungpeopleexperienceatschool.Whilestudentlearning isacontinuumanddifferentstudentsdevelopatdifferentrates,theybroadlyprogressthroughthreestagesoflearning. Thefollowingstatementsdescribewaysinwhichthesecharacteristicsrelatetolearningexperiencesandstandardsineach ofthethreestagesoflearningintheInformationandCommunicationsTechnology(ICT)domain. StudentsbeginusingICTtocreatesimpleinformationproductsandtoaccesslearningtools.ByapplyingICTinarangeof contexts,studentsdevelopknowledge,skillsandbehavioursfortheeffectiveuseofICTforlearninginalldomains.They becomecriticalusersofICTforlearningandcommunicating,andcreatinginformationproducts.TheylearntouseICTtools tovisualisetheirthinkingandrecordtheirthinkingstrategiesforuseinfutureproblemsolvingactivities.Theyprogressto maintainingadigitalrecordofevidenceoftheirlearninginalldomainsthatenablesthemtoreflectonlearninghowtolearn. Electroniccommunicationtoolsareintroducedinstudentsfirstlevelsatschoolandmorecomplex,contemporary communicationtoolsaregraduallyintroduceduntilstudentsbecomeconfidentusersofthetechnologyforcommunicating withexpertsandparticipatinginonlineforumsasbothcontributorsandbeneficiariesofknowledge. FoundationtoLevel4Layingthefoundations Earlyinthisstagestudentsbecomefamiliarwiththemaincomponentsofacomputeranddeveloptheirhandeye coordinationbyusingamousetocontrolthecursor/pointeronthescreen.Studentsenterandmanipulatedatatocreate simpleinformationproducts. StudentsprogressbyusingICTtoorganise,reviseandclassifyideastoassisttheirthinkingprocesses.Theyaccess publishedmultimediaresourcesandareencouragedtothinkcriticallyabouthowtheseresourcessupporttheirlearning. LaterinthisstagestudentsuseICTtosolveproblems,expressideasandpresentinformationtodifferentaudiences.They applysimpleformattingandeditingtechniquesinordertoimprovetheappearanceandaccuracyofinformationtheycreate foraudiences.TheyexperimentwithsimpleICTtoolsandstrategiestomakevisualtheirthinkingprocessesandbeginto considerhowthesetoolscanbeusedforsolvingnewproblems.Theylocateandaccessinformationfromonlinesources andtheyexchangeelectronicmessageswithotherpeople.Theybegintoapplystrategiestofacilitateeasyretrievaloftheir files. Levels5to8Buildingbreadthanddepth EarlyinthisstagestudentsbecomemoreproficientintheuseofICTforthepurposesofsharingknowledgeandacquiring information.TheyuseICTtovisualisetheirthinkinginordertomakesenseofideas,conceptsandissuesfromalldomains, andtoreflectontheirlearning.

Studentsprogressbydevisingplannedapproachestoproblemsolving.Thisinvolvesdocumentingtheorderof,andtime allocationfor,individualtaskswithinextendedprojects.StudentsuseawiderrangeofICTtools,techniquesandfunctionsto supporttheirthinkingprocesses,tomodelsystems,tosolveproblemsandtocreateinformationproductsforavarietyof purposes.Theyusetheequipmentsoperatingsystemandsoftwarefunctionstomanagetheirfiles. Laterinthisstage,studentsbecomemoreproficientintheuseofInternetresearchtoolstolocateanddownloadinformation fromarangeofsources,andtheyjudgethequalityofinformation,basedonsetcriteria.Theyconformtoacceptedcodesof practicewhenusingICT,anddiscusstheconsequencesofICTuseinarangeofenvironmentsandcontextsinthe community.Studentscreateandmaintaindigitalevidenceoftheirlearninginalldomains,theevidenceexemplifyingthe progressmadeinapplyingICTknowledgeandskills. Levels9to10Developingpathways IntheselevelsstudentsuseICTtomanageindividualandcollaborativeprojects.Theyinitiateandengageinrealandvirtual teamsandcollaborativeproblemsolvinginlocalandglobalenvironments.TheyuseICTtoolstorecord,organiseand expresstheirthoughtsandcommunicatewithothers. StudentsusearangeofICTtoolsandtechniquestoassistinmonitoring,reflectingonandrefiningtheirthinkingstrategies whenaddressingcomplexissuesandsolvingcomplexproblems. StudentsselectappropriateICTtoolsforresearch,modelling,publishing,decisionmakingandproblemsolving,andassess thevalidityandappropriatenessofthesetools.Theymakejudgmentsaboutthequalityoftheirownandothersworkandact onthem. StudentsunderstandtheneedtoprotectdataandtheyuseICTtoolstoprotecttheirfilesandcontrolaccesstothem.They shareideaswithothersthrougharangeofelectronicmedia.Theydemonstrateanddiscussappropriateethicalandsocial behavioursforusersofICTandanalysetheimpactofICTinsociety.
Level5
LearningFocus
AsstudentsworktowardstheachievementofLevel6standardsinInformationandCommunicationsTechnology(ICT), theyapplyknownICTtoolsforvisualisingthinkinginnewwaystomakelinksbetweenexistingandnewknowledge.They begintousenewtools,suchasictcontrolledmodels,aprogramminglanguageorsimulationsoftware,suchas microworlds,spreadsheetsanddomainspecificmodellingsoftware,torepresentandexploreprocesses,patterns,and causeandeffectrelationships.Theylearntousetools,suchasdatabasesoftwareandgraphicorganisers,toorganise andanalysedataandinformation.Forexample,afterinterviewingpeopleofAsianculturalbackgrounds,studentsmight identifysimilaritiesanddifferencesbetweenAustralianandAsiancustomsbyusingadoublecelldiagram,whichforms avisualstructuretoaidthinking. StudentsreflectontheirexperienceinusingsuchICTtools,comparinghowtheylearnedwiththesetoolswithhowthey mightlearnfrombooks,andcomparingthevirtualworldscreatedthroughthesemodelswithreallife. StudentsuseICTtoolstoproduceinformationproductsthatdemonstratetheirknowledgeandskillsforallareasofthe curriculum.Forexample,basedontheinferencesdrawnbyusingadoublecelldiagramtoanalysethesimilaritiesand differencesbetweenAustralianandAsiancustoms,studentscouldpresenttheirnewunderstandinginmultimediaform (aninformationproduct). StudentsdeveloptheiruseofICTtoassistwithproblemsolving.Forexample,whencreatingamodelsolarpowered boatthatmeetsspecifiedcriteria,studentssupporttheirproblemsolvingstrategiesbyusingsoftwaretocreatealternative twodimensionaldesigns. Studentsexplorenewsoftwarefunctionsthatpromoteefficiencyandeffectiveness.Forexample,studentsusethefind andreplacefunctiontolocateandchangerepeatedwordsorformats(efficiency)andtheyuseborderstoseparate differentsetsofinformation(effectiveness).Theydevelopskillsinusingthreedimensionalmultimediatoolsforproblem solving,discusshowthethreedimensionalfunctionsimprovetheeffectivenessofsolutions,andbrainstormsituationsin whichthesetoolscanbeused.StudentsdevelopskillsinusingICTsystemsforcontrollingeventsinapredetermined waybywritingprogramsthat,forexample,controlaturtleorrobot,manipulateobjectsinagameorthreedimensional virtualenvironment,orrespondtoenvironmentalchangescapturedbysensors. Studentsusedesigntools,suchaslayoutdiagrams,annotateddrawingsandstoryboards,todocumentsolutionsand thelayoutofinformationproducts.Theybegintouseictpresentationconventions,incorporatingthemintotheirsolutions andinformationproductswhereappropriate.TheytesttheirproductsagainstcommonlyacceptedICTevaluationcriteria and,withassistance,refinetheirworktomeetboththecriteriaandaudienceneeds.Theydevelopandmaintainadigital bankofevidence(forexample,anelectronicportfolio),thatdemonstratestheirlearning.Thisrequiresstudents evaluating,selectingandorganisingfilesthatshowcasetheirlearningandthatareuptodateandstructuredinanorderly way.Studentsapplyfilemanagementproceduresthatassistinsecuringtheirfiles(forexample,backinguponstorage mediasuchasdisksormemorysticks),andinallowingtheeasyretrievaloffilesbyusingnamingconventionsthatare meaningful.Studentscontinuetouseergonomicpracticesthatassistinminimisingphysicalharm,suchasdoing exercisetoreduceinjuryduetorepetitiveactions.

Studentsbegintoworkinacollaborativeglobalenvironment.Theysharetheirdevelopingknowledgewiththeirpeers throughemail,andseekadvicefromothersthroughfrequentlyaskedquestions(FAQs),websitesorbydirectlyemailing experts.Studentsconsiderthesemethodsofsharinginformationwithawideraudience,anddevelopknowledgeof protocolsforsendingandreceivingelectronicinformationthroughtheInternetbycreatingandsendingemailswith attachmentsanduploadingfilestoprotectedpublicplacesonintranetsortheInternet. Whenproblemsolving,studentsuserecommendedsearchenginesandbegintorefinesearchquestionstolocate informationquicklyontheInternet.Thisinvolvesapplyingcriteriaforassessingtheintegrityofinformation,suchasthe reliabilityofthewebhostandtheaccuracyoftheinformation.
Standards
Interpersonal Development
2 2 2 3 7 7
IntroductiontoInterpersonalDevelopment
LearningintheInterpersonalDevelopmentdomainsupportsstudentstoinitiate,maintainandmanagepositivesocial relationshipswitharangeofpeopleinarangeofcontexts.Itisthroughthedevelopmentofpositivesocialrelationshipsthat individualsbecomelinkedtosociety,developasenseofbelongingandlearntoliveandworkwithothers.Inapluralistic, multiculturalsocietysuchasAustralia,withvaryinginterests,valuesandbeliefs,itisessentialthatindividualslearnto participateingroupswhosemembersarefromdiversebackgrounds.Inthisdomainthereisaparticularfocusondeveloping studentscapacitytoworkcooperativelyaspartofateamasthisiswidelyacknowledgedasbeingacorerequirementfor successintheworkplaceandinthecommunity. Buildingeffectivesocialrelationshipsandrelatingwelltoothersrequiresindividualstobeempathetic,andtobeabletodeal effectivelywiththeirownemotionsandinnermoods.Italsorequiresthemtobeawareofthesocialconventionsand responsibilitiesthatunderpintheformationofeffectiverelationships.Allsocialrelationshipshavethepotentialtocreate conflict.Studentsneedtodeveloptheskillsandstrategiestomanageandresolveconflictinasensible,fairandeffective mannerandnotseeitassomethingtoavoidoreliminate. Workingcooperativelyaspartofateamrequirestheskillsoutlinedabove.Inaddition,itrequiresindividualstobeableto balancecommitmenttothegroupanditsnormswiththeirownneeds.Thisrequirescompetenceinpresentingtheirown ideasandlisteningtothoseofothers,approachingtopicsfromdifferentviewpoints,andunderstandingtheirspecificroleand responsibilitiesinrelationtothoseofothersandtheoverallteamgoal. Relationshipswithpeersandadultsattheschoolprovidestudentswithopportunitiesforreflectionandgrowth.Adultsatthe schoolcanreinforcethislearningbyprovidingpositiverolemodels.Interactionsshouldbepositive,fair,respectfuland friendlyandbesupportedbyaclassroomculturewhichisopen,honestandaccepting. TheInterpersonalDevelopmentdomainprovidesstudentswithlearningopportunitiesandexperiencesthatwillsupporttheir learningacrossthecurriculum,particularlyinrelationtoworkinginteamswherecollaborationandcooperation,sharing resourcesandcompletingagreedtasksontimearehighlighted.Learningrelatedtobuildingsocialrelationships encouragesstudentstomaintainpositivelearningenvironmentsacrosstheirlearningprograms.
StructureoftheInterpersonalDevelopmentDomain
TheInterpersonalDevelopmentdomainusesanelevenlevelstructuretobothreflectthedesignofthenewAustralian CurriculumandtoprovideaconsistentstructureacrossalltheAusVELSdomains(formoredetails,pleaseseeOverview). Eachlevelincludesalearningfocusstatementandasetofstandards.
Learningfocus
Standards
Standardsdefinewhatstudentsshouldknowandbeabletodoatdifferentlevelsandarewrittenforeachdimension.In InterpersonalDevelopment,standardsforassessingandreportingonstudentachievementapplyfromFoundation,although atthisleveltheyarenotorganisedbydimension.
Dimensions
StandardsintheInterpersonalDevelopmentdomainareorganisedintwodimensions:
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Buildingsocialrelationships Workinginteams.
Buildingsocialrelationships
LearningintheBuildingsocialrelationshipsdimensionsupportsstudentstoinitiate,maintainandmanagepositivesocial relationshipswithadiverserangeofpeopleinarangeofcontexts.Studentslearnaboutandpractisethesocialconventions whichunderpinrelationshipsandlearnhowtoactinsociallyresponsibleways.Strategiesforunderstanding,managingand resolvingconflictarealsoanimportantfocus.
Workinginteams
IntheWorkinginteamsdimensionstudentsdeveloptheknowledge,skillsandbehaviourstocooperatewithothersto contributetotheachievementofgroupgoals.Thefocusisnotonlytaskachievement,butalsooncontributingto,and reflectingon,thelearningwhichoccursthroughbeingpartofateam.
StagesofLearninginInterpersonalDevelopment
AusVELStakesaccountofthedevelopmentalstagesoflearningyoungpeopleexperienceatschool.Whilestudentlearning isacontinuumanddifferentstudentsdevelopatdifferentrates,theybroadlyprogressthroughthreestagesoflearning. Thefollowingstatementsdescribewaysinwhichthesecharacteristicsrelatetolearningexperiencesandstandardsineach ofthethreestagesoflearningintheInterpersonalDevelopmentdomain. ThefollowingdescriptionidentifiessomekeydevelopmentalissuesforteachersandstudentsintheInterpersonal Developmentdomain.Linksaremadebetweenphysicaldevelopment(includingthebrain),educationaltheory,andsocial, cognitiveandemotionaldevelopment. FoundationtoLevel4Layingthefoundations Thefirstchallengeforchildrenatschoolistosocialiseandconnectwithteachersandotherstudents,andsuchengagement behavioural,emotionalandcognitiveremainscriticaltosuccessthroughoutschooling.Behavinginawaythatis cooperativeandconsiderateofothers,demonstratesaminimallevelofengagementthatallowsstudentstofunction effectivelytogetherandwiththeirteachers. Socialengagementencouragesstudentstobehaveasgroupmembersandtofeelapositiveemotionalconnectiontoother people,groupsandtheschool.Emotionalengagementmaybedefinedintermsofgeneralwellbeingatschool,as evidencedby,forexample,feelingsofhappiness,safety,calmnessandempowerment,asopposedtosadness,worry, helplessnessandstress. Emotionalengagementmaybedefinedintermsofidentificationwiththeschool.Asenseofbelongingatschoolcomesfrom experiencingsafetyandsecurityunderstandingthesocialvaluesandnormsthatinformtherulesandpracticesofthe classroombeingprovidedwithopportunitiestoparticipateinameaningfulwayhavingopportunitiesthatarerealistic(given astudentslevelofdevelopment)andbeinggivenrecognitionforeffort.
Studentswhounderstandthevaluesandpracticesoftheclassroom,andwhodeveloptheknowledge,behaviourandskills tolearningroups,aremorelikelytodevelopselfworthandconfidence.Thosewhoareemotionallyengagedarelikelyto complywithschoolrulesandexpectations,todevelophabitsofconfidenceandoptimism,tobemotivated,todeveloppro socialbehaviours,andtodevelopemotionalskills.Emotionalskillsthatarefundamentaltodevelopingmoresophisticated groupbehavioursareselfawareness,selfregulation,motivation,persistenceandempathy. InLevels3and4,studentsbegintoshifttheirfocusfromtheirinnertotheirsocialworld.Throughtheirrelationshipsthey expandtheirsocialworldandlearnhowtorecognisetheneedsofothers.Theyrespectandsupporteachother,offering assistanceandgivingappropriatefeedbackwhenappropriate. Friendshipprovidesopportunitiesforsocialgrowth.Studentsformattachments,makeemotionalinvestmentsandform bondsoutsidethefamily.Theybecomeawareofcommoninterestsandunderstandings,valuessuchasloyaltyandtrust, andhowthesecontributetojoyandfun.Learningandplayingingroups,theybecomemoreawareofdiverserulesand customs,developsocialskillssuchasnegotiation,conflictmanagement,groupdecisionmaking,toleranceandsocial problemsolving.Aswellasjoyandsatisfaction,studentsexperienceconflictanddisappointment.Learningthatencourages inclusive,ratherthanexclusivesocialbehaviours(suchasbullying),isfundamentalatthisstageofinterpersonal development. Withthisswitchinfocus,studentsalsobecomemoreawareoftheirownvaluesystemsandthoseofothers.Thisisatimeof moraldevelopmentwherechildrenbeginmovingfromanelementarystagepreoccupiedwiththeirownneedstowards somerecognitionoftheneedsofothersandadegreeofreciprocity.Valueseducationthatinformssocialskillsdevelopment isimportantatthisstageofschooling. Levels5to8Buildingbreadthanddepth DuringLevels5to8moststudentsexperiencethemovefromprimarytosecondaryschool.Theselevelsofschoolingtendto covertwodistinctphasesLevels5and6,andLevels7and8.Duringtheformer,somestudentswillexperiencetheonset ofadolescence(beginpuberty),whileotherswillremaininlatechildhood.Differencesinemotional,behaviouraland cognitivedevelopmentamongstudentsmaybevast.Theymayexperiencedramaticphysicalandemotionalchangesthat are,attimes,allconsuming. Youngpeoplewillincreasinglydifferentiatethemselvesintermsoftheirpeers,physicalattributesandcompetence,and begintorecognisesimilaritiesanddifferencesinthevaluesandbeliefsofothers. Theshiftfromchildhoodtoadolescenceisaccompaniedbytheshiftfromprimarytosecondaryschooling.Manyyoung peoplefindthisshiftexcitingandchallenging,aswellasstressfulandconfronting.Studentsareoftensubjectedtomore competitivestandardsandinstitutionalisedformsofemotionalandbehaviouralmanagement.Stressmayimpedethe developmentoftheadolescentbrain.Thereisalsoevidencetoindicatethatstresshasamorenegativeeffectonthebrain developmentoffemalesthanmales,especiallyforperiodsofprolongedstress.Asupportivesocialcontextis,then,as importantasatanyotherlevelsofschooling. Asupportivesocialcontextincludesrelationshipsandteamexperiencesthathelpadolescentstomaintainpositiveoutlooks andattitudes.Encouragingyoungpeopletosupportandcomplementeachother,tobuildtrust,toappreciatesimilaritiesand difference,toreflectonmotivesandpossibilitiesaresomeofthebehavioursthatbuildasupportivesocialcontext. Developingtheskillsforconnectingwithsupportiveadultsandprosocialpeergroupsisvitalduringthisphaseof development.Studentswhocommunicateeffectively,developpositivethinkinghabitsandcopingskills,workcooperatively, haveselfcontrol,andareabletoresolveconflictsthoughtfullywithoutresortingtoavoidanceoraggression,aremostlikelyto developtheskillsandbehaviourstoworkwithothersinteams.Theytakeresponsibilityandsupportothers.
Theadolescentbrainisnotfullymaturefromaround12to18levelsofageheavilyusedpartsofthebraindevelop,and unusedpartsofthebrainarepruned.Thisprocessismostpredominantintheprefrontalcortex,anareaofthebraincritical foranticipatingconsequences,controllingimpulsesandmoodmodulation. Areducedcapacitytomodulatemoodsmakesyoungpeoplevulnerabletonegativethoughtswhenreflectingonselfand others.Consequently,thecapacityofadolescentstoemploypositivecopingstrategieswhenmanagingconflictandstress maybediminished.Thismayoccuratatimewhenadditionalpressuresandexpectationsareoccurringintheirlives.Many adolescentsalsohaveareducedcapacitytoreadsocialsituationsoreventheemotionsofothers.Structuredtasksmayhelp studentstorecognisepeerinfluenceontheirbehaviour. Tocompensatefortheunderdevelopmentoftheprefrontalcortex,theadolescentbrainreliesheavilyonotheremotional centresinthebrain,creatingatendencytoreactoninstincts.Learninghowtomanageemotions,predictconsequences, developoptimisticthinkinghabitsandsetgoalsarebehavioursandskillsthatwillhelpyoungpeopletoworkcollaboratively. Levels9to10Developingpathways BythetimestudentsreachLevel9theyarewellintoadolescenceandbeginningtoseetheirfutureasadults.Theyare:
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acceptingtheirphysiqueandtheirgenderidentity developingmoresupportiverelationshipswiththeirpeers gainingindependencefromtheirparentsandteachers seekingeconomicindependence thinkingaboutanoccupation developingintellectualskillsandconceptsnecessaryforciviccompetence desiringandachievingsociallyresponsiblebehaviour imaginingthesortoflifetowhichtheyaspire buildingconsciousvaluescongruentwithanadequatescientificworldpicture.
Inshort,itisatimeofincreasingresponsibilityandexpectation.Youngpeoplereconsiderwhathasbeeninculcatedinthem, andacquireapersonalpointofviewandapersonalplaceintheworld.Somemayreachanawarenessofuniversalvalues andethicalprinciples. Parentsandteachersoftenbecomelessimportantmodels,especiallywithregardtoissuesthatareofimmediateconcern. Incontrast,peersbecomemoreimportantasmodels.Programsthatencouragepositivepeerinfluence,andlinkyouthswith adultswillhavepositiveoutcomesintermsofresilienceandcopingstyles. Thegreatestshiftincopingoccursbetween14and16levels,whichmakeittheoptimumtimeforstudentstoreflectontheir copingbehavioursanddevelopparticularstrategies. Copingskillsareoftenseeninthecontextofabroadersetofskills,attitudesandbeliefsrelatedtoresilience.Resilientyoung people:
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formattachmentstoprosocialgroupsatschoolandinthecommunity formrelationshipswithadiverserangeofpeopleincludingsignificantadults haveapositiveattitude,protectivecopingskillsandasenseofoptimism aredevelopingasenseofpurposeinlife havestabledomesticorlivingarrangements.
Acommonfactorineachoftheaboveisthesenseofbelongingandinvolvementthatcomesfrombeingameaningfuland usefulcontributortothegroup,whetherthisbepeer,work,familyorcommunity. Youngpeoplearemoremotivatedwhentheyseethelinkbetweentasks,theirviewofthemselvesandtheirfuture.Students whohavetheknowledge,skillsandbehaviourstodothiswillbecapableofgivingandseekingthesupportthatwillassist themtobecomevaluablecontributorstotheirfamilies,communitiesandworkplaces.Theywillalsobemorelikelytocreate theconditionsnecessaryforgivingandreceivingthesocial,emotionalandintellectualsupportneededtoachievefull potentialinhigherlevelsofschoolingandbeyond.
Level5
LearningFocus
AsstudentsworktowardstheachievementofLevel6standardsinInterpersonalDevelopment,theydevelopskillsand behavioursforconnectingwithavarietyofgroups,includingpeerandcommunitygroups.Studentsparticipateinarange ofclassroomactivitieswheretheyexplorethesimilaritiesanddifferencesinthevaluesandbeliefsofarangeof individualsandgroups.Theybegintoreflectonwhatthismaymeanforthemselveswhenbuildingandmaintaining relationshipswithadiverserangeofpeople.Theyexploreanddiscussbehaviourswhichdemonstratesensitivityto culturaldifferencesintheirinteractionswithothers. Studentscomparetheirbeliefsandvalueswithothers,andconsiderhowtheseinfluencefeelingsandbehaviour. Throughdiscussionandactivitiessuchasroleplay,theyreflectoninclusion,belongingandtolerance.Theyconsider howitfeelstobeexcludedfromagroup.Theyidentifyexamplesofbullyinginarangeofcontexts.Theyexploretheimpact ofbullyingonpeoplessenseofselfworthandareassistedtoidentify,discussandusedifferentstrategiestoreduce, avoidandresolvebullying. Studentsbegintorecogniseanddiscusstheinfluencethatpeerscanhaveontheirbehaviourandconsiderresponse options. Studentsexplorearangeofcontexts,bothwithinandbeyondschool,inwhichindividualsarerequiredtoworkeffectively aspartofateam.Theydiscussappropriateknowledge,skillsandbehavioursinthesecontextsandtheimportanceof developingthese. Workingindifferentteams,studentsareprovidedwithopportunitiestocompletetasksofvaryinglengthandcomplexity.In doingso,theylearntoidentifythecharacteristicsofmembersineffectiveteamsandtodevelopdescriptionsforparticular rolessuchasleader,recorderandparticipant.Studentscontributetothedevelopmentofandusecriteriaforevaluating theirownandtheteamseffectivenessinteamwork.
Standards
Languages
TableofContents Overview Introduction Domainstructure Stagesoflearning PhasesofLearning(formerlyprogressionmeasures) CurriculumF10 Level5
2 2 2 4 7 11 11
Languages
IntroductiontoLanguages
Languagescontributemateriallytotheuniversalpurposesofschoolingandtothedevelopmentofskillsinthinkingand reflection.Theysupportthemoral,socialandeconomicinitiationofyoungpeopleintothecultureandwidercivilisationthat surroundsthem.Learningalanguagenurturesreflective,deepandcreativethinkinginspecificways,cultivatesculturally distinctivefieldsofknowledge,andstimulatesawarenessofintellectualfunctioning.Inuniqueways,languagesrequire learnerstoengageinselfreflectionbecauseeffectivecommunicationinanewlanguagerequiresthelearnertomove outsidethenorms,practicesandacquiredbehavioursoftheirfirstlanguage. Languagesinfusetheentirecurriculumwithbothtaughtandincidentalinsightsintohowknowledgeisorganisedbydifferent socioculturalcommunities,andintroduceawarenessofimportantdistinctionsinmeaning,sound,andsoundpatterns, socialarrangements,orderandsequencingofinformation,categoriesandrelations.Theseskillscandirectlyenhancethe generalintellectualdevelopmentofyoungpeople. Inlearningalanguage,studentsdevelopcommunicationskillsandknowledgeandcometounderstandsocial,historical, familialrelationshipsandotheraspectsofthespecificlanguageandcultureofthespeakersofthelanguagetheyare studying.Learnersarealsoprovidedwiththetools,throughcomparisonandreflection,tounderstandlanguage,cultureand humanityinabroadsense.Inthisway,languagelearningcontributestothedevelopmentofinterculturallyawarecitizens,of increasingimportanceatatimeofrapidanddeepglobalisation.
StructureoftheLanguagesDomain
TheLanguages(formerlycalledLOTE)domainisorganisedintotwopathways,thefirstconsistingofelevenlevels(F10) andthesecondoffourlevels(710).Eachlevelincludesalearningfocusstatementand,fromLevel6onwards,asetof standardsorganisedbydimension. TheLanguagesdomaininAusVELSusesanelevenlevelstructuretobothreflectthedesignofthenewAustralian CurriculumandtoprovideaconsistentstructureacrossalltheAusVELSdomains(formoredetails,pleaseseethe
Overview).
Pathways
AsstudentsmaybegintheirLanguagesstudiesatdifferentstages,learningfocusstatementsandstandardsareofferedfor twopathwayswhichrecognisethestudentspointofentryintothestudy: Pathway1:forstudentswhobeginlearningalanguageinprimaryschoolandcontinuetostudythesamelanguagetoLevel 10. Pathway2:forstudentswhobeginlearningalanguageinYear7.
Learningfocus
Standards
Standardsdefinewhatstudentsshouldknowandbeabletodoatdifferentlevelsandarewrittenforeachdimension.
Languages
InLanguagesstandardsareintroducedforassessmentandreportingatLevel5.Whileitisclearthatstudentsgainmost benefitfromthestudyofanotherlanguagewhentheybeginthisstudyintheearlylevels,itisacknowledgedthatsome schoolschoosetomaximisetheeffectoftheirresourcesbyintroducingLanguagesprogramsatdifferentlevelswith appropriatetimeallocations.Inrecognitionofthecumulativenatureoflanguagelearning,theLanguagesdomainincludes 'phasesoflearning'(formerlyprogressionmeasures)whichprovideatypicalsequenceofsecondlanguagedevelopment leadingtoLevel5.RegardlessofthelevelatwhichthestudyofalanguageotherthanEnglishisintroduced,studentswill needtodeveloptheknowledgeandskillsdescribedinthephasesoflearningbeforetheyattemptthelearningassociated withtheLevel6standards.ThesephasesoflearningalsoassistschoolsthatprovideLanguagesprogramspriortoLevels5 and6,toassessandreporteffectivelyonstudentachievement. Standardsrelevanttoeachofthelanguagecategoriesappearbesideanicon(seelanguagecategoriesbelow)fromLevel6 onwards.
Languagecategories
Forthepurposesoforganisingthelearningdemandsonstudents,languagescanbebroadlygroupedintosixcategories: Romanalphabeticallanguages NonRomanalphabeticallanguages Characterlanguages Signlanguage Classicallanguages AboriginalLanguages StandardsintheCommunicatinginalanguageotherthanEnglishdimensionincludeaninitialsectioncommontoall languagecategoriesandadditionalstandardsspecifictothelanguagecategories.FromLevel6,thestandardsinthe languagecategoriesfocusonreadingandwritingskills.ForClassicallanguages,thecompletestandardisprovidedinthe languagecategorydescription.
Romanalphabeticallanguageslanguageswhosewritingsystem,ormeansofbeingvisuallyrecorded,isRoman alphabetic,andwhosereadingdemandsonlearnersaresimilartothoseofEnglish(examplesinclude:Australian Indigenouslanguages,French,German,Indonesian,Italian,Spanish,Vietnamese).
NonRomanalphabeticallanguageslanguageswhosewritingsystemisalphabeticbutnonRoman,andforwhicha learnerneedstoacquireanewalphabet(examplesinclude:Arabic,Greek,HebrewandRussian). Characterlanguageslanguageswhosewritingsystemiseithersyllabic,ideographic,oracombinationofsyllablesand ideograms,involvingdifferentreadingprocessesfromalphabetreading,andthelearningofthenewscript(examples include:Chinese,Japanese).
Languages
SignlanguageAustralianSignLanguage,orAuslan.FormostlearnersthiswillalsoinvolvereadinginEnglish.
Classicallanguagesancientlanguagesnotusedasameansofeverydaycommunicationbyacontemporarycommunity. ConsistingofRomanalphabeticallanguages(forexample,Latin)andnonRomanalphabeticallanguages(forexample, ClassicalGreek).StandardsinthiscategoryapplyonlyinPathway2Levels8and10.
AboriginalLanguagesVictorianAboriginalLanguageswhichinvolvestheprocessofreclamationandthestudyofculture. SchoolsshouldfollowtheprocessesoutlinedintheAboriginalLanguages,culturesandreclamationinVictorianschools:
standardsP10andprotocolsbookletpriortoincorporatingthislanguagecategoryintheirteachingprograms,with
resourcesavailableatAboriginalLanguagesandCulturesVictoria.
Dimensions
Thisdomainhastwodimensions:
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CommunicatinginalanguageotherthanEnglish Interculturalknowledgeandlanguageawareness.
ThetwodimensionsoftheLanguagesdomainareintimatelylinked.CommunicatinginalanguageotherthanEnglish allowslearnerstoreflectonlanguageasasystemandgainculturalinsight.Inturn,Interculturalknowledgeandlanguage awarenesscanprovideculturalguidelinesforeffectivecommunication.
CommunicatinginalanguageotherthanEnglish
IntheCommunicatinginalanguageotherthanEnglishdimension,studentslearntheknowledge,skillsandbehaviours relevanttothespecificlanguagebeingstudied.Theskillsofthisdimensionincludelistening,speaking,reading,viewing, writing,andtheuseofbodylanguage,visualcuesandsigns.Theapplicationoftheseskillsrequiresknowledgeoflinguistic elements,includingvocabularyandgrammar.Thisdimensionrequiresfamiliaritywithawidevarietyoftextsandgenresin printandelectronicform.
Interculturalknowledgeandlanguageawareness
CommunicationskillsinalanguageotherthanEnglishfosterinterculturalknowledgeandawarenessoflanguageasa system.TheInterculturalknowledgeandlanguageawarenessdimensiondevelopsstudentsknowledgeofthe connectionsbetweenlanguageandculture,andhowcultureisembeddedthroughoutthecommunicationsystem.Progress throughthisdimensionisdemonstratedthroughperformanceinthelanguagebeingstudied.Theunderstandingsare universalandaregainedbycomparinglanguages,includingEnglish. Studentsgainanawarenessoftheinfluenceofcultureinthelearnersownlifeandfirstlanguage.Differentlanguagesand languagecommunitiesorganisesocialrelationsandinformationindifferentwaysandvaluesdifferfromonecommunityto another.Throughculturalselfawareness,theabilitytorationallydiscussandcompareculturaldifferencesisdeveloped.This dimensioninvolvesdevelopingcuriosityaboutandopennesstoavarietyofvaluesandpractices,aswellasacquiringin depthknowledgeofthediverseculturaltraditionsofthesourcesocieties.
StagesofLearninginLanguages
Languages
AusVELStakesaccountofthedevelopmentalstagesoflearningyoungpeopleexperienceatschool.Whilestudentlearning isacontinuumanddifferentstudentsdevelopatdifferentrates,theybroadlyprogressthroughthreestagesoflearning. Thefollowingstatementsdescribewaysinwhichthesecharacteristicsrelatetolearningexperiencesandstandardsineach ofthethreestagesoflearningintheLanguagesdomain. Althoughsomeoftheprocessesthatweusetolearnourfirstlanguage,ormothertongue,areinvolvedinlearningasecond language,therearealsoconsiderabledifferences.Formostchildren,themothertongueislearnedwithinafamily,where manypeopleareinvolvedinmakingcleartheconnectionbetweensoundsandactions,messagesandbasicneeds.Fora childsfirstlanguage,theinputiscontinuousandfulltime,muchofitisadjustedtothechildsneeds,andthechildsefforts atcommunicatingareacknowledged,guidedandaccepted. Asecondlanguagelearneralreadyknowstheessentialfunctionsofvoiceorsignedcommunication,andhowlanguageis involved,whenengaginginmeaningfulactivities.Thelearningusuallyoccursatschoolwithfarfewerprovidersofferinginput, forfarlesstime,andsharedbymanymorelearners.Theproviderstendtobeadultsratherthanpeopleofallages,the learnerstendtobeofsimilarages,therelationshipsareprofessionalratherthanintimate,andtheinputisrestrictedintime, quantity,meaning,andpersonalsignificanceforthelearners.
FoundationtoLevel4Layingthefoundations
Intheearliestlevelsoflearningasecondlanguage,someprocessesandsequencesaresimilartothoseinvolvedinfirst languageacquisition.Languageisadaptedtostudentsdirectneeds.Ideally,studentsareimmersedincommunication tasksthatareengaging,relevant,welldesignedanddirectlylinkedtotheirgenerallearningexperiences. Asecondlanguagemakesitsownspecificcognitive,behaviouralandemotionaldemandson,andcontributionsto,the developmentofthelearner.Studentsdetachfromtheintimacyoffamilyandconnectwithteachersandfellowstudents.The newsocialworldofthesecondlanguageclassroomrequiresstudentstoadaptfromselfexpressioninthemothertongueto thenewnormsandpracticesofthetargetlanguage.Thecognitivedemandsonthelearneraresignificant.Learnersneedto transfertoanewcommunicationcodetheironlyrecentlyacquiredskillsassocialbeingsandarerequiredtolearnthe distinctiverulesandconventionsofthetargetlanguage. Studentswillnoticeacontrastbetweenthetwolanguagesystems.Theywillnoticevariousculturallyspecificwaysinwhich meaningisconstructedandconveyedinthetargetlanguage.Asspeakingandlisteningcomebeforereadingandwriting,the foundationalprocessesoflearningasecondlanguagewillideallyimmersestudentsinconcreteoralcommunication activities.Thefocusofthesetasksshouldbeongettingthingsdoneinmusic,drama,dance,drawingandpainting, physicalactivityandearlyscienceornumberexperimentationratherthanlanguage.Continualimmersioninthetarget languageforactivitiesinwhichnaturalisticcommunicationprevailsminimisesthechancethatstudentswillcontinually translate.However,whileteacherswilluseonlythetargetlanguageforactivities,theywillacceptallformsofcommunication fromstudentscommunicationinEnglish,codemixingbetweenthetargetlanguageandEnglish,andtheuseofother languages,mime,gestureandsoon.Bymodellingonlycorrectformsofthetargetlanguage,theteacherslanguage becomesthekeysourceofinputforstudentsgrowingabilitytodiscernandusethetargetlanguageforclassroom communication.Studentsneedtogainprocedurallanguageearlysothattheyandtheteacherwillshareacommunication codeforallclassroomactivities. ForstudentsofalanguagewithcloseconnectionstoEnglish,andasimilaralphabeticwritingsystem,theselevelsalso makebridgesbetweenstudentsevolvingliteracyinEnglishandtheirgrowingfamiliaritywiththewritingsystemofthetarget language.Forstudentsoftargetlanguagesthatarefamiliarfromthehome,theconnectionbetweenthesoundsand symbolsofthetargetlanguageisavaluableresource.Forlearnersofalanguagewhosewritingsystemisunlikethatof English,thisfoundationalstageoflearningneedstobuildonnoticingdifferencesbetweenthetwowritingsystems.
Languages
InFoundationtoLevel4,allareasofthecurriculumcansupportthelearningofasecondlanguageotherthanEnglishsuch studyreinforces,extendsandenrichesallotherlearning.Allteacherscanmakeadirectandpowerfulconnection establishingconfidentearlyliteracypracticesbetweenEnglishandthelanguageotherthanEnglish.Becomingliteratehelps studentsrealisethatlanguagehasformandstructureaswellasmeaning.Thestudyofasecondlanguageatschool bolstersthisimportantinsightandhelpsstudentstoextendanddeepentheiroverallliteracy.Learningasecondlanguage canshowstudentsthattheconventionsofwritingandspeakinginanylanguagearearbitrarytheresultofchoicesthathave beenmade. Throughcommunication,studentsbegintorecognisearangeofexpressions,greetings,andotherformulaiclanguagefor routineinteractionswithpeople,andnoticethatthesevaryaccordingtotheparticipants.Muchofthiscommunicationis scaffoldedandpromptedbytheteacher,andrelatedtoconcreteexperiencesintheclassroom. Inallthepracticesdescribedabove,thetwodimensionsofthedomainCommunicatinginalanguageotherthanEnglish andInterculturalknowledgeandlanguageawarenessareintegratedwiththeentirerangeoflearningexperiencesof studentsbetweenFoundationandLevel4.
Levels5to8Buildingbreadthanddepth
Levels5to8encompassthetransitionfromchildhoodtoadolescence.Thisisacriticalandchallengingperiodforstudents andteachers.Emotionally,itcanbeadifficulttimeforstudentsanditcanhaveparticulareffectsandchallengesforsecond languagestudy.InLanguages,thisstageoflearningcomprisestwodistinctphasesandcontainsthetraditionalperiodof secondlanguageteachinginourschoolsystem. Inthefirstphase(Levels5and6)essentiallyanextensionofthefirststageoflearningstudentsextendindepthand breadththewords,expressions,texts,ideas,relationshipsandactivitiestheyknowofthesecondlanguage. Inthesecondphase(Levels7and8),althoughthenatureandlevelofteacherscaffoldingandpromptingisreducedand studentsarenowencouragedtointeract,directlyorthroughvariousmedia,witharangeofspeakersofthetargetlanguage, theessentialprocessissimilar.However,thissecondphaseisqualitativelydifferent.Theonsetofpubertyaffectsstudents emotionallives,andthematurationalandphysicalchangesinvolvedoftenhavedeepconsequencesforidentity, relationships,motivation,behaviourandcognitivedevelopment.Suchchanges,stressfulbutexciting,coincidewithmore overtstandardsbeingexpectedofstudents,anunfamiliarsubjectdivisioninthecurriculum,andasignificantchangeinthe institutionaloperatingarrangementsofschooling. Levels7and8arealsoachallengeforteachersandschools,andspecificplanningandcollaborationacrossschoolsto ensurethatPathway1andPathway2studentsarecateredfor.Pathway1studentsthosewhoarecontinuingwith languagesstudiedatprimaryschoolneedtohavetheirpriorstudyacknowledgedandrecognisedPathway2studentsare thosewhotakeuplanguagesforthefirsttimeatLevel7,orwhochangefromthelanguagetheystudiedatprimaryschool. ThemanychangesthatcharacteriseLevels5to8haveanimpactonteachingtooactivitiesthatyoungerstudentsfind enjoyable,suchasplayingwiththesoundsandcommunicationstyleofanewlanguage,mightrepresentaproblemfor thoseexperiencingdifficultiesintheprocessoftransitiontoadolescence. Primaryandsecondaryschoolsshouldcollaboratecloselytoeasethetransitionbetweenprimaryandsecondarylanguage study.Studentsshouldbeabletoseecontinuityintheoutlinesoftheprogramsandwhatistaught,andseehowtheir demonstratedachievementofthestandardsatonelevelarticulateswiththeteachingandlearningpracticesatanotherlevel.
Languages
Atthisstage,studentsbegintoinitiatecommunicationandfollowpersonalinterestsandideas.Communicationactivities thatacknowledgethesharpeningindividualityofstudents,andthemoresubjectdividedbasisofthecurriculum,become moreimportantinsecondlanguageteaching,asdoconnectionstootherdomains,accesstoawiderrangeofinterlocutors (suchasnativespeakersandotherstudentsofsimilarage),anddirectorvirtualcommunication.
Levels9to10Developingpathways
Duringthisstage,studentsbegintoexploretheimplicationsandpossibilitiesoflanguagesotherthanEnglishforfurther study,careerandcitizenship.Thisgrowthinpersonalresponsibilityisreflectedintheincreasedstakesinvolvedandthe choicesthattheymake,impactinimportantwaysonthestudyoflanguages. Asmorecognitivelymaturelearners,studentsincreasinglymakeexplicitchoiceswithlongertermconsequences,and teachersandschoolsarecalledontoconnectthestudyoflanguagesotherthanEnglishtoallfieldsofrelevanceforthem theirfuturepathwaysofstudy,theirlikelyorpossiblecareers,andtheirengagementintheworldofciviclifeand responsibility. Makingsuchlinkstothesefields,requiresanexpliciteffortbystudentstounderstandthemulticulturalandmultilingualnature ofAustraliansociety,andaworldthatisglobalisingandhighlymobile.Teacherscananticipatetheserequirementsby selectingtexts,activitiesanddomainsthatdrawonthecontextsinwhichlanguagesotherthanEnglishareusedinAustralian society,includingthemanystudyandoccupationalfieldsinwhichasecondlanguageisuseful,locallyandglobally. Interculturalcompetencecanbeseenasausefulpracticalskill,aswellashavingvalueinopeningupknowledgeofother humansocietiesandnationaltraditions.
LanguagesPathway1PhasesofLearning
(formerlyprogressionmeasures)
Inrecognitionofthecumulativenatureoflanguagelearning,thefollowingphasesoflearninghavebeenprovidedtoassist studentsdeveloptheknowledgeandskillsrequiredbeforetheyattemptthelearningassociatedwiththestandardsthatare introducedfromLevel5onwards.EachphaseisorganisedintothetwodimensionsCommunicatinginalanguageother thanEnglishandInterculturalknowledgeandlanguageawareness. ForAboriginalLanguages,pleaseclickhere.
Phaseoflearning:1
ThefirstphaseoflearningintroducesstudentstostudiesofLanguages.
Oncompletionofthefirstphaseoflearningstudentsshouldtypicallybeableto:
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repeatteachermodelleduseofthelanguage participateinchoraluseofthelanguage identifythenamesofvisibleobjectsanditemsfromaural/visualcues introducethemselves,greetandfarewelltheteacher followsimpleclassroomdirections recognisesomeculturallyspecificgesturesandbodylanguage,anddemonstratehowtheseareused observetheprocessofinterpretingandperformsomeofitssimplefeaturesusingsinglewordsorphrases.
Languages
StudentsofRomanalphabeticallanguagesshouldbeableto:
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recognisethedifferentsoundsofsimilarletters,anddemonstratedifferencesforkeysounds identifylettersoundrelationshipsandcopyandtracelettersandletterclustersandmatchthemtosoundsandwords.
StudentsofNonRomanalphabeticallanguagesshouldbeableto:
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noticeanddiscussthedifferentwritingsystem,andpractisewritingindividuallettersandothersymbols distinguishselectedlettersoundsfromEnglish,matchsoundsandletters,identifywordsforconcreteitemsfromcues, etc. copyortraceselectedlettersandmatchthemtosoundsandwords.
StudentsofCharacterlanguagesshouldbeableto:
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noticeanddiscussthedifferentwritingsystem,andpractisewritingselectedletters,charactersorothersymbols recognisecharactersassociatedwithspecificconcreteitemsandtheirdifferentsounds,matchingsymbolsto meaningsandforms traceorcopyselectedcharacters.
StudentsofSignlanguageshouldbeableto:
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noticeanddiscussthevisualnatureofcommunication demonstratesinglesignsandsimplesignedsequences recognisesignsandsimplesignedsequencesemphasisingnonmanualfeatures producesimplemanualsignsandnonmanualsignstoparticipateingamesandactivities.
Oncompletionofthefirstphaseoflearningstudentsshouldtypicallybeableto:
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demonstrateanunderstandingofsomeofthedifferencesinhowpeopleeatanddress,signandgesture,writeand saythings identifysomeoftherelationshipsbetweenselectedletters,soundsortonesinthelanguagecomparedtoEnglishor otherfamiliarlanguages identifyaculturalicon,geographicfeature,famousbuildingorculturalpracticeandmakeasimplestatementaboutitin thelanguage displayanawarenessofdifferentwaysofdoingthingsinparticularsituations expresstheirownpreferencesinthelanguage,orbyrespondingtocuesgiveninthelanguage.
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Phaseoflearning:2
ThesecondphaseoflearningbuildsontheintroductiontothestudiesofLanguagesknowledgeandskillssetoutinPhase 1.
Oncompletionofthesecondphaseoflearningstudentsshouldtypicallybeableto:
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generatesimpleoriginalsentences(includingexpressinglikesanddislikes) introducethemselves,greetandfarewelltheteacher,andexpressthanksandapologies respondtosimplequestionsaboutshortsongs,storiesandrhymes extrapolatefromfamiliarsounds,tonemarkers,signs,andsoon,tospellnewwords
Languages
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writewords/lettersincontextandinmodelledsentences recognisesomeculturallyspecificgesturesandbodylanguageandintegratethemintotheirownoralcommunications demonstratethegeneralcharacteristicsofinterpretingandtranslatinginspecificactivities recognisevariationsinhowpeoplerespondindailysituationsanddescribethevaluesunderpinningtheseresponses recognisetheuseofthelanguageinseveralmediaandinformationandcommunicationstechnologies,andproduce simplemultimediatextsinthelanguage demonstrateanunderstandingofvariationinlanguageuse,dependingontheaudienceandcontext.
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pronouncethesoundsattributedtolettersincontextbyreadingaloudorrepeatingpronunciationassociatedwith writtenwords independentlyproducewordsinwritingandproduceoriginalvariationsonmodelledwrittensentences recogniseanduseaccentsandpunctuationsuitedtothelanguage,whereapplicable.
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identifylettersoundrelationshipsandpractisepronunciation writewordsincontextandinmodelledsentences,includingrelevantaccentsandpunctuation.
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practisewritingcharactersandothersymbolsanddeveloplinksbetweenvisualcues,soundsandmeaning recognisefundamentaldifferencesbetweentheuseofanalphabet,asinEnglish,andadifferentwritingsystem readaloudandformeaning writespecificcharactersassociatedwithparticularwordsorsounds identifyandcompareelementsofpunctuationincontextinmorethanonelanguage.
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developcomprehensionthroughnonverbalmeansandbyusingsignlanguageinsimpleconversations obtainmeaningfromnonverbalcommunicationtofollowinstructionsortousetheinformationforapurpose participateinrealorsimulatedconversationsandeverydaytransactionsbyimitatingandadaptingmodels.
Oncompletionofthesecondphaseoflearningstudentsshouldtypicallybeableto:
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expresstheirownpreferencesorviewsandcommunicatemeaningfortheirownpurposesinthelanguage namesomecolours,shapes,objects,placesandpeopleassociatedwithacountrywherethelanguageisspoken identifytwoormoreplaces,features,famousbuildings,landmarksorculturalpracticesinanothersociety,and describesomeaspectoftheseinsimplesentencesinthelanguage recognisevariationsinhowpeoplerespondindailysituationsanddescribethevaluesunderpinningtheseresponses participateinthecreationandmaintenanceofthelanguageandculturalambienceintheclassroom recognisethesimilaritiesanddifferencesbetweenlanguagesforexample,insentencestructures.
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Phaseoflearning:3
Languages
Thethirdphaseoflearningbuildsfurtherontheknowledgeandskillsstudentshaveacquiredinphases1and2and preparesthemtoundertakethelearningassociatedwiththestandardsthatareintroducedfromLevel5onward.
Oncompletionofthethirdphaseoflearningstudentsshouldtypicallybeableto:
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writesimplesentencesbasedonmodelledexamples listentoshort,simpletextsandshowunderstanding useadictionaryinguidedsituationstofindthemeaningofsimplewordsandtoexpandtheirvocabularyresources usesubstitutionstrategiestogeneratechangedmeaning understandnewwordsintroducedintofamiliarwrittentexts,predictingfromclues usebasicstructuresinresponsetosimplequestions constructquestionsthemselvesusinginformationfromtheanswerstheyreceiveinstructuredsituations appropriatelyintegratemanyculturallyspecificgesturesintotheiroralcommunication usesimplesoftwareapplicationstodemonstrateunderstandingofknownvocabularyandstructures participateeffectivelyinverysimpleinterpretingandtranslatingroutines.
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readandrespondtosimpleandfamiliartexts writeinthelanguageusingmodelledtextsandgeneratingoriginalmaterialswithteacherguidance.
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readsentencesonfamiliartopics practisewritingbycopying,usingmodelledtextandgeneratingsentencesoforiginaltext.
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readandwriteknowncharactersandothersymbolsandalsoexpandtheirrepertoireofknowncharacters begintounderstandthatthenumberofcharactersthattheycanreadisgreaterthanthosetheycanwrite,andtoreflect onwhy.
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developtheircomprehensionofsimplesignedtextsbyidentifyingspecificitemsofinformationwhenmakingchoices, answeringquestionsandrelayinginformationtootherparticipantsinasignedexchange engageinexchangestoprovideandobtaininformationabouteverydayactivities.
Oncompletionofthethirdphaseoflearningstudentsshouldtypicallybeableto:
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demonstrateanunderstandingofculturallyappropriatevalues,responsesandpatternsofbehaviourinparticular situationsrelatedtothetopicsbeingstudied identifyandusekeyfeaturesofthelanguage,suchasgrammaticalgender,tones,formalandinformalmodesof address compareandcontrastlikeeventsincultureswhichusedifferentlanguages exploreatopicofinterestthroughthelanguage developrevisionmaterialsforlanguagerulesandapplicationstosharewithotherstudents.
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10
Languages
Level5
LearningFocus
AsstudentsworktowardstheachievementofstandardsatPathway1Level6,theylearnaboutculturaldifferences associatedwiththelanguageotherthanEnglish.TheyunderstandthatAustralianlifeandcultureareinfluencedbythese differentwaysoflife.Theylearnwhytherearesimilaritiesanddifferencesbetweenlanguages,andhowtheseare related. Studentsbegintounderstandandusethelanguagewithintheworldoftheirownexperienceandimagination,withsome topicsdrawnfromotherdomains,includingexchangingsimplepersonalinformationandopinions,andcreatingand performingshortskitsinthelanguage.Theystarttoreadandlocateitemsofinformationinshorttextsandtowriteshort paragraphs. Studentsmakelogicalattemptstodeciphermeaningfromwrittenandspokenmaterialandbegintouseresourcessuch asdictionaries.Theylearnstrategiesforretaininglanguageinformationforlateruseinnewapplicationsanddevelopan understandingofhowpartsofthelanguagesystemwork.Theyapproachlanguagelearningasaproblemsolvingactivity astheyconsciouslyconsideraspectsofgrammar. Activitiesmayincludeguidedroleplayscrossculturalsimulationsuseofmultimedia(suchasforguidedInternet searching,research,explorationorcollaboration,realtimeinterviews,surveysandemails)performingskitscommunity informationgatheringafamilylanguagerecordkeepingapersonaljournalandproducingbrochures,guidebooks, chartsandcaptions.Activitiesdesignedcollaborativelywithteachersinotherdomainscanbeextendedthrough translation,culturaladaptationorinterpreting,oraspectsofthethemeortopiccanbepresented,complementedor extendedthroughthelanguage. Studentslearntocommunicatebyreferringtoarangeofimplicitandexplicitmodelsandbyrespondingtoteacher prompting.Theybegintofunctioninopenendedsituations,allowingvariationandextensionoflanguageapplications. Theylearntospeakandwriteeffectivelyforarangeofpurposesandaudiences,approximatingmeaningandauthentic languageusewithindefinedtopics.Examplescouldincludewritinganemailorsimplestory,andorderinginacafor askingfordirections.
Standards
11
Mathematics
TableofContents Overview RationaleandAims Contentstructure MathematicsacrossFoundationtoLevel10 Achievementstandards Diversityoflearners Crosscurriculumpriorities CurriculumF10 Level5
2 2 2 5 7 7 8 11 11
Mathematics
Rationale
LearningmathematicscreatesopportunitiesforandenrichesthelivesofallAustralians.TheAustralianCurriculum: MathematicsprovidesstudentswithessentialmathematicalskillsandknowledgeinNumberandAlgebra,Measurement andGeometry,andStatisticsandProbability.Itdevelopsthenumeracycapabilitiesthatallstudentsneedintheirpersonal, workandciviclife,andprovidesthefundamentalsonwhichmathematicalspecialtiesandprofessionalapplicationsof mathematicsarebuilt. MathematicshasitsownvalueandbeautyandtheAustralianCurriculum:Mathematicsaimstoinstilinstudentsan appreciationoftheeleganceandpowerofmathematicalreasoning.Mathematicalideashaveevolvedacrossallcultures overthousandsoflevels,andareconstantlydeveloping.Digitaltechnologiesarefacilitatingthisexpansionofideasand providingaccesstonewtoolsforcontinuingmathematicalexplorationandinvention.Thecurriculumfocusesondeveloping increasinglysophisticatedandrefinedmathematicalunderstanding,fluency,logicalreasoning,analyticalthoughtand problemsolvingskills.Thesecapabilitiesenablestudentstorespondtofamiliarandunfamiliarsituationsbyemploying mathematicalstrategiestomakeinformeddecisionsandsolveproblemsefficiently. TheAustralianCurriculum:Mathematicsensuresthatthelinksbetweenthevariouscomponentsofmathematics,aswellas therelationshipbetweenmathematicsandotherdisciplines,aremadeclear.Mathematicsiscomposedofmultiplebut interrelatedandinterdependentconceptsandsystemswhichstudentsapplybeyondthemathematicsclassroom.In science,forexample,understandingsourcesoferrorandtheirimpactontheconfidenceofconclusionsisvital,asistheuse ofmathematicalmodelsinotherdisciplines.Ingeography,interpretationofdataunderpinsthestudyofhumanpopulations andtheirphysicalenvironmentsinhistory,studentsneedtobeabletoimaginetimelinesandtimeframestoreconcile relatedeventsandinEnglish,derivingquantitativeandspatialinformationisanimportantaspectofmakingmeaningof texts. Thecurriculumanticipatesthatschoolswillensureallstudentsbenefitfromaccesstothepowerofmathematicalreasoning andlearntoapplytheirmathematicalunderstandingcreativelyandefficiently.Themathematicscurriculumprovidesstudents withcarefullypaced,indepthstudyofcriticalskillsandconcepts.Itencouragesteacherstohelpstudentsbecomeself motivated,confidentlearnersthroughinquiryandactiveparticipationinchallengingandengagingexperiences.
Aims
TheAustralianCurriculum:Mathematicsaimstoensurethatstudents:
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areconfident,creativeusersandcommunicatorsofmathematics,abletoinvestigate,representandinterpretsituations intheirpersonalandworklivesandasactivecitizens developanincreasinglysophisticatedunderstandingofmathematicalconceptsandfluencywithprocesses,andare abletoposeandsolveproblemsandreasoninNumberandAlgebra,MeasurementandGeometry,andStatistics andProbability recogniseconnectionsbetweentheareasofmathematicsandotherdisciplinesandappreciatemathematicsasan accessibleandenjoyabledisciplinetostudy.
Contentstructure
TheAustralianCurriculum:Mathematicsisorganisedaroundtheinteractionofthreecontentstrandsandfourproficiency strands.
Mathematics
ThecontentstrandsareNumberandAlgebra,MeasurementandGeometry,andStatisticsandProbability.Theydescribe whatistobetaughtandlearnt. TheproficiencystrandsareUnderstanding,Fluency,ProblemSolving,andReasoning.Theydescribehowcontentis exploredordeveloped,thatis,thethinkinganddoingofmathematics.Theyprovidethelanguagetobuildinthe developmentalaspectsofthelearningofmathematicsandhavebeenincorporatedintothecontentdescriptionsofthethree contentstrandsdescribedabove.Thisapproachhasbeenadoptedtoensurestudentsproficiencyinmathematicalskills developsthroughoutthecurriculumandbecomesincreasinglysophisticatedoverthelevelsofschooling.
Contentstrands
NumberandAlgebra
NumberandAlgebraaredevelopedtogether,aseachenrichesthestudyoftheother.Studentsapplynumbersenseand strategiesforcountingandrepresentingnumbers.Theyexplorethemagnitudeandpropertiesofnumbers.Theyapplya rangeofstrategiesforcomputationandunderstandtheconnectionsbetweenoperations.Theyrecognisepatternsand understandtheconceptsofvariableandfunction.Theybuildontheirunderstandingofthenumbersystemtodescribe relationshipsandformulategeneralisations.Theyrecogniseequivalenceandsolveequationsandinequalities.Theyapply theirnumberandalgebraskillstoconductinvestigations,solveproblemsandcommunicatetheirreasoning.
MeasurementandGeometry
MeasurementandGeometryarepresentedtogethertoemphasisetheirrelationshiptoeachother,enhancingtheirpractical relevance.Studentsdevelopanincreasinglysophisticatedunderstandingofsize,shape,relativepositionandmovementof twodimensionalfiguresintheplaneandthreedimensionalobjectsinspace.Theyinvestigatepropertiesandapplytheir understandingofthemtodefine,compareandconstructfiguresandobjects.Theylearntodevelopgeometricarguments. Theymakemeaningfulmeasurementsofquantities,choosingappropriatemetricunitsofmeasurement.Theybuildan understandingoftheconnectionsbetweenunitsandcalculatederivedmeasuressuchasarea,speedanddensity.
StatisticsandProbability
StatisticsandProbabilityinitiallydevelopinparallelandthecurriculumthenprogressivelybuildsthelinksbetweenthem. Studentsrecogniseandanalysedataanddrawinferences.Theyrepresent,summariseandinterpretdataandundertake purposefulinvestigationsinvolvingthecollectionandinterpretationofdata.Theyassesslikelihoodandassignprobabilities usingexperimentalandtheoreticalapproaches.Theydevelopanincreasinglysophisticatedabilitytocriticallyevaluate chanceanddataconceptsandmakereasonedjudgmentsanddecisions,aswellasbuildingskillstocriticallyevaluate statisticalinformationanddevelopintuitionsaboutdata.
Proficiencystrands
Theproficiencystrandsdescribetheactionsinwhichstudentscanengagewhenlearningandusingthecontent.Whilenot allproficiencystrandsapplytoeverycontentdescription,theyindicatethebreadthofmathematicalactionsthatteacherscan emphasise.TheyarerepresentedacrossandwithintheLevelDescriptions,ContentDescriptionsandAchievement Standards.
Understanding
Mathematics
Studentsbuildarobustknowledgeofadaptableandtransferablemathematicalconcepts.Theymakeconnectionsbetween relatedconceptsandprogressivelyapplythefamiliartodevelopnewideas.Theydevelopanunderstandingofthe relationshipbetweenthewhyandthehowofmathematics.Studentsbuildunderstandingwhentheyconnectrelatedideas, whentheyrepresentconceptsindifferentways,whentheyidentifycommonalitiesanddifferencesbetweenaspectsof content,whentheydescribetheirthinkingmathematicallyandwhentheyinterpretmathematicalinformation.
Fluency
Studentsdevelopskillsinchoosingappropriateprocedures,carryingoutproceduresflexibly,accurately,efficientlyand appropriately,andrecallingfactualknowledgeandconceptsreadily.Studentsarefluentwhentheycalculateanswers efficiently,whentheyrecogniserobustwaysofansweringquestions,whentheychooseappropriatemethodsand approximations,whentheyrecalldefinitionsandregularlyusefacts,andwhentheycanmanipulateexpressionsand equationstofindsolutions.
ProblemSolving
Studentsdeveloptheabilitytomakechoices,interpret,formulate,modelandinvestigateproblemsituations,and communicatesolutionseffectively.Studentsformulateandsolveproblemswhentheyusemathematicstorepresent unfamiliarormeaningfulsituations,whentheydesigninvestigationsandplantheirapproaches,whentheyapplytheir existingstrategiestoseeksolutions,andwhentheyverifythattheiranswersarereasonable.
Reasoning
Studentsdevelopanincreasinglysophisticatedcapacityforlogicalthoughtandactions,suchasanalysing,proving, evaluating,explaining,inferring,justifyingandgeneralising.Studentsarereasoningmathematicallywhentheyexplaintheir thinking,whentheydeduceandjustifystrategiesusedandconclusionsreached,whentheyadapttheknowntotheunknown, whentheytransferlearningfromonecontexttoanother,whentheyprovethatsomethingistrueorfalseandwhenthey compareandcontrastrelatedideasandexplaintheirchoices.
Contentdescriptions
Themathematicscurriculumincludescontentdescriptionsateachlevel.Thesedescribetheknowledge,concepts,skills andprocessesthatteachersareexpectedtoteachandstudentsareexpectedtolearn.However,theydonotprescribe approachestoteaching.Thecontentdescriptionsareintendedtoensurethatlearningisappropriatelyorderedandthat unnecessaryrepetitionisavoided.However,aconceptorskillintroducedatonelevelmayberevisited,strengthenedand extendedatlaterlevelsasneeded.
Substrands
Contentdescriptionsaregroupedintosubstrandstoillustratetheclarityandsequenceofdevelopmentofconceptsthrough andacrossthelevels.Theysupporttheabilitytoseetheconnectionsacrossstrandsandthesequentialdevelopmentof conceptsfromFoundationtoLevel10. NumberandAlgebra Numberandplacevalue(F8) MeasurementandGeometry Usingunitsofmeasurement (F10) StatisticsandProbability Chance(110)
Mathematics
Fractionsanddecimals(16) Shape(F7) Datarepresentationandinterpretation(F 10) Realnumbers(710) Moneyandfinancialmathematics(1 10) (F7) Geometricreasoning(310) Locationandtransformation
Patternsandalgebra(F10)
Pythagorasandtrigonometry(9 10)
Linearandnonlinearrelationships(8 10)
Leveldescriptions
Leveldescriptionsemphasisetheimportanceofworkingmathematicallywithinthecontent.Theyprovideanoverviewofthe relationshipbetweentheproficiencies(Understanding,Fluency,ProblemSolvingandReasoning)andthecontentforeach level.
Contentelaborations
ContentelaborationsareprovidedforFoundationtoLevel10toillustrateandexemplifycontentandassistteachersto developacommonunderstandingofthecontentdescriptions.Theyarenotintendedtobecomprehensivecontentpointsthat allstudentsneedtobetaught.
Glossary
Aglossaryisprovidedtosupportthecommonunderstandingofkeytermsinthecontentdescriptions. Thissupportdocumentcontainsadditionalinformationtosupporttheglossary.
MathematicsacrossFoundationtoLevel10
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FoundationLevel2:typicallystudentsfrom5to8yearsofage Levels36:typicallystudentsfrom8to12yearsofage Levels710:typicallystudentsfrom12to16yearsofage.
FoundationLevel2
Theselevelslaythefoundationforlearningmathematics.Studentsatthislevelcanaccesspowerfulmathematicalideas relevanttotheircurrentlivesandlearnthelanguageofmathematics,whichisvitaltofutureprogression.
Mathematics
Childrenhavetheopportunitytoaccessmathematicalideasbydevelopingasenseofnumber,order,sequenceandpattern byunderstandingquantitiesandtheirrepresentationsbylearningaboutattributesofobjectsandcollections,position, movementanddirection,andbydevelopinganawarenessofthecollection,presentationandvariationofdataandacapacity tomakepredictionsaboutchanceevents. Understandingandexperiencingtheseconceptsintheearlylevelsprovidesafoundationforalgebraic,statisticaland numericalthinking,thatwilldevelopinsubsequentlevels.Thesefoundationsalsoenablechildrentoposebasic mathematicalquestionsabouttheirworld,toidentifysimplestrategiestoinvestigatesolutions,andtostrengthentheir reasoningtosolvepersonallymeaningfulproblems.
Levels36
Theselevelsemphasisetheimportanceofstudentsstudyingcoherent,meaningfulandpurposefulmathematicsthatis relevanttotheirlives.Studentsstillrequireactiveexperiencesthatallowthemtoconstructkeymathematicalideas,butalso graduallymovetousingmodels,picturesandsymbolstorepresenttheseideas. Thecurriculumdevelopskeyunderstandingsbyextendingthenumber,measurement,geometricandstatisticallearning fromtheearlylevelsbybuildingfoundationsforfuturestudiesthroughanemphasisonpatternsthatleadtogeneralisations bydescribingrelationshipsfromdatacollectedandrepresentedbymakingpredictionsandbyintroducingtopicsthat representakeychallengeintheselevels,suchasfractionsanddecimals. Intheselevelsofschooling,itisparticularlyimportantforstudentstodevelopadeepunderstandingofwholenumbersto buildreasoninginfractionsanddecimalsandtodevelopaconceptualunderstandingofplacevalue.Theseconceptsallow studentstodevelopproportionalreasoningandflexibilitywithnumberthroughmentalcomputationskills,andtoextendtheir numbersenseandstatisticalfluency.
Levels710
Theselevelsofschoolmarkashiftinmathematicslearningtomoreabstractideas.Throughkeyactivitiessuchasthe exploration,recognitionandapplicationofpatterns,thecapacityforabstractthoughtcanbedevelopedandthewaysof thinkingassociatedwithabstractideascanbeillustrated. Thefoundationsbuiltinpreviouslevelspreparestudentsforthischange.Previouslyestablishedmathematicalideascanbe drawnuponinunfamiliarsequencesandcombinationstosolvenonroutineproblemsandtoconsequentlydevelopmore complexmathematicalideas.However,studentsofthisagealsoneedanunderstandingoftheconnectionsbetween mathematicalconceptsandtheirapplicationintheirworldasamotivationtolearn.Thismeansusingcontextsdirectlyrelated totopicsofrelevanceandinteresttothisagegroup. Duringtheselevels,studentsneedtobeabletorepresentnumbersinavarietyofwaystodevelopanunderstandingofthe benefitsofalgebra,throughbuildingalgebraicmodelsandapplicationsandthevariousapplicationsofgeometrytoestimate andselectappropriateunitsofmeasuretoexplorewaysofworkingwithdatatoallowavarietyofrepresentationsandto makepredictionsabouteventsbasedontheirobservations. Theintentofthecurriculumistoencouragethedevelopmentofimportantideasinmoredepth,andtopromotethe interconnectednessofmathematicalconcepts.Anobviousconcernisthepreparationofstudentsintendingtocontinue studyingmathematicsintheseniorsecondarylevels.Teacherswill,inimplementingthecurriculum,extendthemore mathematicallyablestudentsbyusingappropriatechallengesandextensionswithinavailabletopics.Adeeper understandingofmathematicsinthecurriculumenhancesastudentspotentialtousethisknowledgetosolvenonroutine problems,bothatthislevelofstudyandatlaterstages.
Mathematics
Level10Acontentdescriptorsindicateoptionaladditionalcontentsuitablefordevelopmentofstudentmathematical backgroundinpreparationforfurtherstudyoffunctions,algebra,andcalculusaswellasotheradditionalcontentrelatedto statisticsandtrigonometry. TeacherscanincorporateaselectionofthisandotheradditionalcontentinLevel10mathematicscourses,asapplicablefor extensionandenrichmentpurposes,andtopreparestudentsforsubsequentstudyofvariousimplementationsofGeneral MathematicsUnits1and2and/orMathematicalMethods(CAS)Units1and2inLevel11. WhereadditionalmaterialisincludedinparticularaspreparationforsubsequentstudyofMathematicalMethods(CAS)Units 1and2,contentrelatingtoanintroductorytreatmentoflogarithmicfunctionsandcircularfunctions(asfunctionsofareal variable)willbehelpful.Thiscouldincluderelatedalgebraandsolvingsimpleequations,aswellassomesimple transformationsofgraphs,especiallyinmodellingcontexts.Studentsshouldalsobefamiliarwithcorrespondingworkon sets,includingrelevantnotation,thatunderpinsthestudyoffunctions,algebra,calculusandprobabilityaswellastheuseof technologyfornumeric,graphicandsymboliccomputation. TheAusVELSMathematicsScopeandSequencechartisavailablefromtheVCAAwebsite.
AcrossFoundationtoLevel10,achievementstandardsindicatethequalityoflearningthatstudentsshouldtypically demonstratebyaparticularpointintheirschooling.Achievementstandardscompriseawrittendescriptionandstudentwork samples. Anachievementstandarddescribesthequalityoflearning(theextentofknowledge,thedepthofunderstanding,andthe sophisticationofskills)thatwouldindicatethestudentiswellplacedtocommencethelearningrequiredatthenextlevelof achievement. ThesequenceofachievementstandardsacrossFoundationtoLevel10describesprogressinthelearningarea.This sequenceprovidesteacherswithaframeworkofgrowthanddevelopmentinthelearningarea. Studentworksamplesplayakeyroleincommunicatingexpectationsdescribedintheachievementstandards.Eachwork sampleincludestherelevantassessmenttask,thestudentsresponse,andannotationsidentifyingthequalityoflearning evidentinthestudentsresponseinrelationtorelevantpartsoftheachievementstandard.Together,thedescriptionofthe achievementstandardandtheaccompanyingsetofannotatedworksampleshelpteacherstomakejudgmentsabout whetherstudentshaveachievedthestandard.
DiversityofLearners
TheobjectivesoftheAustralianCurriculumarethesameforallstudents.Thecurriculumoffersflexibilityforteacherstotailor theirteachinginwaysthatproviderigorous,relevantandengaginglearningandassessmentopportunitiesforstudentswith specialeducationneeds.
Mathematics
Moststudentswithspecialeducationneedscanengagewiththecurriculumprovidedthenecessaryadjustmentsaremade tothecomplexityofthecurriculumcontentandtothemeansthroughwhichstudentsdemonstratetheirknowledge,skillsand understanding. Forsomelearners,makingadjustmentstoinstructionalprocessesandtoassessmentstrategiesenablesstudentsto achieveeducationalstandardscommensuratewiththeirpeers. Forotherstudents,teacherswillneedtomakeappropriateadjustmentstothecomplexityofthecurriculumcontent,focusing instructiononcontentdifferenttothattaughttoothersintheiragegroup.Itfollowsthatadjustmentswillalsoneedtobemade tohowthestudentsprogressismonitored,assessedandreported. Forasmallpercentageofstudents,theFoundationtoLevel10curriculumcontentandachievementstandardsmaynotbe appropriatenormeaningful,evenwithadjustments.Mostofthesestudentshaveasignificantintellectualdisability.ACARA willdevelopadditionalcurriculumcontentandachievementstandardsforthisgroupofstudentsinordertoprovidean AustralianCurriculumthatisinclusiveofeverylearner. Intheinterim,adviceabouthowtousethecurriculumwithstudentswithspecialeducationneedsisavailablehereand fromtheDEECD. SchoolscanalsocontinuetousetheVELSStudentswithDisabilitiesGuidelines(PDF615KB).Thesewillbe updatedduring2013.
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EAL/DlearnersenterAustralianschoolsatdifferentagesandatdifferentstagesofEnglishlanguagelearningandhave variouseducationalbackgroundsintheirfirstlanguages.Forsome,schoolistheonlyplacetheyuseEnglish. TheaimsoftheAustralianCurriculum:Mathematicsareultimatelythesameforallstudents.However,EAL/Dlearnersare simultaneouslylearninganewlanguageandtheknowledge,understandingandskillsofthemathematicscurriculum throughthatnewlanguage.Theyrequireadditionaltimeandsupport,alongwithinformedteachingthatexplicitlyaddresses theirlanguageneeds,andassessmentsthattakeintoaccounttheirdevelopinglanguageproficiency. AnationalEAL/DdocumentisbeingproducedthatwillsupporttheAustralianCurriculum.Itwillprovideadescriptionofhow languageproficiencydevelops,andwillbeavaluablereferenceforallteachers.Itwillallowmathematicsteacherstoidentify thelanguagelevelsoftheEAL/Dlearnersintheirclassroomsandtoaddresstheirspecificlearningrequirementswhen teaching,ensuringequityofaccesstothemathematicslearningareaforall. Intheinterim,adviceabouthowtousethecurriculumwithEAL/Dstudentsisavailablehere.
Mathematics
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AboriginalandTorresStraitIslandercommunitiesarestrong,richanddiverse.AboriginalandTorresStraitIslanderIdentityis centraltothispriorityandisintrinsicallylinkedtoliving,learningAboriginalandTorresStraitIslandercommunities,deep knowledgetraditionsandholisticworldview. AconceptualframeworkbasedonAboriginalandTorresStraitIslanderPeoplesuniquesenseofIdentityhasbeen developedasastructuraltoolfortheembeddingofAboriginalandTorresStraitIslanderhistoriesandcultureswithinthe Australiancurriculum.ThissenseofIdentityisapproachedthroughtheinterconnectedaspectsofCountry/Place,Peopleand Culture.Embracingtheseelementsenhancesallareasofthecurriculum. TheAboriginalandTorresStraitIslanderpriorityprovidesopportunitiesforalllearnerstodeepentheirknowledgeofAustralia byengagingwiththeworldsoldestcontinuouslivingcultures.Thisknowledgeandunderstandingwillenrichtheirabilityto participatepositivelyintheongoingdevelopmentofAustralia. TheAustralianCurriculum:mathematicsvaluesAboriginalandTorresStraitIslanderhistoriesandcultures.Itprovides opportunitiesforstudentstoappreciatethatAboriginalandTorresStraitIslandersocietieshavesophisticatedapplicationsof mathematicalconcepts. Studentswillexploreconnectionsbetweenrepresentationsofnumberandpatternandhowtheyrelatetoaspectsof AboriginalandTorresStraitIslandercultures.Theywillinvestigatetime,place,relationshipsandmeasurementconceptsin AboriginalandTorresStraitIslandercontexts.StudentswilldeepentheirunderstandingofthelivesofAboriginalandTorres StraitIslanderPeoplesthroughtheapplicationandevaluationofstatisticaldata.
IntheAustralianCurriculum:Mathematics,thepriorityofAsiaandAustraliasengagementwithAsiaprovidesrichand engagingcontextsfordevelopingstudentsmathematicalknowledge,skillsandunderstanding. TheAustralianCurriculum:Mathematicsprovidesopportunitiesforstudentstolearnabouttheunderstandingsand applicationsofMathematicsinAsia.MathematiciansfromAsiacontinuetocontributetotheongoingdevelopmentof Mathematics. Inthislearningarea,studentsdevelopmathematicalunderstandinginfieldssuchasnumber,patterns,measurement, symmetryandstatisticsbydrawingonknowledgeofandexamplesfromtheAsiaregion.Thesecouldincludecalculation, money,art,architecture,designandtravel.Investigationsinvolvingdatacollection,representationandanalysiscanbeused toexamineissuespertinenttotheAsiaregion.
Sustainability
IntheAustralianCurriculum:Mathematics,thepriorityofsustainabilityprovidesrich,engagingandauthenticcontextsfor developingstudentsabilitiesinnumberandalgebra,measurementandgeometry,andstatisticsandprobability.
Mathematics
TheAustralianCurriculum:Mathematicsprovidesopportunitiesforstudentstodeveloptheproficienciesofproblemsolving andreasoningessentialfortheexplorationofsustainabilityissuesandtheirsolutions.Mathematicalunderstandingsand skillsarenecessarytomeasure,monitorandquantifychangeinsocial,economicandecologicalsystemsovertime. Statisticalanalysisenablespredictionofprobablefuturesbasedonfindingsandhelpsinformdecisionmakingandactions thatwillleadtopreferredfutures. Inthislearningarea,studentscanobserve,recordandorganisedatacollectedfromprimarysourcesovertimeandanalyse datarelatingtoissuesofsustainabilityfromsecondarysources.Theycanapplyspatialreasoning,measurement, estimation,calculationandcomparisontogaugelocalecosystemhealthandcancostproposedactionsforsustainability.
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Mathematics
Level5
TheproficiencystrandsUnderstanding,Fluency,ProblemSolvingandReasoningareanintegralpartofmathematics contentacrossthethreecontentstrands:NumberandAlgebra,MeasurementandGeometry,andStatisticsand Probability.Theproficienciesreinforcethesignificanceofworkingmathematicallywithinthecontentanddescribehow thecontentisexploredordeveloped.Theyprovidethelanguagetobuildinthedevelopmentalaspectsofthelearningof mathematics.
Atthislevel:
Understandingincludesmakingconnectionsbetweenrepresentationsofnumbers,usingfractionstorepresent probabilities,comparingandorderingfractionsanddecimalsandrepresentingtheminvariousways,describing transformationsandidentifyinglineandrotationalsymmetry Fluencyincludeschoosingappropriateunitsofmeasurementforcalculationofperimeterandarea,usingestimationto checkthereasonablenessofanswerstocalculationsandusinginstrumentstomeasureangles ProblemSolvingincludesformulatingandsolvingauthenticproblemsusingwholenumbersandmeasurementsand creatingfinancialplans Reasoningincludesinvestigatingstrategiestoperformcalculationsefficiently,continuingpatternsinvolvingfractionsand decimals,interpretingresultsofchanceexperiments,posingappropriatequestionsfordatainvestigationsand interpretingdatasets NumberandAlgebra Numberandplacevalue Identifyanddescribefactorsandmultiplesof wholenumbersandusethemtosolveproblems (ACMNA098) Useestimationandroundingtocheckthe reasonablenessofanswerstocalculations (ACMNA099)
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Elaborations
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exploringfactorsandmultiplesusingnumbersequences usingsimpledivisibilitytests
recognisingtheusefulnessofestimationtocheck calculations applyingmentalstrategiestoestimatetheresultof calculations,suchasestimatingthecostofasupermarket trolleyload exploringtechniquesformultiplicationsuchasthearea model,theItalianlatticemethodorthepartitioningof numbers applyingthedistributivelawandusingarraystomodel multiplicationandexplaincalculationstrategies
Solveproblemsinvolvingmultiplicationoflarge numbersbyoneortwodigitnumbersusing efficientmental,writtenstrategiesandappropriate digitaltechnologies(ACMNA100)
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Mathematics
Solveproblemsinvolvingdivisionbyaonedigit number,includingthosethatresultinaremainder (ACMNA101)
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usingthefactthatequivalentdivisioncalculationsresultif bothnumbersaredividedbythesamefactor interpretingandrepresentingtheremainderindivision calculationssensiblyforthecontext usingcalculatorstocheckthereasonablenessofanswers
Useefficientmentalandwrittenstrategiesand applyappropriatedigitaltechnologiestosolve problems(ACMNA291) Fractionsanddecimals Compareandordercommonunitfractionsand locateandrepresentthemonanumberline (ACMNA102) Investigatestrategiestosolveproblemsinvolving additionandsubtractionoffractionswiththe samedenominator(ACMNA103) Recognisethattheplacevaluesystemcanbe extendedbeyondhundredths(ACMNA104)
Elaborations
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recognisingtheconnectionbetweentheorderofunit fractionsandtheirdenominators
modellingandsolvingadditionandsubtractionproblems involvingfractionsbyusingjumpsonanumberline,or makingdiagramsoffractionsaspartsofshapes usingknowledgeofplacevalueanddivisionby10toextend thenumbersystemtothousandthsandbeyond recognisingtheequivalenceofonethousandthsand0.001 locatingdecimalsonanumberline
Compare,orderandrepresentdecimals (ACMNA105) Moneyandfinancialmathematics Createsimplefinancialplans(ACMNA106)
Elaborations
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creatingasimplebudgetforaclassfundraisingevent identifyingtheGSTcomponentofinvoicesandreceipts
Patternsandalgebra Describe,continueandcreatepatternswith fractions,decimalsandwholenumbersresulting fromadditionandsubtraction(ACMNA107) Useequivalentnumbersentencesinvolving multiplicationanddivisiontofindunknown quantities(ACMNA121) MeasurementandGeometry Usingunitsofmeasurement
Elaborations
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usingthenumberlineordiagramstocreatepatterns involvingfractionsordecimals
usingrelevantproblemstodevelopnumbersentences
Elaborations
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Mathematics
Chooseappropriateunitsofmeasurementfor length,area,volume,capacityandmass (ACMMG108)
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investigatingalternativemeasuresofscaletodemonstrate thatthesevarybetweencountriesandchangeovertime,for exampletemperaturemeasurementinAustralia,Indonesia, JapanandUSA recognisingthatsomeunitsofmeasurementarebetter suitedforsometasksthanothers,forexamplekilometres ratherthanmetrestomeasurethedistancebetweentwo towns exploringefficientwaysofcalculatingtheperimetersof rectanglessuchasaddingthelengthandwidthtogetherand doublingtheresult exploringefficientwaysoffindingtheareasofrectangles investigatingthewaystimewasandismeasuredindifferent AboriginalCountry,suchasusingtidalchange usingunitshours,minutesandseconds
Calculatetheperimeterandareaofrectangles usingfamiliarmetricunits(ACMMG109)
Compare12and24hourtimesystemsand convertbetweenthem(ACMMG110) Shape Connectthreedimensionalobjectswiththeirnets andothertwodimensionalrepresentations (ACMMG111)
Elaborations
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identifyingtheshapeandrelativepositionofeachfaceofa solidtodeterminethenetofthesolid,includingthatof prismsandpyramids representingtwodimensionalshapessuchas photographs,sketchesandimagescreatedbydigital technologies
Locationandtransformation Useagridreferencesystemtodescribe locations.Describeroutesusinglandmarksand directionallanguage(ACMMG113)
Elaborations
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comparingaerialviewsofCountry,desertpaintingsand mapswithgridreferences creatingagridreferencesystemfortheclassroomand usingittolocateobjectsanddescriberoutesfromone objecttoanother identifyinganddescribingthelineandrotationalsymmetryof arangeoftwodimensionalshapes,bymanuallycutting, foldingandturningshapesandbyusingdigitaltechnologies identifyingtheeffectsoftransformationsbymanuallyflipping, slidingandturningtwodimensionalshapesandbyusing digitaltechnologies usingdigitaltechnologiestoenlargeshapes usingagridsystemtoenlargeafavouriteimageorcartoon
Describetranslations,reflectionsandrotationsof twodimensionalshapes.Identifylineand rotationalsymmetries(ACMMG114)
Applytheenlargementtransformationtofamiliar twodimensionalshapesandexplorethe propertiesoftheresultingimagecomparedwith theoriginal(ACMMG115) Geometricreasoning
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Elaborations
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Mathematics
Estimate,measureandcompareanglesusing degrees.Constructanglesusingaprotractor (ACMMG112)
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measuringandconstructinganglesusingboth180and 360protractors recognisingthatangleshavearmsandavertex,andthat sizeistheamountofturnrequiredforonearmtocoincide withtheother
StatisticsandProbability Chance Listoutcomesofchanceexperimentsinvolving equallylikelyoutcomesandrepresent probabilitiesofthoseoutcomesusingfractions (ACMSP116) Recognisethatprobabilitiesrangefrom0to1 (ACMSP117) Datarepresentationandinterpretation Posequestionsandcollectcategoricalor numericaldatabyobservationorsurvey (ACMSP118) Constructdisplays,includingcolumngraphs,dot plotsandtables,appropriatefordatatype,with andwithouttheuseofdigitaltechnologies (ACMSP119) Describeandinterpretdifferentdatasetsin context(ACMSP120)
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Elaborations
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commentingonthelikelihoodofwinningsimplegamesof chancebyconsideringthenumberofpossibleoutcomes andtheconsequentchanceofwinninginsimplegamesof chancesuchasjankenpon(rockpaperscissors)
investigatingtheprobabilitiesofalloutcomesforasimple chanceexperimentandverifyingthattheirsumequals1
Elaborations
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posingquestionsaboutinsectdiversityintheplayground, collectingdatabytapingaonemetresquarepieceofpaper totheplaygroundandobservingthetypeandnumberof insectsonitovertime
identifyingthebestmethodsofpresentingdatatoillustrate theresultsofinvestigationsandjustifyingthechoiceof representations
usingandcomparingdatarepresentationsfordifferentdata setstohelpdecisionmaking
NumberandAlgebra Studentssolvesimpleproblemsinvolvingthefouroperationsusingarangeofstrategiesincludingdigitaltechnology.They estimatetocheckthereasonablenessofanswersandapproximateanswersbyrounding.Studentsidentifyanddescribe factorsandmultiples.Theyexplainplansforsimplebudgets.Studentsorderdecimalsandunitfractionsandlocatethemon anumberline.Studentsaddandsubtractfractionswiththesamedenominator.Theyfindunknownquantitiesinnumber sentencesandcontinuepatternsbyaddingorsubtractingfractionsanddecimals. MeasurementandGeometry
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Mathematics
Studentsuseappropriateunitsofmeasurementforlength,area,volume,capacityandmass,andcalculateperimeterand areaofrectangles.Theyconvertbetween12and24hourtime.Studentsuseagridreferencesystemtolocatelandmarks. Theyestimateangles,anduseprotractorsanddigitaltechnologytoconstructandmeasureangles.Studentsconnectthree dimensionalobjectswiththeirtwodimensionalrepresentations.Theydescribetransformationsoftwodimensionalshapes andidentifylineandrotationalsymmetry. StatisticsandProbability Studentsposequestionstogatherdataandconstructvariousdisplaysappropriateforthedata,withandwithouttheuseof digitaltechnology.Theycompareandinterpretdifferentdatasets.Studentslistoutcomesofchanceexperimentswithequally likelyoutcomesandassignprobabilitiesasanumberfrom0to1.
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Personal Learning
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Personal Learning
IntroductiontoPersonalLearning
Learnersaremostsuccessfulwhentheyaremindfulofthemselvesaslearnersandthinkerswithinalearningcommunity. ThePersonalLearningdomainfocusesonprovidingstudentswiththeknowledge,skillsandbehaviourstobesuccessful, positivelearnersbothatschoolandthroughouttheirlives.Theyaresupportedtodeveloptheconfidenceandabilitytobe adaptiveandtakeanactiveroleinshapingtheirownfuturesinaworldofconstantchange. Studentscanlearnmanythingsbywillandeffort,particularlyiftheyseethatthelearningisrelevanthowever,thelearningof studentsisenhancedwhentheyaresupportedtodevelopintentionalstrategiesthatpromotelearning.Theyneedto understandwhatitmeanstolearn,whotheyareaslearnersandhowemotionsaffectlearning.Theyalsoneedtodevelop skillsinplanning,monitoringandrevisingtheirwork,andreflectingonandmodifyingtheirlearningpractices. Consequently,asstudentsprogressthroughschooltheyneedtobeencouragedandsupportedtotakegreaterresponsibility fortheirownlearning,theirparticipationinlearningactivitiesandthequalityoftheirlearningoutcomes.Theyneedtodevelop asenseofthemselvesaslearnersanddeveloptheknowledgeandskillstomanagetheirownlearningandemotions.As theydothis,theymovefrombeingsupportedlearnerstoautonomouslearners. Studentslearntoseekandusefeedbackfromtheirteacherstodeveloptheircontentknowledgeandunderstanding.They alsolearntoseekandusefeedbackfromtheirpeersanddrawonothermembersofthecommunitywhomayprovide feedback,knowledgeandadviceaboutskillsthatsupporttheirlearning.Theyneedtodevelopthecapacitytoreflectontheir learninginsystematicways. Thisdomainsupportsthedevelopmentofautonomouslearners,withapositivesenseofthemselvesaslearners,by providingalllearnerswiththeknowledge,skillsandbehavioursto:
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developanunderstandingoftheirstrengthsandpotential seekandrespondappropriatelytofeedbackfromtheirteachers,peersandothermembersofthecommunity developskillsofgoalsettingandtimeandresourcemanagement increasinglymanagetheirownlearningandgrowthbymonitoringtheirlearning,andsettingandreflectingontheir learninggoals learntounderstandandtomanagetheirownemotions developresilienceanddispositionswhichsupportlearning recogniseandenactlearningprincipleswithinandbeyondtheschool prepareforlifelonglearning.
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Theachievementoftheseoutcomesrequiresthecreationofaschoolandclassroomculture,whereallstudentsare respectedandvaluedasindividualswiththecapacitytolearnandthink,andwhereselfregulatedeffortinlearningis promoted.
StructureofthePersonalLearningDomain
ThePersonalLearningdomaininAusVELSusesanelevenlevelstructuretobothreflectthedesignofthenewAustralian CurriculumandtoprovideaconsistenstructureacrossalltheAusVELSdomain(formoredetails,pleaseseeOverview). Eachlevelincludesalearningfocusstatementand,from(AusVELS)Level3,asetofstandardsorganisedbydimension.
Learningfocus
Personal Learning
Standards
Standardsdefinewhatstudentsshouldknowandbeabletodoatdifferentlevelsandarewrittenforeachdimension.In PersonalLearning,standardsforassessingandreportingonstudentachievementapplyfromLevel3.
Dimensions
StandardsinthePersonalLearningdomainareorganisedintwodimensions:
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Theindividuallearner Managingpersonallearning.
Theindividuallearner
Theindividuallearnerdimensionfocusesonstudentsdevelopingknowledgeabouttheirpersonalcharacteristicsand capabilities,andthosetheyneedtodeveloptosupporttheirapproachestoandreflectionsaboutlearning.Studentsexplore andpractiseskillsandbehaviourswhichsupportlearning.Theydevelopthecapacitytomonitortheirownlearning,identifying learningstrengthsandareasrequiringimprovement.Theyseekanduseteacherfeedbacktodeveloptheircontent knowledgeandunderstanding.Theyexplorethewaysinwhichpersonalvaluesaffectlearningandrecognisetheneedto developethicalframeworksforoperatingfairlywithintheclassroomandrecognisingandrespectingindividualdifferencesof classmembers.Studentsrecognisetheirlearningpreferencesandneedsandrespectthatthesemaydifferfromthoseof others.Theydevelopconfidenceinmakinginformeddecisionsabouttheirlearning.
Managingpersonallearning
TheManagingpersonallearningdimensionfocusesontheknowledge,skillsandbehavioursrequiredtoenablesuccessful managementofpersonallearning.Studentsdevelopskillsingoalsettingandtimeandresourcemanagementandfocuson taskachievement.Theyincreasinglydeveloptheskillstoworkindependently,becomingautonomouslearners.Students developstrategiestomanagetheiremotionsanddeveloppositiveattitudestowardslearning.
StagesofLearninginPersonalLearning
AusVELStakeaccountofthedevelopmentalstagesoflearningyoungpeopleexperienceatschool.Whilestudentlearningis acontinuumanddifferentstudentsdevelopatdifferentrates,theybroadlyprogressthroughthreestagesoflearning. Thefollowingstatementsdescribewaysinwhichthesecharacteristicsrelatetolearningexperiencesandstandardsineach ofthethreestagesoflearninginthePersonalLearningdomain. PersonalLearningincorporatesskillsandbehavioursthatallowstudentstotakecontroloftheirownlearningatschool.As studentsprogressthroughschooltheydevelopasindividuallearnersunderstandingwhotheyareaslearners,seeking andrespondingappropriatelytofeedbackfrompeersandteachers,settinggoalsandmanagingresources,andenacting learningvaluesinandbeyondschool. FoundationtoLevel4Layingthefoundations Atthisstageoflearningstudentsaregivenopportunitiestoexploreandpractiseskillsandbehavioursthatsupportlearning:
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learningtocopewithaneducationalenvironmentbecomingresilientinthefaceofdaytodaychallenges
Personal Learning
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developingselfefficacyskillsthatgivethemtheattitudeandconfidencetopersistinthelearningprocess developingthemotivationandattitudestocontinueseekingsupport.
Teachersneedtostructuretasksintomanageableparts,ensureinstructionsareclearlyunderstoodandprovideappropriate resources.Teacherscanidentifytalentanddevelopasenseofcompetenceinalllearnersbyprovidingopportunitiesfor studentstousetheirstrengthsandexperience,andshowingthatdifferencesbetweenindividualsarevalued. Studentsbegintoidentifyanddiscusspatterns,forexample,sequences,rulesandexceptionstorules,causeandeffect. Theystarttodiscriminatebetweenthequalitiesofinformation.Teachersneedtoprovideassistancewithlearning,for example,bydirectingstudentsattention,structuringtheirexperiences,supportingtheirefforts,andregulatingthecomplexity anddifficultyoflevelsofinformation.Studentsneedtimetolearncomplexsubjectmatter,andtoknowhowandwhentoapply knowledge.Theyneedopportunitiestoelaborateandorganiseinformation,andtotransformitintomeaningfulknowledge thatcanbeusedfordifferentpurposesandcontexts. Studentstakeadvantageoftheirstrengthsandabilitiestodevelopanaspectofalesson,oractivelyparticipateingroupwork, suchasstudentledprojects,thatprovideopportunitiestoexperimentanddiscusssolutions. Studentsdevelopskillsandbehavioursforlearningeffectivelywithpeers,includinginterpersonalandreflectiveskillsthat encouragethemtocollaboratewiththeirpeersinthelearningprocess.Theylearntodirectappropriatequestionstotheir peers,listen,observeandpractisewithpeers,andgiveandreceivefeedback.Throughparticipationingroups,students recognisethebenefitsofcollaborativelearning. Studentsbegintomonitortheirownlearningandbecomeawarethatlearningisacontinuousprocessandthat,forlearning tohavedepth,theprocessesareappropriatetothetask.Sometaskswillrequireexpedience,whileotherrequireavarietyof strategiesandquestions.Inthelattercase,teachersshouldencouragestudentstoexperimentandexplore,ratherthanrace tocomplete. Studentsbecomeawareofhowtheyfeelaboutlearningtheylearnhowtoexpressandexplaintheirfeelingsaboutlearning, managetheirfeelingsinpursuitofgoals,anddevelopattitudesandskillsthatencouragethemtoenjoylearning.Learning shouldbeapproachedasapartnershipbetweenhome,teacherandstudent,providingconsistentmessagesaboutthe valueoflearning,andmodellingpositivestrategiesforlearning. Studentsbegintodevelopanawarenessoftheirlearningstrengthsandweaknesses,thestylesandstrategiesthattheyfind mosthelpful,andthosethatrequireimprovement.Theyplanandcompletemanageabletasks.Theyexplorehowdifferent stylesmaybeappliedindifferentlearningsituations,determinewhentheseareappropriate,andapplythem. Studentsdevelophabitsthatensuretheywillaskquestions,reflect,organise,andsetgoals.Beingreflectiveimprovesthe qualityoflearning,sincelearningwithunderstandingismorelikelytopromotetransferthanmemory. Levels5to8Buildingbreadthanddepth Whilemotivationremainsessentiallyintrinsicatthebeginningofthisstageoflearning,developingthehabitsofpositiveself talkandseekingsupportwillhelpstudentstopersistwithchallengingtasks.Attheonsetofadolescence,emotionsbecome increasinglydifficulttomanagelearningtorecogniseandmanageemotionshelpsstudentsmaintainresilientattitudesto learning.Asmotivationbecomesmoreextrinsic,studentsbegintoconsidertheirlearning.Theybegintoaskquestionsabout whytasksarerelevanttotheirfuturelifegoals.
Personal Learning
Thedevelopmentoftheprefrontalcortexcriticalforthedevelopmentofplanning,memory,organisation,anticipationof consequences,andthecontrollingofimpulseandmoodmodulationismostactiveduringthisstageofdevelopment. Organisationisakeyskillinthisstageoflearning.Asstudentsspecialise,theyneedanindepthgraspoftheorganising structuresorthinkingpatternsofadiscipline,aswellasfactualknowledge.Theyneedstrategiesthathelpthemto understandaproblemortaskforexample,bymakingconnectionsbetweenitandprevioustasksorproblemstheyhave solvedsuccessfully.Knowledgedeliveredinavarietyofcontextsismorelikelytobeappliedmorebroadly.Studentsdevelop amorethoughtful,flexibleapproachtoknowledgebyextractingthemesorconceptsnotonlyfactsfromit. Studentsrecognisedifferencesamongpeersandmakejudgmentsaboutdiverselearningstyles.Theydevelopanattitudeof questioning,andareabletoprovideandreceivepeerinsightsandassistance.Theycomparetheirpersonalstyleswith thoseofothers.Inacollaborativelearningenvironment,comparisonswillbeacatalystforimprovementandchange,whilein acompetitivelearningenvironment,comparisonswillstultifysomestudents. Studentsenteraperiodofuncertaintyandexperimentationwithidentity,andneedopportunitiesandsupporttoexplore differentviewsandemergingideas,andbesupportiveoftheirpeers.Theyrecognisepeeremotions,anddevelopskillsfor managinggroupsinthepursuitofmeaningfullearning. Duringthisstageoflearning,thebrainisdestroyingitsweakestconnectionsandpreservingthosethatexperience determinestobethemostusefulstudentsarehardwiringtheirpreferredlearningstylesandwillbegintoexpress preferencesforparticularlearningstylesandcontexts. Levels9to10Developingpathways Studentsremaincapableofrapidimprovementsinlearningstylesandcompetencies.Myelinationveryimportantfor developmentatthisstagecontinuesinthebrain.Myelinisthefattymaterialaroundtheaxins,orconnectors,ofthebrain cellswhichturnsimpulsesintothoughts.Itenablesstudentstocomprehendwithgreaterspeed,makecomparisonsand connectionsmorequicklyandefficiently,andbecomemoreproficientinfinemotorskillssuchasthoserequiredfordrawing andplayingmusicalinstruments. Studentsincreasinglyfocusonpeers,givingandreceivingsupport.Theyformpartnershipsandcollaboratewithgroupsin ordertofocuson,comprehendandcompletetasks.Astheybegintomakechoicesaboutworkandfutureschooling,theyare facedwithnewresponsibilitiesandchallengesthatcausestress.Theyrequireincreasinglysophisticatedcopingskillsin ordertoremainresilientlearnersinpursuitofgoals. Studentstakemoreresponsibilityfortheirlearningandtheirlearningenvironment.Theycreatealearningspaceathome, anddevelopindependentstrategiesandhabits,includingstudyplansandroutines.Studentsuseconceptualframeworksfor learning.Theyapplylogic,ethicsandcreativity.Conceptualisationismorelikelytooccurearlyinthelearningprocess.These conceptsmaythenbeappliedandtested,evaluated,anddiscardedorappliedmorebroadly. Studentsbecomeawareof,andcapableofreflectingon,thedifferencesbetweenmathematic,scientific,literary,historical andartisticlearningmethods.Theybecomeflexiblelearners,applyinganumberofapproachestounderstanding information. Bytheendofthisstage,studentswillhavegenericskillssuchascollectingrelevantinformation,researching,questioning, usingcreativityandanalysis,rehearsing,elaborating,organising,judgingandapplying.Theywillhavedevelopedthecapacity toplanandapplythesegenericskillstoenhancelearningacrossavarietyofdomains.Teacherscanenhancelearningby providingopportunitiesforstudentparticipationinprojectsthatoccuroverextendedperiodsandarelearnerdirected. Studentswillbeabletoconstructaplannedlearningframeworkthatallowsatasktobesuccessfullycompleted.
Personal Learning
Level5
LearningFocus
AsstudentsworktowardstheachievementofLevel6standardsinPersonalLearning,theyexploreindividualstrategies andskillsthatassistintheirlearning,suchastheuseofTchartstodevelopeffectivelisteningskillsandconceptwebsto linkideas.Withsupport,theyconsiderarangeofapproachestolearningandreflectonhowtheapproachestheyuse influencethequalityoftheirlearning.Theyexplorelearningstyleswhichmaynotbetheirpreferredstyleandconsiderwhy suchexperimentationisanimportantaspectoftheirlearning. Studentsseekanduseteacherfeedbacktodeveloptheircontentknowledgeandunderstandingandreflectonhowtheir priorknowledgehaschanged.Theyexplorehowpersonalvalues,perspectivesandattitudescontributetothe developmentofcontentknowledgeandunderstanding. Theyidentifythemanycontextsinwhichlearningoccursbothwithinschool(suchaslearningactivitiesintheclassroom, anddevelopingphysicalskillsintheplaygroundorthroughextracurricularsportingactivities)andbeyondschool(suchas readingabookathome,visitinganaquariumorexploringphysicalfeaturesoflocalenvironments). Inselectedreflectiveactivities,studentsexploretheimpactofvariousemotionsontheirlearningandtheylearnto maintainapositiveattitude.Theyconsidertheimpactofimpulsivebehaviourinthemselvesandothersontheirlearning andimplementstrategiesformanagingtheirownimpulsivebehaviourforexample,ensuringtheyunderstanddirections fully,anddevelopingaplanorstrategyforaddressingissuesthatarise.Theydiscussthevalueofpersistenceandeffort, andreflectonhowthesequalitiesaffecttheirlearning.Asaclassoringroups,studentsrecognisetheirresponsibilities formanagingtheirlearning,suchasstayingfocusedandontask. Throughparticipationinavarietyofgroupandwholeclassactivities,studentsbegintoarticulatetheadvantagesof learningeffectivelywith,andfrom,theirpeers.Theyseekfeedbackfrompeersandconsiderthevalidityofthefeedback theyreceive.Theyidentifythevaluesthatunderpinthecreationofaclassroomenvironmentthatwillsupportthelearning ofallstudentssuchasrespect,equityandinclusion. Studentsdevelop,justifyandmonitortheirownlearninggoals.Theylearntoapplystrategiesformanagingthe completionofbothshortandextendedtaskswithintimeframessetbytheteacherandtheyreflectonhoweffectivelythey wereabletousethesestrategies.Theyareprovidedwithopportunitiestomanageandmonitorprogressofsometasks independently,andtheycomparehowtheyundertakeindependenttasksandteacherdirectedtasks.Theyreviewtheir workforaccuracybeforepresentingitforassessment. Asstudentsprepareforthetransitiontosecondaryschool,theyreflectontheprogresstheyhavemadewiththeirlearning andsetgoalsforthefuturefocusingontheirattitudestowardsandmanagementoftheirlearning.
Standards
Science
TableofContents Overview RationaleandAims Contentstructure Theoverarchingideas ScienceacrossFoundationtoLevel10 Achievementstandards Diversityoflearners Crosscurriculumpriorities CurriculumF10 Level5
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Science
Rationale
Scienceprovidesanempiricalwayofansweringinterestingandimportantquestionsaboutthebiological,physicaland technologicalworld.Theknowledgeitproduceshasprovedtobeareliablebasisforactioninourpersonal,socialand economiclives.Scienceisadynamic,collaborativeandcreativehumanendeavourarisingfromourdesiretomakesenseof ourworldthroughexploringtheunknown,investigatinguniversalmysteries,makingpredictionsandsolvingproblems. Scienceaimstounderstandalargenumberofobservationsintermsofamuchsmallernumberofbroadprinciples.Science knowledgeiscontestableandisrevised,refinedandextendedasnewevidencearises. TheAustralianCurriculum:Scienceprovidesopportunitiesforstudentstodevelopanunderstandingofimportantscience conceptsandprocesses,thepracticesusedtodevelopscientificknowledge,ofsciencescontributiontoourcultureand society,anditsapplicationsinourlives.Thecurriculumsupportsstudentstodevelopthescientificknowledge, understandingsandskillstomakeinformeddecisionsaboutlocal,nationalandglobalissuesandtoparticipate,iftheyso wish,insciencerelatedcareers. Inadditiontoitspracticalapplications,learningscienceisavaluablepursuitinitsownright.Studentscanexperiencethejoy ofscientificdiscoveryandnurturetheirnaturalcuriosityabouttheworldaroundthem.Indoingthis,theydevelopcriticaland creativethinkingskillsandchallengethemselvestoidentifyquestionsanddrawevidencebasedconclusionsusingscientific methods.Thewiderbenefitsofthisscientificliteracyarewellestablished,includinggivingstudentsthecapabilityto investigatethenaturalworldandchangesmadetoitthroughhumanactivity. Thesciencecurriculumpromotessixoverarchingideasthathighlightcertaincommonapproachestoascientificviewofthe worldandwhichcanbeappliedtomanyoftheareasofscienceunderstanding.Theseoverarchingideasarepatterns,order andorganisationformandfunctionstabilityandchangesystemsscaleandmeasurementandmatterandenergy.
Aims
TheAustralianCurriculum:Scienceaimstoensurethatstudentsdevelop:
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aninterestinscienceasameansofexpandingtheircuriosityandwillingnesstoexplore,askquestionsaboutand speculateonthechangingworldinwhichtheylive anunderstandingofthevisionthatscienceprovidesofthenatureoflivingthings,oftheEarthanditsplaceinthe cosmos,andofthephysicalandchemicalprocessesthatexplainthebehaviourofallmaterialthings anunderstandingofthenatureofscientificinquiryandtheabilitytousearangeofscientificinquirymethods,including questioningplanningandconductingexperimentsandinvestigationsbasedonethicalprinciplescollectingand analysingdataevaluatingresultsanddrawingcritical,evidencebasedconclusions anabilitytocommunicatescientificunderstandingandfindingstoarangeofaudiences,tojustifyideasonthebasisof evidence,andtoevaluateanddebatescientificargumentsandclaims anabilitytosolveproblemsandmakeinformed,evidencebaseddecisionsaboutcurrentandfutureapplicationsof sciencewhiletakingintoaccountethicalandsocialimplicationsofdecisions anunderstandingofhistoricalandculturalcontributionstoscienceaswellascontemporaryscienceissuesand activitiesandanunderstandingofthediversityofcareersrelatedtoscience asolidfoundationofknowledgeofthebiological,chemical,physical,Earthandspacesciences,includingbeingableto selectandintegratethescientificknowledgeandmethodsneededtoexplainandpredictphenomena,toapplythat understandingtonewsituationsandevents,andtoappreciatethedynamicnatureofscienceknowledge.
Contentstructure
Science
TheAustralianCurriculum:Sciencehasthreeinterrelatedstrands:ScienceUnderstanding,ScienceasaHumanEndeavour andScienceInquirySkills. Together,thethreestrandsofthesciencecurriculumprovidestudentswithunderstanding,knowledgeandskillsthrough whichtheycandevelopascientificviewoftheworld.Studentsarechallengedtoexplorescience,itsconcepts,natureand usesthroughclearlydescribedinquiryprocesses.
ScienceUnderstanding
Scienceunderstandingisevidentwhenapersonselectsandintegratesappropriatescienceknowledgetoexplainand predictphenomena,andappliesthatknowledgetonewsituations.Scienceknowledgereferstofacts,concepts,principles, laws,theoriesandmodelsthathavebeenestablishedbyscientistsovertime. TheScienceUnderstandingstrandcomprisesfoursubstrands.Thecontentisdescribedbylevel.
Biologicalsciences
Thebiologicalsciencessubstrandisconcernedwithunderstandinglivingthings.Thekeyconceptsdevelopedwithinthis substrandarethat:adiverserangeoflivingthingshaveevolvedonEarthoverhundredsofmillionsofyearslivingthingsare interdependentandinteractwitheachotherandtheirenvironmentandtheformandfeaturesoflivingthingsarerelatedtothe functionsthattheirbodysystemsperform.Throughthissubstrand,studentsinvestigatelivingthings,includinganimals, plants,andmicroorganisms,andtheirinterdependenceandinteractionswithinecosystems.Theyexploretheirlifecycles, bodysystems,structuraladaptationsandbehaviours,howthesefeaturesaidsurvival,andhowtheircharacteristicsare inheritedfromonegenerationtothenext.Studentsareintroducedtothecellasthebasicunitoflifeandtheprocessesthat arecentraltoitsfunction.
Chemicalsciences
Thechemicalsciencessubstrandisconcernedwithunderstandingthecompositionandbehaviourofsubstances.Thekey conceptsdevelopedwithinthissubstrandarethat:thechemicalandphysicalpropertiesofsubstancesaredeterminedby theirstructureatanatomicscaleandthatsubstanceschangeandnewsubstancesareproducedbyrearrangingatoms throughatomicinteractionsandenergytransfer.Inthissubstrand,studentsclassifysubstancesbasedontheirproperties, suchassolids,liquidsandgases,ortheircomposition,suchaselements,compoundsandmixtures.Theyexplorephysical changessuchaschangesofstateanddissolving,andinvestigatehowchemicalreactionsresultintheproductionofnew substances.Studentsrecognisethatallsubstancesconsistofatomswhichcancombinetoformmolecules,andchemical reactionsinvolveatomsbeingrearrangedandrecombinedtoformnewsubstances.Theyexploretherelationshipbetween thewayinwhichatomsarearrangedandthepropertiesofsubstances,andtheeffectofenergytransfersonthese arrangements.
Earthandspacesciences
TheEarthandspacesciencessubstrandisconcernedwithEarthsdynamicstructureanditsplaceinthecosmos.Thekey conceptsdevelopedwithinthissubstrandarethat:EarthispartofasolarsystemthatispartofalargeruniverseandEarth issubjecttochangewithinandonitssurface,overarangeoftimescalesasaresultofnaturalprocessesandhumanuseof resources.Throughthissubstrand,studentsviewEarthaspartofasolarsystem,whichispartofagalaxy,whichisoneof manyintheuniverseandexploretheimmensescalesassociatedwithspace.TheyexplorehowchangesonEarth,suchas dayandnightandtheseasonsrelatetoEarthsrotationanditsorbitaroundthesun.Studentsinvestigatetheprocessesthat resultinchangetoEarthssurface,recognisingthatEarthhasevolvedover4.5billionlevelsandthattheeffectofsomeof theseprocessesisonlyevidentwhenviewedoverextremelylongtimescales.Theyexplorethewaysinwhichhumansuse resourcesfromtheEarthandappreciatetheinfluenceofhumanactivityonthesurfaceoftheEarthandtheatmosphere.
Physicalsciences
Science
Thephysicalsciencessubstrandisconcernedwithunderstandingthenatureofforcesandmotion,andmatterandenergy. Thetwokeyconceptsdevelopedwithinthissubstrandarethat:forcesaffectthebehaviourofobjectsandthatenergycanbe transferredandtransformedfromoneformtoanother.Throughthissubstrandstudentsgainanunderstandingofhowan objectsmotion(direction,speedandacceleration)isinfluencedbyarangeofcontactandnoncontactforcessuchas friction,magnetism,gravityandelectrostaticforces.Theydevelopanunderstandingoftheconceptofenergyandhowenergy transferisassociatedwithphenomenainvolvingmotion,heat,sound,lightandelectricity.Theyappreciatethatconceptsof force,motion,matterandenergyapplytosystemsranginginscalefromatomstotheuniverseitself.
ScienceasaHumanEndeavour
Throughscience,humansseektoimprovetheirunderstandingandexplanationsofthenaturalworld.Scienceinvolvesthe constructionofexplanationsbasedonevidenceandscienceknowledgecanbechangedasnewevidencebecomes available.Scienceinfluencessocietybyposing,andrespondingto,socialandethicalquestions,andscientificresearchis itselfinfluencedbytheneedsandprioritiesofsociety.Thisstrandhighlightsthedevelopmentofscienceasauniquewayof knowinganddoing,andtheroleofscienceincontemporarydecisionmakingandproblemsolving.Itacknowledgesthatin makingdecisionsaboutsciencepracticesandapplications,ethicalandsocialimplicationsmustbetakenintoaccount.This strandalsorecognisesthatscienceadvancesthroughthecontributionsofmanydifferentpeoplefromdifferentculturesand thattherearemanyrewardingsciencebasedcareerpaths. ThecontentintheScienceasaHumanEndeavourstrandisdescribedintwolevelbands.Therearetwosubstrandsof ScienceasaHumanEndeavour.Theseare: Natureanddevelopmentofscience:Thissubstranddevelopsanappreciationoftheuniquenatureofscienceandscientific knowledge,includinghowcurrentknowledgehasdevelopedovertimethroughtheactionsofmanypeople. Useandinfluenceofscience:Thissubstrandexploreshowscienceknowledgeandapplicationsaffectpeopleslives, includingtheirwork,andhowscienceisinfluencedbysocietyandcanbeusedtoinformdecisionsandactions.
ScienceInquirySkills
Scienceinquiryinvolvesidentifyingandposingquestionsplanning,conductingandreflectingoninvestigationsprocessing, analysingandinterpretingevidenceandcommunicatingfindings.Thisstrandisconcernedwithevaluatingclaims, investigatingideas,solvingproblems,drawingvalidconclusionsanddevelopingevidencebasedarguments. Scienceinvestigationsareactivitiesinwhichideas,predictionsorhypothesesaretestedandconclusionsaredrawnin responsetoaquestionorproblem.Investigationscaninvolvearangeofactivities,includingexperimentaltesting,fieldwork, locatingandusinginformationsources,conductingsurveys,andusingmodellingandsimulations.Thechoiceofthe approachtakenwilldependonthecontextandsubjectoftheinvestigation. Inscienceinvestigations,collectionandanalysisofdataandevidenceplayamajorrole.Thiscaninvolvecollectingor extractinginformationandreorganisingdataintheformoftables,graphs,flowcharts,diagrams,prose,keys,spreadsheets anddatabases. ThecontentintheScienceInquirySkillsstrandisdescribedintwolevelbands.TherearefivesubstrandsofScience InquirySkills.Theseare: Questioningandpredicting:Identifyingandconstructingquestions,proposinghypothesesandsuggestingpossible outcomes.
Science
Planningandconducting:Makingdecisionsregardinghowtoinvestigateorsolveaproblemandcarryingoutan investigation,includingthecollectionofdata. Processingandanalysingdataandinformation:Representingdatainmeaningfulandusefulwaysidentifyingtrends, patternsandrelationshipsindata,andusingthisevidencetojustifyconclusions. Evaluating:Consideringthequalityofavailableevidenceandthemeritorsignificanceofaclaim,propositionorconclusion withreferencetothatevidence. Communicating:Conveyinginformationorideastoothersthroughappropriaterepresentations,texttypesandmodes.
Relationshipbetweenthestrands
Inthepracticeofscience,thethreestrandsofScienceUnderstanding,ScienceasaHumanEndeavourandScienceInquiry Skillsarecloselyintegratedtheworkofscientistsreflectsthenatureanddevelopmentofscience,isbuiltaroundscientific inquiryandseekstorespondtoandinfluencesocietysneeds.Studentsexperiencesofschoolscienceshouldmirrorand connecttothismultifacetedviewofscience. Toachievethis,thethreestrandsoftheAustralianCurriculum:Scienceshouldbetaughtinanintegratedway.Thecontent descriptionsofthethreestrandshavebeenwrittensothatateachlevelthisintegrationispossible.Intheearlierlevels,the NatureanddevelopmentofsciencesubstrandwithintheScienceasaHumanEndeavourstrandfocusesonscientific inquiry.Thisenablesstudentstomakeclearconnectionsbetweentheinquiryskillsthattheyarelearningandtheworkof scientists.Asstudentsprogressthroughthecurriculumtheyinvestigatehowscienceunderstandinghasdeveloped, includingconsideringsomeofthepeopleandthestoriesbehindtheseadvancesinscience. Theywillalsorecognisehowthisscienceunderstandingcanbeappliedtotheirlivesandthelivesofothers.Asstudents developamoresophisticatedunderstandingoftheknowledgeandskillsofsciencetheyareincreasinglyabletoappreciate theroleofscienceinsociety.ThecontentoftheScienceUnderstandingstrandwillinformstudentsunderstandingof contemporaryissues,suchasclimatechange,useofresources,medicalinterventions,biodiversityandtheoriginsofthe universe.TheimportanceoftheseareasofsciencecanbeemphasisedthroughthecontentoftheScienceasaHuman Endeavourstrand,andstudentscanbeencouragedtoviewcontemporarysciencecriticallythroughaspectsoftheScience InquirySkillsstrand,forexamplebyanalysing,evaluatingandcommunicating.
Leveldescriptions
Leveldescriptionshavethreefunctions.Firstly,theyemphasisetheinterrelatednatureofthethreestrands,andthe expectationthatplanningascienceprogramwillinvolveintegrationofcontentfromacrossthestrands.Secondly,theyre emphasisetheoverarchingideasasappropriateforthatstageofschooling.Thirdly,theyprovideanoverviewofthecontent forthelevel.
Contentdescriptions
TheAustralianCurriculum:Scienceincludescontentdescriptionsateachlevel.Thesedescribetheknowledge,concepts, skillsandprocessesthatteachersareexpectedtoteachandstudentsareexpectedtolearn.However,theydonotprescribe approachestoteaching.WhileScienceUnderstandingcontentispresentedinlevels,whenunitsofworkaredevised, attentionshouldbegiventothecoverageofcontentfromScienceInquirySkillsandScienceasaHumanEndeavourover thetwolevelband.Thecontentdescriptionsensurethatlearningisappropriatelyorderedandthatunnecessaryrepetitionis avoided.However,aconceptorskillintroducedatonelevelmayberevisited,strengthenedandextendedatlaterlevelsas needed.
Contentelaborations
Science
ContentelaborationsareprovidedforFoundationtoLevel10toillustrateandexemplifycontentandassistteachersto developacommonunderstandingofthecontentdescriptions.Theyarenotintendedtobecomprehensivecontentpointsthat allstudentsneedtobetaught.
Glossary
Aglossaryisprovidedtosupportacommonunderstandingofkeytermsinthecontentdescriptions.
TheOverarchingIdeas
Thereareanumberofoverarchingideasthatrepresentkeyaspectsofascientificviewoftheworldandbridgeknowledge andunderstandingacrossthedisciplinesofscience. IntheAustralianCurriculum:Science,sixoverarchingideassupportthecoherenceanddevelopmentalsequenceofscience knowledgewithinandacrosslevels.TheoverarchingideasframethedevelopmentofconceptsintheScience Understandingstrand,supportkeyaspectsoftheScienceInquirySkillsstrandandcontributetodevelopingstudents appreciationofthenatureofscience. ThesixoverarchingideasthatframetheAustralianCurriculum:Scienceare:
Patterns,orderandorganisation
Animportantaspectofscienceisrecognisingpatternsintheworldaroundus,andorderingandorganisingphenomenaat differentscales.AsstudentsprogressfromFoundationtoLevel10,theybuildskillsandunderstandingthatwillhelpthemto observeanddescribepatternsatdifferentscales,anddevelopanduseclassificationstoorganiseeventsandphenomena andmakepredictions.Classifyingobjectsandeventsintogroups(suchassolid/liquid/gasorliving/nonliving)and developingcriteriaforthosegroupingsreliesonmakingobservationsandidentifyingpatternsofsimilarityanddifference.As studentsprogressthroughtheprimarylevels,theybecomemoreproficientinidentifyinganddescribingtherelationshipsthat underpinpatterns,includingcauseandeffect.Studentsincreasinglyrecognisethatscaleplaysanimportantroleinthe observationofpatternssomepatternsmayonlybeevidentatcertaintimeandspatialscales.Forexample,thepatternofday andnightisnotevidentoverthetimescaleofanhour.
Formandfunction
Manyaspectsofscienceareconcernedwiththerelationshipsbetweenform(thenatureormakeupofanaspectofanobject ororganism)andfunction(theuseofthataspect).AsstudentsprogressfromFoundationtoLevel10,theyseethatthe functionsofbothlivingandnonlivingobjectsrelyontheirforms.Theirunderstandingofformssuchasthefeaturesofliving thingsorthenatureofarangeofmaterials,andtheirrelatedfunctionsoruses,isinitiallybasedonobservablebehaviours andphysicalproperties.Inlaterlevels,studentsrecognisethatfunctionfrequentlyreliesonformandthatthisrelationship canbeexaminedatmanyscales.Theyapplyanunderstandingofmicroscopicandatomicstructures,interactionsofforce andflowsofenergyandmattertodescriberelationshipsbetweenformandfunction.
Stabilityandchange
Science
Manyareasofscienceinvolvetherecognition,descriptionandpredictionofstabilityandchange.Earlyintheirschooling, studentsrecognisethatintheirobservationsoftheworldaroundthem,somepropertiesandphenomenaappeartoremain stableorconstantovertime,whereasotherschange.AstheyprogressfromFoundationtoLevel10,theyalsorecognisethat phenomena(suchaspropertiesofobjectsandrelationshipsbetweenlivingthings)canappeartobestableatonespatialor timescale,butatalargerorsmallerscalemaybeseentobechanging.Theybegintoappreciatethatstabilitycanbethe resultofcompeting,butbalancedforces.Studentsbecomeincreasinglyadeptatquantifyingchangethroughmeasurement andlookingforpatternsofchangebyrepresentingandanalysingdataintablesorgraphs.
Scaleandmeasurement
Quantificationoftimeandspatialscaleiscriticaltothedevelopmentofscienceunderstandingasitenablesthecomparison ofobservations.Studentsoftenfinditdifficulttoworkwithscalesthatareoutsidetheireverydayexperiencetheseincludethe hugedistancesinspace,theincrediblysmallsizeofatomsandtheslowprocessesthatoccurovergeologicaltime.As studentsprogressfromFoundationtoLevel10,theirunderstandingofrelativesizesandratesofchangedevelopsandthey areabletoconceptualiseeventsandphenomenaatawiderrangeofscales.Theyprogressfromworkingwithscalesrelated totheireverydayexperiencesandcomparingeventsandphenomenausingrelativelanguage(suchas'bigger'or'faster')and informalmeasurement,toworkingwithscalesbeyondhumanexperienceandquantifyingmagnitudes,ratesofchangeand comparisonsusingformalunitsofmeasurement.
Matterandenergy
Manyaspectsofscienceinvolveidentifying,describingandmeasuringtransfersofenergyand/ormatter.Asstudents progressthroughFoundationtoLevel10,theybecomeincreasinglyabletoexplainphenomenaintermsoftheflowofmatter andenergy.Initially,studentsfocusondirectexperienceandobservationofphenomenaandmaterials.Theyareintroduced tothewaysinwhichobjectsandlivingthingschangeandbegintorecognisetheroleofenergyandmatterinthesechanges. Inlaterlevels,theyareintroducedtomoreabstractnotionsofparticles,forcesandenergytransferandtransformation.They usetheseunderstandingstodescribeandmodelphenomenaandprocessesinvolvingmatterandenergy.
Systems
Sciencefrequentlyinvolvesthinking,modellingandanalysingintermsofsystemsinordertounderstand,explainandpredict eventsandphenomena.AsstudentsprogressthroughFoundationtoLevel10,theyexplore,describeandanalyse increasinglycomplexsystems. Initially,studentsidentifytheobservablecomponentsofaclearlyidentifiedwholesuchasfeaturesofplantsandanimals andpartsofmixtures.OverLevels3to6theylearntoidentifyanddescriberelationshipsbetweencomponentswithinsimple systems,andtheybegintoappreciatethatcomponentswithinlivingandnonlivingsystemsareinterdependent.InLevels7 to10theyareintroducedtotheprocessesandunderlyingphenomenathatstructuresystemssuchasecosystems,body systemsandthecarboncycle.Theyrecognisethatwithinsystems,interactionsbetweencomponentscaninvolveforcesand changesactinginopposingdirectionsandthatforasystemtobeinasteadystate,thesefactorsneedtobeinastateof balanceorequilibrium.Theyareincreasinglyawarethatsystemscanexistascomponentswithinlargersystems,andthat oneimportantpartofthinkingaboutsystemsisidentifyingboundaries,inputsandoutputs.
ScienceacrossFoundationtoLevel10
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FoundationLevel2:typicallystudentsfrom5to8yearsofage
Science
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Levels36:typicallystudentsfrom8to12yearsofage Levels710:typicallystudentsfrom12to16yearsofage.
FoundationLevel2
Curriculumfocus:awarenessofselfandthelocalworld Youngchildrenhaveanintrinsiccuriosityabouttheirimmediateworld.Askingquestionsleadstospeculationandthetesting ofideas.Exploratory,purposefulplayisacentralfeatureoftheirinvestigations. Inthisstageofschoolingstudentsexplorationsareprecursorstomorestructuredinquiryinlaterlevels.Theyusethe sensestoobserveandgatherinformation,describing,makingcomparisons,sortingandclassifyingtocreateanorderthatis meaningful.Theyobserveandexplorechangesthatvaryintheirrateandmagnitudeandbegintodescriberelationshipsin theworldaroundthem.Studentsquestionsandideasabouttheworldbecomeincreasinglypurposeful.Theyare encouragedtodevelopexplanatoryideasandtestthemthroughfurtherexploration.
Levels36
Curriculumfocus:recognisingquestionsthatcanbeinvestigatedscientificallyandinvestigatingthem Duringtheselevels,studentscandevelopideasaboutsciencethatrelatetotheirlives,answerquestions,andsolve mysteriesofparticularinteresttotheiragegroup.Inthisstageofschoolingstudentstendtouseatrialanderrorapproachto theirscienceinvestigations.Astheyprogress,theybegintoworkinamoresystematicway.Thenotionofafairtestandthe ideaofvariablesaredeveloped,aswellasotherformsofscienceinquiry.Understandingtheimportanceofmeasurementin quantifyingchangesinsystemsisalsofostered. Throughobservation,studentscandetectsimilaritiesamongobjects,livingthingsandeventsandthesesimilaritiescan formpatterns.Byidentifyingthesepatterns,studentsdevelopexplanationsaboutthereasonsforthem.Students understandingofthecomplexnaturalorbuiltworldcanbeenhancedbyconsideringaspectsoftheworldassystems,and howcomponents,orparts,withinsystemsrelatetoeachother.Fromevidencederivedfromobservation,explanationsabout phenomenacanbedevelopedandtested.Withnewevidence,explanationsmayberefinedorchanged. Byexamininglivingstructures,Earth,changesofsolidstoliquidsandfeaturesoflight,studentsbegintorecognisepatterns intheworld.Theobservationofaspectsofastronomy,livingthings,heat,lightandelectricalcircuitshelpsstudentsdevelop theconceptofasystemanditsinteractingcomponents,andunderstandtherelationships,includingthenotionofcauseand effect,betweenvariables.
Levels710
Curriculumfocus:explainingphenomenainvolvingscienceanditsapplications Duringtheselevels,studentscontinuetodeveloptheirunderstandingofimportantscienceconceptsacrossthemajor sciencedisciplines.Itisimportanttoincludecontemporarycontextsinwhicharicherunderstandingofsciencecanbe enhanced.Currentscienceresearchanditshumanapplicationmotivatesandengagesstudents. Withintheoutlinedcurriculum,studentsshouldundertakesomeopeninvestigationsthatwillhelpthemrefinetheirscience inquiryskills.Thequantitativeaspectsofstudentsinquiryskillsarefurtherdevelopedtoincorporateconsiderationof uncertaintyinmeasurement.Inteachingtheoutlinedcurriculum,itisimportanttoprovidetimetobuildthemoreabstract scienceideasthatunderpinunderstanding.
Science
Studentsfurtherdeveloptheirunderstandingofsystemsandhowtheideaofequilibriumisimportantindynamicsystems. Theyconsiderhowachangeinoneofthecomponentscanaffectallcomponentsofthesystembecauseofthe interrelationshipsbetweentheparts.Theyconsidertheideaofformandfunctionatarangeofscalesinbothlivingandnon livingsystems.Studentsmovefromanexperientialappreciationoftheeffectsofenergytoamoreabstractunderstandingof thenatureofenergy. Asstudentsinvestigatethesciencephenomenaoutlinedintheselevels,theybegintolearnaboutmajortheoriesthat underpinscience,includingtheparticletheory,atomictheory,thetheoryofevolution,platetectonictheoryandtheBigBang theory. TheAusVELSScienceScopeandSequencechartisavailablefromtheVCAAwebsite.
Achievementstandards
AcrossFoundationtoLevel10,achievementstandardsindicatethequalityoflearningthatstudentsshouldtypically demonstratebyaparticularpointintheirschooling.Achievementstandardscompriseawrittendescriptionandstudentwork samples. Anachievementstandarddescribesthequalityoflearning(theextentofknowledge,thedepthofunderstandingandthe sophisticationofskills)thatwouldindicatethestudentiswellplacedtocommencethelearningrequiredatthenextlevelof achievement. ThesequenceofachievementstandardsacrossFoundationtoLevel10describesprogressinthelearningarea.This sequenceprovidesteacherswithaframeworkofgrowthanddevelopmentinthelearningarea. Studentworksamplesplayakeyroleincommunicatingexpectationsdescribedintheachievementstandards.Eachwork sampleincludestherelevantassessmenttask,thestudentsresponse,andannotationsidentifyingthequalityoflearning evidentinthestudentsresponseinrelationtorelevantpartsoftheachievementstandard.Together,thedescriptionofthe achievementstandardandtheaccompanyingsetofannotatedworksampleshelpteacherstomakejudgmentsabout whetherstudentshaveachievedthestandard. ThisversionofAusVELSdoesnotincludetheworksampleportfoliosforScienceaspublishedonACARAsAustralian Curriculumsite.ACARAisworkingtoreviewandenhancethecurrentACworksampleportfolios.WhentherevisedScience worksampleportfoliosbecomeavailable,theVCAAwillincludethemontheAusVELSsite.
DiversityofLearners
TheobjectivesoftheAustralianCurriculumarethesameforallstudents.Thecurriculumoffersflexibilityforteacherstotailor theirteachinginwaysthatproviderigorous,relevantandengaginglearningandassessmentopportunitiesforstudentswith specialeducationneeds.
Science
Moststudentswithspecialeducationneedscanengagewiththecurriculumprovidedthenecessaryadjustmentsaremade tothecomplexityofthecurriculumcontentandtothemeansthroughwhichstudentsdemonstratetheirknowledge,skillsand understanding. Forsomelearners,makingadjustmentstoinstructionalprocessesandtoassessmentstrategiesenablesstudentsto achieveeducationalstandardscommensuratewiththeirpeers. Forotherstudents,teacherswillneedtomakeappropriateadjustmentstothecomplexityofthecurriculumcontent,focusing instructiononcontentdifferenttothattaughttoothersintheiragegroup.Itfollowsthatadjustmentswillalsoneedtobemade tohowthestudentsprogressismonitored,assessedandreported. Forasmallpercentageofstudents,theFoundationtoLevel10curriculumcontentandachievementstandardsmaynotbe appropriatenormeaningful,evenwithadjustments.Mostofthesestudentshaveasignificantintellectualdisability.ACARA willdevelopadditionalcurriculumcontentandachievementstandardsforthisgroupofstudentsinordertoprovidean AustralianCurriculumthatisinclusiveofeverylearner. Intheinterim,adviceabouthowtousethecurriculumwithstudentswithspecialeducationneedsisavailablehereand fromtheDEECD. SchoolscanalsocontinuetousetheVELSStudentswithDisabilitiesGuidelines(PDF615KB).Thesewillbe updatedduring2013.
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EAL/DlearnersenterAustralianschoolsatdifferentagesandatdifferentstagesofEnglishlanguagelearningandhave variouseducationalbackgroundsintheirfirstlanguages.Forsome,schoolistheonlyplacetheyuseEnglish. TheaimsoftheAustralianCurriculum:Scienceareultimatelythesameforallstudents.However,EAL/Dlearnersare simultaneouslylearninganewlanguageandtheknowledge,understandingandskillsofthesciencecurriculumthroughthat newlanguage.Theyrequireadditionaltimeandsupport,alongwithinformedteachingthatexplicitlyaddressestheir languageneeds,andassessmentsthattakeintoaccounttheirdevelopinglanguageproficiency. AnationalEAL/DdocumentisbeingproducedthatwillsupporttheAustralianCurriculum.Itwillprovideadescriptionofhow languageproficiencydevelops,andwillbeavaluablereferenceforallteachers.Itwillallowteachersofsciencetoidentifythe languagelevelsoftheEAL/Dlearnersintheirclassroomsandtoaddresstheirspecificlearningrequirementswhen teaching,ensuringequityofaccesstothesciencelearningareaforall. Intheinterim,adviceabouthowtousethecurriculumwithEAL/Dstudentsisavailablehere.
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Science
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AboriginalandTorresStraitIslandercommunitiesarestrong,richanddiverse.AboriginalandTorresStraitIslanderIdentityis centraltothispriorityandisintrinsicallylinkedtoliving,learningAboriginalandTorresStraitIslandercommunities,deep knowledgetraditionsandholisticworldview. AconceptualframeworkbasedonAboriginalandTorresStraitIslanderPeoplesuniquesenseofIdentityhasbeen developedasastructuraltoolfortheembeddingofAboriginalandTorresStraitIslanderhistoriesandcultureswithinthe Australiancurriculum.ThissenseofIdentityisapproachedthroughtheinterconnectedaspectsofCountry/Place,Peopleand Culture.Embracingtheseelementsenhancesallareasofthecurriculum. TheAboriginalandTorresStraitIslanderpriorityprovidesopportunitiesforalllearnerstodeepentheirknowledgeofAustralia byengagingwiththeworldsoldestcontinuouslivingcultures.Thisknowledgeandunderstandingwillenrichtheirabilityto participatepositivelyintheongoingdevelopmentofAustralia. TheAustralianCurriculum:sciencevaluesAboriginalandTorresStraitIslanderhistoriesandcultures.Itacknowledgesthat AboriginalandTorresStraitIslanderPeopleshavelongstandingscientificknowledgetraditions. StudentswillhaveopportunitiestolearnthatAboriginalandTorresStraitIslanderPeopleshavedevelopedknowledgeabout theworldthroughobservation,usingallthesensesthroughpredictionandhypothesisthroughtesting(trialanderror)and throughmakinggeneralisationswithinspecificcontexts.Thesescientificmethodshavebeenpractisedandtransmittedfrom onegenerationtothenext.StudentswilldevelopanunderstandingthatAboriginalandTorresStraitIslanderPeopleshave particularwaysofknowingtheworldandcontinuetobeinnovativeinprovidingsignificantcontributionstodevelopmentin science.TheywillinvestigateexamplesofAboriginalandTorresStraitIslanderscienceandthewaystraditionalknowledge andwesternscientificknowledgecanbecomplementary.
IntheAustralianCurriculum:Science,thepriorityofAsiaandAustraliasengagementwithAsiaprovidesrichandengaging contextsfordevelopingstudentsscienceknowledge,understandingandskills. TheAustralianCurriculum:ScienceprovidesopportunitiesforstudentstorecognisethatpeoplefromtheAsiaregionhave madeandcontinuetomakesignificantcontributionstothedevelopmentofscienceunderstandingsandtheirapplications.It enablesstudentstorecognisethattheAsiaregionincludesdiverseenvironmentsandtoappreciatethatinteractionbetween humanactivityandtheseenvironmentscontinuestoinfluencetheregion,includingAustralia,andhassignificanceforthe restoftheworld. Inthislearningarea,studentsappreciatethattheAsiaregionplaysanimportantroleinscientificresearchanddevelopment. Thesecanincluderesearchanddevelopmentinareassuchasmedicine,naturalresourcemanagement,nanotechnologies, communicationtechnologiesandnaturaldisasterpredictionandmanagement.
Sustainability
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Science
IntheAustralianCurriculum:Sciencethepriorityofsustainabilityprovidesauthenticcontextsforexploring,investigatingand understandingchemical,biological,physicalandEarthandspacesystems. TheAustralianCurriculum:Scienceexploresawiderangeofsystemsthatoperateatdifferenttimeandspatialscales.By investigatingtherelationshipsbetweensystemsandsystemcomponentsandhowsystemsrespondtochange,students developanappreciationfortheinterconnectednessofEarthsbiosphere,geosphere,hydrosphereandatmosphere, Relationshipsincludingcyclesandcauseandeffectareexplored,andstudentsdevelopobservationandanalysisskillsto examinetheserelationshipsintheworldaroundthem. Inthislearningarea,studentsappreciatethatscienceprovidesthebasisfordecisionmakinginmanyareasofsocietyand thatthesedecisionscanimpactontheEarthsystem.Theyunderstandtheimportanceofusingsciencetopredictpossible effectsofhumanandotheractivityandtodevelopmanagementplansoralternativetechnologiesthatminimisethese effects.
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Science
Level5
TheScienceInquirySkillsandScienceasaHumanEndeavourstrandsaredescribedacrossatwolevelband.Intheir planning,schoolsandteachersrefertotheexpectationsoutlinedintheAchievementStandardandalsotothecontentof theScienceUnderstandingstrandfortherelevantleveltoensurethatthesetwostrandsareaddressedoverthetwolevel period.Thethreestrandsofthecurriculumareinterrelatedandtheircontentistaughtinanintegratedway.Theorderand detailinwhichthecontentdescriptionsareorganisedintoteaching/learningprogramsaredecisionstobemadebythe teacher. OverLevels3to6,studentsdeveloptheirunderstandingofarangeofsystemsoperatingatdifferenttimeandgeographic scales.InLevel5,studentsareintroducedtocauseandeffectrelationshipsthatrelatetoformandfunctionthroughan explorationofadaptationsoflivingthings.Theyexploreobservablephenomenaassociatedwithlightandbeginto appreciatethatphenomenahavesetsofcharacteristicbehaviours.Theybroadentheirclassificationofmattertoinclude gasesandbegintoseehowmatterstructurestheworldaroundthem.StudentsconsiderEarthasacomponentwithina solarsystemandusemodelsforinvestigatingsystemsatastronomicalscales.Studentsbegintoidentifystableand dynamicaspectsofsystems,andlearnhowtolookforpatternsandrelationshipsbetweencomponentsofsystems.They developexplanationsforthepatternstheyobserve. ScienceUnderstanding Biologicalsciences Livingthingshavestructuralfeaturesandadaptationsthat helpthemtosurviveintheirenvironment(ACSSU043)
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Elaborations
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explaininghowparticularadaptationshelp survivalsuchasnocturnalbehaviour,silvery colouredleavesofduneplants describingandlistingadaptationsoflivingthings suitedforparticularAustralianenvironments exploringgeneraladaptationsforparticular environmentssuchasadaptationsthataidwater conservationindeserts
Chemicalsciences Solids,liquidsandgaseshavedifferentobservable propertiesandbehaveindifferentways(ACSSU077)
Elaborations
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recognisingthatsubstancesexistindifferent statesdependingonthetemperature observingthatgaseshavemassandtakeup space,demonstratedbyusingballoonsor bubbles exploringthewaysolids,liquidsandgases changeunderdifferentsituationssuchasheating andcooling recognisingthatnotallsubstancescanbeeasily classifiedonthebasisoftheirobservable properties
Earthandspacesciences
Elaborations
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Science
TheEarthispartofasystemofplanetsorbitingaroundastar (thesun)(ACSSU078)
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identifyingtheplanetsofthesolarsystemand comparinghowlongtheytaketoorbitthesun modellingtherelativesizeofanddistance betweenEarth,otherplanetsinthesolarsystem andthesun recognisingtheroleofthesunasaproviderof energyfortheEarth
Physicalsciences Lightfromasourceformsshadowsandcanbeabsorbed, reflectedandrefracted(ACSSU080)
Elaborations
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drawingsimplelabelledraydiagramstoshowthe pathsoflightfromasourcetooureyes comparingshadowsfrompointandextended lightsourcessuchastorchesandfluorescent tubes classifyingmaterialsastransparent,opaqueor translucentbasedonwhetherlightpasses throughthemorisabsorbed recognisingthatthecolourofanobjectdepends onthepropertiesoftheobjectandthecolourof thelightsource exploringtheuseofmirrorstodemonstratethe reflectionoflight recognisingtherefractionoflightatthesurfaces ofdifferenttransparentmaterials,suchaswhen lighttravelsfromairtowaterorairtoglass
ScienceasaHumanEndeavour Natureanddevelopmentofscience Scienceinvolvestestingpredictionsbygatheringdataand usingevidencetodevelopexplanationsofeventsand phenomena(ACSHE081)

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Elaborations
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developinganunderstandingofthebehaviourof lightbymakingobservationsofitseffects testingpredictionsrelatingtothebehaviourof solids,liquidsandgasesbyconducting observationalexperiments researchinghowscientistswereabletodevelop ideasaboutthesolarsystemthroughthe gatheringofevidencethroughspaceexploration describinghowscientistsfromarangeofcultures haveimprovedourunderstandingofthesolar system,suchasCopernicus,Khayymand Galileo researchingthedifferenttypesofscientistswho workinteamsinspaceexploration,and Australiasinvolvementinspaceexploration learninghowAboriginalandTorresStraitIslander peopleusedobservationofthenightskytoassist withnavigation
Importantcontributionstotheadvancementofsciencehave beenmadebypeoplefromarangeofcultures(ACSHE082)
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Science
Useandinfluenceofscience Scientificunderstandings,discoveriesandinventionsare usedtosolveproblemsthatdirectlyaffectpeopleslives (ACSHE083)
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Elaborations
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investigatinghowthedevelopmentofmaterials suchasplasticsandsyntheticfabricshaveledto theproductionofusefulproducts describinghowtechnologiesdevelopedtoaid spaceexplorationhavechangedthewaypeople live,workandcommunicate exploringobjectsanddevicesthatincludeparts thatinvolvethereflection,absorptionorrefraction oflightsuchasmirrors,sunglassesandprisms consideringhowbesttoensuregrowthofplants consideringhowdecisionsaremadetogrow particularplantsandcropsdependingon environmentalconditions comparingthebenefitsofusingsolid,liquidor gaseousfuelstoheatahome describingthesafetyaspectsofusinggases
Scientificknowledgeisusedtoinformpersonaland communitydecisions(ACSHE217)
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ScienceInquirySkills Questioningandpredicting Withguidance,posequestionstoclarifypracticalproblems orinformascientificinvestigation,andpredictwhatthe findingsofaninvestigationmightbe(ACSIS231)

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Elaborations
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exploringtherangeofquestionsthatcanbe askedaboutaproblemorphenomenaandwith guidance,identifyingthosequestionsthatcould beinvestigated applyingexperiencefromsimilarsituationsinthe pasttopredictwhatmighthappeninanew situation
Planningandconducting Withguidance,planappropriateinvestigationmethodsto answerquestionsorsolveproblems(ACSIS086)
Elaborations
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experiencingarangeofwaysofinvestigating questions,includingexperimentaltesting,internet research,fieldobservationsandexploring simulations discussingtheadvantagesofcertaintypesof investigationforansweringcertaintypesof questions consideringdifferentwaystoapproachproblem solving,includingresearching,usingtrialand error,experimentaltestingandcreatingmodels
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Science
Decidewhichvariableshouldbechangedandmeasuredin fairtestsandaccuratelyobserve,measureandrecorddata, usingdigitaltechnologiesasappropriate(ACSIS087)
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discussingingroupshowinvestigationscanbe madeasfairaspossible usingtoolstoaccuratelymeasureobjectsand eventsininvestigationandexploringwhichtools providethemostaccuratemeasurements usingfamiliarunitssuchasgrams,secondsand metersanddevelopingtheuseofstandard multiplierssuchaskilometresandmillimetres recordingdataintablesanddiagramsor electronicallyasdigitalimagesandspreadsheets explainingrulesforsafeprocessesanduseof equipment
Useequipmentandmaterialssafely,identifyingpotential risks(ACSIS088) Processingandanalysingdataandinformation Constructandusearangeofrepresentations,including tablesandgraphs,torepresentanddescribeobservations, patternsorrelationshipsindatausingdigitaltechnologies asappropriate(ACSIS090)
Elaborations
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constructingtables,graphsandothergraphic organiserstoshowtrendsindata identifyingpatternsindataanddeveloping explanationsthatfitthesepatterns identifyingsimilaritiesanddifferencesin qualitativedatainordertogroupitemsor materials sharingideasastowhetherobservationsmatch predictions,anddiscussingpossiblereasonsfor predictionsbeingincorrect
Comparedatawithpredictionsanduseasevidencein developingexplanations(ACSIS218)
Evaluating Suggestimprovementstothemethodsusedtoinvestigatea questionorsolveaproblem(ACSIS091)
Elaborations
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workingcollaborativelytoidentifywheremethods couldbeimproved,includingwheretestingwas notfairandpracticescouldbeimproved
Communicating Communicateideas,explanationsandprocessesina varietyofways,includingmultimodaltexts(ACSIS093)
Elaborations
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discussinghowmodelsrepresentscientificideas andconstructingphysicalmodelstodemonstrate anaspectofscientificunderstanding constructingmultimodaltextstocommunicate scienceideas usinglabelleddiagrams,includingcross sectionalrepresentations,tocommunicateideas
AtLevel5,thestudentisworkingtowardstheLevel6standard.
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Thinking Processes
2 2 2 3 7 7
Thinking Processes
IntroductiontoThinkingProcesses
Ourworldandtheworldofthefuturedemandthatallstudentsaresupportedtobecomeeffectiveandskilfulthinkers. Thinkingvalidatesexistingknowledgeandenablesindividualstocreatenewknowledgeandtobuildideasandmake connectionsbetweenthem.Itentailsreasoningandinquirytogetherwithprocessingandevaluatinginformation.Itenables theexplorationofperceptionsandpossibilities.Italsoinvolvesthecapacitytoplan,monitorandevaluateonesownthinking, andrefineandtransformideasandbeliefs. TheThinkingProcessesdomainencompassesarangeofcognitive,affectiveandmetacognitiveknowledge,skillsand behaviourswhichareessentialforstudentstofunctioneffectivelyinsociety,bothwithinandbeyondschool. Anexplicitfocusonthinkingandtheteachingofthinkingskillsaimstodevelopstudentsthinkingtoaqualitativelyhigher level.Studentsneedtobesupportedtomovebeyondthelowerordercognitiveskillsofrecallandcomprehensiontothe developmentofhigherorderprocessesrequiredforcreativeproblemsolving,decisionmakingandconceptualising.In addition,theyneedtodevelopthecapacityformetacognitionthecapacitytoreflectonandmanagetheirownthinking.This canonlyhappeniftheschoolandclassroomculturevaluesandpromotesthinkingandifstudentsareprovidedwith sufficienttimetothink,reflect,andengageinsustaineddiscussion,deliberationandinquiry.Studentsneedchallenging taskswhichstimulate,encourageandsupportskilfulandeffectivethinking. Afocusonthedevelopmentofthinkingcompetencieswithinspecificareasofthecurriculumandacrossitnotonlyservesas acoreintegrativefunction,italsohasthepotentialtoprovidecontinuityinapproachestolearningfromFoundationtoLevel10 andtoemphasisetheviewthatsuchknowledge,skillsandbehavioursareimportanttolifelonglearning.Toemphasisethis, teachersmodelskilfulandeffectivethinkingandmaketheirownthinkingexplicitaspartoftheireverydaypractice. Thinkingskillscanbedefinedinavarietyofways.Manydifferenttaxonomiesandmodelsforteachingthinkinghavebeen developed.Eachclassificationschemehasitsstrengthsandweaknesses.However,whateverthesystemorsystemsbeing used,allseektoimprovethequalityofstudentthinking.
StructureoftheThinkingProcessesDomain
TheThinkingProcessesdomaininAusVELSusesanelevenlevelstructuretobothreflectthedesignofthenewAustralian CurriculumandtoprovideaconsistentstructureacrossalltheAusVELSdomains(formoredetails,pleaseseeOverview). Eachlevelincludesalearningfocusstatementand,fromLevel3,asetofstandardsorganisedbydimension.
Learningfocus
Standards
Standardsdefinewhatstudentsshouldknowandbeabletodoatdifferentlevelsandarewrittenforeachdimension.In ThinkingProcesses,standardsforassessingandreportingonstudentachievementapplyfromLevel3. Dimensions StandardsintheThinkingProcessesdomainareorganisedinthreedimensions:
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Reasoning,processingandinquiry
Thinking Processes
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Creativity Reflection,evaluationandmetacognition.
Reasoning,processingandinquiry
TheReasoning,processingandinquirydimensionencompassestheknowledge,skillsandbehavioursrequiredtoenable studentstoinquireintotheworldaroundthem,andtousecriticalthinkingtoanalyseandevaluateinformationthey encounter.Studentslearntoassembleandquestioninformationanddevelopopinionsbasedoninformedjudgments.They alsodevelopthecapacitytotransforminformationintocoherentknowledgestructures.
Creativity
Thecapacitytothinkcreativelyisacentralcomponentofbeingabletosolveproblemsandbeinnovative.IntheCreativity dimension,studentslearntoseekinnovativealternativesandusetheirimaginationtogeneratepossibilities.Theylearnto takeriskswiththeirthinkingandmakenewconnections.
Reflection,evaluationandmetacognition
Learningisenhancedwhenindividualsdevelopthecapacitytoreflecton,andrefinetheirexistingideasandbeliefs.Inthe Reflection,evaluationandmetacognitiondimension,studentslearntoreflectonwhattheyknowanddevelopawareness thatthereismoretoknow.Theylearntoquestiontheirperspectivesandthoseofothers.Theyevaluatethevalidityoftheir ownandothersideas.Theyalsodeveloptheirmetacognitiveskillsinplanning,monitoringandevaluatingtheirownthinking processesandstrategies.
StagesofLearninginThinkingProcesses
AusVELStakesaccountofthedevelopmentalstagesoflearningyoungpeopleexperienceatschool.Whilestudentlearning isacontinuumanddifferentstudentsdevelopatdifferentrates,theybroadlyprogressthroughthreestagesoflearning. Thefollowingstatementsdescribewaysinwhichthesecharacteristicsrelatetolearningexperiencesandstandardsineach ofthethreestagesoflearningintheThinkingProcessesdomain. Ourunderstandingofhowweconstructanddeconstructthoughtsisnotanexactsciencenotwothinkingstylesarethe same,preferenceschangeovertime,andstudentsareuniqueindividuals. Studentstendtoprogressfrombeingconcretetoabstractthinkersastheydevelopincreasingexpertiseinalearning domain,andacrossthedomains.Thisistosomeextentadevelopmentalprocess.However,itisalsoaffectedbyother factors,suchaslevelsofinterest,contextandthequalityofinstruction. Concretethinkersarelikelytocreatemeaningmosteffectivelywhenknowledgeandskillsaredevelopedsequentially,one stepatatime,usinglogicalprocesses.Whenstudentsengageinconcretethinking,theytendtointerpretinformationinterms ofitspracticalityorusefulness.Theyhaveapreferenceforkinaestheticorvisualwaysofreceivinginformation,andtendto likequestionsthathaveananswer,ratherthanquestionsthatarepurelyspeculative. AbstractthinkersareabletomakeconnectionsandtransferknowledgewithgreaterflexibilitythanconcretethinkersWhen studentsengageinabstractthinking,theytendtothinkinideasorrepresentations.Theyspeculateaboutpossibilitiesand conclusions,anddevelopbeliefsonthebasisofthese.Abstractthinkersaremorecapableofbuildingmeaninginnonlinear formsbycreatingpatternsandoverallframeworks.Theyaremorelikelytohaveinsightsinrandomways. FoundationtoLevel4Layingthefoundations
Thinking Processes
Webuildourbrainsthroughexperience,bothrealandperceived.Knowledgegrowsasourneuronsmakenewconnections, andastheyincreaseordecreasethestrengthofexistingnetworksinthebrain.Informationentersthebrainthroughexisting networksofneurons.Itistheseexistingnetworks,thispriorknowledge,whichisthebasisforconstructingnew understanding.Welearnbyattachingthenewtotheold,alwaysbuildingonwhathasgonebefore.Sometimestheold networksaresopowerfulthattheybecomeabarriertonewknowledgeandweoftencarrychildhoodbeliefswithusfora lifetime,evenwhenweknowthattheyaretechnicallyincorrect. Frombirth,childrenusealloftheiravailablesensestogivemeaningtotheirworld.Thethinkingbrainevolvedbybuildingon partsthatareinvolvedinemotionandfeelings,causingthinkingandfeelingtobeintricatelylinked.Feelingsdirectlyinfluence ourthoughts,behavioursandattitudes:forinstance,stressmayleadtoimpairedcognitionandfearmayresultinthephysical deteriorationofmemorysystemsnoveltyandpositivestimulationmayleadtoaheightenedlevelofalertnessandmotivation. Ouremotionscandistract,aswellasmotivate.Thecapacitytomanageemotionssothattheyarecompatiblewithataskisa keythinkingskill.Studentswholearntomanagetheirimpulsesearlyinschoolingaremoreinclinedtomaintainthought conduciveemotionalstatesforexample,beingpersistent,calmandcontemplative. Childrenbuildtheirabilitytoreasonfromacontext,orenvironment.Theenvironmentprovidesthepractices,assumptions andvaluesuponwhichreasoningisconstructed.Itfollowsthatifstudentsfailtounderstandthenormsandvaluesofa classroom,theywillhavedifficultyunderstandingthereasoningthatflowsfromthosenormsandvalues,andtheywillbe subsequentlyhinderedintheircapacitytotransferthatsocialisingskilltomoreformalapplications. Atthisstage,studentslearndiscreteknowledge,skillsandbehavioursthatdeveloptheirthinking.Theymakecomparisons, identifyingsimilaritiesanddifferencestheyclassifyobjectsaccordingtocommonpropertiestheylearnaboutsequences andotherpatternstheyexperimentwithcauseandeffectandtheylearnaboutthelinkbetweenmemoryandunderstanding. Thesediscretethinkingtoolsformthebasisforbecomingeffectivethinkerswithrespecttomorecomplexpatternsand frameworks. Studentsbuildthesethinkingprocessesinconcreteways,hencephysicalrepresentationsofideasandpatternshelpthem tounderstand,explore,organiseandreflect.Theseedsofcomplexthinkingprocessesareapparentinthisstageoflearning whenstudentsaregeneratingquestionsandseekinganswers,experimenting,employingtrialanderror,anddrawingon existingknowledgetounderstandanewtask.Theyarebeginningtounderstandthatcomplexthinkingmayleadtoachange ofviewpoint. Levels5to8Buildingbreadthanddepth Thisstageoflearningmarkstheshiftfromintrinsictoextrinsicmotivation.Atschool,studentsbecomeincreasingly independentoffamily,andmorealignedwithpeers.Independenceimpliesademandforselfdeterminationinallaspectsof life,includingthinkingandlearning.Youngpeoplebeginmakingchoicesaboutwhatisimportantandunimportant,whatis relevantandwhatisnot.Theybegintocomprehendthatcertaintyisrarelyguaranteed,thattheworldisfullofcomplexityand contradiction:theremaybemorethanoneanswertoaquestionandsometimesthereisnoanswer. Theadolescentbrainremainsintheprocessofdevelopment.Theparietalandtemporalareasmediatingspatial,sensory, auditoryandlanguagefunctionsappearlargelydeveloped,butthefrontallobesarestillmaturing.Consequently,students arestilldevelopingtheircapacitiesinmatterssuchasplanning,organising,andanticipatingconsequences.Itiscriticalthat studentsmethodicallypractisetheseskills.Betweentheagesof10and14levels,thebraingoesthroughaperiodwhen synapticpruningoccursattwicetheratecomparedtoanyotherstageinlife.Thebrainisactivelyhardwiringitself, strengtheningandincreasingconnectionstoimprovecapacityinareasthatarebeingused,anddiscardingconnectionsin areasthatarenotbeingused,orareunderutilised.
Thinking Processes
Itisimportantthatstudentsbegintheshiftfromdirectedanddiscretethinkingtasks,tousingthinkingskillsinamoreflexible anddiscretionaryway.Theydothis,inpart,byinvolvingthemselvesinextendedprojectswithaplanandanoutcome.They practiseapplyingknowledgeanddiversethinkingskillstospecificproblems,andreflectontheirworkwhattheyhavedone competentlyandwhattheymightimprove,whattheyenjoyed,andwhattheylearnedfromothers.Theyrepeatsometasks, andtheyconsiderhowtheymightapplyknowledge,skillsandbehaviourstootherapplicationsandaspectsoftheirlives. (Thistransitioniscomplexandoccursovermanylevels,withdevelopmentandspecialisationcontinuingbeyondschooling). Peersbecomeakeyinfluenceonattitudes.Studentswillattimesbeconsumedbytheirpeerrelationships,bothemotionally andcognitively.Manyoftheircomplexthinkingskillswillbeconceivedintheenvironmentoftheirinterpersonalexperiences. Theywilltransfertheseskillstomoreformalapplications,especiallywhentheimportanceoftheseexperiencesis recognisedandutilisedbytheirteachers.Atthisstage,ethicsandmoralityareextendedintouniversalvaluesthatinform friendship,cultureandnationhood.Theories,laws,principlesandmodelsaddmeaningtosocialandphysicalenvironments, bothlocalanduniversal. Withthecognitivecentresofthebrainstilldeveloping,theemotionalcentresaremoreactive.Withotherphysicalchanges alsooccurringduringthisstage,youngpeoplearemoresensitiveto,andinfluencedby,emotionsthanatothertimesintheir lives.Consequently,asthinkerstheywillbemoreresponsivetoexperientialactivities,asopposedtoactivitiesthataresolely drivenbyconceptsandtheory.Theawareness,understandinganduseoffeelingsandsensesbecomecentraltothe developmentofthinkingskillssuchasperception,understanding,memorising,abstracting,analysinganddecisionmaking. Levels9to10Developingpathways BythetimestudentsreachLevel9theyarewellintoadolescenceandarebeginningtolooktowardstheirfuturerolesinlife. Theyarereflectingandreorientingthemselves,developingapersonalpointofviewandapersonalplaceinlife,and obligations,responsibility,andsocialexpectationsarebecomingmoreprominent.Thesenewresponsibilitiesand expectationscanbeseenasadventure,learningandgrowththeycanalsoinstilfear,lossofconfidence,andinsecurity. Adolescentsarematuringphysicallyatyoungeragesandenteringtheadultworldofworkandfamilyatolderagesthishas ledtolessclearrolesforbothparentsandadolescents.Studentsarebecomingindependentoffamilybyacquiringa personalpointofviewinrelationtocivics,ethics,beliefsandvalues.Peersbecomeanincreasingsourceofsupportand influence.Atthisstage,somestudentsmayreachanawarenessofuniversalvaluesandethicalprinciples. Motivationandeffortwillbelinkedwithasenseofidentity,purpose,andbeliefsaboutself.Manyactivitiesandexperiencesat schoolmaynottriggercuriosity,activateinformationseekingordevelopcompetence.However,inrelationtoabroader perspectiveoftheself,itisimportantthatstudentsunderstandtheneedtodowellatschooltoprepareforthepursuitoflife choicesand/orcareergoals.Thedevelopmentofemotionalmanagementandpositivecopingskillsarekeythinkingrelated behavioursinthisstageoflearning,correlatingwithstudentsbeingconsistentlytaskfocusedandabletopersistthroughto achievement. Competentlearnersarebeginningtousemorespecialisedcognitivestrategiesthaninearlierlevels.Theyaredeveloping coherentstructuresofknowledgeandbeginningtobuildexpertise.Theybegintounderstandthemethodologies,language, skillsandbehavioursassociatedwithdiscretelearningdomains.Theyexpresspreferencesforparticularstylesofthinking andlearning,andthesepreferencestendtoinformmotivationandcompetence.Theirbeliefsaboutpersonalstrengthsand weaknessesinfluencetheirlevelsofeffortandpersonalchoice.Thisinturn,isoftenreinforcedbythedevelopmentof strategiesandhabits. Increasedspecialisationrequiresthedevelopmentofroutinestudy,organisational,notetakingandexaminationpreparation habits.Thesegraduallyincreaseincomplexity,requiringstudentstodevelopcognitiveskillssuchastheuseofdeliberate memoryandconcentrationtechniques,andtheadaptableuseofgraphicrepresentationsforideas,thinkingprocessesand frameworks.
Thinking Processes
Studentscontinuetorefineresearchmethodologies,employingcomplexquestioning,andformingconclusionsand communicatingdatausingavarietyofmedia.Previouslyrecognisedpatternsbecometheories,laws,principlesandmodels. Withencouragementandguidancefromtheirteachers,motivatedstudentswillidentifythebigquestions,andwillengagein extendedprocessesinvolvingcomplexthinking.Theywill(creatively)constructand(usecriticalanalysisto)deconstruct ideas,concepts,eventsandobjects.Theywillcompare,classify,inductanddeduct,analyse,detecterrors,constructsupport, abstract,judge,problemsolve,experiment,invent,investigate,applyandtransfer,inflexibleanddeliberateways.Theywill reflectontheeffectivenessandusefulnessoftheseendeavours.Inthisway,theywillbedevelopingcreativeandcritical thinkingabilities,andapplyingthemtotheexpansionoftheirknowledgeandskills.
Thinking Processes
Level5
LearningFocus
AsstudentsworktowardstheachievementofLevel6standardsinThinkingProcesses,theymakeobservationsand posequestionsaboutpeopleandeventswithinandbeyondtheirownexperience,anddevelopagrowingawarenessof thecomplexityoftheworldaroundthem. Usingthesequestionsasabasis,studentsundertakeinvestigationsindependentlyandwithothers.Theirinvestigations includetimeforsustaineddiscussion,deliberationandinquiry,withteachersprovidingappropriatetoolsandsupportin thisprocess.Studentsdevelopstrategiestofindsuitablesourcesofinformationandtheylearntodistinguishbetween factandopinion.Theydevelopanunderstandingofhowourviewsaresociallyconstructedandnotalwaysbasedon evidence. Studentsincreasetheirrepertoireofthinkingstrategiesforgatheringandprocessinginformation.Theseinclude identifyingsimplecauseandeffect,elaboratingandanalysing,anddevelopinglogicalarguments.Theybegintoconsider whichstrategiesmaybemostappropriateforparticularlearningcontexts.Theyincreasinglyfocusontasksthatrequire flexiblethinkingfordecisionmaking,synthesisandcreativity. Studentsparticipateinactivitiesinwhichtheyidentifyproblemsthatneedtobesolved.Theyusearangeoftechniquesto representtheproblemand,workingindividuallyandwithothers,developarangeofcreativesolutionsandexplorethe advantagesofgeneratingunconventionalratherthanconventionalsolutions.Theybegintodevelopcriteriatoselectand prioritisepossiblesolutions. Theylearntomakelinksbetweenideasanduseportfoliosand/orjournalstoreflectonhowtheirideasandbeliefs changeovertime.Instructuredactivities,theypractisetransferringtheirknowledgetonewcontexts.
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TheAusVELS

VCAA | AusVELS Curriculum | Date PDF created: Monday, 20 May 2013

VCAA | AusVELS Curriculum | Date PDF created: Monday, 20 May 2013

VCAA | AusVELS Curriculum | Date PDF created: Monday, 20 May 2013

VCAA | AusVELS Curriculum | Date PDF created: Monday, 20 May 2013

VCAA | AusVELS Curriculum | Date PDF created: Monday, 20 May 2013

VCAA | AusVELS Curriculum | Date PDF created: Monday, 20 May 2013

inDance,studentsmirrorthemovementsofapartnerandthenperformthesamemovementsexpressingcontrasting emotions inDrama,studentsroleplaysituationsandevents,sustainingrole/characterthroughouttheirgrouporsolo performance.

Theyexperimentwithimaginativeandinnovativewaysofgeneratingideasandmanipulatingartselements,principles and/orconventionstoexplorethepotentialofideas,gaininginspirationfromabroadrangeofsources,includingarts worksfromdifferentcultures,stylesandhistoricalcontexts.Forexample:

inMedia,studentsresearchmediatextsfocusingontheuseofarangeofmediatechnologiesintheproductionand presentationofnewsindifferenthistoricalcontexts,andthencreatearealorimaginednewsitemfortheirschool communitybyworkingcollaborativelyfrompreproductiontopostproductionandpresentationofthenewsitem.

VCAA | AusVELS Curriculum | Date PDF created: Monday, 20 May 2013

Civics and Citizenship

VCAA | AusVELS Curriculum | Date PDF created: Monday, 20 May 2013

Civics and Citizenship

VCAA | AusVELS Curriculum | Date PDF created: Monday, 20 May 2013

Civics and Citizenship

VCAA | AusVELS Curriculum | Date PDF created: Monday, 20 May 2013

Civics and Citizenship

VCAA | AusVELS Curriculum | Date PDF created: Monday, 20 May 2013

Civics and Citizenship

VCAA | AusVELS Curriculum | Date PDF created: Monday, 20 May 2013

Civics and Citizenship

VCAA | AusVELS Curriculum | Date PDF created: Monday, 20 May 2013

VCAA | AusVELS Curriculum | Date PDF created: Monday, 20 May 2013

VCAA | AusVELS Curriculum | Date PDF created: Monday, 20 May 2013

VCAA | AusVELS Curriculum | Date PDF created: Monday, 20 May 2013

VCAA | AusVELS Curriculum | Date PDF created: Monday, 20 May 2013

VCAA | AusVELS Curriculum | Date PDF created: Monday, 20 May 2013

Design, Creativity and Technology

VCAA | AusVELS Curriculum | Date PDF created: Monday, 20 May 2013

Design, Creativity and Technology

VCAA | AusVELS Curriculum | Date PDF created: Monday, 20 May 2013

Design, Creativity and Technology

Investigatinganddesigning Producing Analysingandevaluating.

VCAA | AusVELS Curriculum | Date PDF created: Monday, 20 May 2013

Design, Creativity and Technology

VCAA | AusVELS Curriculum | Date PDF created: Monday, 20 May 2013

Design, Creativity and Technology

VCAA | AusVELS Curriculum | Date PDF created: Monday, 20 May 2013

Design, Creativity and Technology

VCAA | AusVELS Curriculum | Date PDF created: Monday, 20 May 2013

Design, Creativity and Technology

VCAA | AusVELS Curriculum | Date PDF created: Monday, 20 May 2013

VCAA | AusVELS Curriculum | Date PDF created: Monday, 20 May 2013

Language:knowingabouttheEnglishlanguage Literature:understanding,appreciating,respondingto,analysingandcreatingliterature Literacy:expandingtherepertoireofEnglishusage.

VCAA | AusVELS Curriculum | Date PDF created: Monday, 20 May 2013

VCAA | AusVELS Curriculum | Date PDF created: Monday, 20 May 2013

VCAA | AusVELS Curriculum | Date PDF created: Monday, 20 May 2013

VCAA | AusVELS Curriculum | Date PDF created: Monday, 20 May 2013

VCAA | AusVELS Curriculum | Date PDF created: Monday, 20 May 2013

VCAA | AusVELS Curriculum | Date PDF created: Monday, 20 May 2013

FoundationtoLevel2:typicallystudentsfrom5to8yearsofage Levels3to6:typicallystudentsfrom8to12yearsofage Levels7to10:typicallystudentsfrom12to16yearsofage.

VCAA | AusVELS Curriculum | Date PDF created: Monday, 20 May 2013

VCAA | AusVELS Curriculum | Date PDF created: Monday, 20 May 2013

overseasandAustralianbornchildrenwhosefirstlanguageisalanguageotherthanEnglish AboriginalandTorresStraitIslanderstudentswhosefirstlanguageisanIndigenouslanguage,includingtraditional languages,creolesandrelatedvarieties,orAboriginalEnglish.

AboriginalandTorresStraitIslanderhistoriesandcultures AsiaandAustraliasengagementwithAsia Sustainability.

VCAA | AusVELS Curriculum | Date PDF created: Monday, 20 May 2013

VCAA | AusVELS Curriculum | Date PDF created: Monday, 20 May 2013

TherangeofliterarytextsforFoundationtoLevel10comprisesAustralianliterature,includingtheoral narrativetraditionsofAboriginalandTorresStraitIslanderpeoples,aswellasthecontemporary literatureofthesetwoculturalgroups,andclassicandcontemporaryworldliterature,includingtextsfrom andaboutAsia.

becomingfamiliarwiththetypicalstagesandlanguagefeaturesofsuch texttypesas:narrative,procedure,exposition,explanation,discussion andinformativetextandhowtheycanbecomposedandpresentedin written,digitalandmultimediaforms

VCAA | AusVELS Curriculum | Date PDF created: Monday, 20 May 2013

interpretingnarrativetextstoldaswordlesspicturebooks identifyingandcomparingsequencesofimagesrevealedthrough differenthyperlinkchoices

Literature Recognisethatideasinliterarytexts canbeconveyedfromdifferent viewpoints,whichcanleadtodifferent kindsofinterpretationsandresponses (ACELT1610)