Information for parents. The Australian Curriculum – Years ... · FoundationInformation for...

Years 5–6 Years 7–8 Years 9–10Foundation Years 1–2 Years 3–4Information for parentsTHE AUSTRALIAN CURRICULUM – YEARS 3 AND 4

Foundation Years 1–2 Years 5–6 Years 7–8 Years 9–10Years 3–4

THE AUSTRALIAN CURRICULUMThe Australian Curriculum is designed to develop:

• successfullearners• confidentandcreativeindividuals• activeandinformedyoungpeoplewho

arereadytotaketheirplaceinsociety.

Itsetsthegoalforwhatallstudentsshouldlearnastheyprogressthroughtheirschoollife–wherevertheyliveinAustraliaandwhateverschooltheyattend.

TheAustralianCurriculumwithitseightlearning areas provides a modern curriculum foreverystudentinAustralia.Includedinthecontent of learning areas are seven general capabilitiesintendedtohelpprepareyoungAustralianstolearn,liveandworkinthe21stcentury.Therearethreecross-curriculumpriorities that are also a focus across the learningareas.

TheAustralianCurriculumisflexiblesothatteachers can plan the learning for all their students,alsotakingintoaccounttheirlocalschoolcommunity.

For more information, see our fact sheet: TheAustralianCurriculum–anoverviewforparents.

YEARS 3 AND 4

In Years 3 and 4, students become more independent;theycommunicatewithothersmoreeffectively.

English and Mathematics continue to be apriority,andliteracyandnumeracyaredevelopedacrossalllearningareas.

The curriculum further builds the essential knowledgeandskillsinliteracy,consolidating‘learningtoreadandwrite’.

Years 3-4 Learning Areas

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English

Maths

Science

Health & PE

Technologies

The Arts

Humanities

Languages

School choice

Years 5–6 Years 7–8 Years 9–10Foundation Years 1–2 Years 3–4

EnglishInYears3and4,studentsreadandwriteaboutfamiliarcontentthatrelatestootherlearning

areas.Studentsreadmoredifficulttextsontheirown,suchaschapterbooksandnon-fiction

informationandcanwriteindifferentstyles.

Typically, students will:

readandunderstandarangeofdifferenttypesoftextsthatexploreimaginativeand

informative topics recogniseandwritetextsthatpersuadeandexplain

writeimaginativetextsthatincludecharactersandevents

recognise that pictures or graphics can be important to add meaning

recognisedifferentkindsoflanguageusedintext,dependingontheaudienceandpurpose

learninformationorideasfromtexts

usemostlycorrectgrammar,includingsimpleandcompoundsentences

useaccuratespellingandpunctuation,andedittheirownwriting

planandmakepresentationstotheclass

engageindiscussionstoshareideasandinformation,communicatingclearlywithothers.

MathematicsIn Years 3 and 4, students further develop their understanding of number,patternsandrelationships,measurementandgeometry.Modelling fractions and decimals using concrete materials is a crucialfocusatthisstage.

Typically, students will:

choosestrategiestoadd,subtract,multiplyanddivide representthevalueofmoneyandmakesimplecalculations recall multiplication facts represent fractions on a number line exploreaddition,subtractionandmultiplicationnumberpatterns measure temperatures, lengths, shapes and objects solve problems involving time, and read maps createsymmetricalshapesandclassifyangles constructgraphsandlistalikelihoodofevents.

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Creates a multiplication number pattern and explains

their thinking.

Years 5–6 Years 7–8 Years 9–10Foundation Years 1–2 Years 3–4

ScienceStudentsdeveloptheirunderstandingabouthowsciencerelatesto theirlives.Theyposeandanswerquestionsandinvestigateinamoresystematicway,developingunderstandingofafairtestandvariables.Typically, students will:

observeheatasaformofenergyandinvestigatehowitaffectssolids exploreregularandpredictablecyclesthroughastudyofdayandnight exploretheactionofforces realisethatlivingthingsformpartsofecosystems understandthatactionsofhumanscanhaveaneffectontheirworld.

Humanities and Social SciencesStudentsdrawontheirgrowingexperienceofthecommunityandbeyond,anduseobservationsandinformation sources to develop understandings abouthistory,geography,civicsandcitizenship.Typically, students will investigate:

diverse people, cultures and environments inAustraliaandneighbouringcountries;howdifferent individuals and groups have contributed to their communities, past and present significantdaysinAustralia’shistory,suchasAustraliaDay,AnzacDayandSorryDay earlyexplorersandBritishcolonisationofAustralia diverse cultures of Aboriginal and Torres Strait IslanderPeoples,andthosewholiveandlivedin the local area geographic characteristics of Africa, South AmericaandAustralia,andhownatural

resources are used and managed rulesandlaws,andhowthelocalgovernmentmakesdecisionsandservestheircommunity groupstheybelongto,andhowpeople

contributetothecommunityandtheenvironmentthroughresponsibleactions.

Health and PhysicalEducat

ion

Studentslearnaboutchangestheyexperienceastheygrowup,valuingdifferenceinothers.Theydevelopmorecomplicatedmovementskills.

Typically, students will:

talkaboutchallenge,risk,successandfailure,andhowtheseaffecttheway theyseethemselves

keepthemselvesandotherssafeandhealthyinandoutoftheclassroom

build positive relationships and become moreawareofemotions

understandtheirownfamilybackground,and value all people and cultures includingtheirown

playgamesinarangeofoutdoorplaces

improvetheirskillsindifferentactivities

userules,scoring,tactics,fairplayandteamwork.

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Years 5–6 Years 7–8 Years 9–10Foundation Years 1–2 Years 3–4

The Arts

Studentsparticipateindependentlyor

ingroupstoexpressandreflecttheir

growingunderstandingoftheworld

throughdifferentartforms.Theyfurther

developtheirtechnicalskillsinTheArts

andexplorehowotherscreateartworks.

Typically, students will:

inDance,createdancestotellastory

in Drama, develop performances from

storiesorpicturebooks

in Media Arts, use technologies to

changeimages,addwordsandrecord

sounds

inMusic,singandexplore

instruments to create music

inVisualArts,lookatanartist’swork

andcreatetheirown,experimenting

withmaterials,suchaspaint,crayons,

markersandcolourpencils.

TechnologiesStudentsbuildonconcepts,skillsandprocessesdevelopedinearlieryearsofDesignandTechnologies,andDigitalTechnologies.Typically, students will:

in Design and Technologies draw,labelandmodelideaswhen

designing and producing solutions suchascreatingatoythatmoves

plan steps to produce solutions and learn to manage their time

in Digital Technologies identifyandlearnhowtofollowsafety

ruleswhenworkingonline identifyproblemsandsolvethem,

forexample,identifyingstagesofa gameanddecisionsthataplayer mustmaketowin

create a range of digital solutions, such ascodingsimpleinteractivegames.

LanguagesStudentsmayhaveanopportunitytolearnalanguageotherthanEnglish.Typically, when learning the language, students will:

participate in classroom routines, interactions and learning activities that involve listening, responding and initiating

learnnewwordsandusefamiliarvocabularytomakesimplestatementsandasksimplequestions

communicate in familiar interactions and situations such as participatinginperformancesandplay

exploretherelationshipbetweencultureandwaysofcommunicating.

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To learn more about the Australian Curriculum, visit the ‘Parents’sectionoftheAustralianCurriculumwebsite.Formoreinformationaboutyourchild,talktoyourschool.