TheAusVELS

Curriculum
Domain CivicsandCitizenship,Communication,Design,Creativityand
Technology,English,HealthandPhysicalEducation,Informationand
CommunicationsTechnology,InterpersonalDevelopment,Languages,
Mathematics,PersonalLearning,Science,TheArts,TheHumanities,
TheHumanitiesEconomics,TheHumanitiesGeography,The
HumanitiesHistory,ThinkingProcesses
Level Foundationlevel,1,2,3,4,5and6
Dated Wednesday,29May2013

TableofContents
Overview
Introduction
ApproachestoTheArtsdisciplines
Domainstructure
Stagesoflearning
CurriculumF10
Foundationlevel
Level1
Level2
Level3
Level4
Level5
Level6
2
2
2
3
4
7
7
8
9
10
11
13
14
The Arts

VCAA | AusVELS Curriculum | Date PDF created: Wednesday, 29 May 2013 1

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

VCAA | AusVELS Curriculum | Date PDF created: Wednesday, 29 May 2013 2
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 Creatingandmaking
l 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

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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.
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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.
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Atthisstage,studentsshouldbemakinginformedpersonalchoicesbyapplyingthinkingstrategies,aestheticawareness,
meaningfuluseoflanguage,possibilitythinkingandtheuseofknowledgetoarriveatoriginalideasbylinkingunrelated
ideasandconcepts.

The Arts

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Foundationlevel
LearningFocus
AsstudentsworktowardstheachievementofFoundationLevelstandardsintheArts,theymakeperformingandvisual
artsworksthatexpressandcommunicateexperiences,observations,ideasandfeelingsaboutthemselvesandtheir
world.Withguidance,theymakeartsworksintraditionalandcontemporary(includingdigital)artsformsinresponseto
stimulidrawnfromsourcessuchasplay,problemsolving,imagination,observation,incursionsandexcursions.
Studentsnaturaltendencytodiscoverpossibilitiesandlimitationsisencouragedthroughexploringdifferentwaysof
usingperformingandvisualartselements,principlesand/orconventions,skills,techniquesandprocesses,media,
materialsandtechnologies.
Forexample,studentscould:
l inArt,usearangeofmarkmakingtoolstoexploreasmanywaysaspossibletoapplywetanddrymedia
l inDance(afterthesafedancepracticeofawarmupforthebody),communicatetheideaofaleafinthewindbyusing
movementstoshiftbodyweightindifferentways
l inDrama,communicateacharactersfeelingsatdifferentpointsinastorythroughfacialexpression,gestureandother
nonvocallanguage
l inMedia,makeandrecordsoundeffectstoaccompanyastorybooktheyhavecreated
l inMusic,usebodypercussion,foundandmadepercussioninstrumentsandtheirvoicestocreateasoundscape
aboutchangesintheweather.
Aspartoftheirartsmaking,studentstalkaboutwaysinwhichtheArtsarepartoftheirpersonalexperience,aswellas
culturalandsocialeventsintheircommunity.Theydiscussandexpressopinionsaboutartsideastheyareexploringand
workstheyarecreatingand,withguidance,begintouseartslanguagetodescribefeaturesoftheirownandothersarts
works.Theylearnaboutwaysofmakingpersonalresponsestoartsworksbasedonsensoryperception,andconsider
waysthattheyandotherscanbebothmakersandaudience.
Standards
Creatingandmaking
AtFoundationLevel,studentsmakeandshareperformingandvisualartsworksthatcommunicateobservations,
personalideas,feelingsandexperiences.Theyexploreand,withguidance,useavarietyofartselements(ontheirown
orincombination),skills,techniquesandprocesses,media,materials,equipmentandtechnologiesinarangeofarts
forms.Theytalkaboutaspectsoftheirownartsworks,andartsworksandeventsintheircommunity.
IntheArts,standardsfortheExploringandrespondingdimensionareintroducedatLevel3.
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Level1
LearningFocus
AsstudentsworktowardstheachievementofLevel1standardsintheArts,theylearnaboutarangeofwaysarts
elementscanbeusedinthePerformingandVisualArtstocommunicateexperiences,observationsandthings
imagined.Theybegintoselect,arrangeandmakechoicesaboutwaysofusingartselements,principlesand/or
conventionsfromindividualartsdisciplinesastheyinvestigatetheuseofskills,techniques,processes,media,
materials,equipmentandtechnologiesrelevanttotheartsdisciplinesinwhichtheyareworking.Theyexploreand,with
guidance,maintainarecordofwaysofcreatingartsworksthatusearangeofcontemporaryandtraditionalartsforms,
media,materials,equipmentandtechnologiesforexample,theyplanandexploreideasinavisualdiaryorkeepan
electronicjournalwithdigitalrecordsofpresentations.Usingideasandconceptstakenfromthemes,scenarios,
narrativesandvisualstimuli,theyexperimentwithwaysofexpressingandcommunicatingideasandfeelingsto
particularaudiencesorforparticularpurposes.Studentscouldpresentartsworksthatcombineartsdisciplinessuchas
ashadowpuppetplayfeaturingpuppetsandasoundtrackthestudentshavedesignedandcreatedorartsworksfrom
individualartsdisciplines.Forexample,studentscould:
l inArt,hangadisplayontreebranchesmadeupofthreedimensional,oddlyshapedimaginarycreatures,eachwith
twosidestoitspersonality,createdtoshowskillsinselectingandmakingchoicesaboutuseofarangeofmediaand
materials
l inDance,usethewholebodyorbodypartstoimprovisemovementsmatchingsoundsorthemovement
characteristicsofparticularanimals
l exploreDramaelementsandconventionssuchascostumesandpropstocreateacharacterbasedontheir
observationandperceptionofacharacterinastory
l inMedia,createastoryboarddepictingtheiralternativeendingforapopularfilmthendiscussingtheseinclass
l inMusic,combinesoundsmadebyarangeofnoisemakingtoyswithbodypercussiontoaccompanyalearnedsong.
Studentsrespondtoartsworkstogainexperienceinidentifyingpersonalpreferences,reflectingonfeaturesthatmight
influencetheirownartsworks,andrecognisingsimilaritiesanddifferencesbetweenworksfromdifferentculturesand
times.Indiscussionsaboutandresponsestotheirownandotherpeoplesartsworks,theybegintouseartslanguage
toidentifycharacteristicssuchassimilaritiesanddifferences.Theylearnaboutplaceswhereartsworkscanbefound
andhowartsworkscanbedesignedandmadetofulfilparticularindividualandcommunityneeds.
FurtherexamplesofartsdisciplinespecificlearningapproachesforLevel1willbepublishedsoon.
Standards
Creatingandmaking
AtLevel1,studentscreateandpresentperformingandvisualartsworksthatshowemergingartsknowledgeandan
abilitytoplanartsworksthatcommunicateideas,concepts,observationsfeelingsand/orexperiences.Theydemonstrate
anemergingabilitytoselect,arrangeandmakechoicesaboutexpressivewaysofusingartselements,principlesand/or
conventions.Theyuseskills,techniques,processes,media,materials,equipmentandtechnologiesinarangeofarts
forms.Theyidentify,describeanddiscusscharacteristicsoftheirownandothersartsworks.
IntheArts,standardsfortheExploringandrespondingdimensionareintroducedatLevel3.
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Level2
LearningFocus
AsstudentsworktowardstheachievementofLevel2standardsintheArts,theylearnaboutarangeofwaysarts
elementscanbeusedinthePerformingandVisualArtstocommunicateexperiences,observationsandthings
imagined.Theybegintoselect,arrangeandmakechoicesaboutwaysofusingartselements,principlesand/or
conventionsfromindividualartsdisciplinesastheyinvestigatetheuseofskills,techniques,processes,media,
materials,equipmentandtechnologiesrelevanttotheartsdisciplinesinwhichtheyareworking.Theyexploreand,with
guidance,maintainarecordofwaysofcreatingartsworksthatusearangeofcontemporaryandtraditionalartsforms,
media,materials,equipmentandtechnologiesforexample,theyplanandexploreideasinavisualdiaryorkeepan
electronicjournalwithdigitalrecordsofpresentations.Usingideasandconceptstakenfromthemes,scenarios,
narrativesandvisualstimuli,theyexperimentwithwaysofexpressingandcommunicatingideasandfeelingsto
particularaudiencesorforparticularpurposes.Studentscouldpresentartsworksthatcombineartsdisciplinessuchas
ashadowpuppetplayfeaturingpuppetsandasoundtrackthestudentshavedesignedandcreatedorartsworksfrom
individualartsdisciplines.Forexample,studentscould:
l inArt,hangadisplayontreebranchesmadeupofthreedimensional,oddlyshapedimaginarycreatures,eachwith
twosidestoitspersonality,createdtoshowskillsinselectingandmakingchoicesaboutuseofarangeofmediaand
materials
l inDance,usethewholebodyorbodypartstoimprovisemovementsmatchingsoundsorthemovement
characteristicsofparticularanimals
l exploreDramaelementsandconventionssuchascostumesandpropstocreateacharacterbasedontheir
observationandperceptionofacharacterinastory
l inMedia,createastoryboarddepictingtheiralternativeendingforapopularfilmthendiscussingtheseinclass
l inMusic,combinesoundsmadebyarangeofnoisemakingtoyswithbodypercussiontoaccompanyalearnedsong.
Studentsrespondtoartsworkstogainexperienceinidentifyingpersonalpreferences,reflectingonfeaturesthatmight
influencetheirownartsworks,andrecognisingsimilaritiesanddifferencesbetweenworksfromdifferentculturesand
times.Indiscussionsaboutandresponsestotheirownandotherpeoplesartsworks,theybegintouseartslanguage
toidentifycharacteristicssuchassimilaritiesanddifferences.Theylearnaboutplaceswhereartsworkscanbefound
andhowartsworkscanbedesignedandmadetofulfilparticularindividualandcommunityneeds.
Standards
Creatingandmaking
AtLevel2,studentscreateandpresentperformingandvisualartsworksthatshowemergingartsknowledgeandan
abilitytoplanartsworksthatcommunicateideas,concepts,observationsfeelingsand/orexperiences.Theydemonstrate
anemergingabilitytoselect,arrangeandmakechoicesaboutexpressivewaysofusingartselements,principlesand/or
conventions.Theyuseskills,techniques,processes,media,materials,equipmentandtechnologiesinarangeofarts
forms.Theyidentify,describeanddiscusscharacteristicsoftheirownandothersartsworks.
IntheArts,standardsfortheExploringandrespondingdimensionareintroducedatLevel3.
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Level3
LearningFocus
AsstudentsworktowardstheachievementofLevel4standardsintheArts,theyapplyanddeveloptheirartsknowledge
byexploringartsprocessesandwaystocommunicateconceptsarisingfromtheirpersonalexperiencesandfromthe
worldaroundthem.ThroughtheartsdisciplinesofDance,Drama,Media,MusicandVisualArtsArt(twodimensional
andthreedimensional),bothindividuallyandincombination,theycommunicateideas,observationsandfeelingsusing
arangeofmedia,materials,equipmentandtechnologiestomakeartsworksforexample,aclasspresentationcould
featuretheperformanceofasongfromanothercultureincombinationwithatraditionaldanceand/oraccompaniedbya
slideshowpresentationfeaturingpaintingsandcarvingswhichexplorethethemeofthesong.
Studentsselect,combineandexperimentwithwaysofusingarangeofartselements,principlesand/orconventions,
skills,techniquesandprocesses,toexploreartsideassourcedfromtheirimaginationandfromtheirownandother
cultures.Withguidancetheyrecordthedevelopmentofideasforexample,inavisualdiaryoradigital(audioorscreen)
journalwithrecordsofrehearsalsandconversationsabouttheideas/worktheyaredeveloping.Studentsconsiderthe
purposeandaudienceoftheirartsworksastheyexperimentwithvariouswaysofpresentingworksinarangeofarts
forms,andbegintoevaluateandrefinetheirworkinresponsetofeedback.Forexample:
l inArt,studentslookatandtalkaboutexamplesofweavingfromvariouscultures,thenexplorethepotentialofweaving
techniquesandprocessestocreatepattern,repetitionandcontrastusingarangeofmedia
l inDance,studentscreateamovementsequencebasedonideasandfeelingssuggestedbyoneormoreimages
viewedinclass,thenmodifytheirworkinresponsetofeedbackfromotherstudentsintheclass
l inDrama,studentsdiscussthepossibilitiesofcommunicatingwithoutwordsthencreatetableauxbasedonimage/s,
tosuggestwhatmayhavehappenedbeforeandafterwhatisdepictedintheimage/s
l inMedia,studentsplan,recordandeditaninterviewwithsomeoneofinterest(orcuriosity)tothem,thenpresenttheir
workanddiscussideasaboutitinclass
l inMusic,withajourneytoanimaginaryworldinmind,studentscreatesoundpicturesthatshowvariationinrhythmic
patternsandcontrastsinpitchandduration.
Astheyexploreandrespondtotheirownandothersartsworks,studentsdevelopskills,techniquesandprocessesfor
expressingemotionsandideas,andsignifyingpurpose.Usingappropriateartslanguagetheybegintoidentifyand
describewaystheyandothersusespecificelements,principlesand/orconventions,skills,techniquesandprocesses
anddiscusshowideas,feelingsandpurposeareconveyed.Theyreflectontheirownandotherpeoplesartsworksand
ideas,identifyingkeyfeaturesofworksandperformancesfromtheirownandothercultures,anddiscussthefunctionof
theArtsintheircommunity.
FurtherexamplesofartsdisciplinespecificlearningapproachesforLevel3willbepublishedsoon.
Standards
AtLevel3,studentsareworkingtowardtheLevel4standards.
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Level4
LearningFocus
AsstudentsworktowardstheachievementofLevel4standardsintheArts,theyapplyanddeveloptheirartsknowledge
byexploringartsprocessesandwaystocommunicateconceptsarisingfromtheirpersonalexperiencesandfromthe
worldaroundthem.ThroughtheartsdisciplinesofDance,Drama,Media,MusicandVisualArtsArt(twodimensional
andthreedimensional),bothindividuallyandincombination,theycommunicateideas,observationsandfeelingsusing
arangeofmedia,materials,equipmentandtechnologiestomakeartsworksforexample,aclasspresentationcould
featuretheperformanceofasongfromanothercultureincombinationwithatraditionaldanceand/oraccompaniedbya
slideshowpresentationfeaturingpaintingsandcarvingswhichexplorethethemeofthesong.
Studentsselect,combineandexperimentwithwaysofusingarangeofartselements,principlesand/orconventions,
skills,techniquesandprocesses,toexploreartsideassourcedfromtheirimaginationandfromtheirownandother
cultures.Withguidancetheyrecordthedevelopmentofideasforexample,inavisualdiaryoradigital(audioorscreen)
journalwithrecordsofrehearsalsandconversationsabouttheideas/worktheyaredeveloping.Studentsconsiderthe
purposeandaudienceoftheirartsworksastheyexperimentwithvariouswaysofpresentingworksinarangeofarts
forms,andbegintoevaluateandrefinetheirworkinresponsetofeedback.Forexample:
l inArt,studentslookatandtalkaboutexamplesofweavingfromvariouscultures,thenexplorethepotentialofweaving
techniquesandprocessestocreatepattern,repetitionandcontrastusingarangeofmedia
l inDance,studentscreateamovementsequencebasedonideasandfeelingssuggestedbyoneormoreimages
viewedinclass,thenmodifytheirworkinresponsetofeedbackfromotherstudentsintheclass
l inDrama,studentsdiscussthepossibilitiesofcommunicatingwithoutwordsthencreatetableauxbasedonimage/s,
tosuggestwhatmayhavehappenedbeforeandafterwhatisdepictedintheimage/s
l inMedia,studentsplan,recordandeditaninterviewwithsomeoneofinterest(orcuriosity)tothem,thenpresenttheir
workanddiscussideasaboutitinclass
l inMusic,withajourneytoanimaginaryworldinmind,studentscreatesoundpicturesthatshowvariationinrhythmic
patternsandcontrastsinpitchandduration.
Astheyexploreandrespondtotheirownandothersartsworks,studentsdevelopskills,techniquesandprocessesfor
expressingemotionsandideas,andsignifyingpurpose.Usingappropriateartslanguagetheybegintoidentifyand
describewaystheyandothersusespecificelements,principlesand/orconventions,skills,techniquesandprocesses
anddiscusshowideas,feelingsandpurposeareconveyed.Theyreflectontheirownandotherpeoplesartsworksand
ideas,identifyingkeyfeaturesofworksandperformancesfromtheirownandothercultures,anddiscussthefunctionof
theArtsintheircommunity.
Standards
Creatingandmaking
AtLevel4,studentscreateandpresentworksinarangeofartsformsthatcommunicateexperiences,ideas,concepts,
observationsandfeelings.Theyselectandcombinearangeofartselements,principlesand/orconventions,andusea
rangeofskills,techniquesandprocesses,media,materials,equipmentandtechnologies.Theyshowevidenceofarts
knowledgewhenplanningartsworksfordifferentpurposesandaudiencesandidentifytechniquesandfeaturesofother
peoplesworksthatinformtheirownartsmaking.Theyrefinetheirworkinresponsetofeedbackandselfevaluation.
Exploringandresponding
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AtLevel4,studentscommentontheexploration,developmentandpresentationoftheirartsworks,includingtheuseof
specificartselements,principlesand/orconventions,skills,techniquesandprocesses.Theyidentifyanddescribekey
featuresofartsworksfromtheirownandothercultures,anduseartslanguagetodescribeanddiscussthe
communicationofideas,feelingsandpurposeintheirownandotherpeoplesartsworks.
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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
l inDrama,studentsroleplaysituationsandevents,sustainingrole/characterthroughouttheirgrouporsolo
performance.
Theyexperimentwithimaginativeandinnovativewaysofgeneratingideasandmanipulatingartselements,principles
and/orconventionstoexplorethepotentialofideas,gaininginspirationfromabroadrangeofsources,includingarts
worksfromdifferentcultures,stylesandhistoricalcontexts.Forexample:
l inArt,studentsviewanddiscussexamplesofportraitsbyartistsfromdifferentculturalcontexts,thenusingmixed
media,theycreateaworkusingtechniquesfromaculturethatisnottheirown
l 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.
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Level6
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
l inDrama,studentsroleplaysituationsandevents,sustainingrole/characterthroughouttheirgrouporsolo
performance.
Theyexperimentwithimaginativeandinnovativewaysofgeneratingideasandmanipulatingartselements,principles
and/orconventionstoexplorethepotentialofideas,gaininginspirationfromabroadrangeofsources,includingarts
worksfromdifferentcultures,stylesandhistoricalcontexts.Forexample:
l inArt,studentsviewanddiscussexamplesofportraitsbyartistsfromdifferentculturalcontexts,thenusingmixed
media,theycreateaworkusingtechniquesfromaculturethatisnottheirown
l 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
Creatingandmaking
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AtLevel6,studentsindependentlyandcollaborativelyexperimentwithandapplyarangeofskills,techniquesand
processesusingarangeofmedia,materials,equipmentandtechnologiestoplan,develop,refine,makeandpresent
artsworks.Theyinvestigatearangeofsourcestogenerateideasandmanipulateartselements,principlesand/or
conventionsinarangeofartsdisciplinesandformsastheyexplorethepotentialofideas.Intheirartsworks,they
communicateideasandunderstandingsaboutthemselvesandothers,incorporatinginfluencesfromtheirownandother
culturesandtimes.Theyevaluatetheeffectivenessoftheirartsworksandmakechangestorealiseintendedaims.They
considerpurposeandsuitabilitywhentheyplanandprepareartsworksforpresentationtoavarietyofaudiences.
Exploringandresponding
AtLevel6,studentsdiscusstraditionalandcontemporaryartsworksusingappropriateartslanguagetodescribethe
content,structureandexpressivequalitiesoftheirownandotherpeoplesworksfromarangeofartsdisciplinesand
forms.Theyinterpretandcomparekeyfeaturesofartsworksmadeinarangeoftimes,placesandcultures.Theyidentify
anddescribeinfluencesontheirownworksanddiscussthepurposesforwhichartsworksarecreatedindifferent
historicalandculturalcontexts.
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TableofContents
Overview
Introduction
Domainstructure
Stagesoflearning
CurriculumF10
Foundationlevel
Level1
Level2
Level3
Level4
Level5
Level6
2
2
2
3
6
6
7
8
9
10
12
13
Civics and Citizenship

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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
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Foundationlevel
LearningFocus
AsstudentsworktowardstheachievementofLevel4standardsinCivicsandCitizenship,theybegintodevelopasense
ofbelongingtotheschoolcommunity.Theyareintroducedtotheideaoftheclassroombeingacommunityandtheylearn
aboutrespectandconcernforothersandbeingfair.Theylearnaboutclassroomrulesandwhytheyareneeded.They
begintocompareclassroomandfamilyrulesandotherrulesthattheyknowaboutsuchasthoseforgamesandsport.
Studentsexploretheirresponsibilitiesandrightsandthoseofothersinfamiliarcontextssuchasthefamily,the
classroom,theschoolplaygroundandlocalrecreationareas.
Studentslearnaboutandcelebratespecialcultural,local,communityandnationaldaysforexample,schoolsporting
eventsandCleanUpAustraliaDay.Theyengageinschoolandculturaleventsinaresponsibleandactiveway.
Standards
InCivicsandCitizenship,standardsforassessingandreportingonstudentachievementareintroducedatLevel3.The
learningfocusstatementsforFoundationtoLevel2provideadviceaboutlearningexperiencesthatwillassiststudentsto
worktowardstheachievementofthestandardsatLevel4.
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Level1
LearningFocus
AsstudentsworktowardstheachievementofLevel4standardsinCivicsandCitizenship,theyidentifytherangeof
groupstowhichthey,theirfamilymembersandtheirclassbelong.Theybegintoappreciatethesimilaritiesand
differencesbetweenindividualsandgroups,includingthelanguage,culturalandreligiousgroupswhichmakeupthe
Australiannation.Theyexploretheroles,rightsandresponsibilitiesofvariousfamilyandcommunitymembers.They
discoverwhygroupsandcommunitieshaverules,begintoquestionruleswhichtheybelieveareunfair,andmake
suggestionsaboutimprovingtheruleswithinthecommunity.Theybegintoappreciatethecommonvaluesimportantto
groupsandindividualsforexample,fairness,tolerance,understandingandrespect.
Studentsbegintoparticipateinarangeofclassandschoolactivitiessuchasrecycling,takingresponsibilityforclass
resources,andmarkinglocalandnationalcelebrationsandcommemorations.Theyexplorethepurposeandbenefitsof
school,communityandnationalevents.Studentsinvestigatethewaysindividuals,families,groupsandcommunitiescan
worktoimprovetheirenvironment.
Standards
InCivicsandCitizenship,standardsforassessingandreportingonstudentachievementareintroducedatLevel3.The
learningfocusstatementsforFoundationtoLevel2provideadviceaboutlearningexperiencesthatwillassiststudentsto
worktowardstheachievementofthestandardsatLevel4.
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Level2
LearningFocus
AsstudentsworktowardstheachievementofLevel4standardsinCivicsandCitizenship,theyidentifytherangeof
groupstowhichthey,theirfamilymembersandtheirclassbelong.Theybegintoappreciatethesimilaritiesand
differencesbetweenindividualsandgroups,includingthelanguage,culturalandreligiousgroupswhichmakeupthe
Australiannation.Theyexploretheroles,rightsandresponsibilitiesofvariousfamilyandcommunitymembers.They
discoverwhygroupsandcommunitieshaverules,begintoquestionruleswhichtheybelieveareunfair,andmake
suggestionsaboutimprovingtheruleswithinthecommunity.Theybegintoappreciatethecommonvaluesimportantto
groupsandindividualsforexample,fairness,tolerance,understandingandrespect.
Studentsbegintoparticipateinarangeofclassandschoolactivitiessuchasrecycling,takingresponsibilityforclass
resources,andmarkinglocalandnationalcelebrationsandcommemorations.Theyexplorethepurposeandbenefitsof
school,communityandnationalevents.Studentsinvestigatethewaysindividuals,families,groupsandcommunitiescan
worktoimprovetheirenvironment.
Standards
InCivicsandCitizenship,standardsforassessingandreportingonstudentachievementareintroducedatLevel3.The
learningfocusstatementsforFoundationtoLevel2provideadviceaboutlearningexperiencesthatwillassiststudentsto
worktowardstheachievementofthestandardsatLevel4.
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Level3
LearningFocus
AsstudentsworktowardstheachievementofLevel4standardsinCivicsandCitizenship,theybuildontheir
understandingofAustraliansocietyandinvestigatesomeofthedifferentculturalgroups,includingAboriginalandTorres
StraitIslander(ATSI)communities,thatmakeuptheAustraliancommunity.Theylearnaboutthecontributionsthatpeople
fromdiversegroupshavemadetomanyaspectsoftheAustralianwayoflife.Thisincludescontributionstothearts,
industry,medicineandscience,aswellastootheraspectsoftheirlifeincludingfood,festivalsandsportingevents.They
explorethewaysthatAustraliansareconnectedtootherregionalandglobalcommunities.
StudentslearnaboutsomekeyeventswhichcontributedtothedevelopmentoftheAustraliannation.Theyexplore
symbolsandcelebrationsofAustraliasandVictoriaspastandpresentforexample,theAustraliannationalflag,theATSI
flags,theVictorianflag,coatsofarms,floralemblems,colours,flower,animalandbirdemblems,thenationalanthem,
AustraliaDayandtheQueensBirthday.Theyconsiderthemeaningandvaluesthatarereflectedinthesecelebrations
andsymbols.TheyconsiderwhattheyvalueaboutAustralia.
Studentsexplorehowandwhypeoplemakedecisionsandidentifyplaceswherepeoplecometogethertodiscuss
issuesandmakedecisions.Theyknowthatvotingisakeymethodforgroupdecisionmakinginademocracy.Students
learnaboutthepurposeofgovernmentandsomefamiliarservicesprovidedbygovernment,particularlyatthelocallevel
suchaspreschools,libraries,recreationalfacilitiesandwasteandrecyclingcollections.Theylookattherolesofsome
leadersandrepresentativessuchasprimeminister,premierandmayor.
Studentslearnaboutthedifferenttypesofgroupsinthecommunityandtheirfunctionsforexample,schoolgroupsand
localvolunteergroupssuchascharitableandenvironmentalorganisations.Fromtheirresearch,theydevelopknowledge
abouttheircommunityandenvironment,andasensethatindividualscontributionscancareforandimprovethe
environment,theirownlivesandthelivesofothers.
Theyexplorethedifferencesbetweenrulesandlaws,whywehavethem,whatroletheyserve,andhowtheycanbe
changed.Theycontributetothedevelopmentandsupportofclassroomrules.Theydevelopanunderstandingofthe
qualitiesofgoodlaws,theimportanceoflawsapplyingequallytoeveryoneinademocracy,andthewaysthatlawsare
made.
Studentsengageindemocraticprocessestoplanandcarryoutactivitiesandeventsattheschoolorinthelocal
community.Theyparticipateincommunity,schooland/orhomebasedprojectsdesignedtoprotectandcareforthe
naturalandbuiltenvironmentandpromotethesustainablemanagementofresourcesthattheyuseforexample,by
reducing,reusingandrecyclingpaperandplastics,reducinguseoffossilfuelbywalkingorcyclingtoschool,reducing
waterconsumption,andcontributingtocommunityevents.
Standards
AtLevel3,studentsareworkingtowardtheLevel4standards.
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Level4
LearningFocus
AsstudentsworktowardstheachievementofLevel4standardsinCivicsandCitizenship,theybuildontheir
understandingofAustraliansocietyandinvestigatesomeofthedifferentculturalgroups,includingAboriginalandTorres
StraitIslander(ATSI)communities,thatmakeuptheAustraliancommunity.Theylearnaboutthecontributionsthatpeople
fromdiversegroupshavemadetomanyaspectsoftheAustralianwayoflife.Thisincludescontributionstothearts,
industry,medicineandscience,aswellastootheraspectsoftheirlifeincludingfood,festivalsandsportingevents.They
explorethewaysthatAustraliansareconnectedtootherregionalandglobalcommunities.
StudentslearnaboutsomekeyeventswhichcontributedtothedevelopmentoftheAustraliannation.Theyexplore
symbolsandcelebrationsofAustraliasandVictoriaspastandpresentforexample,theAustraliannationalflag,theATSI
flags,theVictorianflag,coatsofarms,floralemblems,colours,flower,animalandbirdemblems,thenationalanthem,
AustraliaDayandtheQueensBirthday.Theyconsiderthemeaningandvaluesthatarereflectedinthesecelebrations
andsymbols.TheyconsiderwhattheyvalueaboutAustralia.
Studentsexplorehowandwhypeoplemakedecisionsandidentifyplaceswherepeoplecometogethertodiscuss
issuesandmakedecisions.Theyknowthatvotingisakeymethodforgroupdecisionmakinginademocracy.Students
learnaboutthepurposeofgovernmentandsomefamiliarservicesprovidedbygovernment,particularlyatthelocallevel
suchaspreschools,libraries,recreationalfacilitiesandwasteandrecyclingcollections.Theylookattherolesofsome
leadersandrepresentativessuchasprimeminister,premierandmayor.
Studentslearnaboutthedifferenttypesofgroupsinthecommunityandtheirfunctionsforexample,schoolgroupsand
localvolunteergroupssuchascharitableandenvironmentalorganisations.Fromtheirresearch,theydevelopknowledge
abouttheircommunityandenvironment,andasensethatindividualscontributionscancareforandimprovethe
environment,theirownlivesandthelivesofothers.
Theyexplorethedifferencesbetweenrulesandlaws,whywehavethem,whatroletheyserve,andhowtheycanbe
changed.Theycontributetothedevelopmentandsupportofclassroomrules.Theydevelopanunderstandingofthe
qualitiesofgoodlaws,theimportanceoflawsapplyingequallytoeveryoneinademocracy,andthewaysthatlawsare
made.
Studentsengageindemocraticprocessestoplanandcarryoutactivitiesandeventsattheschoolorinthelocal
community.Theyparticipateincommunity,schooland/orhomebasedprojectsdesignedtoprotectandcareforthe
naturalandbuiltenvironmentandpromotethesustainablemanagementofresourcesthattheyuseforexample,by
reducing,reusingandrecyclingpaperandplastics,reducinguseoffossilfuelbywalkingorcyclingtoschool,reducing
waterconsumption,andcontributingtocommunityevents.
Standards
Civicknowledgeandunderstanding
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AtLevel4,studentsdemonstrateunderstandingofthecontributionofpeoplefromthemanyculturallydiversegroupsthat
makeuptheAustraliancommunity.TheysequenceanddescribesomekeyeventsinAustraliasdemocratichistory.They
describesymbolsandemblemsofnationallifeinAustraliaandidentifyvaluesrelatedtosymbolsandnational
celebrationsandcommemorations.Theydescribethepurposeofgovernment,somefamiliargovernmentservicesand
therolesofsomeleadersandrepresentatives.Theyexplainthedifferencebetweenrulesandlawsanddescribethe
qualitiesofagoodlaw.Theyexplainwhyprotectionandcareforthenaturalandbuiltenvironmentisimportant.
Communityengagement
AtLevel4,studentscontributetothedevelopmentandsupportofclassrulesandparticipateinschoolcelebrationsand
commemorationsofimportantevents.Theydescribesomeoftherolesandpurposesofgroupsinthecommunity.They
workwithotherstudentstoidentifyalocalissueandplanpossibleactionstoachieveadesiredoutcome.Theydescribe
thebenefitsofactionatthelocallevelandthedemocraticaspectsoftheprocess.Theyparticipateinactivitiestoprotect
andcareforthenaturalandbuiltenvironment.
Civics and Citizenship

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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
AtLevel5,studentsareworkingtowardtheLevel6standards.
Civics and Citizenship

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Level6
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
Civicknowledgeandunderstanding
Civics and Citizenship

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AtLevel6,studentsdescribethenatureofAustraliasdemocracythatdevelopedasaresultofFederation.Theydescribe
thethreelevelsofgovernmentandsomeofthekeyfunctionsofeachlevel.TheyexplainthebasicelementsofAustralias
federalparliamentarysystemandkeydemocraticprinciplesandvaluessuchasfreedomofspeechandequalitybefore
thelaw.Theyexplaintheconceptofmulticulturalismanddescribethecontributionofvariousculturalgroups,including
AboriginalandTorresStraitIslandercommunities,toAustralianidentity.Theydemonstrateunderstandingoftheprocess
ofmakingandchanginglaws.
Communityengagement
AtLevel6,studentsdemonstrateunderstandingoftherolesandresponsibilitiesofleaders,andofdemocratic
processes,whenengaginginschoolandcommunityactivities.Theypresentapointofviewonasignificantcurrentissue
orissuesandincluderecommendationsabouttheactionsthatindividualsandgovernmentscantaketoresolveissues.
Theydemonstrateunderstandingthattherearedifferentviewpointsonanissue,andcontributetogroupandclass
decisionmaking.
Civics and Citizenship

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TableofContents
Overview
Introduction
Domainstructure
Stagesoflearning
CurriculumF10
Foundationlevel
Level1
Level2
Level3
Level4
Level5
Level6
2
2
2
3
5
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
Communication

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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
Learningfocusstatementsarewrittenforeachlevel.Theseoutlinethelearningthatstudentsneedtofocusoniftheyareto
progressinthedomainandachievethestandardsatthelevelswheretheyapply.Theysuggestappropriatelearning
experiencesfromwhichteacherscandrawtodeveloprelevantteachingandlearningactivities.
Standards
Standardsdefinewhatstudentsshouldknowandbeabletodoatdifferentlevelsandarewrittenforeachdimension.In
Communication,standardsforassessingandreportingonstudentachievementapplyfromLevel5.
Dimensions
StandardsintheCommunicationdomainareorganisedintwodimensions:
l Listening,viewingandresponding
l Presenting.
Listening,viewingandresponding
Effectivecommunicationdemandsthatstudentsdeveloptheabilitytolisten,viewandrespondtocommunicationformswith
respecttocontentandcontext.TheListening,viewingandrespondingdimensionfocusesondevelopingstudent
understandingofcommunicationconventions,strategiestoassistthemtomakemeaningofcommunicationformsandthe
abilitytodeconstructandrespondtoadiversityofforms.Thisinvolvesdevelopingfamiliaritywithforms,languageand
conventionsusedindifferentcontextsacrossthecurriculum.
Presenting
Communication

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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

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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

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Foundationlevel
LearningFocus
AsstudentsworktowardstheachievementofLevel6standardsinCommunication,theybegintoidentifybasic
communicationconventionsintheclassroomandplaygroundsuchasbeingattentivelisteners,facingthespeaker,and
takingturns.Theylearntofocustheirattentionandtolistenwithoutinterrupting.Studentspractiseretellingwhata
speakerhassaidtothemandlearntoaskquestionswhenappropriate,exploringtheinteractivenatureof
communication.
Studentsrespond,inbothformalandinformalsettings,toavarietyofstimuliforexample,aural,writtenandvisualtexts.
Theysharethemeaningtheymakeofthesetextswiththeirpeers.
Studentsmakeregularshortoralpresentationstogroupsorthewholeclass,communicatingtheirideasonasingle
topicorapersonalexperience,thefocusbeingonmakingthemselvesunderstood.Theybegintousevisualaidssuchas
photographs,objectsanddrawingstoassistthemtocommunicatemoreeffectively.
Standards
InCommunication,standardsforassessingandreportingonstudentachievementareintroducedatLevel5.The
learningfocusstatementsforFoundationtoLevel4provideadviceaboutlearningexperiencesthatwillassiststudentsto
worktowardstheachievementofthestandardsatLevel6.
Communication

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Level1
LearningFocus
AsstudentsworktowardstheachievementofLevel6standardsinCommunication,theypractisetheskillsofbeing
attentivelistenersandviewersinpairs,smallgroupsandasawholeclass.Theyareencouragedtousequestionsto
clarifymeaningandtoextendinteraction.Theyexperience,respondtoandbegintointerpretavarietyofaural,writtenand
visualtexts,discussingalternativemeaningsandperspectiveswhentheyarise.
Whencommunicatingwithothers,studentsbegintodistinguishbetweendifferingcontexts,purposesandaudiencesand
theylearntomodifytheircommunicationaccordinglyforexample,whenplayingwithfriendsintheplaygroundandtalking
toclassroomvisitors.
Studentsregularlymakeshortoralpresentationstosmallgroupsorthewholeclassonspecifiedtopicsacrossthe
curriculumandonpersonalexperiencesbeyondschool.Withguidance,studentsdevelopanunderstandingofbasic
communicationconventionsandpractisestrategiesforimprovingtheirpresentationswithaparticularfocusonmaking
themselvesunderstoodforexample,byvaryingvolumeandpaceandmakingeyecontactwiththeaudience.
Standards
InCommunication,standardsforassessingandreportingonstudentachievementareintroducedatLevel5.The
learningfocusstatementsforFoundationtoLevel4provideadviceaboutlearningexperiencesthatwillassiststudentsto
worktowardstheachievementofthestandardsatLevel6.
Communication

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Level2
LearningFocus
AsstudentsworktowardstheachievementofLevel6standardsinCommunication,theypractisetheskillsofbeing
attentivelistenersandviewersinpairs,smallgroupsandasawholeclass.Theyareencouragedtousequestionsto
clarifymeaningandtoextendinteraction.Theyexperience,respondtoandbegintointerpretavarietyofaural,writtenand
visualtexts,discussingalternativemeaningsandperspectiveswhentheyarise.
Whencommunicatingwithothers,studentsbegintodistinguishbetweendifferingcontexts,purposesandaudiencesand
theylearntomodifytheircommunicationaccordinglyforexample,whenplayingwithfriendsintheplaygroundandtalking
toclassroomvisitors.
Studentsregularlymakeshortoralpresentationstosmallgroupsorthewholeclassonspecifiedtopicsacrossthe
curriculumandonpersonalexperiencesbeyondschool.Withguidance,studentsdevelopanunderstandingofbasic
communicationconventionsandpractisestrategiesforimprovingtheirpresentationswithaparticularfocusonmaking
themselvesunderstoodforexample,byvaryingvolumeandpaceandmakingeyecontactwiththeaudience.
Standards
InCommunication,standardsforassessingandreportingonstudentachievementareintroducedatLevel5.The
learningfocusstatementsforFoundationtoLevel4provideadviceaboutlearningexperiencesthatwillassiststudentsto
worktowardstheachievementofthestandardsatLevel6.
Communication

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Level3
LearningFocus
AsstudentsworktowardstheachievementofLevel6standardsinCommunication,theylistenattentivelywhenrequired
andlearntorespondandinterjectappropriately.Theylearnaboutappropriatebodylanguagewhenreactingtoaspeaker
andusefeedbackfrompeersandtheteacherontheirownbodylanguagetoimprovetheirreactions.Theypractise
paraphrasingwhataspeakerhassaidtocheckmeaningandaskclarifyingquestionswheremeaningisunclear.
Studentsexplorearangeofaural,writtenandvisualcommunicationformssuchastheInternet,film,textsandmusic
whichillustrateavarietyofperspectivesonarangeoftopicsandideas.Theylearnhowtoidentifythemainmessage,
developtheirowninterpretation,andprovideevidencetosupportit.Theyexplorereasonsforotherinterpretationsnot
beingthesameastheirsandlearntorespecttherightofotherstoexpressopinions.
Duringbothformalandinformalpresentations,studentsexploretheuseofarangeofverbalandnonverbalstrategies,to
enhancemeaningandtoengagetheiraudienceforexample,physicalpositioningintheroomanduseofprops,
costume,humourandaudienceparticipation.Theybegintoorderlogicallytheideasthattheywishtocommunicate.
Whendevelopingformalpresentations,studentsexperimentwithvariousformsforexample,adramaticperformance
anduseofpresentationsoftware.Withguidance,theyreflectontheirownandotherspresentationsandnotethefeatures
thatmakethemeffective.
Standards
InCommunication,standardsforassessingandreportingonstudentachievementareintroducedatLevel5.The
learningfocusstatementsforFoundationtoLevel4provideadviceaboutlearningexperiencesthatwillassiststudentsto
worktowardstheachievementofthestandardsatLevel6.
Communication

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Level4
LearningFocus
AsstudentsworktowardstheachievementofLevel6standardsinCommunication,theylistenattentivelywhenrequired
andlearntorespondandinterjectappropriately.Theylearnaboutappropriatebodylanguagewhenreactingtoaspeaker
andusefeedbackfrompeersandtheteacherontheirownbodylanguagetoimprovetheirreactions.Theypractise
paraphrasingwhataspeakerhassaidtocheckmeaningandaskclarifyingquestionswheremeaningisunclear.
Studentsexplorearangeofaural,writtenandvisualcommunicationformssuchastheInternet,film,textsandmusic
whichillustrateavarietyofperspectivesonarangeoftopicsandideas.Theylearnhowtoidentifythemainmessage,
developtheirowninterpretation,andprovideevidencetosupportit.Theyexplorereasonsforotherinterpretationsnot
beingthesameastheirsandlearntorespecttherightofotherstoexpressopinions.
Duringbothformalandinformalpresentations,studentsexploretheuseofarangeofverbalandnonverbalstrategies,to
enhancemeaningandtoengagetheiraudienceforexample,physicalpositioningintheroomanduseofprops,
costume,humourandaudienceparticipation.Theybegintoorderlogicallytheideasthattheywishtocommunicate.
Whendevelopingformalpresentations,studentsexperimentwithvariousformsforexample,adramaticperformance
anduseofpresentationsoftware.Withguidance,theyreflectontheirownandotherspresentationsandnotethefeatures
thatmakethemeffective.
Standards
InCommunication,standardsforassessingandreportingonstudentachievementareintroducedatLevel5.The
learningfocusstatementsforFoundationtoLevel4provideadviceaboutlearningexperiencesthatwillassiststudentsto
worktowardstheachievementofthestandardsatLevel6.
Communication

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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
AtLevel5,studentsareworkingtowardtheLevel6standards.
Communication

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Level6
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
Listening,viewingandresponding
AtLevel6,studentsaskclarifyingquestionsaboutideasandinformationtheylistentoandview.Theydevelop
interpretationsofthecontentandprovidereasonsforthem.Theyexplainwhypeersmaydevelopalternative
interpretations.Theydescribethepurposeofarangeofcommunicationstrategies,includingnonverbalstrategies,and
evaluatetheireffectivenessfordifferentaudiences.
Presenting
AtLevel6,studentssummariseandorganiseideasandinformation,logicallyandclearlyinarangeofpresentations.
Theyidentifythefeaturesofaneffectivepresentationandadaptelementsoftheirownpresentationstoreflectthem.Using
providedcriteria,theyevaluatetheeffectivenessoftheirownandotherspresentations.
Communication

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TableofContents
Overview
Introduction
Domainstructure
Stagesoflearning
CurriculumF10
Foundationlevel
Level1
Level2
Level3
Level4
Level5
Level6
2
2
2
4
7
7
8
9
10
11
13
14
Design, Creativity and Technology

VCAA | AusVELS Curriculum | Date PDF created: Wednesday, 29 May 2013 1

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:
l posingproblemsandactivelyidentifyingneeds,wants,opportunitiesandareasforimprovement
l gatheringinformationandbuildingknowledgeaboutthenatureofneeds,wants,opportunitiesandareasfor
improvementandthebestroutestotaketowardsdesigningasolution
l developingandusingdesignandtechnologyskills,knowledgeandprocesses,includingproposing,experimenting,
learningfromresultsandsynthesising,tocreatenewand/orimprovedproductsand/orsystems
l usingtools,equipment,materials/ingredientsandsystemscomponentssafelyandcreativelytomakequalityproducts
and/orsystems
l understandingthatdesign,creativityandtechnologyleadstoinnovation
l assessingtheoutcomesofdesignandtechnologyprocesses,andtheresultingproductsandtechnologicalsystems
inrelationtoenvironmental,socialandeconomicfactors.
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).
Design, Creativity and Technology

VCAA | AusVELS Curriculum | Date PDF created: Wednesday, 29 May 2013 2
Eachlevelincludesalearningfocusstatementand,fromLevel3,asetofstandardsareintroduced,organisedbydimension.
Aglossaryisincludedwhichprovidesdefinitionsofunderlinedterms.
Learningfocus
Learningfocusstatementsarewrittenforeachlevel.Theseoutlinethelearningthatstudentsneedtofocusoniftheyareto
progressinthedomainandachievethestandardsatthelevelswheretheyapply.Theysuggestappropriatelearning
experiencesfromwhichteacherscandrawtodeveloprelevantteachingandlearningactivities.
Standards
Standardsdefinewhatstudentsshouldknowandbeabletodoatdifferentlevelsandarewrittenforeachdimension.InDCT,
standardsforassessingandreportingonstudentachievementareintroducedfromLevel3.
Dimensions
StandardsintheDesign,CreativityandTechnologydomainareorganisedinthreedimensions:
l Investigatinganddesigning
l Producing
l 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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Foundationlevel
LearningFocus
AsstudentsworktowardstheachievementofLevel4standardsinDesign,CreativityandTechnology,theyinvestigate
everyday,familiarproductsandrecognisethebasiccharacteristicsandmaterials/ingredientsfromwhichtheyaremade
andhowtheyareused.Theyexplorethedifferencesbetweennaturalproductsandartefacts,andlearnthatmaterialscan
berecycledandreusedtoproducenewproducts.Theyplaywithandmanipulatematerials/ingredientsinbothafreeand
focusedmannertofosterdevelopmentoftheirdesignandtechnicalskills.Theylearnappropriateterminology,including
thenamesofmaterials/ingredientsandtheircharacteristicsandproperties(forexample,rough,smooth,shiny,soft,
flexible),andprocessessuchasmeasure,mix,cut,join.
Studentsthinkandtalkaboutwhyandhowproductsaremade.Theyrespondtosimpledesignbriefsasacontextfor
designing(forexample,Thereistobeateddybearspicnic,andyourteddywillhavetobeprotectedfromthesun).
Studentsusetheirimaginationandcuriositytogenerateideas,engageintechnologicalprocessesanddevelop
imaginativedesignsolutionsforsimpleproblems.Theylearntousesimplepicturesandmodelstorepresentdesign
ideastodevelopsimpleandauthenticproducts,suchasahealthyafterschoolsnack.Whiledesigningusuallyprecedes
producingandevaluating,studentsmaydrawtheirdesignaftertheproductismade.Theirproductsmaybedevelopedas
aresultofexploringmaterialsratherthanfromadrawing.
Studentsindependently,orincollaborationwithpeersoradults,exploretheuseofcommonmaterialssuchaspaper,
cardboard,glue,fabric,wood,soilandplants,plasticcontainers,string,paddlepopsticksandfoodingredients.They
developskillsinthesafeuseofbasictoolsandequipment,suchassafetyscissors,mixingbowls,cupsandrulers,to
cut,join,shape,mixandfollowinstructionstoconstructsimpleproductsormodelsbasedontheirdesignideas.
Studentsthinkandtalkabouthowtheirdesignswillsolveaproblemormeetaneed,andreflectonthestepstheytookto
designandmaketheirproduct.Theydiscusshowtheycouldmakeaproductbetter.
Standards
InDesign,CreativityandTechnology,standardsforassessingandreportingonstudentachievementareintroducedat
Level3.ThelearningfocusstatementsforLevels1and2provideadviceaboutlearningexperiencesthatwillassist
studentstoworktowardstheachievementofthestandardsatLevel4.
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Level1
LearningFocus
AsstudentsworktowardstheachievementofLevel4standardsinDesign,CreativityandTechnology,theycometo
understandthatpeopleusecreative,imaginativeandinventivethinkingtohelpthemmeethumanneedsandwants.They
enquireaboutandquestiontheirworld,offeringideasandsuggestionsbasedupontheirexperienceofworkingwith
materials/ingredientsandsystemscomponents.Theyinvestigatewhatproductsandsystemscando,howtheywork,and
whytheyarethewaytheyare.Theyplaywithandmanipulatematerials/ingredients,thinkabout,discussanddescribe
theircharacteristicsandproperties(usingtermssuchasstrong,hard,stretchyandsweet)andwhytheyaresuitablefor
useinproductsandsystems.
Inresponsetosimpledesignbriefs,studentsdevelopbasicdesignideasbasedontheirexperiencesofworkingwith
materials/ingredientsandcomponents.Theytalkabouttheirdesignideasandthoughtprocessesandstarttorepresent
thesevisuallybyusingmodels,picturesandwords.Theyconsiderthatmorethanonesolutionmaybepossibleand
begintogivereasonsforchangesintheirthinking.
Studentsbegintorecogniserelationshipsbetweenindividualsandcommunities,andproducts,processesandsystems
forexample,atransportsystem.Respondingtoopenendeddesigntasks,studentsdevelopimaginativeandpractical
designsolutionstoproblems,needsandopportunitiesforexample,makingasimpledecoratedbagforcarrying
personalitems,modellingplaygroundequipment,ormakingpotstogrowherbsforuseinafoodproduct.
Studentsfollowasetofinstructionsandmaybegintocontributetoplanningthemainstepstomakeaproduct.They
explainwhattheyaremakingandwhichtoolsandequipmenttheyareusing.Theysafelyusetoolsandequipmentto
separate,assemble,joinandcombineeverydaymaterials/ingredientsandsystemscomponentsinavarietyofways.
Studentsconsiderwhethertheirdesignsolutionsworkandareappropriateforthepurposeforwhichtheyweredesigned.
Withguidancefromtheteacherandfeedbackfrompeers,theyreflectonhowtheydesignedandmadetheirproducts.
Standards
InDesign,CreativityandTechnology,standardsforassessingandreportingonstudentachievementareintroducedat
Level3.ThelearningfocusstatementsforLevels1and2provideadviceaboutlearningexperiencesthatwillassist
studentstoworktowardstheachievementofthestandardsatLevel4.
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Level2
LearningFocus
AsstudentsworktowardstheachievementofLevel4standardsinDesign,CreativityandTechnology,theycometo
understandthatpeopleusecreative,imaginativeandinventivethinkingtohelpthemmeethumanneedsandwants.They
enquireaboutandquestiontheirworld,offeringideasandsuggestionsbasedupontheirexperienceofworkingwith
materials/ingredientsandsystemscomponents.Theyinvestigatewhatproductsandsystemscando,howtheywork,and
whytheyarethewaytheyare.Theyplaywithandmanipulatematerials/ingredients,thinkabout,discussanddescribe
theircharacteristicsandproperties(usingtermssuchasstrong,hard,stretchyandsweet)andwhytheyaresuitablefor
useinproductsandsystems.
Inresponsetosimpledesignbriefs,studentsdevelopbasicdesignideasbasedontheirexperiencesofworkingwith
materials/ingredientsandcomponents.Theytalkabouttheirdesignideasandthoughtprocessesandstarttorepresent
thesevisuallybyusingmodels,picturesandwords.Theyconsiderthatmorethanonesolutionmaybepossibleand
begintogivereasonsforchangesintheirthinking.
Studentsbegintorecogniserelationshipsbetweenindividualsandcommunities,andproducts,processesandsystems
forexample,atransportsystem.Respondingtoopenendeddesigntasks,studentsdevelopimaginativeandpractical
designsolutionstoproblems,needsandopportunitiesforexample,makingasimpledecoratedbagforcarrying
personalitems,modellingplaygroundequipment,ormakingpotstogrowherbsforuseinafoodproduct.
Studentsfollowasetofinstructionsandmaybegintocontributetoplanningthemainstepstomakeaproduct.They
explainwhattheyaremakingandwhichtoolsandequipmenttheyareusing.Theysafelyusetoolsandequipmentto
separate,assemble,joinandcombineeverydaymaterials/ingredientsandsystemscomponentsinavarietyofways.
Studentsconsiderwhethertheirdesignsolutionsworkandareappropriateforthepurposeforwhichtheyweredesigned.
Withguidancefromtheteacherandfeedbackfrompeers,theyreflectonhowtheydesignedandmadetheirproducts.
Standards
InDesign,CreativityandTechnology,standardsforassessingandreportingonstudentachievementareintroducedat
Level3.ThelearningfocusstatementsforLevels1and2provideadviceaboutlearningexperiencesthatwillassist
studentstoworktowardstheachievementofthestandardsatLevel4.
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Level3
LearningFocus
AsstudentsworktowardstheachievementofLevel4standardsinDesign,CreativityandTechnology,theybeginto
provideinputintothedevelopmentofdesignbriefs.Theygenerateideasfromavarietyofsources,andrecognisethat
theirdesignshavetomeetarangeofdifferentrequirements.Theylearntomakerealisticplansforachievingtheiraims
andrecognisethattheyareconstrainedbytheavailabilityofresources.Theyclarifyideaswhenasked,andusewords,
labelledsketchesandmodelstocommunicatethedetailsoftheirdesigns.
Studentslearntodescribeideasandconceptsaboutdesign,materials/ingredientsandtechnologicalsystemsinsimple
terms.Forexample,howandwhyadrawingisannotatedhowmaterials/ingredientsareclassifiedthesystems
componentsthatarecombinedtocreatemovement,suchasgearsandpulleyswhatcharacteristicsandproperties
makematerials/ingredientssuitableforaparticulardesignorproposedproductandhowthesecanbecombinedin
innovativewaystocreatesolutions.Intransformingnovelideasintoproductsorsimplesystems,theyareencouragedto
takerisks.
Studentsinvestigatewhatproductsandsimpletechnologicalsystemscando,howtheymeetpeoplesneeds,howthey
areusedand/orwork,whattheylooklikeandwhytheylookthewaytheydo.Theylearnwhatevaluationcriteriaareand,
withguidance,developsimpleevaluationcriteriaandusethesetomakedecisionsabout,andassess,designideas.
Withassistance,theylearntoplanbasicstepsinproduction.Theydevelopskillsintheuseofavarietyofsimple
productiontechniques,suchascutting,mixing,shaping,joiningandassemblingandarangeofmaterials/ingredientsto
produceproducts,suchasahealthybreakfastcerealanditspackagingandsimplesystemsforexample,apuppetwith
movingparts(levers)orapulleyarrangementtoliftaweight.Productiontechniquescouldincludecuttingwithasawor
knife,weighingwithscales,measuringwithajug,filingwithafileorrasp,sandpapering,whiskingandhandsewingwith
aneedleandthread.Materialscouldincludepaperandcardboard,foodingredients,fabrics,wood,plantsandsoilor
othergrowingmedia.Theylearntousetoolsandequipmentsafelyandhygienically,andwithsomeaccuracy,toalterand
combinematerials/ingredientsandputtogethercomponentstomakeasimplesystemwithmovingparts.
Studentsareencouragedtogiveandreceivefeedbackabouttheirownandothersproductsandsimplesystems(for
example,atoywithmovingparts),consideringwhetherdesignsolutionsworkandiftheyareappropriatefortheir
purpose.Theylearntokeepsimplerecordsandreflectonthestepstheytooktodesignandmaketheirownproductsand
simplesystems,includingnotinganyproblemsencounteredandchangesmadetoaccommodatethese.
Standards
AtLevel3,studentsareworkingtowardtheLevel4standards.
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Level4
LearningFocus
AsstudentsworktowardstheachievementofLevel4standardsinDesign,CreativityandTechnology,theybeginto
provideinputintothedevelopmentofdesignbriefs.Theygenerateideasfromavarietyofsources,andrecognisethat
theirdesignshavetomeetarangeofdifferentrequirements.Theylearntomakerealisticplansforachievingtheiraims
andrecognisethattheyareconstrainedbytheavailabilityofresources.Theyclarifyideaswhenasked,andusewords,
labelledsketchesandmodelstocommunicatethedetailsoftheirdesigns.
Studentslearntodescribeideasandconceptsaboutdesign,materials/ingredientsandtechnologicalsystemsinsimple
terms.Forexample,howandwhyadrawingisannotatedhowmaterials/ingredientsareclassifiedthesystems
componentsthatarecombinedtocreatemovement,suchasgearsandpulleyswhatcharacteristicsandproperties
makematerials/ingredientssuitableforaparticulardesignorproposedproductandhowthesecanbecombinedin
innovativewaystocreatesolutions.Intransformingnovelideasintoproductsorsimplesystems,theyareencouragedto
takerisks.
Studentsinvestigatewhatproductsandsimpletechnologicalsystemscando,howtheymeetpeoplesneeds,howthey
areusedand/orwork,whattheylooklikeandwhytheylookthewaytheydo.Theylearnwhatevaluationcriteriaareand,
withguidance,developsimpleevaluationcriteriaandusethesetomakedecisionsabout,andassess,designideas.
Withassistance,theylearntoplanbasicstepsinproduction.Theydevelopskillsintheuseofavarietyofsimple
productiontechniques,suchascutting,mixing,shaping,joiningandassemblingandarangeofmaterials/ingredientsto
produceproducts,suchasahealthybreakfastcerealanditspackagingandsimplesystemsforexample,apuppetwith
movingparts(levers)orapulleyarrangementtoliftaweight.Productiontechniquescouldincludecuttingwithasawor
knife,weighingwithscales,measuringwithajug,filingwithafileorrasp,sandpapering,whiskingandhandsewingwith
aneedleandthread.Materialscouldincludepaperandcardboard,foodingredients,fabrics,wood,plantsandsoilor
othergrowingmedia.Theylearntousetoolsandequipmentsafelyandhygienically,andwithsomeaccuracy,toalterand
combinematerials/ingredientsandputtogethercomponentstomakeasimplesystemwithmovingparts.
Studentsareencouragedtogiveandreceivefeedbackabouttheirownandothersproductsandsimplesystems(for
example,atoywithmovingparts),consideringwhetherdesignsolutionsworkandiftheyareappropriatefortheir
purpose.Theylearntokeepsimplerecordsandreflectonthestepstheytooktodesignandmaketheirownproductsand
simplesystems,includingnotinganyproblemsencounteredandchangesmadetoaccommodatethese.
Standards
Investigatinganddesigning
AtLevel4students,individuallyandinteams,generateideasbasedonadesignbrief,demonstratingunderstandingthat
designsmayneedtomeetarangeofdifferentrequirements.Theyusewords,labelledsketchesandmodelsto
communicatethedetailsoftheirdesigns,andclarifyideaswhenasked.Theyidentifysimplesystemscomponentsand
commonmaterials/ingredientsandexplainthecharacteristicsandpropertiesthatmakethemsuitableforusein
products.Studentsthinkaheadabouttheorderoftheirworkandlistbasicstepstomaketheproductorsystemtheyhave
designed.
Producing
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AtLevel4,studentsusetheirlistofstepsandareabletochooseappropriatetools,equipmentandtechniquestoalter
andcombinematerials/ingredientsandassemblesystemscomponents.Theyuseavarietyofsimple
techniques/processesandarangeofmaterials/ingredientstosafelyandhygienicallyalterandcombine
materials/ingredientsandputtogethercomponentstomakeproductsandsimplesystemsthathavemovingparts.
Analysingandevaluating
AtLevel4,studentstest,evaluateandrevisetheirdesigns,productsorsimplesystemsinlightoffeedbacktheyhave
gainedfromothers.Theyidentifywhathasledtoimprovementsanddescribewhattheyconsidertobethestrengthsand
drawbacksoftheirdesign,productorsimplesystem.Theyconsiderhowwellaproductorsimplesystemfunctions
and/orhowwellitmeetstheintendedpurpose.
Design, Creativity and Technology

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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
AtLevel5,studentsareworkingtowardtheLevel6standards.
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Level6
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
Investigatinganddesigning
AtLevel6,studentscontributetothedevelopmentofdesignbriefsthatincludesomelimitationsandspecifications.
Individuallyandinteams,theyusearangeofmethodstoresearchandcollectdatainresponsetodesignbriefs.They
generateandcommunicatealternativedesignideasinresponsetoadesignbriefandusewords,labelledsketchesand
models,todemonstratethattheyareawareofenvironmentalandsocialconstraints.
Studentstakeaccountoftheviewsofusers/consumersandproducestepbystepplansand/ormodifyrecipesformaking
productsand/orsimplemechanical/electricalsystems.Theydescribehowtheirintendedproductwillfunctionorbeused,
andwhatitwilllooklikeinthecontextoftherequirementsofthedesignbrief.Theyidentifyevaluationcriteriafromdesign
briefsandusethemtojustifydesignchoices.
Producing
Design, Creativity and Technology

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AtLevel6,studentsusetheirproductionplanandselectandworksafelywithavarietyofmaterials/ingredientsand
systemscomponentstoproducefunctionalproductsand/orsystems.Theyusearangeofmeasuring,marking,
joining/combiningtechniquestoaltermaterialsandfinishing/presentationmethods,andoperatetoolsandequipment
competently,showingconsiderationofsafetyandhygiene,andrecordtheirprogress.
Analysingandevaluating
AtLevel6,studentsreflectontheirdesignsastheydevelopthemanduseevaluationcriteria,identifiedfromdesign
briefs,tojustifytheirdesignchoices.Theymodifytheirdesigns/products/systemsafterconsideredevaluationoffeedback
frompeersandteachers,andtheirownreflection.Theydescribetheimpactproductsandtechnologicalsystemshaveon
peopleandtheenvironment.
Design, Creativity and Technology

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TableofContents
Overview
RationaleandAims
Contentstructure
EnglishacrossFoundationtoLevel10
Achievementstandards
Diversityoflearners
Crosscurriculumpriorities
CurriculumF10
FoundationLevel
Level1
Level2
Level3
Level4
Level5
Level6
2
2
2
7
8
9
10
12
12
19
27
35
42
49
56
English

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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:
l learntolistento,read,view,speak,write,createandreflectonincreasinglycomplexandsophisticatedspoken,written
andmultimodaltextsacrossagrowingrangeofcontextswithaccuracy,fluencyandpurpose
l appreciate,enjoyandusetheEnglishlanguageinallitsvariationsanddevelopasenseofitsrichnessandpowerto
evokefeelings,conveyinformation,formideas,facilitateinteractionwithothers,entertain,persuadeandargue
l understandhowStandardAustralianEnglishworksinitsspokenandwrittenformsandincombinationwithnon
linguisticformsofcommunicationtocreatemeaning
l developinterestandskillsininquiringintotheaestheticaspectsoftexts,anddevelopaninformedappreciationof
literature.

ContentStructure
TheAustralianCurriculum:EnglishFoundationtoLevel10isorganisedintothreeinterrelatedstrandsthatsupportstudents'
growingunderstandinganduseofStandardAustralianEnglish(English).Togetherthethreestrandsfocusondeveloping
studentsknowledge,understandingandskillsinlistening,reading,viewing,speakingandwriting.Thethreestrandsare:
l Language:knowingabouttheEnglishlanguage
l Literature:understanding,appreciating,respondingto,analysingandcreatingliterature
l Literacy:expandingtherepertoireofEnglishusage.
Strandsandsubstrands
Contentdescriptionsineachstrandaregroupedintosubstrandsthat,acrossthelevels,presentasequenceof
developmentofknowledge,understandingandskills.Thesubstrandsare:
Language Literature Literacy
English

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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.
Languagevariationandchange Literatureandcontext Textsincontext
Languageforinteraction Respondingtoliterature Interactingwithothers
Textstructureandorganisation Examiningliterature Interpreting,analysingandevaluating
Expressinganddevelopingideas Creatingliterature Creatingtexts
Soundandletterknowledge
English

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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,languageinuseandlanguageas
system,sotheycanreflectontheirownspeakingandwritinganddiscusstheseproductivelywithothers.
Language
Languagevariationandchange:Studentslearnthatlanguagesanddialectsareconstantlyevolvingduetohistorical,social
andculturalchanges,demographicmovementsandtechnologicalinnovations.Theycometounderstandthatthesefactors,
alongwithnewvirtualcommunitiesandenvironments,continuetoaffectthenatureandspreadofEnglish.
English

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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
andlanguageassystem.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

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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:
l culturalstudies,withemphasisonthedifferentwaysinwhichliteratureissignificantineverydaylife
l structuralism,withitsemphasisoncloseanalysisofliteraryworksandthekeyideasonwhichtheyarebasedfor
example,thedetailedstylisticstudyofdifferingstylesofliterarywork
l comparativism,withitsemphasisoncomparisonsofworksofliteraturefromdifferentlanguage,ethnicandcultural
backgrounds
l 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

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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:
l fluencyinthesoundlettercorrespondencesofEnglish
l anexpandingreading,writingandspeakingvocabularyandagraspofgrammaticalandtextualpatternssufficientto
understandandlearnfromtextsencounteredinandoutofschool,andtocreateeffectiveandinnovativetexts
l fluencyandinnovationinreading,viewingandcreatingtextsindifferentsettings
l theskillanddispositionneededtoanalyseandunderstandthephilosophical,moral,politicalandaestheticbaseson
whichmanytextsarebuilt
l aninterestinexpandingtherangeofmaterialslistenedto,viewedandread,andinexperimentingwithinnovativeways
ofexpressingincreasinglysubtleandcomplexideasthroughtexts.
Relationshipsbetweenthestrands
EachstrandcontributestothestudyofEnglishitsowndistinctivegoals,bodyofknowledge,historyofideasandinterests,
andeachrelatestomaterialworthstudyinginitsownright.Teaching,learningandassessmentprogramsshouldbalance
andintegratethethreestrandsinordertosupportthedevelopmentofknowledge,understandingandskills.Thekeyfocal
pointforaunitofworkoralearningactivitymayarisefromanyoneofthestrands,buttheintentionisthatunitsandactivities
drawonallthreestrandsinwaysthatareintegratedandcleartolearners.

EnglishacrossFoundationtoLevel10
English

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Althoughthecurriculumisdescribedbylevel,thisdocumentprovidesadvicebylevelandage,onthenatureoflearnersand
therelevantcurriculum:
l FoundationtoLevel2:typicallystudentsfrom5to8yearsofage
l Levels3to6:typicallystudentsfrom8to12yearsofage
l 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

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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,advicefromDEECDabouthowtousethecurriculumwithstudentswithspecialeducationneedsisavailable
hereorfromtheDEECDwebsite.SchoolscanalsocontinuetousetheVELSStudentswithDisabilities
Guidelines(PDF615KB).Thesewillbeupdatedduring2013.
Englishasanadditionallanguageordialect
English

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ManystudentsinAustralianschoolsarelearnersofEnglishasanadditionallanguageordialect(EAL/D).LearnersofEAL/D
arestudentswhosefirstlanguageisalanguageotherthanStandardAustralianEnglishandwhorequireadditionalsupport
toassistthemtodevelopEnglishlanguageproficiency.WhilemanyEAL/Dlearnersdowellinschool,asignificantgroupof
theselearnersleaveschoolwithoutachievingtheirpotential.
EAL/Dstudentscomefromdiversebackgroundsandmayinclude:
l overseasandAustralianbornchildrenwhosefirstlanguageisalanguageotherthanEnglish
l 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:
l AboriginalandTorresStraitIslanderhistoriesandcultures
l AsiaandAustraliasengagementwithAsia
l Sustainability.
Thecrosscurriculumprioritiesareembeddedinthecurriculumandwillhaveastrongbutvaryingpresencedependingon
theirrelevancetoeachofthelearningareas.
AboriginalandTorresStraitIslanderhistoriesandcultures
AboriginalandTorresStraitIslandercommunitiesarestrong,richanddiverse.AboriginalandTorresStraitIslanderIdentityis
centraltothispriorityandisintrinsicallylinkedtoliving,learningAboriginalandTorresStraitIslandercommunities,deep
knowledgetraditionsandholisticworldview.
AconceptualframeworkbasedonAboriginalandTorresStraitIslanderPeoplesuniquesenseofIdentityhasbeen
developedasastructuraltoolfortheembeddingofAboriginalandTorresStraitIslanderhistoriesandcultureswithinthe
Australiancurriculum.ThissenseofIdentityisapproachedthroughtheinterconnectedaspectsofCountry/Place,Peopleand
Culture.Embracingtheseelementsenhancesallareasofthecurriculum.
English

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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.
English

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FoundationLevel
TheEnglishcurriculumisbuiltaroundthethreeinterrelatedstrandsofLanguage,LiteratureandLiteracy.Teachingand
learningprogramsshouldbalanceandintegrateallthreestrands.Togetherthethreestrandsfocusondeveloping
studentsknowledge,understandingandskillsinlistening,reading,viewing,speaking,writingandcreating.Learningin
Englishbuildsonconcepts,skillsandprocessesdevelopedinearlierlevels,andteacherswillrevisit,strengthenand
developtheseasneeded.
IntheFoundationlevel,studentscommunicatewithpeers,teachers,knownadults,andstudentsfromotherclasses.
Studentsengagewithavarietyoftextsforenjoyment.Theylistento,readandviewspoken,writtenandmultimodaltextsin
whichtheprimarypurposeistoentertain,aswellassometextsdesignedtoinform.Theseincludetraditionaloraltexts,
picturebooks,varioustypesofstories,rhymingverse,poetry,nonfiction,film,multimodaltextsanddramatic
performances.Theyparticipateinsharedreading,viewingandstorytellingusingarangeofliterarytexts,andrecognise
theentertainingnatureofliterature.
TherangeofliterarytextsforFoundationtoLevel10comprisesAustralianliterature,includingtheoral
narrativetraditionsofAboriginalandTorresStraitIslanderpeoples,aswellasthecontemporary
literatureofthesetwoculturalgroups,andclassicandcontemporaryworldliterature,includingtextsfrom
andaboutAsia.
LiterarytextsthatsupportandextendFoundationstudentsasbeginnerreadersincludepredictabletextsthatrangefrom
captionbookstobookswithoneormoresentencesperpage.Thesetextsinvolvestraightforwardsequencesofevents
andeverydayhappeningswithrecognisable,realisticorimaginarycharacters.Informativetextspresentasmallamount
ofnewcontentaboutfamiliartopicsofinterestasmallrangeoflanguagefeatures,includingsimpleandcompound
sentencesmostlyfamiliarvocabulary,knownhighfrequencywordsandsinglesyllablewordsthatcanbedecoded
phonically,andillustrationsthatstronglysupporttheprintedtext.
Studentscreatearangeofimaginative,informativeandpersuasivetextsincludingpictorialrepresentations,short
statements,performances,recountsandpoetry.
FoundationLevelcontentdescriptions
Readingandviewing
Language Elaborations
Understandthattextscantakemanyforms,canbe
veryshort(forexampleanexitsign)orquitelong(for
exampleaninformationbookorafilm)andthat
storiesandinformativetextshavedifferent
purposes(ACELA1430)
l sharingexperiencesofdifferenttextsanddiscussing
somedifferences
l discussingthepurposeoftexts,forexampleThistextwill
tellastory,Thistextwillgiveinformation
l repeatingpartsoftexts,forexamplecharacteristicrefrains,
predictingcumulativestorylines,recitingpoeticand
rhymingphrases
English

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Recognisethatsentencesarekeyunitsfor
expressingideas(ACELA1435)
l learningthatwordorderinsentencesisimportantfor
meaning(forexample'Theboysatonthedog','Thedog
satontheboy')
l creatingstudents'ownwrittentextsandreadingaloudto
theteacherandothers
Recognisethattextsaremadeupofwordsand
groupsofwordsthatmakemeaning(ACELA1434)
l exploringspoken,writtenandmultimodaltextsand
identifyingelements,forexamplewordsandimages
Explorethedifferentcontributionofwordsand
imagestomeaninginstoriesandinformativetexts
(ACELA1786)
l talkingabouthowadifferentstoryistoldifwereadonly
thewords,oronlythepicturesandthestorythatwords
andpicturesmakewhencombined
l exploringhowthecombinationofprintandimagesintexts
createmeaning
Understandconceptsaboutprintandscreen,
includinghowbooks,filmandsimpledigitaltexts
work,andknowsomefeaturesofprint,forexample
directionality(ACELA1433)

l learningaboutprint:directionofprintandreturnsweep,
spacesbetweenwords
l learningthatStandardAustralianEnglishinwrittentextsis
readfromlefttorightandfromtoptobottomofthepage
andthatdirectionofprintmaydifferinothercultures,for
exampleJapanesetexts
l learningaboutfrontandbackcoverstitleandauthor,
layoutandnavigationofdigital/screentexts
l learningaboutsimplefunctionsofkeyboardandmouse
includingtypingletters,scrolling,selectingiconsanddrop
downmenu
Recognisethelettersofthealphabetandknow
thereareloweranduppercaseletters
(ACELA1440)
l identifyingfamiliarandrecurringlettersandtheuseof
upperandlowercaseinwrittentextsintheclassroomand
community
l usingfamiliarandcommonlettersinhandwrittenand
digitalcommunications
Literature Elaborations
Recognisesomedifferenttypesofliterarytextsand
identifysomecharacteristicfeaturesofliterarytexts,
forexamplebeginningsandendingsoftraditional
textsandrhymeinpoetry(ACELT1785)

l recognisingculturalpatternsofstorytelling,forexample
Onceuponatime,Along,longtimeago,Beforethe
Dreamtime
Recognisethattextsarecreatedbyauthorswhotell
storiesandshareexperiencesthatmaybesimilar
ordifferenttostudentsownexperiences
(ACELT1575)

l recognisingthattherearestorytellersinallcultures
l viewingstoriesbyAboriginalandTorresStraitIslander
storytellersfromonlinesources
l comparingexperiencesdepictedinstorieswithstudents
own
l engagingwithtextsthatreflectthesocialandcultural
groupstowhichstudentsbelong
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Identifysomefeaturesoftextsincludingeventsand
charactersandretelleventsfromatext
(ACELT1578)

l identifyingsomefeaturesofculturerelatedtocharacters
andeventsinliterarytexts,forexampledress,foodand
dailyroutines
l listening,respondingtoandjoininginwithrhymes,
poems,chantsandsongs
Literacy Elaborations
Identifysomefamiliartextsandthecontextsin
whichtheyareused(ACELY1645)
l recognisingthemeaningofsymbolsineverydaycontexts,
forexampleexitsigns,logos,heartsandflowerson
greetingcards
Identifysomedifferencesbetweenimaginativeand
informativetexts(ACELY1648)
l talkingaboutwhatisrealandwhatisimaginedintexts
l identifyingandselectingtextsforinformationpurposesand
commentingonhowthetextmighthelpwithatask
Readpredictabletexts,practisingphrasingand
fluency,andmonitormeaningusingconceptsabout
printandemergingcontextual,semantic,
grammaticalandphonicknowledge(ACELY1649)
l navigatingatextcorrectly,startingattherightplaceand
readingintherightdirection,returningtothenextlineas
needed,matchingonespokenwordtoonewrittenword
l readingaloudwithattemptsatfluencyandintonation
l attemptingtoworkoutunknownwordsbycombining
contextual,semantic,grammaticalandphonicknowledge
l predictingwhatmighthappenonthebasisofexperienceof
thiskindoftextatthesentencelevelpredictingthe
meaningonthebasisofsyntaxandwordmeaning
Usecomprehensionstrategiestounderstandand
discusstextslistenedto,viewedorread
independently(ACELY1650)

l talkingaboutthemeaningsintextslistenedto,viewedand
read
l visualisingelementsinatext(forexampledrawingan
eventorcharacterfromatextreadaloud)
l providingasimple,correctlysequencedretellingof
narrativetexts
l relatingoneortwokeyfactsfrominformativetexts
l findingakeywordinatexttoansweraliteralquestion
l makinglinksbetweeneventsinatextandstudentsown
experiences
l makinganinferenceaboutacharacter'sfeelings
l discussingandsequencingeventsinstories
l drawingeventsinsequence,recognisingthatforsome
AboriginalandTorresStraitIslanderstoriesthesequence
ofeventsmaybecyclical
Writing
Language Elaborations
English

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Understandthatsomelanguageinwrittentextsis
unlikeeverydayspokenlanguage(ACELA1431)
l learningthatwrittentextinStandardAustralianEnglishhas
conventionsaboutwords,spacesbetweenwords,layout
onthepageandconsistentspellingbecauseithasto
communicatewhenthespeaker/writerisnotpresent
Knowthatspokensoundsandwordscanbewritten
downusinglettersofthealphabetandhowtowrite
somehighfrequencysightwordsandknownwords
(ACELA1758)
l recognisingthemostcommonsoundmadebyeachletter
ofthealphabet,includingconsonantsandshortvowel
sounds
l writingconsonantvowelconsonantwordsbywritingletters
torepresentthesoundsinthespokenwords
l knowingthatspokenwordsarewrittendownbylisteningto
thesoundsheardinthewordandthenwritinglettersto
representthosesounds
Understandthatpunctuationisafeatureofwritten
textdifferentfromlettersrecognisehowcapital
lettersareusedfornames,andthatcapitalletters
andfullstopssignalthebeginningandendof
sentences(ACELA1432)
l pointingtothelettersandthepunctuationinatext
l commentingonpunctuationencounteredintheeveryday
texts,forexampleThatstheletterthatstartsmyname,
Thenameofmyfamilyandmytownhasacapitalletter
Knowhowtouseonsetandrimetospellwords
(ACELA1438)
l breakingwordsintoonsetandrime,forexamplec/at
l buildingwordfamiliesusingonsetandrime,forexample
h/ot,g/ot,n/ot,sh/ot,sp/ot
Literature Elaborations
Retellfamiliarliterarytextsthroughperformance,
useofillustrationsandimages(ACELT1580)
l drawing,labellingandroleplayingrepresentationsof
charactersorevents
l recitingrhymeswithactions
l usingdigitaltechnologiestoretelleventsandrecreate
charactersfromfavouriteprintandfilmtexts
Literacy Elaborations
Createshorttextstoexplore,recordandreport
ideasandeventsusingfamiliarwordsand
beginningwritingknowledge(ACELY1651)

l usingimagemakingandbeginningwritingtorepresent
charactersandeventsinwritten,filmandwebbasedtexts
l usingspeaking,writinganddrawingtorepresentand
communicatepersonalresponsestoideasandevents
experiencedthroughtexts
l creatingshortspoken,writtenandmultimodal
observations,recountsanddescriptions,extending
vocabularyandincludingsomecontentspecificwordsin
spokenandwrittentexts
l usingbeginningconceptsaboutprint,soundletterand
wordknowledgeandpunctuationtocreateshorttexts
Participateinsharededitingofstudentsowntexts
formeaning,spelling,capitallettersandfullstops
(ACELY1652)
l rereadingcollaborativelydevelopedtextstocheckthatthey
communicatewhattheauthorsintended
English

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Producesomelowercaseanduppercaseletters
usinglearnedletterformations(ACELY1653)
l adoptingcorrectpostureandpencilgrip
l learningtoproducesimplehandwritingmovements
l followingcleardemonstrationsofhowtoconstructeach
letter(forexamplewheretostartwhichdirectiontowrite)
l learningtoconstructlowercaselettersandtocombine
theseintowords
l learningtoconstructsomeuppercaseletters
Constructtextsusingsoftwareincludingword
processingprograms(ACELY1654)
l usingsimplefunctionsofkeyboardandmouseincluding
typingletters,scrolling,selectingiconsanddropdown
menu
Speakingandlistening
Language Elaborations
UnderstandthatEnglishisoneofmanylanguages
spokeninAustraliaandthatdifferentlanguages
maybespokenbyfamily,classmatesand
community(ACELA1426)

l learningthatdifferentlanguagesexistdiscussingthe
variouslanguagesencounteredinthecommunityandat
schoolacknowledgingthehomelanguagesofstudents
whospeakanotherlanguage,andvaluingtheabilityto
speakmorethanonelanguage
l recognisingthatsometextscanincludebothStandard
AustralianEnglishandelementsofotherlanguages
includingAboriginalandTorresStraitIslanderlanguages
Explorehowlanguageisuseddifferentlyathome
andschooldependingontherelationships
betweenpeople(ACELA1428)
l learningthatlanguagevariesaccordingtothe
relationshipsbetweenpeople,forexamplebetweenparent
andchild,teacherandstudent,siblings,friends,
shopkeepersandcustomers
l learningthatweuseadifferenttoneandstyleoflanguage
withdifferentpeople
l learningtoaskrelevantquestionsandtoexpressrequests
andopinionsinwaysthatsuitdifferentcontexts
Understandthatlanguagecanbeusedtoexplore
waysofexpressingneeds,likesanddislikes
(ACELA1429)
l recognisingsomeofthewayswecanusespeech,
gesture,writingandmediatocommunicatefeelings
l recognisingsomeofthewaysemotionsandfeelingscan
beconveyedandinfluencedbyvisualrepresentations,for
exampleinadvertisingandanimations
Understandtheuseofvocabularyinfamiliar
contextsrelatedtoeverydayexperiences,personal
interestsandtopicstaughtatschool(ACELA1437)
l buildingvocabularythroughmultiplespeakingand
listeningexperiences
l discussingnewvocabularyfoundintexts
l bringingvocabularyfrompersonalexperiences,relating
thistonewexperiencesandbuildingavocabularyfor
thinkingandtalkingaboutschooltopics
English

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Recogniserhymes,syllablesandsounds
(phonemes)inspokenwords(ACELA1439)
l listeningtothesoundsastudenthearsintheword,and
writingletterstorepresentthosesounds
l identifyingrhymeandsyllablesinspokenwords
l identifyingandmanipulatingsounds(phonemes)in
spokenwords
l identifyingonsetandrimeinonesyllablespokenwords
Literature Elaborations
Respondtotexts,identifyingfavouritestories,
authorsandillustrators(ACELT1577)
l talkingaboutstoriesandauthors,choosingfavourites,
discussinghowstudentsfeelaboutwhathappensin
stories
l engagingwiththehumourinsomestoriesandrepeating
favouritelines,jokesandideas
l returningtopreferredtextsandcommentingonreasonsfor
selection
Sharefeelingsandthoughtsabouttheeventsand
charactersintexts(ACELT1783)
l talkingaboutstoriesandauthors,choosingfavourites,
discussinghowstudentsfeelaboutwhathappensin
stories
l usingartformsandbeginningformsofwritingtoexpress
personalresponsestoliteratureandfilmexperiences
l talkingaboutpeople,eventsandideasintexts,enabling
studentstoconnectthemtotheirownexperiencesandto
expresstheirownopinionsaboutwhatisdepicted
Replicatetherhythmsandsoundpatternsin
stories,rhymes,songsandpoemsfromarangeof
cultures(ACELT1579)

l usingmusicandactionstoenhanceappreciationof
rhymes,poems,chantsandsongs
l recitingrhymeswithactions
Literacy Elaborations
Listentoandrespondorallytotextsandtothe
communicationofothersininformalandstructured
classroomsituations(ACELY1646)
l listeningto,rememberingandfollowingsimple
instructions
l sequencingideasinspokentexts,retellingwellknown
stories,retellingstorieswithpicturecues,retelling
informationusingstorymaps
l listeningforspecificthings,forexamplethemainideaofa
shortstatement,thedetailsofastory,ortoansweragiven
question
l participatingininformalsituations,forexampleplaybased
experienceswhichinvolvetheimaginativeuseofspoken
language
l participatinginclass,groupandpairdiscussionsabout
sharedexperiencesincludingsharedtexts
l askingandansweringquestionstoclarifyunderstanding
English

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FoundationLevelachievementstandard
Readingandviewing
BytheendoftheFoundationlevel,studentsusepredictingandquestioningstrategiestomakemeaningfromtexts.They
recalloneortwoeventsfromtextswithfamiliartopics.Theyunderstandthattherearedifferenttypesoftextsandthatthese
canhavesimilarcharacteristics.Theyidentifyconnectionsbetweentextsandtheirpersonalexperience.Theyreadshort
predictabletextswithfamiliarvocabularyandsupportiveimages,drawingontheirdevelopingknowledgeofconceptsabout
printandsoundandletters.TheyidentifythelettersoftheEnglishalphabetandusethesoundsrepresentedbymostletters.
Writing
Whenwriting,studentsusefamiliarwordsandphrasesandimagestoconveyideas.Theirwritingshowsevidenceofsound
andletterknowledge,beginningwritingbehavioursandexperimentationwithcapitallettersandfullstops.Theycorrectlyform
knownupperandlowercaseletters.
Speakingandlistening
Theylistentoanduseappropriatelanguagefeaturestorespondtoothersinafamiliarenvironment.Theylistenforrhyme,
letterpatternsandsoundsinwords.Studentsunderstandthattheirtextscanreflecttheirownexperiences.Theyidentifyand
describelikesanddislikesaboutfamiliartexts,objects,charactersandevents.Ininformalgroupandwholeclasssettings,
studentscommunicateclearly.Theyretelleventsandexperienceswithpeersandknownadults.Theyidentifyanduserhyme,
letterpatternsandsoundsinwords.
Useinteractionskillsincludinglisteningwhile
othersspeak,usingappropriatevoicelevels,
articulationandbodylanguage,gesturesandeye
contact(ACELY1784)
l learninghowtousedifferentvoicelevelsappropriatetoa
situation,forexamplelearningaboutinsidevoicesand
outsidevoices
l learningtoaskquestionsandprovideanswersthatare
morethanoneortwowords
l participatinginspeakingandlisteningsituations,
exchangingideaswithpeersinpairsandsmallgroups
andengaginginclassdiscussions,listeningtoothersand
contributingideas
l showingunderstandingofappropriatelisteningbehaviour,
suchaslisteningwithoutinterrupting,andlookingatthe
speakerifculturallyappropriate
l listeningandrespondingtooralandmultimodaltexts
includingrhymesandpoems,textsreadaloudandvarious
typesofdigitaltexts
l engaginginconversationswithpeersandadultsinhome
languageordialect
l askingandansweringquestionsusingappropriate
intonation
l speakingsothatthestudentcanbeheardandunderstood
l alteringvolumeforinsideandoutsidesituationsandwhen
speakingtoanaudience
Delivershortoralpresentationstopeers
(ACELY1647)

l sharingapersonalexperience,interestordiscoverywith
peersinasemiformalsituation
l usingvisualcuestopractisestayingontopic
English

VCAA | AusVELS Curriculum | Date PDF created: Wednesday, 29 May 2013 18
Level1
TheEnglishcurriculumisbuiltaroundthethreeinterrelatedstrandsofLanguage,LiteratureandLiteracy.Teachingand
learningprogramsshouldbalanceandintegrateallthreestrands.Togetherthestrandsfocusondevelopingstudents
knowledge,understandingandskillsinlistening,reading,viewing,speaking,writingandcreating.LearninginEnglish
buildsonconcepts,skillsandprocessesdevelopedinearlierlevels,andteacherswillrevisitandstrengthentheseas
needed.
InLevel1,studentscommunicatewithpeers,teachers,knownadultsandstudentsfromotherclasses.
Studentsengagewithavarietyoftextsforenjoyment.Theylistento,read,viewandinterpretspoken,writtenand
multimodaltextsdesignedtoentertainandinform.TheseencompasstraditionaloraltextsincludingAboriginalstories,
picturebooks,varioustypesofstories,rhymingverse,poetry,nonfiction,film,dramaticperformances,andtextsusedby
studentsasmodelsforconstructingtheirowntexts.
TherangeofliterarytextsforFoundationtoLevel10comprisesAustralianliterature,includingtheoral
narrativetraditionsofAboriginalandTorresStraitIslanderpeoples,aswellasthecontemporary
literatureofthesetwoculturalgroups,andclassicandcontemporaryworldliterature,includingtextsfrom
andaboutAsia.
LiterarytextsthatsupportandextendLevel1studentsasindependentreadersinvolvestraightforwardsequencesof
eventsandeverydayhappeningswithrecognisablyrealisticorimaginarycharacters.Informativetextspresentasmall
amountofnewcontentaboutfamiliartopicsofinterestandtopicsbeingstudiedinotherareasofthecurriculum.These
textsalsopresentasmallrangeoflanguagefeatures,includingsimpleandcompoundsentences,someunfamiliar
vocabulary,asmallnumberofhighfrequencywordsandwordsthatneedtobedecodedphonically,andsentence
boundarypunctuation,aswellasillustrationsanddiagramsthatsupporttheprintedtext.
Studentscreateavarietyofimaginative,informativeandpersuasivetextsincludingrecounts,procedures,performances,
literaryretellingsandpoetry.
Level1contentdescriptions
Readingandviewing
Language Elaborations
Understandthatthepurposestextsserveshape
theirstructureinpredictableways(ACELA1447)

l discussingandcomparingthepurposesoffamiliartexts
drawnfromlocalcontextsandinterests
l becomingfamiliarwiththetypicalstagesoftypesoftext
includingrecountandprocedure
l usingdifferenttypesoftexts,forexampleprocedures
(includingrecipes)anddiscussingthetextstructure
English

VCAA | AusVELS Curriculum | Date PDF created: Wednesday, 29 May 2013 19
Identifythepartsofasimplesentencethat
representWhatshappening?,Whoorwhatis
involved?andthesurroundingcircumstances
(ACELA1451)
l knowingthat,intermsofmeaning,abasicclauserepresents:
ahappeningorastate(verb),whoorwhatisinvolved(noun
group/phrase),andthesurroundingcircumstances(adverb
group/phrase)
l understandingthatasimplesentenceexpressesasingle
idea,representedgrammaticallybyasingleindependent
clause(forexample'Akangarooisamammal.Amammal
sucklesitsyoung')
Exploredifferencesinwordsthatrepresent
people,placesandthings(nouns,including
pronouns),happeningsandstates(verbs),
qualities(adjectives)anddetailssuchaswhen,
whereandhow(adverbs)(ACELA1452)
l talkingabouteffectivewordsthatdescribeaplace,personor
event
l learninghowasentencecanbemademorevividbyadding
adjectives,adverbsandunusualverbs
Comparedifferentkindsofimagesinnarrative
andinformativetextsanddiscusshowthey
contributetomeaning(ACELA1453)

l talkingaboutwhatisrealandwhatisimaginedintexts,for
exampleThisisthesectionaboutplatypusesinthebook
aboutmammals
Understandconceptsaboutprintandscreen,
includinghowdifferenttypesoftextsare
organisedusingpagenumbering,tablesof
content,headingsandtitles,navigationbuttons,
barsandlinks(ACELA1450)
l learningabouthowbooksanddigitaltextsareorganised
includingpagenumbers,tableofcontents,headings,images
withcaptionsandtheuseofscrollingtoaccessdigitaltexts
Recognisesoundlettermatchesincluding
commonvowelandconsonantdigraphsand
consonantblends(ACELA1458)
l sayingwordswiththesameonsetasagivenword(for
examplewordsthatbeginlike'd/og','bl/ue')
l sayingwordswiththesamerimeasagivenword(for
examplewordsthatendlike'c/at','pl/ay')
Understandthevariabilityofsoundletter
matches(ACELA1459)
l recognisingthatletterscanhavemorethanonesound(for
exampleuincut,put,useandaincat,father,any)
l recognisingsoundsthatcanbeproducedbydifferentletters
(forexamplethe/s/soundinsat,cent,scene)
Manipulatesoundsinspokenwordsincluding
phonemedeletionandsubstitution(ACELA1457)
l recognisingwordsthatstartwithagivensound,endwitha
givensound,haveagivenmedialsound,rhymewithagiven
word
l recognisingandproducingrhymingwords
l replacingsoundsinspokenwords(forexamplereplacethe
min'mat'with'c'toformanewword'cat')
l sayingsoundsinorderforagivenspokenword(forexample
f/i/sh,th/i/s)
English

VCAA | AusVELS Curriculum | Date PDF created: Wednesday, 29 May 2013 20
Knowthatregularonesyllablewordsaremade
upoflettersandcommonletterclustersthat
correspondtothesoundsheard,andhowtouse
visualmemorytowritehighfrequencywords
(ACELA1778)
l writingonesyllablewordscontainingknownblends,for
examplebl,st
l learninganincreasingnumberofhighfrequencysightwords
recognisedinsharedtextsandintextsbeingread
independently(forexample'one','have','them','about')
Literacy Elaborations
Respondtotextsdrawnfromarangeofcultures
andexperiences(ACELY1655)

l exploringsomeofthemeaningsandteachingsembeddedin
Dreamingstories
l usingdrawingandwritingtodepictandcommentonpeople
andplacesbeyondtheirimmediateexperience
Describesomedifferencesbetweenimaginative
informativeandpersuasivetexts(ACELY1658)
l comparinganddiscussingtextsidentifyingsomefeatures
thatdistinguishthosethattellstoriesfromthosethatgive
opinions
l selectingtextsforaparticularpurposeortask,forexamplea
websitethatwillgiveinformationaboutwhales,abookthat
willtellastoryaboutapossum
Readsupportivetextsusingdeveloping
phrasing,fluency,contextual,semantic,
grammaticalandphonicknowledgeand
emergingtextprocessingstrategies,forexample
prediction,monitoringmeaningandrereading
(ACELY1659)
l usingcontextualandsemanticknowledgetomake
predictionsaboutatextspurposeandcontent
l combiningknowledgeofcontext,meaning,grammarand
phonicstodecodetext
l recognisingmosthighfrequencysightwordswhenreading
text
l selfcorrectingwhenreadingdoesnotmakesense,using
pictures,context,meaning,phonicsandgrammatical
knowledge
l readingaloudwithdevelopingfluencyandintonation
Usecomprehensionstrategiestobuildliteral
andinferredmeaningaboutkeyevents,ideas
andinformationintextsthattheylistento,view
andreadbydrawingongrowingknowledgeof
context,textstructuresandlanguagefeatures
(ACELY1660)
l usingelementsinbooksandscreentexts,forexample
illustrations,diagrams,soundandmovement,tosupport
reading
l makingconnectionsbetweenthetextandstudentsown
experiences,andbetweeninformationinprintandimages
l findingkeyinformationinatext
l makinginferencesaboutcharactersfeelingsandmotives
l buildingknowledgeaboutthetopicofthetextandlearning
newvocabularybeforeandduringreading
l makingpredictionsfromthecover,fromillustrationsandat
pointsinthetextbeforereadingon
l retellingtheeventsorkeyinformationinthetextorally,in
writingand/orthroughdigitalorartsmedia
Writing
Language Elaborations
English

VCAA | AusVELS Curriculum | Date PDF created: Wednesday, 29 May 2013 21
Understandpatternsofrepetitionandcontrastin
simpletexts(ACELA1448)
l identifyingpatternsofvocabularyitemsintexts(forexample
class/subclasspatterns,part/wholepatterns,
compare/contrastpatterns,causeandeffectpatterns,word
associations/collocation)
l discussingdifferenttypesoftextsandidentifyingsome
characteristicfeaturesandelements(forexamplelanguage
patternsandrepetition)instoriesandpoetry
Recogniseandknowhowtousemorphemesin
wordfamiliesforexampleplayinplayedand
playing(ACELA1455)
l buildingwordfamiliesfromcommonmorphemes(for
example'play','plays','playing','played','playground')
l usingmorphemestoreadwords(forexamplebyrecognising
the'stem'inwordssuchas'walk/ed')
Recognisethatdifferenttypesofpunctuation,
includingfullstops,questionmarksand
exclamationmarks,signalsentencesthatmake
statements,askquestions,expressemotionor
givecommands(ACELA1449)
l usingintonationandpausesinresponsetopunctuation
whenreading
l readingtextsandidentifyingdifferentsentencelevel
punctuation
l writingdifferenttypesofsentences,forexamplestatements
andquestions,anddiscussingappropriatepunctuation
Literature Elaborations
Recreatetextsimaginativelyusingdrawing,
writing,performanceanddigitalformsof
communication(ACELT1586)

l creatingvisualrepresentationsofliterarytextsfromAboriginal,
TorresStraitIslanderorAsiancultures
l writingcharacterdescriptionsdrawnfromillustrationsin
stories
l retellingkeyeventsinstoriesusingorallanguage,arts,digital
technologiesandperformancemedia
Literacy Elaborations
Createshortimaginativeandinformativetexts
thatshowemerginguseofappropriatetext
structure,sentencelevelgrammar,wordchoice,
spelling,punctuationandappropriate
multimodalelements,forexampleillustrations
anddiagrams(ACELY1661)
l referringtolearnedknowledgeoftextstructureandgrammar
whencreatinganewtext
l applyingnewvocabularyappropriatelyincreatingtext
l learninghowtoplanspokenandwrittencommunicationsso
thatlistenersandreadersmightfollowthesequenceofideas
orevents
l beginningtoconsideraudienceindesigninga
communicationinvolvingvisualcomponents,selecting
imagesformaximumimpact
English

VCAA | AusVELS Curriculum | Date PDF created: Wednesday, 29 May 2013 22
Rereadstudent'sowntextsanddiscuss
possiblechangestoimprovemeaning,spelling
andpunctuation(ACELY1662)
l addingordeletingwordsonpageorscreentoimprove
meaning,forexampleaddinganadjectivetoanoun
l readingthestudentsownworkaloudtolistenfor
grammaticalcorrectness:checkinguseofcapitalletters,full
stops,questionmarksandexclamationmarks
l checkingforinclusionofcapitallettersandfullstops
l identifyingwordswhichmightnotbespeltcorrectly
l beginningtousedictionariesandclassroomchartstocheck
andcorrectspellingoflessfamiliarwords
Writeusingunjoinedlowercaseanduppercase
letters(ACELY1663)
l usingcorrectpostureandpencilgrip
l learninghoweachletterisconstructedincludingwhereto
startandthedirectiontofollow
l writingwordslegiblyusingunjoinedprintscriptofconsistent
size
Constructtextsthatincorporatesupporting
imagesusingsoftwareincludingword
processingprograms(ACELY1664)
l creatingdigitalimagesandcomposingastoryorinformation
sequenceonscreenusingimagesandcaptions
l addingimagestodigitalwrittencommunicationssuchas
emailswithpicturesofself,classmatesorlocation
Speakingandlistening
Language Elaborations
Understandthatpeopleusedifferentsystemsof
communicationtocatertodifferentneedsand
purposesandthatmanypeoplemayusesign
systemstocommunicatewithothers
(ACELA1443)
l recognisinghowandwheresignsandsymbolsareusedand
placedinstudentsschoolandcommunity
l learningsomesignsinAuslanandfindingoutaboutHeara
BookandBrailletechnologiesforhearingandvisually
impairedpeople
Understandthatlanguageisusedin
combinationwithothermeansof
communication,forexamplefacialexpressions
andgesturestointeractwithothers
(ACELA1444)
l recognisingtheeffectofwords,symbols,gesturesandbody
languageonthewaycommunicationsarereceivedbyothers
Understandthattherearedifferentwaysof
askingforinformation,makingoffersandgiving
commands(ACELA1446)
l learningthedifferencebetweenquestionsandstatements,
requestsandcommands
l learningaboutdifferenttypesofquestionsincludingclosed
andopenquestionsandwhere,what,whoandwhy
questions
Exploredifferentwaysofexpressingemotions,
includingverbal,visual,bodylanguageandfacial
expressions(ACELA1787)
l extendingstudentsvocabulariesfortheexpressionof
feelingsandemotions
l consideringhowothersmightrespondbeforestudents
expresstheirviewsandhowstudentsmightrespondto
othersviewsincivilandconstructiveways
English

VCAA | AusVELS Curriculum | Date PDF created: Wednesday, 29 May 2013 23
Understandtheuseofvocabularyineveryday
contextsaswellasagrowingnumberofschool
contexts,includingappropriateuseofformaland
informaltermsofaddressindifferentcontexts
(ACELA1454)
l learningformsofaddressforvisitorsandhowtouse
languageappropriatelytoaskdirectionsandforinformation,
forexampleonexcursions
Literature Elaborations
Expresspreferencesforspecifictextsand
authorsandlistentotheopinionsofothers
(ACELT1583)
l sharingfavouritetextsandauthorsandsomereasonsfor
preferences
l discussingdifferenttextsandconsideringwhatisentertaining
orappealing
l usingartsmethodsandroleplaytoexpresspersonal
responsestocharactersandeventsinstories
l discussingdifferenttextsandconsideringwhatisentertaining
orappealingandwhy
l identifyingwhoistellingthestoryindifferenttexts
Discusscharactersandeventsinarangeof
literarytextsandsharepersonalresponsesto
thesetexts,makingconnectionswithstudents'
ownexperiences(ACELT1582)
l discussingcharactersfrombooksandfilmsandwhether
thesearelifelikeorimaginary(forexampletalkinganimals)
l comparingcharactersandeventsintextstostudentsown
experiences
Discusshowauthorscreatecharactersusing
languageandimages(ACELT1581)

l identifyingsimilaritiesbetweentextsfromdifferentcultural
traditions,forexamplerepresentationsofdragonsin
traditionalEuropeanandAsiantexts,andhowspiritualbeings
arerepresentedinAboriginalandTorresStraitIslander
stories
l identifyingsomefeaturesofcharactersandhowparticular
wordsandimagesconveyqualitiesoftheirnature,for
examplesomecharactersareportrayedasshy,others
adventurous
l discussingthecharactersoffictionalanimalsandhowthey
relatetothoseofhumans
Discussfeaturesofplot,characterandsettingin
differenttypesofliteratureandexploresome
featuresofcharactersindifferenttexts
(ACELT1584)
l examiningdifferenttypesofliteratureincludingtraditional
tales,humorousstoriesandpoetry
l discussingsimilaritiesanddifferencesbetweentexts(for
examplefeaturesofmaincharactersindifferentstories)
l discussingfeaturesofbooksettingsincludingtime(level,
season)andplace(countryorcity,realisticorimagined)
l discussinghowplotsdevelopincluding:beginnings
(orientation),howtheproblem(complication)isintroduced
andsolved(resolution)
English

VCAA | AusVELS Curriculum | Date PDF created: Wednesday, 29 May 2013 24
Level1achievementstandard
Listento,reciteandperformpoems,chants,
rhymesandsongs,imitatingandinventing
soundpatternsincludingalliterationandrhyme
(ACELT1585)

l exploringperformancepoetry,chantsandsongsfrom
AboriginalandTorresStraitIslanderpeoplesandAsian
cultures
l listeningtoandperformingsimplehaikupoemsabout
familiartopicssuchasnatureandtheseasons
Literacy Elaborations
Engageinconversationsanddiscussions,using
activelisteningbehaviours,showinginterest,
andcontributingideas,informationand
questions(ACELY1656)
l listeningfordetailsinspokeninformativetexts
l participatingininformalandstructuredclass,groupandpair
discussionsaboutcontentareatopics,ideasandinformation
l speakingclearlyandwithappropriatevolume
l interactingconfidentlyandappropriatelywithpeers,teachers,
visitorsandcommunitymembers
l learningtovaluelistening,questioningandpositivebody
languageandunderstandingthatdifferentculturesmay
approachthesedifferently
l formulatingdifferenttypesofquestionstoaskaspeaker,
suchasopenandclosedquestionsandwhen,whyand
howquestions
Useinteractionskillsincludingturntaking,
recognisingthecontributionsofothers,speaking
clearlyandusingappropriatevolumeandpace
(ACELY1788)
l identifyingturntakingpatternsingroupandpairwork(for
exampleinitiatingatopic,changingatopicwhenappropriate,
stayingontask,supportingotherspeakers,eliciting
responses,beingsupportiveandattentivelisteners,asking
relevantquestions,providingusefulfeedback,prompting,
checkingunderstanding,'sharingthetalkingspace')
l participatinginpair,groupandclassspeakingandlistening
situations,includinginformalconversationsandclass
discussions,contributingideasandlisteningtothe
contributionsofothers
l takingturns,askingandansweringquestionsandattempting
toinvolveothersindiscussions
l demonstratingactivelisteningbehaviourandrespondingto
whatotherssayinpair,groupandclassdiscussions
l experimentingwithvoicevolumeandpaceforparticular
purposesincludingmakingpresentations,retellingstories
andrecitingrhymesandpoems
l attemptingcorrectpronunciationofnewvocabulary
Makeshortpresentationsusingsome
introducedtextstructuresandlanguage,for
exampleopeningstatements(ACELY1657)
l reportingtheresultsofgroupdiscussions
l providingsimpleexplanationsabouthowtodoormake
something
l givingshortoralpresentationsaboutareasofinterestor
contentareatopics,speakingclearlyandwithappropriate
volumeandusingextendedvocabularyandagrowing
knowledgeofcontentspecificwords
English

VCAA | AusVELS Curriculum | Date PDF created: Wednesday, 29 May 2013 25
Readingandviewing
BytheendofLevel1,studentsunderstandthedifferentpurposesoftexts.Theymakeconnectionstopersonalexperience
whenexplainingcharactersandmaineventsinshorttexts.Theyidentifythelanguagefeatures,imagesandvocabularyused
todescribecharactersandevents.Studentsreadaloud,withdevelopingfluencyandintonation,shorttextswithsome
unfamiliarvocabulary,simpleandcompoundsentencesandsupportiveimages.Whenreading,theyuseknowledgeof
soundsandletters,highfrequencywords,sentenceboundarypunctuationanddirectionalitytomakemeaning.Theyrecall
keyideasandrecogniseliteralandimpliedmeaningintexts.
Writing
Whenwriting,studentsprovidedetailsaboutideasorevents.Theyaccuratelyspellwordswithregularspellingpatternsand
usecapitallettersandfullstops.Theycorrectlyformallupperandlowercaseletters.
Speakingandlistening
Theylistentootherswhentakingpartinconversationsusingappropriatelanguagefeatures.Theylistenforandreproduce
letterpatternsandletterclusters.Studentsunderstandhowcharactersintextsaredevelopedandgivereasonsforpersonal
preferences.Theycreatetextsthatshowunderstandingoftheconnectionbetweenwriting,speechandimages.Theycreate
shorttextsforasmallrangeofpurposes.Theyinteractinpair,groupandclassdiscussions,takingturnswhenresponding.
Theymakeshortpresentationsofafewconnectedsentencesonfamiliarandlearnedtopics.
English

VCAA | AusVELS Curriculum | Date PDF created: Wednesday, 29 May 2013 26
Level2
TheEnglishcurriculumisbuiltaroundthethreeinterrelatedstrandsofLanguage,LiteratureandLiteracy.Teachingand
learningprogramsshouldbalanceandintegrateallthreestrands.Togetherthestrandsfocusondevelopingstudents
knowledge,understandingandskillsinlistening,reading,viewing,speaking,writingandcreating.LearninginEnglish
buildsonconcepts,skillsandprocessesdevelopedinearlierlevels,andteacherswillrevisitandstrengthentheseas
needed.
InLevel2,studentscommunicatewithpeers,teachers,studentsfromotherclasses,andcommunitymembers.
Studentsengagewithavarietyoftextsforenjoyment.Theylistento,read,viewandinterpretspoken,writtenand
multimodaltextsinwhichtheprimarypurposeistoentertain,aswellastextsdesignedtoinformandpersuade.These
encompasstraditionaloraltexts,picturebooks,varioustypesofprintanddigitalstories,simplechapterbooks,rhyming
verse,poetry,nonfiction,film,multimodaltexts,dramaticperformances,andtextsusedbystudentsasmodelsfor
constructingtheirownwork.
TherangeofliterarytextsforFoundationtoLevel10comprisesAustralianliterature,includingtheoral
narrativetraditionsofAboriginalandTorresStraitIslanderpeoples,aswellasthecontemporary
literatureofthesetwoculturalgroups,andclassicandcontemporaryworldliterature,includingtextsfrom
andaboutAsia.
LiterarytextsthatsupportandextendLevel2studentsasindependentreadersinvolvesequencesofeventsthatspan
severalpagesandpresentunusualhappeningswithinaframeworkoffamiliarexperiences.Informativetextspresent
newcontentabouttopicsofinterestandtopicsbeingstudiedinotherareasofthecurriculum.Thesetextsinclude
languagefeaturessuchasvariedsentencestructures,someunfamiliarvocabulary,asignificantnumberofhigh
frequencysightwordsandwordsthatneedtobedecodedphonically,andarangeofpunctuationconventions,aswellas
illustrationsanddiagramsthatbothsupportandextendtheprintedtext.
Studentscreatearangeofimaginative,informativeandpersuasivetextsincludingimaginativeretellings,reports,
performances,poetryandexpositions.
Level2contentdescriptions
Readingandviewing
Language Elaborations
Understandthatdifferenttypesoftextshave
identifiabletextstructuresandlanguagefeaturesthat
helpthetextserveitspurpose(ACELA1463)
l identifyingthetopicandtypeofatextthroughitsvisual
presentation,forexamplecoverdesign,packaging,
title/subtitleandimages
l becomingfamiliarwiththetypicalstagesoftexttypes,for
examplesimplenarratives,instructionsandexpositions
English

VCAA | AusVELS Curriculum | Date PDF created: Wednesday, 29 May 2013 27
Knowsomefeaturesoftextorganisationincluding
pageandscreenlayouts,alphabeticalorder,and
differenttypesofdiagrams,forexampletimelines
(ACELA1466)
l recognisinghowchaptersandtableofcontents,
alphabeticalorderofindexandglossaryoperatetoguide
accesstoinformation
l learningaboutfeaturesofscreentextsincludingmenu
buttons,dropdownmenus,linksandliveconnections
Understandthatsimpleconnectionscanbemade
betweenideasbyusingacompoundsentencewith
twoormoreclausesusuallylinkedbyacoordinating
conjunction(ACELA1467)
l learninghowtoexpressideasusingcompound
sentences
l learninghowtojoinsimplesentenceswithconjunctions,
forexampleand,butorso,toconstructcompound
sentences
Identifyvisualrepresentationsofcharactersactions,
reactions,speechandthoughtprocessesin
narratives,andconsiderhowtheseimagesaddtoor
contradictormultiplythemeaningofaccompanying
words(ACELA1469)
l comparingtwoversionsofthesamestory,forexample
JackandtheBeanstalk,identifyinghowacharacters
actionsandreactionsaredepicteddifferentlybydifferent
illustrators
Understandthatnounsrepresentpeople,places,
thingsandideasandcanbe,forexample,common,
proper,concreteorabstract,andthatnoun
groups/phrasescanbeexpandedusingarticlesand
adjectives(ACELA1468)
l exploringtextsandidentifyingnounsthatreferto
characters,elementsofthesetting,andideas
l exploringillustrationsandnoungroups/phrasesin
picturebookstoidentifyhowtheparticipantshavebeen
representedbyanillustrator
l exploringnamesofpeopleandplacesandhowtowrite
themusingcapitalletters
l buildingextendednoungroups/phrasesthatprovidea
cleardescriptionofanitem
Recognisemostsoundlettermatchesincluding
silentletters,vowel/consonantdigraphsandmany
lesscommonsoundlettercombinations
(ACELA1474)
l recognisingwhensomelettersaresilent,forexample
knife,listen,castle,andprovidingthesoundforless
commonsoundlettermatches,forexampletion
Recognisecommonprefixesandsuffixesandhow
theychangeawordsmeaning(ACELA1472)
l joiningdiscussionabouthowaprefixorsuffixaffects
meaning,forexampleuncomfortable,older,anddivision
Literature Elaborations
English

VCAA | AusVELS Curriculum | Date PDF created: Wednesday, 29 May 2013 28
Discussthecharactersandsettingsofdifferenttexts
andexplorehowlanguageisusedtopresentthese
featuresindifferentways(ACELT1591)

l describingfeaturesoftextsettingsincludingtime,
coloursusedtoportraylevel,season,andplace(country
orcity)andhowthisimpactsonthecharacters
l describingplotsincludingbeginnings(orientation),how
theproblem(complication)isintroducedandsolved
(resolution),andconsideringhowthesefeatures
constructmeanings
l identifyingfeaturesofimaginaryorfantasytexts,for
examplemagicpowers,shiftsintime
l investigatingAboriginalstories,foundfromonline
sources,thatexplainphysicalfeaturesofthelandscape
andidentifyanddescribethecommonfeaturesof
languageused
l comparingtwoormoreversionsofthesamestoryby
differentauthorsorfromdifferentcultures,describing
similaritiesanddifferencesinauthorspointsofview
Literacy Elaborations
Discussdifferenttextsonasimilartopic,identifying
similaritiesanddifferencesbetweenthetexts
(ACELY1665)

l identifyingexamplesandfeaturesofdifferentkindsof
spoken,nonverbal,writtenandvisualcommunication
fromAboriginalandTorresStraitIslandercommunities
andfromseveralAsiancultureswithinAustralia
l comparingtwoormoreversionsofthesametopicby
differentauthorsorfromdifferentcultures,describing
similaritiesanddifferences
Identifytheaudienceofimaginative,informativeand
persuasivetexts(ACELY1668)

l identifyingthemainpurposeofatext,includingwhether
theauthorwantstoentertain,explainorpersuadeand
consideringhowaudiencesmightrespondtothosetexts
Readlesspredictabletextswithphrasingandfluency
bycombiningcontextual,semantic,grammaticaland
phonicknowledgeusingtextprocessingstrategies,
forexamplemonitoringmeaning,predicting,
rereadingandselfcorrecting(ACELY1669)
l usingpriorandlearnedknowledgeandvocabularyto
makeandconfirmpredictionswhenreadingtext
l usinggrammaticalknowledgetopredictlikelysentence
patternswhenreadingmorecomplexnarrativesand
informativetexts
l usingknowledgeofsoundletterrelationshipsandhigh
frequencysightwordswhendecodingtext
l monitoringownreadingandselfcorrectingwhen
readingdoesnotmakesense,usingillustrations,
context,phonics,grammarknowledgeandpriorand
learnedtopicknowledge
l usinggrammarandmeaningtoreadaloudwithfluency
andintonation
English

VCAA | AusVELS Curriculum | Date PDF created: Wednesday, 29 May 2013 29
Usecomprehensionstrategiestobuildliteraland
inferredmeaningandbegintoanalysetextsby
drawingongrowingknowledgeofcontext,language
andvisualfeaturesandprintandmultimodaltext
structures(ACELY1670)
l makingconnectionsbetweenthetextandstudentsown
experiencesandexperienceswithothertexts,comparing
authorsdifferingpointofviewonatopic
l makingconnectionsbetweeninformationinprintand
images
l buildingonandusingpriorknowledgeandvocabulary
l makingvalidinferencesusinginformationinatextand
studentsownpriorknowledge
l predicting,askingandansweringquestionsasthey
read,andsummarisingandreviewingmeaning
Writing
Language Elaborations
Understandhowtextsaremadecohesivethrough
resources,forexamplewordassociations,
synonyms,andantonyms(ACELA1464)
l exploringhowtextsdeveloptheirthemesandideas,
buildinginformationthroughconnectingsimilarand
contrastingdissimilarthings
l mappingexamplesofwordassociationsintexts,for
examplewordsthatrefertothemaincharacter
Recognisethatcapitalletterssignalpropernouns
andcommasareusedtoseparateitemsinlists
(ACELA1465)
l talkingabouthowacommacanbeusedtoseparatetwo
ormoreelementsinalist,forexampleAtthemuseum
theysawatiger,adinosaurandtwosnakes
Understandhowtousedigraphs,longvowels,
blendsandsilentletterstospellwords,anduse
morphemesandsyllabificationtobreakupsimple
wordsandusevisualmemorytowriteirregularwords
(ACELA1471)
l drawingonknowledgeofhighfrequencysightwords
l drawingonknowledgeofsoundletterrelationships(for
examplebreakingwordsintosyllablesandphonemes)
l usingknownwordsinwritingandspellunknownwords
usingdevelopingvisual,graphophonicandmorphemic
knowledge
Literature Elaborations
Createeventsandcharactersusingdifferentmedia
thatdevelopkeyeventsandcharactersfromliterary
texts(ACELT1593)
l creatingimaginativereconstructionsofstoriesandpoetry
usingarangeofprintanddigitalmedia
l tellingknownstoriesfromadifferentpointofview
l orally,inwritingorusingdigitalmedia,constructinga
sequeltoaknownstory
Literacy Elaborations
Createshortimaginative,informativeandpersuasive
textsusinggrowingknowledgeoftextstructuresand
languagefeaturesforfamiliarandsomelessfamiliar
audiences,selectingprintandmultimodalelements
appropriatetotheaudienceandpurpose
(ACELY1671)
l learninghowtoplanspokenandwritten
communicationssothatlistenersandreadersmight
followthesequenceofideasorevents
l sequencingcontentaccordingtotextstructure
l usingappropriatesimpleandcompoundsentenceto
expressandcombineideas
l usingvocabulary,includingtechnicalvocabulary,
appropriatetotexttypeandpurpose
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Rereadandedittextforspelling,sentenceboundary
punctuationandtextstructure(ACELY1672)
l readingtheirworkandadding,deletingorchanging
words,prepositionalphrasesorsentencestoimprove
meaning,forexamplereplacinganeverydaynounwitha
technicaloneinaninformativetext
l checkingspellingusingadictionary
l checkingforinclusionofrelevantpunctuationincluding
capitalletterstosignalnames,aswellassentence
beginnings,fullstops,questionmarksandexclamation
marks
l makingsignificantchangestotheirtextsusingaword
processingprogram(forexampleadd,deleteormove
sentences)
Writelegiblyandwithgrowingfluencyusingunjoined
uppercaseandlowercaseletters(ACELY1673)
l usingcorrectpencilgripandposture
l writingsentenceslegiblyandfluentlyusingunjoinedprint
scriptofconsistentsize
Constructtextsfeaturingprint,visualandaudio
elementsusingsoftware,includingwordprocessing
programs(ACELY1674)
l experimentingwithandcombiningelementsofsoftware
programstocreatetexts
Speakingandlistening
Language Elaborations
Understandthatspoken,visualandwrittenformsof
languagearedifferentmodesofcommunicationwith
differentfeaturesandtheirusevariesaccordingtothe
audience,purpose,contextandculturalbackground
(ACELA1460)

l identifyingexamplesandfeaturesofdifferentkindsof
spoken,nonverbal,writtenandvisualcommunication
fromAboriginalandTorresStraitIslandercommunities
andfromseveralAsiancultureswithinAustralia,and
associatingthosefeatureswithparticularcommunities
l recognisingsomephrasesinthelanguagesoftheclass
andcommunity,forexamplegreetingsandexpressions
ofpoliteness
Understandthatlanguagevarieswhenpeopletake
ondifferentrolesinsocialandclassroominteractions
andhowtheuseofkeyinterpersonallanguage
resourcesvariesdependingoncontext(ACELA1461)
l exploringhowtermsofaddressareusedtosignal
differentkindsofrelationships
l exploringthedifferencesbetweengivingapresentation
andtalkingtofriends
l exploringculturallyspecificgreetingsandexpressionsof
politeness
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Identifylanguagethatcanbeusedforappreciating
textsandthequalitiesofpeopleandthings
(ACELA1462)
l exploringhowlanguageisusedtoexpressfeelings
includinglearningvocabularytoexpressagradationof
feeling,forexamplehappy,joyful,pleased,contented
l exploringinstories,everydayandmediatextsmoraland
socialdilemmassuchasrightandwrong,
fairness/unfairness,inclusionandexclusionlearningto
uselanguagetodescribeactionsandconsider
consequences
l exploringhowlanguageisusedtoconstructcharacters
andsettingsinnarratives,includingchoiceofnouns
suchasgirl,princessororphan,andchoiceof
adjectivessuchasgentle,timidorfrightened
Understandtheuseofvocabularyaboutfamiliarand
newtopicsandexperimentwithandbegintomake
consciouschoicesofvocabularytosuitaudienceand
purpose(ACELA1470)

l interpretingnewterminologydrawingonprior
knowledge,analogiesandconnectionswithknown
words
Literature Elaborations
Discusshowdepictionsofcharactersinprint,sound
andimagesreflectthecontextsinwhichtheywere
created(ACELT1587)

l exploringiconographyofAboriginalandTorresStrait
Islandercultures
l recognisingrecurringcharacters,settingsandthemesin
Dreamingstoriesexperiencedthroughtexts,filmsand
onlinesources
l discussingmoralandteachingstoriesfromvaried
cultures,identifyingandcomparingtheircentral
messages
Identifyaspectsofdifferenttypesofliterarytextsthat
entertain,andgivereasonsforpersonalpreferences
(ACELT1590)

l describingfeaturesoftextsfromdifferentcultures
includingrecurringlanguagepatterns,styleof
illustrations,elementsofhumourordrama,and
identifyingthefeatureswhichgiverisetotheirpersonal
preferences
l connectingthefeelingsandbehavioursofanimalsin
anthropomorphicstorieswithhumanemotionsand
relationships
l drawing,writingandusingdigitaltechnologiestocapture
andcommunicatefavouritecharactersandevents
Compareopinionsaboutcharacters,eventsand
settingsinandbetweentexts(ACELT1589)
l discussingeachotherspreferencesforstoriessetin
familiarorunfamiliarworlds,oraboutpeoplewhose
livesarelikeorunliketheirown
Identify,reproduceandexperimentwithrhythmic,
soundandwordpatternsinpoems,chants,rhymes
andsongs(ACELT1592)

l exploringpoems,chants,rhymesorsongsfromdifferent
cultureswhichclassmembersmaybringfromhome
l learningtorecite,singorcreateinterpretationsofpoems,
chants,rhymesorsongsfromstudentsownandother
differentcultures
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Level2achievementstandard
Readingandviewing
Literacy Elaborations
Listenforspecificpurposesandinformation,
includinginstructions,andextendstudentsownand
others'ideasindiscussions(ACELY1666)
l usingspokenlanguageforproblemsolving,and
exploringideasandconcepts
l listeningforspecificinformationandprovidingtwoor
morekeyfactsfromaninformativetextspokenorread
aloud
l listeningto,rememberingandrespondingtodetailed
instructions
Useinteractionskillsincludinginitiatingtopics,
makingpositivestatementsandvoicing
disagreementinanappropriatemanner,speaking
clearlyandvaryingtone,volumeandpace
appropriately(ACELY1789)
l discussingappropriateconventionstouseingroup
discussions
l exploringwaystocommentonwhatotherssay,including
usingsentencestarterssuchasIlikethewayyou,I
agreethat,Ihaveadifferentthought,Idliketosay
somethingdifferent
l participatinginpair,groupandclassspeakingand
listeningsituations,includinginformalconversations,
classdiscussionsandpresentations
l demonstratingappropriatelisteningbehaviour,
respondingtoandparaphrasingapartnerscontribution
toadiscussion,suchasthink/pair/shareactivities
l askingrelevantquestionsandmakingconnectionswith
personalexperiencesandthecontributionsofothers
l brainstormingtopics,contributingideasand
acknowledgingtheideasofothers
l speakingclearlyandwithappropriateintonation
l understandinghowtodisagreewithapointofviewor
offeranalternativeideacourteously
l experimentingwithpresentationstrategiessuchaspitch,
volumeandintonation
Rehearseanddelivershortpresentationsonfamiliar
andnewtopics(ACELY1667)
l adjustingpresentationfordifferentaudiences
l preparingandgivingoralpresentations,including
reportsofgroupdiscussions,usingmoreformalspeech
andspecificvocabularyaboutcontentareatopics
l listeningandrespondingtopresentations,including
thoseusingmultimedia,onfamiliarandlearnedtopics,
recordingkeyinformation,andconnectingnewand
existingknowledgeaboutatopic
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BytheendofLevel2studentsunderstandhowsimilartextssharecharacteristicsbyidentifyingtextstructuresandlanguage
featuresusedtodescribecharacters,settingsandevents.Theyreadtextsthatcontainvariedsentencestructures,some
unfamiliarvocabulary,asignificantnumberofhighfrequencysightwordsandimagesthatprovideadditionalinformation.
Theymonitormeaningandselfcorrectusingcontext,priorknowledge,punctuation,languageandphonicknowledge.They
identifyliteralandimpliedmeaning,mainideasandsupportingdetail.Studentsmakeconnectionsbetweentextsby
comparingcontent.
Writing
Studentscreatetextsthatshowhowimagessupportthemeaningofthetext.Theyaccuratelyspellfamiliarwordsandattempt
tospelllessfamiliarwordsandusepunctuationaccurately.Theylegiblywriteunjoinedupperandlowercaseletters.
Speakingandlistening
Theylistenforparticularpurposes.Theylistenforandmanipulatesoundcombinationsandrhythmicsoundpatterns.When
discussingtheirideasandexperiences,studentsuseeverydaylanguagefeaturesandtopicspecificvocabulary.Theyexplain
theirpreferencesforaspectsoftextsusingothertextsascomparisons.Theycreatetextsthatshowhowimagessupportthe
meaningofthetext.Studentscreatetexts,drawingontheirownexperiences,theirimaginationandinformationtheyhave
learned.Studentsuseavarietyofstrategiestoengageingroupandclassdiscussionsandmakepresentations.
English

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Level3
TheEnglishcurriculumisbuiltaroundthethreeinterrelatedstrandsofLanguage,LiteratureandLiteracy.Teachingand
learningprogramsshouldbalanceandintegrateallthreestrands.Togetherthestrandsfocusondevelopingstudents
knowledge,understandingandskillsinlistening,reading,viewing,speaking,writingandcreating.LearninginEnglish
buildsonconcepts,skillsandprocessesdevelopedinearlierlevels,andteacherswillrevisitandstrengthentheseas
needed.
InLevels3and4,studentscommunicatewithpeersandteachersfromotherclassesandschoolsinarangeoffaceto
faceandonline/virtualenvironments.
Studentsengagewithavarietyoftextsforenjoyment.Theylistento,read,viewandinterpretspoken,writtenand
multimodaltextsinwhichtheprimarypurposeistoentertain,aswellastextsdesignedtoinformandpersuade.These
encompasstraditionaloraltextsincludingpicturebooks,varioustypesofprintanddigitaltexts,simplechapterbooks,
rhymingverse,poetry,nonfictionfilm,multimodaltexts,dramaticperformances,andtextsusedbystudentsasmodels
forconstructingtheirownwork.
TherangeofliterarytextsforFoundationtoLevel10comprisesAustralianliterature,includingtheoral
narrativetraditionsofAboriginalandTorresStraitIslanderpeoples,aswellasthecontemporary
literatureofthesetwoculturalgroups,andclassicandcontemporaryworldliterature,includingtextsfrom
andaboutAsia.
LiterarytextsthatsupportandextendstudentsinLevels3and4asindependentreadersdescribecomplexsequencesof
eventsthatextendoverseveralpagesandinvolveunusualhappeningswithinaframeworkoffamiliarexperiences.
Informativetextspresentnewcontentabouttopicsofinterestandtopicsbeingstudiedinotherareasofthecurriculum.
Thesetextsusecomplexlanguagefeatures,includingvariedsentencestructures,someunfamiliarvocabulary,a
significantnumberofhighfrequencysightwordsandwordsthatneedtobedecodedphonically,andarangeof
punctuationconventions,aswellasillustrationsanddiagramsthatbothsupportandextendtheprintedtext.
Studentscreatearangeofimaginative,informativeandpersuasivetypesoftextsincludingnarratives,procedures,
performances,reports,reviews,poetryandexpositions.
Level3contentdescriptions
Readingandviewing
Language Elaborations
Understandhowdifferenttypesoftexts
varyinuseoflanguagechoices,
dependingontheirpurposeandcontext
(forexample,tenseandtypesof
sentences)(ACELA1478)
l becomingfamiliarwithtypicalstructuralstagesandlanguage
featuresofvarioustypesoftext,forexamplenarratives,procedures,
reports,reviewsandexpositions
Identifythefeaturesofonlinetextsthat
enhancenavigation(ACELA1790)
l becomingfamiliarwiththetypicalfeaturesofonlinetexts,forexample
navigationbarsandbuttons,hyperlinksandsitemaps
English

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Identifytheeffectonaudiencesof
techniques,forexampleshotsize,vertical
cameraangleandlayoutinpicturebooks,
advertisementsandfilmsegments
(ACELA1483)
l notinghowtherelationshipbetweencharacterscanbedepictedin
illustrationsthrough:thepositioningofthecharacters(forexample
facingeachotherorfacingawayfromeachother)thedistance
betweenthemtherelativesizeonecharacterlookingup(ordown)at
theother(powerrelationships)facialexpressionsandbodygesture
l observinghowimagesconstructarelationshipwiththeviewer
throughsuchstrategiesas:directgazeintotheviewer'seyes,inviting
involvementandhowcloseupsaremoreengagingthandistanced
images,whichcansuggestalienationorloneliness
Recognisehighfrequencysightwords
(ACELA1486)
l becomingfamiliarwithmosthighfrequencysightwords
Literature Elaborations
Drawconnectionsbetweenpersonal
experiencesandtheworldsoftexts,and
shareresponseswithothers
(ACELT1596)

l discussingrelevantpriorknowledgeandpastexperiencestomake
meaningfulconnectionstothepeople,places,events,issuesand
ideasinthetext
l exploringtextsthathighlightissuesandproblemsinmakingmoral
decisionsanddiscussingthesewithothers
l drawingonliteraturefromAboriginal,TorresStraitIslanderorAsian
cultures,toexplorecommonalitiesofexperienceandideasaswell
asrecognisingdifferenceinlifestyleandworldview
Developcriteriaforestablishingpersonal
preferencesforliterature(ACELT1598)
l buildingaconsciousunderstandingofpreferenceregardingtopics
andgenresofpersonalinterest(forexamplehumorousshortstories,
schoolandfamilystories,mysteries,fantasyandquest,series
books)
l selectinganddiscussingfavouritetextsandexplainingtheirreasons
forassigninggreaterorlessermerittoparticulartextsortypesof
texts
Discusshowlanguageisusedto
describethesettingsintexts,andexplore
howthesettingsshapetheeventsand
influencethemoodofthenarrative
(ACELT1599)
l identifyinganddiscussingtheuseofdescriptiveadjectives(inthe
middleofavast,bareplain)toestablishsettingandatmosphere
(thecastleloomeddarkandforbidding)andtodrawreadersinto
eventsthatfollow
l discussingthelanguageusedtodescribethetraitsofcharactersin
stories,theiractionsandmotivations:Clairewassolonelyshe
desperatelywantedapetandshewasafraidshewoulddoanything,
justanything,tohaveonetocarefor
Discussthenatureandeffectsofsome
languagedevicesusedtoenhance
meaningandshapethereaders
reaction,includingrhythmand
onomatopoeiainpoetryandprose
(ACELT1600)

l identifyingtheeffectofimageryintexts,forexampletheuseof
imageryrelatedtonatureinhaikupoems
l exploringhowrhythm,onomatopoeiaandalliterationgivemomentum
topoetryandprosereadaloud,andenhanceenjoyment
Literacy Elaborations
English

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Identifythepointofviewinatextand
suggestalternativepointsofview
(ACELY1675)
l discussinghowatextpresentsthepointofviewofthemain
character,andspeculatingonwhatothercharactersmightthinkor
feel
l recognisingthatthereismorethanonewayoflookingatthesame
eventandthatstoriesseenthroughtheeyesofonecharacter
privilegessomeaspectsofthestoryoverothers
l speculatingaboutwhatothercharactersmightthinkorfeeland
retellingthestoryfromotherperspectives(forexampleCinderella
fromtheviewoftheUglySisters)
Identifytheaudienceandpurposeof
imaginative,informativeandpersuasive
texts(ACELY1678)
l identifyingtheauthorspointofviewonatopicandkeywordsand
imagesthatseemintendedtopersuadelisteners,viewersor
readerstoagreewiththeviewpresented
Readanincreasingrangeofdifferent
typesoftextsbycombiningcontextual,
semantic,grammaticalandphonic
knowledge,usingtextprocessing
strategies,forexamplemonitoring,
predicting,confirming,rereading,reading
onandselfcorrecting(ACELY1679)

l combiningdifferenttypesofknowledge(forexampleworld
knowledge,vocabulary,grammar,phonics)tomakedecisionsabout
unknownwords,readingon,reviewingandsummarisingmeaning
l analysingthewayillustrationshelptoconstructmeaningand
interpretingdifferenttypesofillustrationsandgraphics
l readingtexttypesfromastudentsculturetoenhanceconfidencein
buildingreadingstrategies
l readingaloudwithfluencyandintonation
l readingawiderrangeoftexts,includingchapterbooksand
informativetexts,forpleasure
Usecomprehensionstrategiestobuild
literalandinferredmeaningandbeginto
evaluatetextsbydrawingonagrowing
knowledgeofcontext,textstructuresand
languagefeatures(ACELY1680)

l makingconnectionsbetweenthetextandstudentsownexperience
andothertexts
l makingconnectionsbetweentheinformationinprintandimages
l makingpredictionsandaskingandansweringquestionsaboutthe
textdrawingonknowledgeofthetopic,subjectspecificvocabulary
andexperienceoftextsonthesametopic
l usingtextfeaturesandsearchtoolstolocateinformationinwritten
anddigitaltextsefficiently
l determiningimportantideas,eventsordetailsintextscommenting
onthingslearnedorquestionsraisedbyreading,referringexplicitly
tothetextforverification
l makingconsideredinferencestakingintoaccounttopicknowledgeor
acharacterslikelyactionsandfeelings
Writing
Language Elaborations
Understandthatparagraphsareakey
organisationalfeatureofwrittentexts
(ACELA1479)
l noticinghowlongertextsareorganisedintoparagraphs,each
beginningwithatopicsentence/paragraphopenerwhichpredicts
howtheparagraphwilldevelopandisthenelaboratedinvarious
ways
English

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Understandthataclauseisaunitof
grammarusuallycontainingasubject
andaverbandthattheseneedtobein
agreement(ACELA1481)
l knowingthataclauseisbasicallyagroupofwordsthatcontainsa
verb
l knowingthat,intermsofmeaning,abasicclauserepresents:what
ishappeningwhoorwhatisparticipating,andthesurrounding
circumstances
Understandthatverbsrepresentdifferent
processes(doing,thinking,saying,and
relating)andthattheseprocessesare
anchoredintimethroughtense
(ACELA1482)
l identifyingdifferenttypesofverbsandthewaytheyaddmeaningtoa
sentence
l exploringactionandsayingverbsinnarrativetextstoshowhowthey
giveinformationaboutwhatcharactersdoandsay
l exploringtheuseofsensingverbsandhowtheyallowreadersto
knowwhatcharactersthinkandfeel
l exploringtheuseofrelatingverbsinconstructingdefinitionsand
descriptions
l learninghowtimeisrepresentedthroughthetenseofaverband
otherstructural,languageandvisualfeatures
Understandhowtousesoundletter
relationshipsandknowledgeofspelling
rules,compoundwords,prefixes,
suffixes,morphemesandlesscommon
lettercombinations,forexample
tion(ACELA1485)
l usingspellingstrategiessuchas:phonologicalknowledge(for
examplediphthongsandotherambiguousvowelsoundsinmore
complexwords)threeletterclusters(forexample'thr','shr','squ')
visualknowledge(forexamplemorecomplexsinglesyllable
homophonessuchas'break/brake','ate/eight')morphemic
knowledge(forexampleinflectionalendingsinsinglesyllablewords,
pluralandpasttense)generalisations(forexampletomakeaword
pluralwhenitendsin's','sh','ch',or'z'add'es')
Knowthatwordcontractionsareafeature
ofinformallanguageandthat
apostrophesofcontractionareusedto
signalmissingletters(ACELA1480)
l recognisingbothgrammaticallyaccurateandinaccurateusageofthe
apostropheineverydaytextssuchassignsinthecommunityand
newspaperadvertisements
Literature Elaborations
Createimaginativetextsbasedon
characters,settingsandeventsfrom
studentsownandotherculturesusing
visualfeatures,forexampleperspective,
distanceandangle(ACELT1601)
l drawingonliterarytextsread,viewedandlistenedtoforinspiration
andideas,appropriatinglanguagetocreatemoodand
characterisation
l innovatingontextsread,viewedandlistenedtobychangingthepoint
ofview,revisinganendingorcreatingasequel
Createtextsthatadaptlanguagefeatures
andpatternsencounteredinliterarytexts,
forexamplecharacterisation,rhyme,
rhythm,mood,music,soundeffectsand
dialogue(ACELT1791)

l creatingvisualandmultimodaltextsbasedonAboriginalandTorres
StraitIslanderorAsianliterature,applyingoneormorevisual
elementstoconveytheintentoftheoriginaltext
l creatingmultimodaltextsthatcombinevisualimages,soundeffects,
musicandvoiceoverstoconveysettingsandeventsinafantasy
world
Literacy Elaborations
English

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Plan,draftandpublishimaginative,
informativeandpersuasivetexts
demonstratingincreasingcontrolovertext
structuresandlanguagefeaturesand
selectingprint,andmultimodalelements
appropriatetotheaudienceandpurpose
(ACELY1682)
l usingprintanddigitalresourcestogatherinformationaboutatopic
l selectingappropriatetextstructureforawritingpurposeand
sequencingcontentforclarityandaudienceimpact
l usingappropriatesimple,compoundandcomplexsentencesto
expressandcombineideas
l usingvocabulary,includingtechnicalvocabulary,relevanttothetext
typeandpurpose,andappropriatesentencestructurestoexpress
andcombineideas
Rereadandedittextsformeaning,
appropriatestructure,grammatical
choicesandpunctuation(ACELY1683)
l usingglossaries,printanddigitaldictionariesandspellchecktoedit
spelling,realisingthatspellcheckaccuracydependson
understandingthewordfunction,forexamplethere/theirrain/reign
Writeusingjoinedlettersthatareclearly
formedandconsistentinsize
(ACELY1684)
l practisinghowtojoinletterstoconstructafluenthandwritingstyle
Usesoftwareincludingwordprocessing
programswithgrowingspeedand
efficiencytoconstructandedittexts
featuringvisual,printandaudioelements
(ACELY1685)
l usingfeaturesofrelevanttechnologiestoplan,sequence,compose
andeditmultimodaltexts
Speakingandlistening
Language Elaborations
Understandthatlanguageshavedifferent
writtenandvisualcommunication
systems,differentoraltraditionsand
differentwaysofconstructingmeaning
(ACELA1475)

l learningthatawordorsigncancarrydifferentweightindifferent
culturalcontexts,forexamplethatparticularrespectisduetosome
peopleandcreaturesandthatstoriescanbepassedontoteachus
howtoliveappropriately
Understandthatsuccessfulcooperation
withothersdependsonshareduseof
socialconventions,includingturntaking
patterns,andformsofaddressthatvary
accordingtothedegreeofformalityin
socialsituations(ACELA1476)
l identifyingrolesandcollaborativepatternsinstudentsowngroups
andpairwork(forexampleinitiatingatopic,changingatopicthrough
negotiation,affirmingotherspeakersandbuildingontheir
comments,askingrelevantquestions,providingusefulfeedback,
promptingandcheckingindividualandgroupunderstanding)
Examinehowevaluativelanguagecanbe
variedtobemoreorlessforceful
(ACELA1477)

l exploringhowmodalverbs,forexamplemust,might,orcould
indicatedegreesofcertainty,commandorobligation
l distinguishinghowchoiceofadverbs,nounsandverbspresent
differentevaluationsofcharactersintexts
Learnextendedandtechnicalvocabulary
andwaysofexpressingopinionincluding
modalverbsandadverbs(ACELA1484)

l exploringexamplesoflanguagewhichdemonstratearangeof
feelingsandpositions,andbuildingavocabularytoexpress
judgmentsaboutcharactersorevents,acknowledgingthatlanguage
andjudgmentsmightdifferdependingontheculturalcontext
English

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Level3achievementstandard
Readingandviewing
BytheendofLevel3,studentsunderstandhowcontentcanbeorganisedusingdifferenttextstructuresdependingonthe
purposeofthetext.Theyunderstandhowlanguagefeatures,imagesandvocabularychoicesareusedfordifferenteffects.
Theyreadtextsthatcontainvariedsentencestructures,arangeofpunctuationconventions,andimagesthatprovide
additionalinformation.Theyidentifyliteralandimpliedmeaningconnectingideasindifferentpartsofatext.Theyselect
information,ideasandeventsintextsthatrelatetotheirownlivesandtoothertexts.
Writing
Literature Elaborations
Discusstextsinwhichcharacters,events
andsettingsareportrayedindifferent
ways,andspeculateontheauthors
reasons(ACELT1594)

l readingtextsinwhichAboriginalandTorresStraitIslander
children/youngpeoplearethecentralcharacters/protagonistsand
makinglinkstostudentsownlives,notingsimilarities
l exploringthewaysthatthesamestorycanbetoldinmanycultures,
identifyingvariationsinthestorylineandinmusic(forexampleThe
RamayanastorywhichistoldtochildreninIndia,Indonesia,
Thailand,Cambodia,Burma,Laos,TibetandMalaysia)
Literacy Elaborations
Listentoandcontributetoconversations
anddiscussionstoshareinformation
andideasandnegotiateincollaborative
situations(ACELY1676)
l participatingincollaborativediscussions,buildingonandconnecting
ideasandopinionsexpressedbyothers,andcheckingstudents
ownunderstandingagainstgroupviews
Useinteractionskills,includingactive
listeningbehavioursandcommunicatein
aclear,coherentmannerusingavariety
ofeverydayandlearnedvocabularyand
appropriatetone,pace,pitchandvolume
(ACELY1792)
l participatinginpair,groupandclassspeakingandlistening
situations,includinginformalconversations,classdiscussionsand
presentations
l listeningactivelyincludinglisteningforspecificinformation,
recognisingthevalueofotherscontributionsandresponding
throughcomments,recountsandsummariesofinformation
l learningthespecificspeakingorlisteningskillsofdifferentgroup
roles,forexamplegroupleader,notetakerandreporter
l acquiringnewvocabularyinallcurriculumareasthroughlistening,
reading,viewinganddiscussionandusingthisvocabularyinspecific
wayssuchasdescribingpeople,places,thingsandprocesses
l usinglanguageappropriatelyindifferentsituationssuchasmakinga
requestofateacher,explainingaproceduretoaclassmate,
engaginginagamewithfriends
l experimentingwithvoiceeffectsinformalpresentationssuchas
tone,volumeandpace
Plananddelivershortpresentations,
providingsomekeydetailsinlogical
sequence(ACELY1677)
l drawingonrelevantresearchintoatopictoprepareanoralor
multimodalpresentation,usingdevicessuchasstoryboardstoplan
thesequenceofideasandinformation
English

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Theirtextsincludewritingandimagestoexpressanddevelopinsomedetailexperiences,events,information,ideasand
characters.Theydemonstrateunderstandingofgrammarandchoosevocabularyandpunctuationappropriatetothepurpose
andcontextoftheirwriting.Theyuseknowledgeofsoundsandhighfrequencywordstospellwordsaccurately,checking
theirworkformeaning.Theylegiblywriteusingconsistentlysizedjoinedletters.
Speakingandlistening
Studentslistentoothersviewsandrespondappropriately.Theyunderstandhowlanguagefeaturesareusedtolinkand
sequenceideas.Theyunderstandhowlanguagecanbeusedtoexpressfeelingsandopinionsontopics.Theycreatea
rangeoftextsforfamiliarandunfamiliaraudiences.Theycontributeactivelytoclassandgroupdiscussions,asking
questions,providingusefulfeedbackandmakingpresentations.
English

VCAA | AusVELS Curriculum | Date PDF created: Wednesday, 29 May 2013 41
Level4
TheEnglishcurriculumisbuiltaroundthethreeinterrelatedstrandsofLanguage,LiteratureandLiteracy.Teachingand
learningprogramsshouldbalanceandintegrateallthreestrands.Togetherthestrandsfocusondevelopingstudents
knowledge,understandingandskillsinlistening,reading,viewing,speaking,writingandcreating.LearninginEnglish
buildsonconcepts,skillsandprocessesdevelopedinearlierlevels,andteacherswillrevisitandstrengthentheseas buildsonconcepts,skillsandprocessesdevelopedinearlierlevels,andteacherswillrevisitandstrengthentheseas
needed.
InLevels3and4,studentsexperiencelearninginfamiliarcontextsandarangeofcontextsthatrelatetostudyinother
areasofthecurriculum.Theyinteractwithpeersandteachersfromotherclassesandschoolsinarangeoffacetoface
andonline/virtualenvironments.
Studentsengagewithavarietyoftextsforenjoyment.Theylistento,read,viewandinterpretspoken,writtenand
multimodaltextsinwhichtheprimarypurposeisaesthetic,aswellastextsdesignedtoinformandpersuade.These
encompasstraditionaloraltextsincludingAboriginalstories,picturebooks,varioustypesofprintanddigitaltexts,simple
chapterbooks,rhymingverse,poetry,nonfiction,film,multimodaltexts,dramaticperformances,andtextsusedby
studentsasmodelsforconstructingtheirownwork.
TherangeofliterarytextsforFoundationtoLevel10comprisesAustralianliterature,includingtheoral
narrativetraditionsofAboriginalandTorresStraitIslanderpeoples,aswellasthecontemporary
literatureofthesetwoculturalgroups,andclassicandcontemporaryworldliterature,includingtextsfrom
andaboutAsia.
LiterarytextsthatsupportandextendstudentsinLevels3and4asindependentreadersdescribecomplexsequencesof
eventsthatextendoverseveralpagesandinvolveunusualhappeningswithinaframeworkoffamiliarexperiences.
Informativetextspresentnewcontentabouttopicsofinterestandtopicsbeingstudiedinotherareasofthecurriculum.
Thesetextsusecomplexlanguagefeatures,includingvariedsentencestructures,someunfamiliarvocabulary,a
significantnumberofhighfrequencysightwordsandwordsthatneedtobedecodedphonically,andavarietyof
punctuationconventions,aswellasillustrationsanddiagramsthatbothsupportandextendtheprintedtext.
Studentscreatearangeofimaginative,informativeandpersuasivetypesoftextsincludingnarratives,procedures,
performances,reports,reviews,poetryandexpositions.
Level4contentdescriptions
Readingandviewing
Language Elaborations
Understandhowtextsvaryincomplexityand
technicalitydependingontheapproachtothe
topic,thepurposeandtheintendedaudience
(ACELA1490)
l becomingfamiliarwiththetypicalstagesandlanguage
featuresofsuchtexttypesas:simplenarrative,procedure,
simplepersuasiontextsandinformationreports
Identifyfeaturesofonlinetextsthatenhance
readabilityincludingtext,navigation,links,
graphicsandlayout(ACELA1793)
l participatinginonlinesearchesforinformationusingnavigation
toolsanddiscussingsimilaritiesanddifferencesbetweenprint
anddigitalinformation
English

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Exploretheeffectofchoiceswhenframingan
image,placementofelementsintheimage,
andsalienceoncompositionofstilland
movingimagesinarangeoftypesoftexts
(ACELA1496)
l examiningvisualandmultimodaltexts,buildingavocabularyto
describevisualelementsandtechniquessuchasframing,
compositionandvisualpointofviewandbeginningto
understandhowthesechoicesimpactonviewerresponse
Understandhowadverbgroups/phrasesand
prepositionalphrasesworkindifferentwaysto
providecircumstantialdetailsaboutanactivity
(ACELA1495)
l investigatingintextshowadverbgroup/phrasesand
prepositionalphrasescanprovidedetailsofthecircumstances
surroundingahappeningorstate(forexample,Atmidnight
(time)heroseslowly(manner)fromthechair(place)andwent
upstairs(place)
Investigatehowquoted(direct)andreported
(indirect)speechworkindifferenttypesoftext
(ACELA1494)
l investigatingexamplesofquoted(direct)speech(Hesaid,Ill
gototheparktoday)andreported(indirect)speech(Hetold
mehewasgoingtotheparktoday)andcomparingsimilarities
anddifferences
Literature Elaborations
Discusshowauthorsandillustratorsmake
storiesexciting,movingandabsorbingand
holdreadersinterestbyusingvarious
techniques,forexamplecharacter
developmentandplottension(ACELT1605)
l examiningtheauthorsdescriptionofacharactersappearance,
behaviourandspeechandnotinghowthecharacters
developmentisevidentthroughhisorherdialogueand
changingrelationshipsandthereactionsofothercharactersto
himorher
l identifyingpivotalpointsintheplotwherecharactersarefaced
withchoicesandcommentingonhowtheauthormakesus
careabouttheirdecisionsandconsequences
Makeconnectionsbetweenthewaysdifferent
authorsmayrepresentsimilarstorylines,ideas
andrelationships(ACELT1602)

l commentingonhowauthorshaveestablishedsettingand
periodindifferentculturesandtimesandtherelevanceof
characters,actionsandbeliefstotheirowntime
l comparingdifferentauthorstreatmentofsimilarthemesand
textpatterns,forexamplecomparingfablesandallegoriesfrom
differentculturesandquestnovelsbydifferentauthors
Understand,interpretandexperimentwitha
rangeofdevicesanddeliberatewordplayin
poetryandotherliterarytexts,forexample
nonsensewords,spoonerisms,neologisms
andpuns(ACELT1606)
l definingspoonerisms,neologismsandpunsandexploring
howtheyareusedbyauthorstocreateasenseoffreshness,
originalityandplayfulness
l discussingpoeticlanguage,includingunusualadjectivaluse
andhowitengagesusemotionallyandbringstolifethepoets
subjectmatter(forexampleHegraspsthecragwithcrooked
hands/weetimorousbeastie)
Usemetalanguagetodescribetheeffectsof
ideas,textstructuresandlanguagefeaturesof
literarytexts(ACELT1604)
l examiningtheauthorsdescriptionofacharactersappearance,
behaviourandspeechandnotinghowthecharacters
developmentisevidentthroughhisorherdialogueand
changingrelationshipsandthereactionsofothercharactersto
himorher
l sharingviewsusingappropriatemetalanguage(forexample
Theuseoftheadjectivesindescribingthecharacterreally
helpstocreateimagesforthereader)
English

VCAA | AusVELS Curriculum | Date PDF created: Wednesday, 29 May 2013 43
Literacy Elaborations
Identifyandexplainlanguagefeaturesoftexts
fromearliertimesandcomparewiththe
vocabulary,images,layoutandcontentof
contemporarytexts(ACELY1686)
l viewingdocumentariesandnewsfootagefromdifferent
periods,comparingthestyleofpresentation,including
costumesandiconographywithcontemporarytextsonsimilar
topicsandtrackingchangingviewsonissues,forexamplewar,
race,gender
Identifycharacteristicfeaturesusedin
imaginative,informativeandpersuasivetextsto
meetthepurposeofthetext(ACELY1690)
l describingthelanguagewhichauthorsusetocreateimaginary
worldshowtextualfeaturessuchasheadings,subheadings,
boldtypeandgraphicorganisersareusedtoorderandpresent
information,andhowvisualcodesareused,forexamplethose
usedinadvertisingtorepresentchildrenandfamiliessothat
viewersidentifywiththem
Readdifferenttypesoftextsbycombining
contextual,semantic,grammaticalandphonic
knowledgeusingtextprocessingstrategiesfor
examplemonitoringmeaning,crosschecking
andreviewing(ACELY1691)
l readingnewanddifferentkindsoftextswiththeuseof
establishedwordidentificationstrategies,includingknowledge
ofthetopicandoftexttypetogetherwithselfmonitoring
strategiesincludingrereading,selfquestioningandpausing,
andincludingselfcorrectionstrategiessuchconfirmingand
crosschecking
l readingaloudwithfluencyandexpression
l readingawiderangeofdifferenttypesoftextsforpleasure
Usecomprehensionstrategiestobuildliteral
andinferredmeaningtoexpandcontent
knowledge,integratingandlinkingideasand
analysingandevaluatingtexts(ACELY1692)

l makingconnectionsbetweenthetextandstudentsown
experienceandothertexts
l makingconnectionsbetweeninformationinprintandimages
l buildingandusingpriorknowledgeandvocabulary
l findingspecificliteralinformation
l askingandansweringquestions
l creatingmentalimages
l findingthemainideaofatext
l inferringmeaningfromthewayscommunicationoccursin
digitalenvironmentsincludingtheinterplaybetweenwords,
images,andsounds
l bringingsubjectandtechnicalvocabularyandconcept
knowledgetonewreadingtasks,selectingandusingtextsfor
theirpertinencetothetaskandtheaccuracyoftheirinformation
Writing
Language Elaborations
English

VCAA | AusVELS Curriculum | Date PDF created: Wednesday, 29 May 2013 44
Understandhowtextsaremadecohesive
throughtheuseoflinkingdevicesincluding
pronounreferenceandtextconnectives
(ACELA1491)
l knowinghowauthorsconstructtextsthatarecohesiveand
coherentthroughtheuseof:pronounsthatlinktosomething
previouslymentioneddeterminers(forexamplethis,that,
these,those,the,)textconnectivesthatcreatelinksbetween
sentences(forexamplehowever,therefore,nevertheless,in
addition,bycontrast,insummary)
l identifyinghowparticipantsaretrackedthroughatextby,for
example,usingpronounstoreferbacktonoungroups/phrases
l describinghowtextsconnectiveslinksectionsofatext
providingsequencesthroughtime,forexamplefirstly,then,
next,andfinally
Understandthatthemeaningofsentencescan
beenrichedthroughtheuseofnoun
groups/phrasesandverbgroups/phrasesand
prepositionalphrases(ACELA1493)
l creatingricher,morespecificdescriptionsthroughtheuseof
noungroups/phrases(forexample,innarrativetexts,theirvery
oldSiamesecatinreports,'itsextremelyhighmountain
ranges')
Incorporatenewvocabularyfromarangeof
sourcesintostudentsowntextsincluding
vocabularyencounteredinresearch
(ACELA1498)
l buildingetymologicalknowledgeaboutwordorigins(for
example'thermometer')andbuildingvocabularyfromresearch
abouttechnicalandsubjectspecifictopics
Understandhowtousestrategiesforspelling
words,includingspellingrules,knowledgeof
morphemicwordfamilies,spelling
generalisations,andlettercombinations
includingdoubleletters(ACELA1779)
l usingphonologicalknowledge(forexamplelongvowelpatterns
inmultisyllabicwords)consonantclusters(forexample
'straight','throat','screen','squawk')
l usingvisualknowledge(forexamplediphthongsinmore
complexwordsandotherambiguousvowelsounds,asin'oy',
'oi','ou','ow','ould','u','ough','au','aw')silentbeginning
consonantpatterns(forexample'gn'and'kn')
l applyinggeneralisations,forexampledoubling(forexample
'running')'e'drop(forexample'hoping')
Recognisehomophonesandknowhowtouse
contexttoidentifycorrectspelling(ACELA1780)
l usingmeaningandcontextwhenspellingwords(forexample
whendifferentiatingbetweenhomophonessuchasto,too,
two
Recognisehowquotationmarksareusedin
textstosignaldialogue,titlesandquoted
(direct)speech(ACELA1492)
l exploringtextstoidentifytheuseofquotationmarks
l experimentingwiththeuseofquotationmarksinstudentsown
writing
Literature Elaborations
Createliterarytextsbydevelopingstorylines,
charactersandsettings(ACELT1794)
l collaborativelyplan,compose,sequenceandpreparealiterary
textalongafamiliarstoryline,usingfilm,soundandimagesto
conveysetting,charactersandpointsofdramaintheplot
Createliterarytextsthatexplorestudentsown
experiencesandimagining(ACELT1607)
l drawinguponliterarytextsstudentshaveencounteredand
experimentingwithchangingparticularaspects,forexamplethe
timeorplaceofthesetting,addingcharactersorchangingtheir
personalities,orofferinganalternativepointofviewonkey
ideas
English

VCAA | AusVELS Curriculum | Date PDF created: Wednesday, 29 May 2013 45
Literacy Elaborations
Plan,draftandpublishimaginative,informative
andpersuasivetextscontainingkey
informationandsupportingdetailsfora
wideningrangeofaudiences,demonstrating
increasingcontrolovertextstructuresand
languagefeatures(ACELY1694)

l usingresearchfromprintanddigitalresourcestogatherideas,
integratinginformationfromarangeofsourcesselectingtext
structureandplanninghowtogroupideasintoparagraphsto
sequencecontent,andchoosingvocabularytosuittopicand
communicationpurpose
l usingappropriatesimple,compoundandcomplexsentences
toexpressandcombineideas
l usinggrammaticalfeaturesincludingdifferenttypesofverb
groups/phrases,noungroups/phrases,adverbgroups/phrases
andprepositionalphrasesforeffectivedescriptionsasrelated
topurposeandcontext(forexample,developmentofa
charactersactionsoradescriptioninareport)
Rereadandeditformeaningbyadding,
deletingormovingwordsorwordgroupsto
improvecontentandstructure(ACELY1695)
l revisingwrittentexts:editingforgrammaticalandspelling
accuracyandclarityofthetext,toimprovetheconnection
betweenideasandtheoverallflowofthepiece
Writeusingclearlyformedjoinedletters,and
developincreasedfluencyandautomaticity
(ACELY1696)
l usinghandwritingfluencywithspeedforawiderangeoftasks
Usearangeofsoftwareincludingword
processingprogramstoconstruct,editand
publishwrittentext,andselect,editandplace
visual,printandaudioelements(ACELY1697)
l identifyingandselectingappropriatesoftwareprogramsfor
constructingtext
Speakingandlistening
Language Elaborations
UnderstandthatStandardAustralianEnglishis
oneofmanysocialdialectsusedinAustralia,
andthatwhileitoriginatedinEnglandithas
beeninfluencedbymanyotherlanguages
(ACELA1487)

l identifyingwordsusedinStandardAustralianEnglishthatare
derivedfromotherlanguages,includingAboriginalandTorres
StraitIslanderlanguages,anddeterminingiftheoriginal
meaningisreflectedinEnglishusage,forexamplekangaroo,
tsunami,typhoon,amok,orangutan
l identifyingcommonlyusedwordsderivedfromothercultures
Understandthatsocialinteractionsinfluence
thewaypeopleengagewithideasand
respondtoothersforexamplewhenexploring
andclarifyingtheideasofothers,summarising
theirownviewsandreportingthemtoalarger
group(ACELA1488)

l recognisingthatwecanuselanguagedifferentlywithour
friendsandfamilies,butthatStandardAustralianEnglishis
typicallyusedinwrittenschooltextsandmoreformalcontexts
l recognisingthatlanguageisadjustedindifferentcontexts,for
exampleindegreeofformalitywhenmovingbetweengroup
discussionsandpresentingagroupreport
l understandinghowage,status,expertiseandfamiliarity
influencethewaysinwhichweinteractwithpeopleandhow
thesecodesandconventionsvaryacrosscultures
l recognisingtheimportanceofusinginclusivelanguage
English

VCAA | AusVELS Curriculum | Date PDF created: Wednesday, 29 May 2013 46
Level4achievementstandard
Readingandviewing
Understanddifferencesbetweenthelanguage
ofopinionandfeelingandthelanguageof
factualreportingorrecording(ACELA1489)

l identifyingwaysthinkingverbsareusedtoexpressopinion,for
exampleIthink,Ibelieve,andwayssummaryverbsareused
toreportfindings,forexampleweconcluded
Literature Elaborations
Discussliteraryexperienceswithothers,
sharingresponsesandexpressingapointof
view(ACELT1603)
l sharinganddiscussingstudentsownandothers
understandingoftheeffectsofparticularliterarytechniqueson
theirappreciationoftexts
l drawingcomparisonsbetweenmultipletextsandstudents
ownexperiences.Commentingorally,inwrittenformandin
digitalreviewsonaspectssuchas:'DoIrecognisethisinmy
ownworld?''Howisthistextsimilartoordifferentfromother
textsIveread?''Howcommonisittohumanexperienceinthe
realworld?''Whatnewideasdoesitbring?'Howdotheyfit
withwhatIbelieve?'
Literacy Elaborations
Interpretideasandinformationinspokentexts
andlistenforkeypointsinordertocarryout
tasksanduseinformationtoshareandextend
ideasandinformation(ACELY1687)

l makingnotesaboutatask,askingquestionstoclarifyorfollow
upinformation,andseekingassistanceifrequired
l discussinglevelsoflanguageslang,colloquial(everyday)
andformallanguageandhowtheirappropriateness
changeswiththesituationandaudience.Presentingideasand
opinionsatlevelsofformalityappropriatetothecontextand
audience
Useinteractionskillssuchasacknowledging
anotherspointofviewandlinkingstudents
responsetothetopic,usingfamiliarandnew
vocabularyandarangeofvocaleffectssuchas
tone,pace,pitchandvolumetospeakclearly
andcoherently(ACELY1688)
l participatinginpair,group,classandschoolspeakingand
listeningsituations,includinginformalconversations,class
discussionsandpresentations
l developingappropriatespeakingandlisteningbehaviours
includingacknowledgingandextendingotherscontributions,
presentingideasandopinionsclearlyandcoherently
l choosingavarietyofappropriatewordsandprepositional
phrases,includingdescriptivewordsandsometechnical
vocabulary,tocommunicatemeaningaccurately
l exploringtheeffectsofchangingvoicetone,volume,pitchand
paceinformalandinformalcontexts
Plan,rehearseanddeliverpresentations
incorporatinglearnedcontentandtakinginto
accounttheparticularpurposesandaudiences
(ACELY1689)
l reportingonatopicinanorganisedmanner,providingrelevant
factsanddescriptivedetailtoenhanceaudience
understanding,andbeginningtorefertoreliablesourcesto
supportclaims
English

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BytheendofLevel4,studentsunderstandthattextshavedifferentstructuresdependingonthepurposeandaudience.They
explainhowlanguagefeatures,imagesandvocabularyareusedtoengagetheinterestofaudiences.Theydescribeliteral
andimpliedmeaningconnectingideasindifferenttexts.Theyexpresspreferencesforparticulartexts,andrespondtoothers
viewpoints.
Writing
Studentsuselanguagefeaturestocreatecoherenceandadddetailtotheirtexts.Theyunderstandhowtoexpressanopinion
basedoninformationinatext.Theycreatetextsthatshowunderstandingofhowimagesanddetailcanbeusedtoextend
keyideas.Studentscreatestructuredtextstoexplainideasfordifferentaudiences.Theydemonstrateunderstandingof
grammar,selectvocabularyfromarangeofresourcesanduseaccuratespellingandpunctuation,editingtheirworkto
improvemeaning.
Speakingandlistening
Studentslistenforkeypointsindiscussions.Theyuselanguagefeaturestocreatecoherenceandadddetailtotheirtexts.
Theyunderstandhowtoexpressanopinionbasedoninformationinatext.Theycreatetextsthatshowunderstandingofhow
imagesanddetailcanbeusedtoextendkeyideas.Studentscreatestructuredtextstoexplainideasfordifferentaudiences.
Theymakepresentationsandcontributeactivelytoclassandgroupdiscussions,varyinglanguageaccordingtocontext.
English

VCAA | AusVELS Curriculum | Date PDF created: Wednesday, 29 May 2013 48
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 Elaborations
Understandhowtextsvaryinpurpose,
structureandtopicaswellasthe
degreeofformality(ACELA1504)
l becomingfamiliarwiththetypicalstagesandlanguagefeaturesofsuch
texttypesas:narrative,procedure,exposition,explanation,discussion
andinformativetextandhowtheycanbecomposedandpresentedin
written,digitalandmultimediaforms
English

VCAA | AusVELS Curriculum | Date PDF created: Wednesday, 29 May 2013 49
Investigatehowtheorganisationof
textsintochapters,headings,
subheadings,homepagesandsub
pagesforonlinetextsandaccordingto
chronologyortopiccanbeusedto
predictcontentandassistnavigation
(ACELA1797)
Explainsequencesofimagesinprint
textsandcomparethesetotheways
hyperlinkeddigitaltextsareorganised,
explainingtheireffectonviewers
interpretations(ACELA1511)
l interpretingnarrativetextstoldaswordlesspicturebooks
l identifyingandcomparingsequencesofimagesrevealedthrough
differenthyperlinkchoices
Understandhowtousebanksof
knownwords,aswellaswordorigins,
prefixesandsuffixes,tolearnand
spellnewwords(ACELA1513)
l learningthatmanycomplexwordswereoriginallyhyphenatedbuthave
becomeprefixedasinuncommon,renewemailandrefine
l talkingabouthowsuffixeschangeovertimeandnewformsareinvented
toreflectchangingattitudestogender,forexamplepolicewoman,
salespersonairhostess/stewardorflightattendant
Recogniseuncommonplurals,for
examplefoci(ACELA1514)
l usingknowledgeofwordoriginsandrootsandrelatedwordsto
interpretandspellunfamiliarwords,andlearningabouthowtheseroots
impactonplurals
Literature Elaborations
Recognisethatideasinliterarytexts
canbeconveyedfromdifferent
viewpoints,whichcanleadtodifferent
kindsofinterpretationsandresponses
(ACELT1610)

l identifyingthenarrativevoice(thepersonorentitythroughwhomthe
audienceexperiencesthestory)inaliterarywork,discussingtheimpact
offirstpersonnarrationonempathyandengagement
l examiningtextswrittenfromdifferentnarrativepointsofviewand
discussingwhatinformationtheaudiencecanaccess,howthisimpacts
ontheaudiencessympathies,andwhyanauthormightchoosea
particularnarrativepointofview
l examiningthenarrativevoiceintextsfromAboriginalandTorresStrait
Islandertraditions,whichincludeperspectivesofanimalsandspirits,
abouthowweshouldcarefortheEarth,forexamplereflectingonhow
thisaffectssignificance,interpretationandresponse
Identifyaspectsofliterarytextsthat
conveydetailsorinformationabout
particularsocial,culturalandhistorical
contexts(ACELT1608)

l describinghowaspectsofliterature,forexamplevisuals,symbolic
elements,dialogueandcharacterdescriptions,canconveyinformation
aboutculturalelements,suchasbeliefs,traditionsandcustoms
l identifyingvariabilitywithinculturalcontextsinliterarytexts,recognising
thediversityofpeoplesexperienceswithinaculturalgroupsuchas
differencesinsettingandlifestylebetweenurbanandremoteAboriginal
andTorresStraitIslanderpeoples
English

VCAA | AusVELS Curriculum | Date PDF created: Wednesday, 29 May 2013 50
Understand,interpretandexperiment
withsounddevicesandimagery,
includingsimile,metaphorand
personification,innarratives,shape
poetry,songs,anthemsandodes
(ACELT1611)

l discussinghowfigurativelanguageincludingsimileandmetaphorcan
makeuseofacomparisonbetweendifferentthings,forexampleMy
loveislikeared,redroseTyger!,Tyger!burningbright,Intheforestsof
thenightandhowbyappealingtotheimagination,itprovidesnew
waysoflookingattheworld
l investigatingthequalitiesofcontemporaryprotestsongs,forexample
thoseaboutIndigenouspeoplesandthoseabouttheenvironment
Usemetalanguagetodescribethe
effectsofideas,textstructuresand
languagefeaturesonparticular
audiences(ACELT1795)
l orally,inwritingorusingdigitalmedia,givingaconsideredinterpretation
andopinionaboutaliterarytext,recognisingthatastudentsviewmay
notbesharedbyothersandthatothershaveequalclaimstodivergent
views
Literacy Elaborations
Showhowideasandpointsofviewin
textsareconveyedthroughtheuseof
vocabulary,includingidiomatic
expressions,objectiveandsubjective
language,andthatthesecanchange
accordingtocontext(ACELY1698)
l identifyingthenarrativevoice(thepersonorentitythroughwhomthe
audienceexperiencesthestory)inaliterarywork,discussingtheimpact
offirstpersonnarrationonempathyandengagement
Identifyandexplaincharacteristictext
structuresandlanguagefeatures
usedinimaginative,informativeand
persuasivetextstomeetthepurpose
ofthetext(ACELY1701)

l explaininghowthefeaturesofatextadvocatingcommunityaction,for
exampleactiononalocalareapreservationissue,areusedtomeetthe
purposeofthetext
Navigateandreadtextsforspecific
purposesapplyingappropriatetext
processingstrategies,forexample
predictingandconfirming,monitoring
meaning,skimmingandscanning
(ACELY1702)

l bringingsubjectandtechnicalvocabularyandconceptknowledgeto
newreadingtasks
l selectingandusingtextsfortheirpertinencetothetaskandthe
accuracyoftheirinformation
l usingwordidentification,selfmonitoringandselfcorrectingstrategies
toaccessmaterialonlessfamiliartopics,skimmingandscanningto
checkthepertinenceofparticularinformationtostudentstopicandtask
l readingawiderangeofimaginative,informativeandpersuasivetextsfor
pleasureandtofindanduseinformation
Usecomprehensionstrategiesto
analyseinformation,integratingand
linkingideasfromavarietyofprintand
digitalsources(ACELY1703)

l usingresearchskillsincludingidentifyingresearchpurpose,locating
texts,gatheringandorganisinginformation,evaluatingitsrelativevalue,
andtheaccuracyandcurrencyofprintanddigitalsourcesand
summarisinginformationfromseveralsources
Writing
Language Elaborations
English

VCAA | AusVELS Curriculum | Date PDF created: Wednesday, 29 May 2013 51
Understandthatthestartingpointofa
sentencegivesprominencetothe
messageinthetextandallowsfor
predictionofhowthetextwillunfold
(ACELA1505)
l observinghowwritersusethebeginningofasentencetosignaltothe
readerhowthetextisdeveloping(forexample'Snakesarereptiles.They
havescalesandnolegs.Manysnakesarepoisonous.However,in
Australiatheyareprotected')
Understandthedifferencebetween
mainandsubordinateclausesand
thatacomplexsentenceinvolvesat
leastonesubordinateclause
(ACELA1507)
l knowingthatthefunctionofcomplexsentencesistomakeconnections
betweenideas,suchas:toprovideareason(forexample'Hejumped
upbecausethebellrang.')tostateapurpose(forexample'Sheraced
homeinordertoconfrontherbrother.')toexpressacondition(for
example'Itwillbreakifyoupushit.')tomakeaconcession(forexample
'Shewenttoworkeventhoughshewasnotfeelingwell.')tolinktwo
ideasintermsofvarioustimerelations(forexample'Nerofiddledwhile
Romeburned.')
Understandhownoun
groups/phrasesandadjective
groups/phrasescanbeexpandedina
varietyofwaystoprovideafuller
descriptionoftheperson,place,thing
oridea(ACELA1508)
l learninghowtoexpandadescriptionbycombiningarelatedsetof
nounsandadjectivesTwooldbrowncattledogssatontheruined
frontverandaofthedesertedhouse
l observinghowdescriptivedetailscanbebuiltuparoundanounoran
adjective,formingagroup/phrase(forexample,thisverysmelly
cleaningclothinthesinkisanoungroup/phraseandasprettyasthe
flowersinMayisanadjectivegroup/phrase)
Understandtheuseofvocabularyto
expressgreaterprecisionofmeaning,
andknowthatwordscanhavedifferent
meaningsindifferentcontexts
(ACELA1512)
l movingfromgeneral,allpurposewords,forexamplecuttomore
specificwords,forexampleslice,dice,fillet,segment
Understandhowthegrammatical
categoryofpossessivesissignalled
throughapostrophesandhowtouse
apostropheswithcommonandproper
nouns(ACELA1506)
l learningthatinStandardAustralianEnglishregularpluralnounsending
insformthepossessivebyaddingjusttheapostrophe(forexample
myparents'car)
l learningthatinStandardAustralianEnglishforpropernounsavariant
formwithoutthesecondsissometimesfound(forexampleJamess
houseorJameshouse)
Literature Elaborations
Createliterarytextsthatexperiment
withstructures,ideasandstylistic
featuresofselectedauthors
(ACELT1798)
l drawinguponfictionelementsinarangeofmodeltextsforexample
mainidea,characterisation,setting(timeandplace),narrativepointof
viewanddevices,forexamplefigurativelanguage(simile,metaphor,
personification),aswellasnonverbalconventionsindigitalandscreen
textsinordertoexperimentwithnew,creativewaysofcommunicating
ideas,experiencesandstoriesinliterarytexts
Createliterarytextsusingrealisticand
fantasysettingsandcharactersthat
drawontheworldsrepresentedin
textsstudentshaveexperienced
(ACELT1612)
l usingtextswithcomputerbasedgraphics,animationand2Dqualities,
considerhowandwhyparticulartraitsforacharacterhavebeenchosen
Literacy Elaborations
English

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Plan,draftandpublishimaginative,
informativeandpersuasiveprintand
multimodaltexts,choosingtext
structures,languagefeatures,images
andsoundappropriatetopurposeand
audience(ACELY1704)
l usingresearchfromprintanddigitalresourcestogatherandorganise
informationforwriting
l selectinganappropriatetextstructureforthewritingpurposeand
sequencingcontentaccordingtothattextstructure,introducingthetopic,
andgroupingrelatedinformationinwellsequencedparagraphswitha
concludingstatement
l usingvocabulary,includingtechnicalvocabulary,appropriatetopurpose
andcontext
l usingparagraphstopresentandsequenceatext
l usingappropriategrammaticalfeatures,includingmorecomplex
sentencesandrelevantverbtense,pronounreference,adverbandnoun
groups/phrasesforeffectivedescriptions
Rereadandeditstudent'sownand
othersworkusingagreedcriteriafor
textstructuresandlanguagefeatures
(ACELY1705)
l editingforflowandsense,organisationofideasandchoiceof
language,revisingandtryingnewapproachesifanelementisnot
havingthedesiredimpact
Developahandwritingstylethatis
becominglegible,fluentandautomatic
(ACELY1706)
l usinghandwritingwithincreasingfluencyandlegibilityappropriatetoa
widerangeofwritingpurposes
Usearangeofsoftwareincluding
wordprocessingprogramswith
fluencytoconstruct,editandpublish
writtentext,andselect,editandplace
visual,printandaudioelements
(ACELY1707)
l writinglettersinprintandbyemail,composingwithincreasingfluency,
accuracyandlegibilityanddemonstratingunderstandingofwhatthe
audiencemaywanttohear
Speakingandlistening
Language Elaborations
Understandthatthepronunciation,
spellingandmeaningsofwordshave
historiesandchangeovertime
(ACELA1500)

l recognisingthataknowledgeofwordoriginsisnotonlyinterestinginits
ownright,butthatitextendsstudentsknowledgeofvocabularyand
spelling
l exploringexamplesofwordsinwhichpronunciation,writingand
meaninghaschangedovertime,includingwordsfromarangeof
cultures
Understandthatpatternsoflanguage
interactionvaryacrosssocialcontexts
andtypesoftextsandthattheyhelpto
signalsocialrolesandrelationships
(ACELA1501)

l identifyingwaysinwhichculturesdifferinmakingandrespondingto
commonrequests,forexampleperiodsofsilence,degreesofformality
English

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Level5achievementstandard
Readingandviewing
Understandhowtomovebeyond
makingbareassertionsandtake
accountofdifferingperspectivesand
pointsofview(ACELA1502)
l 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 Elaborations
Presentapointofviewaboutparticular
literarytextsusingappropriate
metalanguage,andreflectingonthe
viewpointsofothers(ACELT1609)

l posinganddiscussingquestions,suchasShouldthischaracterhave
behavedastheydid?,andbeginningtomakebalancedjudgments
aboutthedilemmascharactersfaceandrelativemeritandharm
Literacy Elaborations
Clarifyunderstandingofcontentasit
unfoldsinformalandinformal
situations,connectingideasto
studentsownexperiencesand
presentandjustifyapointofview
(ACELY1699)
l askingspecificquestionstoclarifyaspeakersmeaning,making
constructivecommentsthatkeepconversationmoving,reviewingideas
expressedandconveyingtentativeconclusions
Useinteractionskills,forexample
paraphrasing,questioningand
interpretingnonverbalcuesand
choosevocabularyandvocaleffects
appropriatefordifferentaudiencesand
purposes(ACELY1796)
l participatinginpair,group,classandschoolspeakingandlistening
situations,includinginformalconversations,discussionsand
presentations
l usingeffectivestrategiesfordialogueanddiscussionincluding
speakingclearlyandtothepoint,pausinginappropriateplacesfor
otherstorespond,askingpertinentquestionsandlinkingstudentsown
responsestothecontributionsofothers
l choosingvocabularyandsentencestructuresforparticularpurposes
includingformalandinformalcontexts,toreportandexplainnew
conceptsandtopics,toofferapointofviewandtopersuadeothers
l experimentingwithvoiceeffectsinformalpresentationssuchastone,
volume,pitchandpace,recognisingtheeffectsthesehaveonaudience
understanding
Plan,rehearseanddeliver
presentationsfordefinedaudiences
andpurposesincorporatingaccurate
andsequencedcontentand
multimodalelements(ACELY1700)
l planningareportonatopic,sequencingideaslogicallyandproviding
supportingdetail,includinggraphics,soundandvisualstoenhance
audienceengagementandunderstanding
English

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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.
English

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Level6
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,nonfictionanddramaticperformances.Studentsdeveloptheirunderstandingofhowtexts,includingmediatexts,
areinfluencedbycontext,purposeandaudience.
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,informativeandpersuasivetypesoftextssuchasnarratives,procedures,
performances,reports,reviews,explanationsanddiscussions.
Level6contentdescriptions
Readingandviewing
Language Elaborations
English

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Understandhowauthorsofteninnovate
ontextstructuresandplaywith
languagefeaturestoachieveparticular
aesthetic,humorousandpersuasive
purposesandeffects(ACELA1518)
l exploringarangeofeveryday,community,literaryandinformativetexts
discussingelementsoftextstructureandlanguagefeaturesand
comparingtheoverallstructureandeffectofauthorschoicesintwoor
moretexts
l examiningdifferentworksbyanauthorwhospecialisesinhumouror
pathostoidentifystrategiessuchasexaggerationandcharacter
embarrassmenttoamuseandtoofferinsightsintocharacters
feelings,sobuildingempathywiththeirpointsofviewandconcernfor
theirwelfare
Identifyandexplainhowanalytical
imageslikefigures,tables,diagrams,
mapsandgraphscontributetoour
understandingofverbalinformationin
factualandpersuasivetexts
(ACELA1524)
l observinghowsequentialeventscanberepresentedvisuallybya
seriesofimages,includingcomicstrips,timelines,photostories,
procedurediagramsandflowcharts,lifecyclediagrams,andtheflowof
imagesinpicturebooks
l observinghowconcepts,informationandrelationshipscanbe
representedvisuallythroughsuchimagesastables,maps,graphs,
diagrams,andicons
Literature Elaborations
Analyseandevaluatesimilaritiesand
differencesintextsonsimilartopics,
themesorplots(ACELT1614)
l exploringtextsonasimilartopicbyauthorswithverydifferentstyles,for
examplecomparingfantasyquestnovelsorrealisticnovelsona
specifictheme,identifyingdifferencesintheuseofnarrator,narrative
structureandvoiceandlanguagestyleandregister
Identify,describe,anddiscuss
similaritiesanddifferencesbetween
texts,includingthosebythesame
authororillustrator,andevaluate
characteristicsthatdefineanauthors
individualstyle(ACELT1616)
l exploringtwoormoretextsbythesameauthor,drawingoutthe
similarities,forexamplesubjectortheme,characterisation,text
structure,plotdevelopment,tone,vocabulary,senseofvoice,narrative
pointofview,favouredgrammaticalstructuresandvisualtechniquesin
sophisticatedpicturebooks
Identifyandexplainhowchoicesin
language,forexamplemodality,
emphasis,repetitionandmetaphor,
influencepersonalresponseto
differenttexts(ACELT1615)
l notinghowdegreesofpossibilityareopenedupthroughtheuseof
modalverbs(forexample,ItmaybeasolutionascomparedtoItcould
beasolution),aswellasthroughotherresourcessuchasadverbs(for
example,Itspossibly/probably/certainlyasolution),adjectives(for
example,Itsapossible/probable/certainsolution)andnouns(for
example,Itsapossibility/probability)
Identifytherelationshipbetween
words,sounds,imageryandlanguage
patternsinnarrativesandpoetrysuch
asballads,limericksandfreeverse
(ACELT1617)
l identifyinghowlanguagechoiceandimagerybuildemotional
connectionandengagementwiththestoryortheme
l describinghowacharactersexperienceexpressedthroughaverse
novelimpactsonstudentspersonally,howtheauthorcontrolsthe
revelationoftheexperiencesandhowtheversestorybuildsmeaningto
itsclimaxwhenweunderstandthewhole
Literacy Elaborations
Analysehowtextstructuresand
languagefeaturesworktogetherto
meetthepurposeofatext
(ACELY1711)
l comparingthestructuresandfeaturesofdifferenttexts,includingprint
anddigitalsourcesonsimilartopics,andevaluatingwhichfeatures
bestaidnavigationandclearcommunicationaboutthetopic
English

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Analysestrategiesauthorsuseto
influencereaders(ACELY1801)
l identifyhowauthorsuselanguagetopositionthereaderandgive
reasons
Select,navigateandreadtextsfora
rangeofpurposes,applying
appropriatetextprocessingstrategies
andinterpretingstructuralfeatures,for
exampletableofcontents,glossary,
chapters,headingsandsubheadings
(ACELY1712)
l bringingsubjectandtechnicalvocabularyandconceptknowledgeto
newreadingtasks,selecting,evaluatingandusingtextsfortheir
pertinencetothetaskandtheaccuracyoftheirinformation
l usingwordidentification,selfmonitoringandselfcorrectingstrategies
l usingresearchskillsincludingidentifyingresearchpurpose,locating
texts,gatheringandorganisinginformation,evaluatingandusing
information
l identifyingandusingtextsforawiderangeofpurposes,selectingtexts
byfavouriteauthorsandtryingnewones
Usecomprehensionstrategiesto
interpretandanalyseinformationand
ideas,comparingcontentfromavariety
oftextualsourcesincludingmediaand
digitaltexts(ACELY1713)
l makingconnectionsbetweenthetextandstudentsownexperienceor
othertexts
l makingconnectionsbetweeninformationinprintandimages
l findingspecificliteralinformation
l usingpriorknowledgeandtextualinformationtomakeinferencesand
predictions
l askingandansweringquestions
l findingthemainideaofatext
l summarisingatextorpartofatext
Writing
Language Elaborations
Understandthatcohesivelinkscanbe
madeintextsbyomittingorreplacing
words(ACELA1520)
l notinghowwritersoftensubstituteageneralwordforamorespecific
wordalreadymentioned,thuscreatingacohesivelinkbetweenthe
words(forexample,Lookatthoseapples.CanItakethesebigones?,
whereonessubstitutesforapples)
l notinghowwritersoftensubstituteageneralwordforamorespecific
wordalreadymentioned,thuscreatingacohesivelinkbetweenthe
words(forexample'Lookatthoseapples.CanIhaveone?')
l recognisinghowcohesioncanbedevelopedthroughrepeatingkey
wordsorbyusingsynonymsorantonyms
l observinghowrelationshipsbetweenconceptscanberepresented
visuallythroughsimilarity,contrast,juxtaposition,repetition,class
subclassdiagrams,partwholediagrams,causeandeffectfigures,
visualcontinuitiesanddiscontinuities
English

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Investigatehowcomplexsentences
canbeusedinavarietyofwaysto
elaborate,extendandexplainideas
(ACELA1522)
l knowingthatacomplexsentencetypicallyconsistsofamainclause
andasubordinateclause
l knowingthatthefunctionofcomplexsentencesistomakeconnections
betweenideas,suchas:toprovideareason(forexample'Hejumped
upbecausethebellrang')tostateapurpose(forexample'Sheraced
homeinordertoconfrontherbrother')toexpressacondition(for
example'Itwillbreakifyoupushit')tomakeaconcession(forexample
'Shewenttoworkeventhoughshewasnotfeelingwell')tolinktwo
ideasintermsofvarioustimerelations(forexample'Nerofiddledwhile
Romeburned')
Understandhowideascanbe
expandedandsharpenedthrough
carefulchoiceofverbs,elaborated
tensesandarangeofadverb
groups/phrases(ACELA1523)
l knowingthatverbsoftenrepresentactionsandthatthechoiceofmore
expressiveverbsmakesanactionmorevivid(forexample'Sheateher
lunch'comparedto'Shegobbledupherlunch')
l knowingthatadverbgroups/phrasesandprepositionalphrasescan
provideimportantdetailsaboutahappening(forexample,Atnine
o'clockthebuzzerrangloudlythroughouttheschool)orstate(for
example,Thetigerisamemberofthecatfamily)
l knowingthedifferencebetweenthesimplepresenttense(forexample
'Pandaseatbamboo.')andthesimplepasttense(forexample'She
replied.')
l knowingthatthesimplepresenttenseistypicallyusedtotalkabout
eitherpresentstates(forexample,HelivesinDarwin)oractionsthat
happenregularlyinthepresent(forexample,Hewatchestelevision
everynight)orthatrepresenttimelesshappenings,asininformation
reports(forexample,Bearshibernateinwinter)
l knowingthattherearevariouswaysinEnglishtorefertofuturetime(for
example'Shewillcallyoutomorrow''Iamgoingtothemovies
tomorrow''TomorrowIleaveforHobart')
Investigatehowvocabularychoices,
includingevaluativelanguagecan
expressshadesofmeaning,feeling
andopinion(ACELA1525)
l identifying(forexamplefromreviews)thewaysinwhichevaluative
languageisusedtoassessthequalitiesofthevariousaspectsofthe
workinquestion
Understandhowtousebanksof
knownwords,wordorigins,base
words,suffixesandprefixes,
morphemes,spellingpatternsand
generalisationstolearnandspellnew
words,forexampletechnicalwords
andwordsadoptedfromother
languages(ACELA1526)
l adoptingarangeofspellingstrategiestorecallandattempttospell
newwords
l usingadictionarytocorrectstudentsownspelling
Understandtheusesofcommasto
separateclauses(ACELA1521)
l identifyingdifferentusesofcommasintexts
Literature Elaborations
English

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Experimentwithtextstructuresand
languagefeaturesandtheireffectsin
creatingliterarytexts,forexample,
usingimagery,sentencevariation,
metaphorandwordchoice
(ACELT1800)
l selectingandusingsensorylanguagetoconveyavividpictureof
places,feelingsandeventsinasemistructuredverseform
Createliterarytextsthatadaptor
combineaspectsoftextsstudents
haveexperiencedininnovativeways
(ACELT1618)
l creatingnarrativesinwritten,spokenormultimodal/digitalformatfor
morethanonespecifiedaudience,requiringadaptationofnarrative
elementsandlanguagefeatures
l planningandcreatingtextsthatentertain,inform,inspireand/or
emotionallyengagefamiliarandlessfamiliaraudiences
Literacy Elaborations
Comparetextsincludingmediatexts
thatrepresentideasandeventsin
differentways,explainingtheeffectsof
thedifferentapproaches(ACELY1708)

l identifyingandexploringnewsreportsofthesameevent,anddiscuss
thelanguagechoicesandpointofviewofthewriters
l usingdisplayadvertisingasatopicvehicleforcloseanalysisofthe
waysimagesandwordscombinefordeliberateeffectincluding
examplesfromthecountriesofAsia(forexamplecomparingHollywood
filmposterswithIndianBollywoodfilmposters)
Plan,draftandpublishimaginative,
informativeandpersuasivetexts,
choosingandexperimentingwithtext
structures,languagefeatures,images
anddigitalresourcesappropriateto
purposeandaudience(ACELY1714)

l creatinginformativetextsfortwodifferentaudiences,suchasavisiting
academicandaLevel3class,thatexploreanaspectofbiodiversity
l usingrhetoricaldevices,images,surprisetechniquesandjuxtaposition
ofpeopleandideasandmodalverbsandmodalauxiliariestoenhance
thepersuasivenatureofatext,recognisingandexploitingaudience
susceptibilities
Rereadandeditstudentsownand
othersworkusingagreedcriteriaand
explainingeditingchoices
(ACELY1715)
l editingforcoherence,sequence,effectivechoiceofvocabulary,opening
devices,dialogueanddescription,humourandpathos,asappropriate
tothetaskandaudience
Developahandwritingstylethatis
legible,fluentandautomaticandvaries
accordingtoaudienceandpurpose
(ACELY1716)
l usinghandwritingefficientlyasatoolforawiderangeofformaland
informaltextcreationtasks
Usearangeofsoftware,including
wordprocessingprograms,learning
newfunctionsasrequiredtocreate
texts(ACELY1717)
l selectingandcombiningsoftwarefunctionsasneededtocreatetexts
Speakingandlistening
Language Elaborations
English

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Understandthatdifferentsocialand
geographicaldialectsoraccentsare
usedinAustraliainadditionto
StandardAustralianEnglish
(ACELA1515)

l recognisingthattherearemorethan150Aboriginallanguagesandtwo
TorresStraitIslanderlanguagesandthattheyrelatetogeographic
areasinAustralia
l recognisingthatalllanguagesanddialectsareofequalvalue,although
weusedifferentonesindifferentcontexts,forexampletheuseof
StandardAustralianEnglish,AboriginalEnglishandformsofCreole
usedbysomeTorresStraitIslandergroupsandsomeofAustralias
nearneighbours
Understandthatstrategiesfor
interactionbecomemorecomplexand
demandingaslevelsofformalityand
socialdistanceincrease(ACELA1516)
l identifyandappreciatedifferencesinlanguageusedindiversefamily
settings
Understandtheusesofobjectiveand
subjectivelanguageandbias
(ACELA1517)
l understandingwhenitisappropriatetosharefeelingsandopinions
(forexampleinapersonalrecount)andwhenitisappropriatetoremain
moreobjective(forexampleinafactualrecount)
l differentiatingbetweenreportingthefacts(forexampleinanewsstory)
andprovidingacommentary(forexampleinaneditorial)
Literature Elaborations
Makeconnectionsbetweenstudents
ownexperiencesandthoseof
charactersandeventsrepresentedin
textsdrawnfromdifferenthistorical,
socialandculturalcontexts
(ACELT1613)

l recognisingtheinfluenceourdifferenthistorical,socialandcultural
experiencesmayhaveonthemeaningwemakefromthetextandthe
attitudeswemaydeveloptowardscharacters,actionsandevents
Literacy Elaborations
Participateinandcontributeto
discussions,clarifyingand
interrogatingideas,developingand
supportingarguments,sharingand
evaluatinginformation,experiences
andopinions(ACELY1709)

l usingstrategies,forexamplepausing,questioning,rephrasing,
repeating,summarising,reviewingandaskingclarifyingquestions
l exploringpersonalreasonsforacceptanceorrejectionofopinions
offeredandlinkingthereasonstothewayourculturalexperiencescan
affectourresponses
l recognisingthatclosedquestionsaskforpreciseresponseswhile
openquestionspromptaspeakertoprovidemoreinformation
English

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Level6achievementstandard
Readingandviewing
BytheendofLevel6,studentsunderstandhowtheuseoftextstructurescanachieveparticulareffects.Theyanalyseand
explainhowlanguagefeatures,imagesandvocabularyareusedbydifferentauthorstorepresentideas,charactersand
events.Theycompareandanalyseinformationindifferenttexts,explainingliteralandimpliedmeaning.Theyselectanduse
evidencefromatexttoexplaintheirresponsetoit.
Writing
Studentsunderstandhowlanguagefeaturesandlanguagepatternscanbeusedforemphasis.Theyshowhowspecific
detailscanbeusedtosupportapointofview.Theyexplainhowtheirchoicesoflanguagefeaturesandimagesareused.
Theycreatedetailedtextselaboratinguponkeyideasforarangeofpurposesandaudiences.Theydemonstrate
understandingofgrammar,makeconsideredchoicesfromanexpandingvocabulary,use,accuratespellingandpunctuation
forclarityandmakeandexplaineditorialchoices.
Speakingandlistening
Studentslistentodiscussions,clarifyingcontentandchallengingothersideas.Theyunderstandhowlanguagefeaturesand
languagepatternscanbeusedforemphasis.Theyshowhowspecificdetailscanbeusedtosupportapointofview.They
explainhowtheirchoicesoflanguagefeaturesandimagesareused.Theycreatedetailedtexts,elaboratingonkeyideasfor
arangeofpurposesandaudiences.Theymakepresentationsandcontributeactivelytoclassandgroupdiscussions,using
avarietyofstrategiesforeffect.
Useinteractionskills,varying
conventionsofspokeninteractions
suchasvoicevolume,tone,pitchand
pace,accordingtogroupsize,formality
ofinteractionandneedsandexpertise
oftheaudience(ACELY1816)
l participatinginpair,group,class,schoolandcommunityspeakingand
listeningsituations,includinginformalconversations,discussions,
debatesandpresentations
l usingeffectivestrategiesfordialogueanddiscussioninrangeof
familiarandnewcontexts,includingspeakingclearlyandcoherently
andatappropriatelength,acknowledgingandextendingthe
contributionsofothers,askingpertinentquestionsandanswering
othersquestions
l choosingvocabularyandspokentextandsentencestructuresfor
particularpurposesandaudiences,adaptinglanguagechoicestomeet
theperceivedaudienceneeds,suchasrecountinganexcursiontoa
youngerclassorwelcomingavisitortoaschoolfunction
l experimentingwithvoiceeffectsfordifferentaudiencesandpurposes,
suchastone,volume,pitchandpace,recognisingtheeffectsthese
haveonaudienceunderstandingandengagement
Plan,rehearseanddeliver
presentations,selectingand
sequencingappropriatecontentand
multimodalelementsfordefined
audiencesandpurposes,making
appropriatechoicesformodalityand
emphasis(ACELY1710)
l usingtechnologiestocollaborativelyprepareahumorous,dynamic
groupviewonadebatabletopic,suchasKidsshouldbeallowedto
readandviewwhattheylike,tobepresentedtoteachersandparents
English

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TableofContents
Overview
Introduction
Domainstructure
Stagesoflearning
Safetyandsensitiveissues
Sexualityeducation
CurriculumF10
Foundationlevel
Level1
Level2
Level3
Level4
Level5
Level6
2
2
2
3
6
7
9
9
11
13
15
17
19
21
Health and Physical Education

VCAA | AusVELS Curriculum | Date PDF created: Wednesday, 29 May 2013 1

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
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TheHealthandPhysicalEducationdomaininAusVELSusesanelevenlevelstructuretobothreflectthedesignofthenew
AustralianCurriculumandtoprovideaconsistentstructureacrossalltheAusVELSdomains(formoredetailspleasesee
Overview).Eachlevelincludesalearningfocusstatementandasetofstandardsorganisedbydimension.
Learningfocus
Learningfocusstatementsarewrittenforeachlevel.Theseoutlinethelearningthatstudentsneedtofocusoniftheyareto
progressinthedomainandachievethestandardsatthelevelswheretheyapply.Theysuggestappropriatelearning
experiencesfromwhichteacherscandrawtodeveloprelevantteachingandlearningactivities.
Standards
Standardsdefinewhatstudentsshouldknowandbeabletodoatdifferentlevelsandarewrittenforeachdimension.In
HealthandPhysicalEducation,standardsforassessingandreportingonstudentachievementapplyfromFoundationto
Level10.
Dimensions
StandardsintheHealthandPhysicalEducationdomainareorganisedintwodimensions.
l MovementandphysicalactivityfromLevel1
l 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.
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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
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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
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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.

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SafetyandsensitiveissuesinHealthandPhysicalEducation
Furtherconsiderations
Communityconcernsandkeyinitiatives
Therearevariousissuesthatelicitahighlevelofcommunityawarenessandconcern.Thegovernmentsector,business
communityandmanynongovernmentagenciesprovideandsupportinitiativesthatcomplementtheHealthandPhysical
Educationdomain.TheflexibilityandcontemporarynatureofAusVELSallowstheincorporationofcurrentandfuture
initiativesaspartoftheongoingteachingandlearningprocess.Examplesinclude:
l healthpromotingschools
l drugeducation
l watersafety:PlayitSafebytheWater
l healthyeatingandphysicalactivity:GoforYourLife
l roadsafety
l 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:
l thecomponentsofsexualityeducationthatarecurrentlyincludedintheschoolcurriculum
l topicsandthemesrelevanttosexualityeducationthatarenotcurrentlyaddressedintheschoolcurriculumthatcould
beincludedinthefuture
l theteachingandlearningresourcesrequiredtosupporttheteachingofspecifictopicsorthemesrelevanttosexuality
education
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l theadditionalskillsandsupportrequiredtoimplementacomprehensivesexualityeducationcurriculum.
ThisaudittoolfocusesontheHealthandPhysicalEducationandInterpersonalDevelopmentdomainswhichhavethe
strongestcurriculumlinkstosexualityeducation.Auditpageshavebeenprovidedforthesetwodomains.Otherdomains
suchasEnglish,History,CivicsandCitizenshipandSciencecouldpotentiallyprovideopportunitiestoaddresstopics
relevanttosexualityeducation.Ablankauditformathasbeenprovidedtoallowschoolstoinvestigateotherdomainsthatmay
addresstopicsrelevanttosexualityeducation.
Downloads
l SexualityEducationCurriculumAuditTool( PDF141KB)
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Foundationlevel
LearningFocus
AsstudentsworktowardstheachievementofFoundationstandardsintheMovementandphysicalactivitydimension,
theyengageinavarietyofphysicalactivitiesontheirownandwiththeirpeers,withandwithoutequipment,andinarange
ofenvironments(indoor,outdoorandaquatic).Theybegintodevelopbasicmotorskillssuchasrunning,hopping,
jumping,skipping,catching,throwing,kicking,rolling,balancing,twistingandturning.Througharangeofactivities,such
asdance,gymnasticsandgames,studentsprogressivelygaincontroloftheirmovementsinpersonalandgeneral
space,whilestationaryandmoving.Theypractisearangeofmovementpatternsinaquaticenvironmentssuchas:wade
inentrytoandexitfromshallowwaterfloatwithabuoyancyaidperformabasiclegkickingactionwithabuoyancyaid
recoveryfromanunaidedfacedownfloatglidetoastandingpositionandberescuedwitharopeorstick.Theyexplore
waysofmovinganddevelopingcontrolwhenstopping,starting,springing,landing,andchangingdirectionandspeed.
Theyrespondtomovementstimulisuchasrhythm,beat,musicandwords.
Theyregularlyengageinactivitiesdescribedasmoderatetovigorous,suchasbriskwalkingorrunning,activeplay,
swimming,dance,sportsandgames,whichincreasestudentbreathingandsweating.
Studentsbegintodevelopamovementvocabulary,includingmovementwords,waysofdescribingthephysical
responsesoftheirbodiestomovementandthefeelingsassociatedwithparticipationinphysicalactivityforexample,hot,
tired,sweaty,puffed,excited,scaredandhappy.
Theylearnsimplerulesandproceduresforsafemovement,andhowtofollowinstructions.Theybegintocombine
movementwiththeuseofequipment.Whileparticipatinginmovementandphysicalactivities,theylearntoconsider,
supportandencourageotherstoshareequipment,andtoadheretorulesthataidparticipationandcooperation.
AsstudentsworktowardstheachievementofLevel4standardsintheHealthknowledgeandpromotiondimension,they
explorebasichealthneedsthatmustbemettomaintainorpromotetheirhealthandtohelpthemgrowanddevelop.They
discussphysicalchangesaspeoplegrowanddevelop,anddescribehowtheirownbodieshavechangedovertime.
Studentsexploretheiremotionsandidentifythedifferentwaysinwhichpeopleexpressandrespondtoemotions.
Studentsstartidentifyingnewthingstheycandoandtheresponsibilitiesassociatedwiththese.Theybegintolearnabout
thedevelopmentofpersonalidentity.
Studentslearntoidentifythoseenvironmentswheretheyfeelconfidentandthosewheretheymaybeafraidorconcerned
fortheirsafety.Theypractisehowtorespondtosituationsthatmakethemfeelunsafe,andlearnaboutwhocanhelp
them.Theylearnaboutlocalsignsandsymbolsrelatedtosafety(forexample,trafficsignsorsymbolsonmedicines)and
explorepossibleactionstotakewhentheyfeelthreatenedorunsafe.
Studentsareintroducedtothebasicprinciplesoflivinganactiveandhealthylifeandbegintolearnabouttheimportance
ofeatingavarietyoffoods.Theylearnabouthowfoodsdifferinlook,taste,feelandsmell,andbegintounderstandhow
goodfoodchoicescontributetoanactiveandhealthylife.
Standards
Movementandphysicalactivity
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AtFoundation,studentsperformbasicmotorskillsandmovementpatterns,withorwithoutequipment,inarangeof
environments.Theyregularlyengageinperiodsofmoderatetovigorousphysicalactivity.Theyusesimplevocabularyto
describemovement,thephysicalresponsesoftheirbodiestoactivityandtheirfeelingsaboutparticipationinphysical
activity.Whenparticipatinginmovementandphysicalactivities,theyfollowrulesandproceduresandshareequipment
andspacesafely.
Healthknowledgeandpromotion
InHealthandPhysicalEducation,standardsfortheHealthknowledgeandpromotiondimensionareintroducedatLevel
3.
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Level1
LearningFocus
AsstudentsworktowardstheachievementofLevel2standardsintheMovementandphysicalactivitydimension,they
participateinavarietyofphysicalactivitiesinarangeofenvironments(indoor,outdoorandaquatic).Theyexploredifferent
actionsofthebodyandbegintounderstandhowtheseactionsaffectmovementefficiency.Theypractisebasicmotor
skillssuchasrunning,hopping,jumping,skipping,catching,throwing,kicking,rolling,balancing,twistingandturning
andareintroducedtomorecomplexskillssuchasleaping,dodging,theoverarmthrow,dribblingandstrikingballs,
cartwheelingandhandstanding.Theyparticipateinanddevelopcontroloverarangeoflocomotoractivitiesthatrequirea
changeofspeed(suchasfastandslowmovements),direction(suchasup/down,forward/backward,right/left,
clockwise/anticlockwise)andlevel.Levelsdefinetherelationshipofthebodytothefloor.Lowlevelactivitiescouldinclude
movingclosetothefloorsuchascrawlingorcraborsealwalking,whileactivitiesatahigherlevelinvolveagreater
distancefromthefloorsuchasjumping,climbingoractivitiesonabalancebenchorbar.Theypractisearangeof
movementpatternsinaquaticenvironments.Thesecouldinclude:combiningarmandlegmovementstomovethrough
wateronthefrontandbackfor10metresperformingatorpedoonthefrontforthreetofivemetrespushingoffthebottom
orsideofthepoolandglidingbothwithandwithoutflotationaidandtreadingwater.
Theyadvancefromcreatingandplayinggamesontheirownorwithapartnertoplayinginsmallandlargegroups.They
begintocombinemotorskillsintomovementsequences,andcreatesimplemovementsequencesinresponsetoa
varietyofstimuli.Theybegintoadaptmovementskillstochangingenvironmentalconditionsforexample,adaptingthe
techniqueofbouncingaballtocaterfordifferentsurfacessuchasasphaltorgrass.
Studentsbegintounderstandthelinkbetweenphysicalactivityandhealth,andlearnthattheyneedenergytoparticipate
inphysicalactivity.Theylearntodescribetheirphysiologicalresponsestoparticipationinbothmoderateandvigorous
activityusingvocabularysuchasoutofbreathandheartbeatingfaster.Theydiscusshowactivitiesthatmakethemhuff
andpuffimproveheartandlungfunction.
Studentsdiscusstheneedforsafetyrulesforequipmentuse,andpractiseappropriatesafetyskillsandprocedures.
AsstudentsworktowardstheachievementofLevel4standardsintheHealthknowledgeandpromotiondimension,they
beginlearningabouthowtheydevelop.Theyexplorepeoplesneedsatvariousstagesofdevelopmentandrecognise
thatsomeneedsapplytoallstagesoflife.Theydescribewhattheylikeaboutthemselves,howtheyaresimilartoothers
andhowtheyareunique.
Theybegintoidentifythebenefitsofsafebehavioursandlearnhowtheycanprotectandincreasetheirhealthandsafety
andthehealthandsafetyofothers.Inconsideringpersonalsafetyissues,theydiscussthewayvarioussituationsand
behavioursaffectthewaytheyfeel,anddeveloppersonalresponsestosuchbehavioursandsituations.
Withguidance,theylearntomakehealthyfoodchoicesaccordingtohealthyeatingmodels,andtoconsiderthefactors
thatinfluencetheirchoiceoffoods.Theybegintorecognisetheimportanceofvarietyandfrequencyoffoodconsumption
foranactiveandhealthylife.
Standards
Movementandphysicalactivity
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AtLevel1,studentsareworkingtowardtheLevel2standards.
Healthknowledgeandpromotion
InHealthandPhysicalEducation,standardsfortheHealthknowledgeandpromotiondimensionareintroducedatLevel
3.
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Level2
LearningFocus
AsstudentsworktowardstheachievementofLevel2standardsintheMovementandphysicalactivitydimension,they
participateinavarietyofphysicalactivitiesinarangeofenvironments(indoor,outdoorandaquatic).Theyexploredifferent
actionsofthebodyandbegintounderstandhowtheseactionsaffectmovementefficiency.Theypractisebasicmotor
skillssuchasrunning,hopping,jumping,skipping,catching,throwing,kicking,rolling,balancing,twistingandturning
andareintroducedtomorecomplexskillssuchasleaping,dodging,theoverarmthrow,dribblingandstrikingballs,
cartwheelingandhandstanding.Theyparticipateinanddevelopcontroloverarangeoflocomotoractivitiesthatrequirea
changeofspeed(suchasfastandslowmovements),direction(suchasup/down,forward/backward,right/left,
clockwise/anticlockwise)andlevel.Levelsdefinetherelationshipofthebodytothefloor.Lowlevelactivitiescouldinclude
movingclosetothefloorsuchascrawlingorcraborsealwalking,whileactivitiesatahigherlevelinvolveagreater
distancefromthefloorsuchasjumping,climbingoractivitiesonabalancebenchorbar.Theypractisearangeof
movementpatternsinaquaticenvironments.Thesecouldinclude:combiningarmandlegmovementstomovethrough
wateronthefrontandbackfor10metresperformingatorpedoonthefrontforthreetofivemetrespushingoffthebottom
orsideofthepoolandglidingbothwithandwithoutflotationaidandtreadingwater.
Theyadvancefromcreatingandplayinggamesontheirownorwithapartnertoplayinginsmallandlargegroups.They
begintocombinemotorskillsintomovementsequences,andcreatesimplemovementsequencesinresponsetoa
varietyofstimuli.Theybegintoadaptmovementskillstochangingenvironmentalconditionsforexample,adaptingthe
techniqueofbouncingaballtocaterfordifferentsurfacessuchasasphaltorgrass.
Studentsbegintounderstandthelinkbetweenphysicalactivityandhealth,andlearnthattheyneedenergytoparticipate
inphysicalactivity.Theylearntodescribetheirphysiologicalresponsestoparticipationinbothmoderateandvigorous
activityusingvocabularysuchasoutofbreathandheartbeatingfaster.Theydiscusshowactivitiesthatmakethemhuff
andpuffimproveheartandlungfunction.
Studentsdiscusstheneedforsafetyrulesforequipmentuse,andpractiseappropriatesafetyskillsandprocedures.
AsstudentsworktowardstheachievementofLevel4standardsintheHealthknowledgeandpromotiondimension,they
beginlearningabouthowtheydevelop.Theyexplorepeoplesneedsatvariousstagesofdevelopmentandrecognise
thatsomeneedsapplytoallstagesoflife.Theydescribewhattheylikeaboutthemselves,howtheyaresimilartoothers
andhowtheyareunique.
Theybegintoidentifythebenefitsofsafebehavioursandlearnhowtheycanprotectandincreasetheirhealthandsafety
andthehealthandsafetyofothers.Inconsideringpersonalsafetyissues,theydiscussthewayvarioussituationsand
behavioursaffectthewaytheyfeel,anddeveloppersonalresponsestosuchbehavioursandsituations.
Withguidance,theylearntomakehealthyfoodchoicesaccordingtohealthyeatingmodels,andtoconsiderthefactors
thatinfluencetheirchoiceoffoods.Theybegintorecognisetheimportanceofvarietyandfrequencyoffoodconsumption
foranactiveandhealthylife.
Standards
Movementandphysicalactivity
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AtLevel2,studentsdemonstratebasicmotorskillsandsomemorecomplexskills.Theycombinemotorskillsand
movementpatternsduringindividualandgroupactivities.Theydemonstratecontrolwhenparticipatinginlocomotor
activitiesrequiringchangeofspeed,directionandlevel.Theycreateandperformsimplerhythmicalmovement
sequencesinresponsetostimuli.Theyregularlyengageinsessionsofmoderatetovigorousphysicalactivityand
describethelinkbetweenphysicalactivityandhealth.Theyexplainthecontributionrulesandproceduresmaketosafe
conductofgamesandactivities.Theyuseequipmentandspacesafely.
Healthknowledgeandpromotion
InHealthandPhysicalEducation,standardsfortheHealthknowledgeandpromotiondimensionareintroducedatLevel
3.
Health and Physical Education

VCAA | AusVELS Curriculum | Date PDF created: Wednesday, 29 May 2013 14
Level3
LearningFocus
AsstudentsworktowardstheachievementofLevel4standardsinHealthandPhysicalEducation,theypractiseanduse
complexmanipulativeandlocomotorskillsinarangeofmovementenvironments(indoor,outdoorandaquatic).They
practiseanddevelopcompetencyinarangeofcomplexmotorskillssuchasleaping,dodging,theoverarmthrow,
dribblingandstrikingballs,cartwheelingandhandstanding.Inaquaticenvironmentstheypractisearangeof
movementssuchas:propellingthebodyonthefrontandbackusingfreestyle,backstroke,breaststrokeandsurvival
backstrokefor10to20metresandalandbasedrescue.Theydiscusstheperformancecriteriaofmotorskillsand
practiseobservingapartnersperformance.Throughmodifiedmajorgames(forexample,gameswithmodifiedrules,
equipment,playingfield,lengthofgameornumbersonateamsuchasmodifiednetball),andathleticsactivities(for
example,discus,shotputandmodifiedversionsofjumps),studentsbegintoapplytheirskillsinsportspecificsettings.
Duringgymnasticsordancesessionsstudentslearn,reproduceandchoreographmorecomplexmovementsequences.
Studentsparticipateinarangeofactivitiesthatpromotehealthrelatedfitnesscomponentsofcardiorespiratoryfitness,
flexibilityandstrengthandexplorethelinkbetweenhealthrelatedfitnessandlifestyleactivities.
Theyexplorebasicgamestacticssuchas:introducingtheconceptsofattackanddefencefollowingtherulesofthe
gameanddescribingtherolesofvariouspositions.Theybegintoworkwithotherstosetandachievegoalsinboth
cooperativeandcompetitivegamessettings.Theyinventgamesforthemselvesandotherstoplay,anddiscussand
practiseappropriatesafetyconsiderationsforthesegames.Studentsconsiderthedifferenttasksundertakenbyofficials
toensureagameoractivitycanproceedsmoothly.Theydiscusshowallstudentscanhaveequalopportunityto
participate,irrespectiveofskilllevel.Whereappropriate,theyparticipateincompetitiveactivitiesthroughintraschool
sport.
Studentslearnaboutoutdooradventureactivitiestoenablethemtobetterunderstandthenatureofoutdoorenvironments
andhowtheycanpreparethemselvesforsafeinvolvementinsuchactivities.
Studentsexaminetheirphysicaldevelopmentindetailforexample,changesintheirheight.Theydevelopan
understandingofhumandevelopmentacrossthelifespanasacontinuousprocessinvolvingchangesandpredictable
stagessuchasconception,prenatal,infancy,childhood,adolescence,adulthoodandaging.Studentslearnthatwhilethe
natureofchangesassociatedwiththesestagesispredictable,thetimingwillvaryforindividuals.Studentsbeginto
explorehowtheiremotionsareaffectedbythewaytheyviewthemselves,identifyingfactors(includingtheinfluenceof
peersandfamily)thataffect,positivelyornegatively,theirsenseofidentityandselfworth.Theylearnskillsformaintaining
andsupportingtheirselfworth.Theyexaminerolesandexpectationsofpeoplewhicharisefromgender,cultureandage.
Theyinvestigateavarietyofscenariosidentifyingpotentialhazardsandharmsathome,atschoolandinthecommunity,
usinggivencriteriasuchasahomesafetychecklist.Theybegintoexploretherelationshipbetweensafety,riskand
challenge,withanemphasisondevelopingtheirknowledgeandunderstandingofstrategiesandskillstoreduceharms,
preventaccidentsandcreatesafeandsupportiveenvironments.
Studentsexplorehowtheschoolandcommunitycontributetothehealthofitsmembers,boththroughtheimpactofits
physicalandsocialenvironmentsandthroughtheservicesandfacilitiesitprovides.Examplesoffacilitiesandservices
thatcontributetohealthcouldincludeschoolcrossings,safetysigns,playgrounds,parks,clubsandaschool
environmentfreeofbullying.
Health and Physical Education

VCAA | AusVELS Curriculum | Date PDF created: Wednesday, 29 May 2013 15
Studentsdeveloptheirunderstandingoftheneedforvarietyandfrequencyoffoodintakeinactiveandhealthylives,and
begintorelatethefoodstheyeatwiththeenergytheyneedforeverydayandphysicalactivities.Theyconsiderthe
physiological,social,culturalandeconomicfactorsthatinfluencefoodchoice,andtheimpactofthesefactorsonhealthy
eating.Examplescouldinclude:howtasteormoodaffectsfoodchoicetheimpactofmeetingnutritionalrequirementsfor
growthandenergytheinfluenceofpeersandfamilyonfoodchoicepopularfoodsinothercountriesandtheavailability
oflowcosthealthysnacksorlunches.Studentsreflectontheimportanceofhealthyeatingandparticipationinphysical
activityfortheirphysical,socialandemotionalhealth.
Standards
AtLevel3,studentsareworkingtowardtheLevel4standards.
Health and Physical Education

VCAA | AusVELS Curriculum | Date PDF created: Wednesday, 29 May 2013 16
Level4
LearningFocus
AsstudentsworktowardstheachievementofLevel4standardsinHealthandPhysicalEducation,theypractiseanduse
complexmanipulativeandlocomotorskillsinarangeofmovementenvironments(indoor,outdoorandaquatic).They
practiseanddevelopcompetencyinarangeofcomplexmotorskillssuchasleaping,dodging,theoverarmthrow,
dribblingandstrikingballs,cartwheelingandhandstanding.Inaquaticenvironmentstheypractisearangeof
movementssuchas:propellingthebodyonthefrontandbackusingfreestyle,backstroke,breaststrokeandsurvival
backstrokefor10to20metresandalandbasedrescue.Theydiscusstheperformancecriteriaofmotorskillsand
practiseobservingapartnersperformance.Throughmodifiedmajorgames(forexample,gameswithmodifiedrules,
equipment,playingfield,lengthofgameornumbersonateamsuchasmodifiednetball),andathleticsactivities(for
example,discus,shotputandmodifiedversionsofjumps),studentsbegintoapplytheirskillsinsportspecificsettings.
Duringgymnasticsordancesessionsstudentslearn,reproduceandchoreographmorecomplexmovementsequences.
Studentsparticipateinarangeofactivitiesthatpromotehealthrelatedfitnesscomponentsofcardiorespiratoryfitness,
flexibilityandstrengthandexplorethelinkbetweenhealthrelatedfitnessandlifestyleactivities.
Theyexplorebasicgamestacticssuchas:introducingtheconceptsofattackanddefencefollowingtherulesofthe
gameanddescribingtherolesofvariouspositions.Theybegintoworkwithotherstosetandachievegoalsinboth
cooperativeandcompetitivegamessettings.Theyinventgamesforthemselvesandotherstoplay,anddiscussand
practiseappropriatesafetyconsiderationsforthesegames.Studentsconsiderthedifferenttasksundertakenbyofficials
toensureagameoractivitycanproceedsmoothly.Theydiscusshowallstudentscanhaveequalopportunityto
participate,irrespectiveofskilllevel.Whereappropriate,theyparticipateincompetitiveactivitiesthroughintraschool
sport.
Studentslearnaboutoutdooradventureactivitiestoenablethemtobetterunderstandthenatureofoutdoorenvironments
andhowtheycanpreparethemselvesforsafeinvolvementinsuchactivities.
Studentsexaminetheirphysicaldevelopmentindetailforexample,changesintheirheight.Theydevelopan
understandingofhumandevelopmentacrossthelifespanasacontinuousprocessinvolvingchangesandpredictable
stagessuchasconception,prenatal,infancy,childhood,adolescence,adulthoodandaging.Studentslearnthatwhilethe
natureofchangesassociatedwiththesestagesispredictable,thetimingwillvaryforindividuals.Studentsbeginto
explorehowtheiremotionsareaffectedbythewaytheyviewthemselves,identifyingfactors(includingtheinfluenceof
peersandfamily)thataffect,positivelyornegatively,theirsenseofidentityandselfworth.Theylearnskillsformaintaining
andsupportingtheirselfworth.Theyexaminerolesandexpectationsofpeoplewhicharisefromgender,cultureandage.
Theyinvestigateavarietyofscenariosidentifyingpotentialhazardsandharmsathome,atschoolandinthecommunity,
usinggivencriteriasuchasahomesafetychecklist.Theybegintoexploretherelationshipbetweensafety,riskand
challenge,withanemphasisondevelopingtheirknowledgeandunderstandingofstrategiesandskillstoreduceharms,
preventaccidentsandcreatesafeandsupportiveenvironments.
Studentsexplorehowtheschoolandcommunitycontributetothehealthofitsmembers,boththroughtheimpactofits
physicalandsocialenvironmentsandthroughtheservicesandfacilitiesitprovides.Examplesoffacilitiesandservices
thatcontributetohealthcouldincludeschoolcrossings,safetysigns,playgrounds,parks,clubsandaschool
environmentfreeofbullying.
Health and Physical Education

VCAA | AusVELS Curriculum | Date PDF created: Wednesday, 29 May 2013 17
Studentsdeveloptheirunderstandingoftheneedforvarietyandfrequencyoffoodintakeinactiveandhealthylives,and
begintorelatethefoodstheyeatwiththeenergytheyneedforeverydayandphysicalactivities.Theyconsiderthe
physiological,social,culturalandeconomicfactorsthatinfluencefoodchoice,andtheimpactofthesefactorsonhealthy
eating.Examplescouldinclude:howtasteormoodaffectsfoodchoicetheimpactofmeetingnutritionalrequirementsfor
growthandenergytheinfluenceofpeersandfamilyonfoodchoicepopularfoodsinothercountriesandtheavailability
oflowcosthealthysnacksorlunches.Studentsreflectontheimportanceofhealthyeatingandparticipationinphysical
activityfortheirphysical,socialandemotionalhealth.
Standards
Movementandphysicalactivity
AtLevel4,studentsperformabroadrangeofcomplexmotorskills.Theydemonstrateawidevarietyofmotorskillsand
applythemtobasic,sportspecificsituations.Theycreateandperformcoordinatedmovementsequencesthatcontaina
varietyofmotorskillsandmovementpatterns.Theyparticipateregularlyinphysicalactivitiesforthepurposeofimproving
skillandhealth,andidentifyanddescribethecomponentsofhealthrelatedfitness.Theybegintousebasicgames
tactics.Theyworkwithotherstoachievegoalsinbothcooperativeandcompetitivesportingandgamessituations,
explaintheconceptoffairplay,andrespecttherolesofofficials.Studentsfollowsafetyprinciplesingamesandactivities.
Healthknowledgeandpromotion
AtLevel4,studentsdescribethestagesofhumandevelopmentacrossthehumanlifespan.Studentsexplainbasic
conceptsofidentityandusesimplestrategiestomaintainandsupporttheirselfworth.Theyidentifybasicsafetyskills
andstrategiesathome,schoolandinthecommunity,anddescribemethodsforrecognisingandavoidingharmful
situations.Theydescribehowphysicalandsocialcomponentsinthelocalenvironmentcontributetowellbeingand
identifyhowhealthservicesandproductsaddressthehealthneedsandconcernsofthelocalcommunity.Theyidentify
healthyeatingpracticesandexplainsomephysiological,social,culturalandeconomicreasonsforpeoplesfood
choices.
Health and Physical Education

VCAA | AusVELS Curriculum | Date PDF created: Wednesday, 29 May 2013 18
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).
Health and Physical Education

VCAA | AusVELS Curriculum | Date PDF created: Wednesday, 29 May 2013 19
Studentsconsiderwhatitmeanstobephysically,sociallyandemotionallyhealthy.Theyexploretheirownandothers
viewsabouthealthandsuggestwhatitmightmeanforcertaingroupsofpeopleforexample,theelderly,peoplewitha
disabilityorthosefromanotherculture.Studentsconsiderfactorsthataffecttheirownandothersabilitytoaccessand
effectivelyusehealthinformation,productsandservices.Theydiscussanddevelopstrategiesforimprovingtheir
personalhealth.
TheyinvestigatedifferentfoodselectionmodelssuchastheHealthyEatingPyramidandtheAustralianGuidetoHealthy
Eatingandtheircharacteristics,andreflectonhowtheycanbeusedtoassistindecisionsaboutfoodchoices.Theylearn
aboutthesafeandhygienicpreparationandstorageoffood.
Standards
AtLevel5,studentsareworkingtowardtheLevel6standards.
Health and Physical Education

VCAA | AusVELS Curriculum | Date PDF created: Wednesday, 29 May 2013 20
Level6
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).
Health and Physical Education

VCAA | AusVELS Curriculum | Date PDF created: Wednesday, 29 May 2013 21
Studentsconsiderwhatitmeanstobephysically,sociallyandemotionallyhealthy.Theyexploretheirownandothers
viewsabouthealthandsuggestwhatitmightmeanforcertaingroupsofpeopleforexample,theelderly,peoplewitha
disabilityorthosefromanotherculture.Studentsconsiderfactorsthataffecttheirownandothersabilitytoaccessand
effectivelyusehealthinformation,productsandservices.Theydiscussanddevelopstrategiesforimprovingtheir
personalhealth.
TheyinvestigatedifferentfoodselectionmodelssuchastheHealthyEatingPyramidandtheAustralianGuidetoHealthy
Eatingandtheircharacteristics,andreflectonhowtheycanbeusedtoassistindecisionsaboutfoodchoices.Theylearn
aboutthesafeandhygienicpreparationandstorageoffood.
Standards
Movementandphysicalactivity
AtLevel6,studentsperformconfidentlyandefficientlyinarangeofmovementenvironments(indoor,outdoor,and
aquatic).Theyrefinebasicandcomplexmotorskillsandapplytheseskillsinincreasinglycomplexgamesandactivities.
Theymaintainregularparticipationinmoderatetovigorousphysicalactivityandmonitorexerciseintensity.Theyexplain
theprocessforimprovinghealthrelatedfitness.Studentseffectivelyusestrategicthinkingandworkwithbothmoreand
l essskilledpeerstoimprovegameperformance.Studentsworkindependentlytoimproveperformance.Theyevaluate
theperformanceofapartnerandprovideconstructivefeedbackbasedonperformancecriteriatoassistskill
development.Studentsdescribeandanalysethevariousrolesrequiredincompetitivesports.Theyworkinagroupto
createagame,andestablishrulesandproceduresforitssafeconduct.
Healthknowledgeandpromotion
AtLevel6,studentsidentifythelikelyphysical,emotionalandsocialchangesthatoccurduringpuberty.Theyidentifyand
discussthevalidityofthewaysinwhichpeopledefinetheirownandotherpeoplesidentity.Theydescribetheactions
theycantakeiftheyfeelunsafeathome,schoolandinthecommunity.Theydescribethephysical,socialandemotional
dimensionsofhealthandestablishhealthgoalsandplanstrategiesforimprovingtheirpersonalhealth.Theydescribea
rangeofhealthservices,productsandinformationthatcanbeaccessedtohelpmeethealthneedsandconcerns.They
analyseandexplainphysiological,social,culturalandeconomicreasonsforfoodchoicesandanalyseanddescribefood
selectionmodels.Theydescribehowtoprepareandstorefoodhygienically.
Health and Physical Education

VCAA | AusVELS Curriculum | Date PDF created: Wednesday, 29 May 2013 22

TableofContents
Overview
Introduction
Domainstructure
CurriculumF10
Foundationlevel
Level1
Level2
Level3
Level4
2
2
2
5
5
6
7
8
9
The Humanities

VCAA | AusVELS Curriculum | Date PDF created: Wednesday, 29 May 2013 1

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 TheHumanities:FoundationLevel4(includesHistory
AC
)

l TheHumanities:History
AC
Levels510

l TheHumanities:GeographyLevels510
l TheHumanities:EconomicsLevels510
AusVELSusesanelevenlevelstructuretobothreflectthedesignofthenewAustralianCurriculumandtoprovidea
consistentstructureacrossalltheAusVELSdomains(formoredetails,pleaseseeOverview).ToviewtheHumanities:
History
AC
contentdescriptorsandachievementstandardsforF10,gotoTheHumanitiesHistory
AC
.

TheHumanities(FoundationLevel2)
AtFoundationtoLevel2,studentsareintroducedtobasicconceptsrelatedtohistory,geographyandeconomics.These
conceptsaresetoutindiscretecontentdescriptionsandachievementstandardsforHistory
AC
andunderthegeneral
umbrellaofTheHumanitiesforGeographyandEconomics.AchievementstandardsforHistory
AC
areintroducedfrom
Foundation.StandardsfortherestoftheHumanitiesareintroducedfromLevel3.
TheHumanities(Levels34)
TheHumanities(34)includestheHistory
AC
contentdescriptionsandachievementstandardsforlevels34.Thelearning
focusandstandardsforGeographyandEconomicscontinuetobesetoutunderthegeneralumbrellaofTheHumanities.
TheHumanities(Levels510)
TheHumanities(510)arestructuredbytheseparatedomainsofHistory,GeographyandEconomics.Thedomainsof
GeographyandEconomicsincludeslearningfocusstatementsandstandardsforlevels510.ThedomainofHistory
AC

includescontentdescriptionsandachievementstandardsforlevels510.
ThefollowingprovidesasummaryofthestructuralelementsoftheHumanities.
TheHumanitiesGeographyandEconomics
The Humanities

VCAA | AusVELS Curriculum | Date PDF created: Wednesday, 29 May 2013 2
Learningfocus
Learningfocusstatementsarewrittenforeachlevel.Theseoutlinethelearningthatstudentsneedtofocusoniftheyareto
progressinthedomainandachievethestandardsatthelevelswheretheyapply.Theysuggestappropriatelearning
experiencesfromwhichteacherscandrawtodeveloprelevantteachingandlearningactivities.
Standards
Standardsdefinewhatstudentsshouldknowandbeabletodoatdifferentlevelsandarewrittenforeachdimension.
StandardsthatfocusonhistoricalandgeographicalknowledgeandunderstandingareintroducedatLevel3.Standardsfor
assessingandreportingonstudentachievementforEconomicsandGeographyareintroducedatLevel5.
Dimensions
StandardsintheHumanitiesforGeographyandEconomicsareorganisedintwodimensions:
l Humanitiesknowledgeandunderstanding
l 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
AC
isorganisedintotwointerrelatedstrands:

l Historicalknowledgeandunderstanding
l Historicalskills
Historicalknowledgeandunderstanding
The Humanities

VCAA | AusVELS Curriculum | Date PDF created: Wednesday, 29 May 2013 3
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

VCAA | AusVELS Curriculum | Date PDF created: Wednesday, 29 May 2013 4

Foundationlevel
LearningFocus
AsstudentsworktowardstheachievementofLevel4standardsintheHumanities,theydrawontheirownexperienceto
helpthemunderstandtheworldaroundthem.
Studentsdevelopanawarenessofspatialconceptsthroughstructuredexperienceswithintheirimmediateenvironment.
Theyinvestigatetherelativelocation,directionanddistanceoftheirhome,school,classroom,localparks,shopsand
othersignificantfeaturesoftheirenvironmentandbegintounderstandthegeographyoftheirlocalarea.Theylearnto
giveandfollowsimpledirections,anddescribelocationrelativetootherpeopleandplacesusingeverydayspatialterms
suchasfront/back,up/down,right/left,near/far,above/below.Theydrawsimplepictorialmapsfromtheirdeveloping
mentalmapsoffamiliarenvironments.
Studentsexplorehowandwhynaturalfactors(forexample,changesintheweather)andhumanactivities(forexample,
theclosingofapark)affecttheirlives.Theydevelopbasicnarrativesthatlinkeventsintheirownexperience.Participating
inactivitiessuchaswearingprotectionfromthesun,savingenergy,savingwater,andrecycling,theydeveloptheir
awarenessofenvironmentalissues.
Standards
IntheHumanities,achievementstandardsforHistoryareintroducedfromFoundationlevel.Standardsfortheother
HumanitiesdomainsareintroducedfromLevel4.
FoundationLevelHistory
AC

Thecurriculum(contentdescriptionsandachievementstandards)forHistory
AC
FoundationtoLevel4islocatedhere.

The Humanities

VCAA | AusVELS Curriculum | Date PDF created: Wednesday, 29 May 2013 5
Level1
LearningFocus
AsstudentsworktowardstheachievementofLevel4standardsintheHumanitiestheydeveloptheirunderstandingof
thelocalcommunity.
Studentsdeveloptheirawarenessofspatialconceptsandusetermsthatdemonstrateanunderstandingofabsoluteand
relativelocations.Withguidance,theyrecogniseandpointtotheirstreet,townorcityandstateonanappropriatemap.
TheyrecognisetheglobeasamodelrepresentationofEarthandcanlocateAustraliaandotherplaceswithwhichthey
havelinks.Studentslearntoidentifyandnamephysicalfeaturesanddistinguishthemonthebasisofvariables,
includingsize(scale/height/distribution)andcolour.Throughobservation,theyinvestigateanddescribeelementsofthe
naturalandbuiltenvironmentsintheirlocalarea.
Byobservingthecharacteristicsofdifferentplaces,andpromptedbyquestions,studentsthinkaboutenvironmental
differences,locallyandinotherpartsofAustraliaandtheworld,andwhythesedifferencesexist.
Studentsareintroducedtotheconceptofresourcesandtheirmanagement,andbegintounderstandhowresourceuse
reflectscommunityinterdependenceandeconomicsustainability.Theybegintounderstandhowlocalresourcesare
usedtomakeproductswhichmeetlocalpeople'sneedsandtheneedsofpeopleinotherplaces.Theyalsobeginto
understandthatresourcesfromotherplacesmaybeusedtomakeproductslocallytomeettheirneeds.
Standards
IntheHumanities,achievementstandardsforHistoryareintroducedfromFoundationlevel.Standardsfortheother
Humanitiesdomainsareintroducedfromlevel4.
Level1History
AC

Thecurriculum(contentdescriptionsandachievementstandards)forHistory
AC
FoundationtoLevel4islocatedhere.

The Humanities

VCAA | AusVELS Curriculum | Date PDF created: Wednesday, 29 May 2013 6
Level2
LearningFocus
AsstudentsworktowardstheachievementofLevel4standardsintheHumanities,theydeveloptheirunderstandingof
thelocalcommunity.
Studentsdeveloptheirawarenessofspatialconceptsandusetermsthatdemonstrateanunderstandingofabsoluteand
relativelocations.Withguidance,theyrecogniseandpointtotheirstreet,townorcityandstateonanappropriatemap.
TheyrecognisetheglobeasamodelrepresentationofEarthandcanlocateAustraliaandotherplaceswithwhichthey
havelinks.Studentslearntoidentifyandnamephysicalfeaturesanddistinguishthemonthebasisofvariables,
includingsize(scale/height/distribution)andcolour.Throughobservation,theyinvestigateanddescribeelementsofthe
naturalandbuiltenvironmentsintheirlocalarea.
Byobservingthecharacteristicsofdifferentplaces,andpromptedbyquestions,studentsthinkaboutenvironmental
differences,locallyandinotherpartsofAustraliaandtheworld,andwhythesedifferencesexist.
Studentsareintroducedtotheconceptofresourcesandtheirmanagement,andbegintounderstandhowresourceuse
reflectscommunityinterdependenceandeconomicsustainability.Theybegintounderstandhowlocalresourcesare
usedtomakeproductswhichmeetlocalpeople'sneedsandtheneedsofpeopleinotherplaces.Theyalsobeginto
understandthatresourcesfromotherplacesmaybeusedtomakeproductslocallytomeettheirneeds.
Standards
IntheHumanities,achievementstandardsforHistoryareintroducedfromFoundationlevel.Standardsfortheother
Humanitiesdomainsareintroducedfromlevel4.
Level2History
AC

Thecurriculum(contentdescriptionsandachievementstandards)forHistory
AC
FoundationtoLevel4islocatedhere.

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Level3
LearningFocus
AsstudentsworktowardstheachievementofLevel4standardsintheHumanities,theyconsiderthefeaturesand
characteristicsoftheirlocalareaandVictoria.
StudentsinvestigatethehumanandphysicalcharacteristicsoftheirlocalareaandotherpartsofVictoriaandconsider
featuresoftheirlocalcommunitythathavechangedovertime.Theylearnaboutsettlementpatterns,majorlanduses,
communicationnetworks,andthelocationandvarietyofnationalparksinVictoria.Theybegintomakesomesimple
comparisonsbetweenlocalandotherVictorianenvironments:naturalfeatures,climate,landuseandtypesofhuman
activities.Studentsdevelopawarenessandunderstandingoftheeffectsofpeople'sinteractionswiththeirenvironment
andthewaysinwhichtheseaffecttheirlives.Studentsbegintovisualiseanddescribelocationanddirectionusing
simplealphanumericgridsandcompasspoints.Theylearntouseatlasmapsandaglobetolocateandnamethe
statesandterritoriesofAustralia.
Studentslearntodistinguishbetweenbasicneedsandwants(forexample,food,clothing,shelter,andaffection),saving
andspending,buyers(consumers)andsellers(producers),andgoodsandservices.Theydevelopanunderstandingof
theroleofmoneyandidentifywaystosaveforexample,usingasavingsaccount,andbegintounderstandthe
importanceofbudgeting.Theyexamineandcomparedifferenttypesofworkandspecificjobs.
Standards
Humanitiesknowledgeandunderstanding
AtLevel3,studentsareworkingtowardtheLevel4standardsforHumanities.
Humanitiesskills
AtLevel3,studentsareworkingtowardtheLevel4standardsforHumanities.
Level3History
AC

Thecurriculum(contentdescriptionsandachievementstandards)forHistory
AC
FoundationtoLevel4islocatedhere.

The Humanities

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Level4
LearningFocus
AsstudentsworktowardstheachievementofLevel4standardsintheHumanities,theyconsiderthefeaturesand
characteristicsoftheirlocalareaandVictoria.
StudentsinvestigatethehumanandphysicalcharacteristicsoftheirlocalareaandotherpartsofVictoriaandconsider
featuresoftheirlocalcommunitythathavechangedovertime.Theylearnaboutsettlementpatterns,majorlanduses,
communicationnetworks,andthelocationandvarietyofnationalparksinVictoria.Theybegintomakesomesimple
comparisonsbetweenlocalandotherVictorianenvironments:naturalfeatures,climate,landuseandtypesofhuman
activities.Studentsdevelopawarenessandunderstandingoftheeffectsofpeople'sinteractionswiththeirenvironment
andthewaysinwhichtheseaffecttheirlives.Studentsbegintovisualiseanddescribelocationanddirectionusing
simplealphanumericgridsandcompasspoints.Theylearntouseatlasmapsandaglobetolocateandnamethe
statesandterritoriesofAustralia.
Studentslearntodistinguishbetweenbasicneedsandwants(forexample,food,clothing,shelter,andaffection),saving
andspending,buyers(consumers)andsellers(producers),andgoodsandservices.Theydevelopanunderstandingof
theroleofmoneyandidentifywaystosaveforexample,usingasavingsaccount,andbegintounderstandthe
importanceofbudgeting.Theyexamineandcomparedifferenttypesofworkandspecificjobs.
Standards
Humanitiesknowledgeandunderstanding
AtLevel4,studentsdescribefromdirectobservationorobservationofavarietyofmedia,thehumanandphysical
characteristicsoftheirlocalareaandotherpartsofVictoria.Theydescribehowpeopleuseandaffectdifferent
environmentsinVictoria.
Humanitiesskills
AtLevel4,studentsdrawsimplemapsandplansoffamiliarenvironmentsobservingbasicmappingconventions.They
identifythelocationofplacesonasimplemapusinganalphanumericgridanddescribedirectionusingthefourcardinal
compasspoints.Usingatlasmapsandaglobe,theylocateandnamethestatesandterritoriesofAustralia.
IntheHumanities,achievementstandardsforHistoryareintroducedfromFoundationlevel.Standardsfortheother
Humanitiesdomainsareintroducedfromlevel4.
Level4History
AC

Thecurriculum(contentdescriptionsandachievementstandards)forHistory
AC
FoundationtoLevel4islocatedhere.

The Humanities

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TableofContents
Overview
Introduction
Domainstructure
Stagesoflearning
CurriculumF10
Level5
Level6
2
2
2
3
7
7
8
The Humanities - Economics

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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 microeconomicconceptsthatexplainhowbusinessesandmarketsoperate
l macroeconomicconceptsthathelptoexplainhowanationseconomyworks.
Itenablesstudentstounderstandtheimportanceofentrepreneurshipandenterpriseingeneratingahealthyeconomy.
Economicsprovidesstudentswiththeknowledgeandskillstoengagewitheconomicmattersandtoconsidertheeffectsof
alternativeeconomicdecisionsonthemselvesandothers.Theyaretheninabetterpositionto:
l actrationallyandethicallywhenmakingeconomicandpersonalfinancialdecisions
l appreciatethecomplexityofeconomicdecisionmaking
l understandtheeconomicdecisionsmadebyothers.
Notonlycantheymanagetheirpersonalaffairsbetter,theycanbemoreeffectiveandproductivemembersofsocietyasthey
arecapableofmakingreasonablejudgmentsonpublicpolicyissuesthathaveabearingontheirpersonalprospectsand
thoseofthenation.

StructureofTheHumanitiesEconomicsdomain
TheEconomicsdomaininAusVELSusesasixlevelstructurefromLevels5to10tobothreflectthedesignofthenew
AustralianCurriculumandtoprovideaconsistentstructureacrossalltheAusVELSdomains.
Eachlevelincludesalearningfocusstatementandasetofstandardsorganisedbydimension.Aglossaryisincludedwhich
providesdefinitionsofunderlinedterms.
Learningfocus
LearningfocusstatementsarewrittenforLevels5to10.AtFoundationtoLevel4,basicconceptsrelatedtohistory,
geographyandeconomicsareincludedunderthegeneralumbrellaofTheHumanities.Learningfocusstatementsoutline
thelearningthatstudentsneedtofocusoniftheyaretoprogressinthedomainandachievethestandardsatthelevels
wheretheyapply.Theysuggestappropriatelearningexperiencesfromwhichteacherscandrawtodeveloprelevantteaching
andlearningactivities.
Standards
The Humanities - Economics

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Standardsdefinewhatstudentsshouldknowandbeabletodoatdifferentlevelsandarewrittenforeachdimension.Inthe
Humanities,standardsforassessingandreportingonstudentachievementareintroducedatLevel3.Thesefocuson
historicalandgeographicalknowledgeandunderstanding.SpecificstandardsforEconomicsapplyfromLevel5.
Dimensions
StandardsintheEconomicsdomainareorganisedintwodimensions:
l Economicknowledgeandunderstanding
l 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
The Humanities - Economics

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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.
The Humanities - Economics

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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
EconomicsStandards
Level6
EconomicsStandards
Level8
EconomicsStandards
Level10
Identifyand
investigate
issuesrelated
toresource
allocation,
ecological
sustainability
andeconomic
activities
Studentsdescribea
varietyofeconomic
activities,inparticular
thoseinwhichthey
areinvolvedsuchas
shopping,makinga
sandwich,tendinga
garden,keepinga
pet
Studentsunderstandthat
resourcesarelimitedin
relationtounlimited
wantsandthatpeople
makechoicesbecause
theycan'thaveeverything
theywant.Studentsare
abletoidentifysome
choicestheyhavemade
andexplainwhytheyhad
tomakeachoice.
Studentsdistinguish
betweentheuse,
ownershipand
managementof
resourcesinpersonal,
businessandcommunity
contextsandappreciate
thateconomicchoices
involvetradeoffsthat
havebothimmediateand
futureconsequences.
Studentsappreciatethe
complexityofeveryform
ofeconomicactivityand
thewaysresourcesare
allocatedwhetherwithin
theirfamilycontextor
internationalsetting,
understandingthe
sourcesofconflict
betweendifferent
motivesforeconomic
activity.
The Humanities - Economics

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Identifyand
investigate
issuesrelated
tothenature
andmeaningof
work.
Studentsrecognise
andareableto
identifyavarietyof
jobsusing
categoriesor
pictures.
Studentsdistinguish
betweenpaidandunpaid
workandcompare
differenttypesofwork
andenterpriseinthe
localcommunity.
Studentsdescribe
factorsthataffectchoice
ofemploymentand
opportunitiesforcurrent
andfuturework,and
explaintherelationship
betweeneducation,
trainingandwork
opportunities
Studentsdemonstrate
skillsrequiredformoving
fromschoolto
employmentorfurther
education.
Useskillsof
economic
reasoningand
interpretation.
Studentsorganise
informationfroma
numberofsourcesto
reviewindividual
economicactions
suchassavingfora
treatorrecycling
waste.
Studentsorganise
informationfroma
numberofsourcesto
reviewgroupeconomic
actionssuchasplanning
tobuyanewpetforthe
familyororganisinga
schoolfair.
Studentsorganise
informationfroma
numberofsourcesto
advocateandreviewtheir
viewsaboutsomelocal
ornationaleconomic
issuesuchaswhether
tollsshouldbecharged
onanewfreewayintheir
areaorwhether
unemployedpeople
shouldworkforthedole.
Studentsorganise
informationfroma
numberofsourcesto
advocateandreviewtheir
viewsaboutsome
internationaleconomic
issuesuchaswhether
Australiashould
increasetheintakeof
skilledmigrantsorwhy
Australianeedsexports.
The Humanities - Economics

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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
AtLevel5,studentsareworkingtowardtheLevel6standards.
The Humanities - Economics

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Level6
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
Economicknowledgeandunderstanding
AtLevel6,studentsdescribethenatureoftheeconomicproblem(scarcity)andexplainhowselectedgoodsandservices
areproducedanddistributed.Studentsdescribethedifferencebetweenneedsandwants,andtheirownrolesas
producersandconsumersofgoodsandservices.Theyexplaintheneedtobeaninformedconsumer.Theyexplainthe
roleofworkinsocietyanddistinguishbetweenpaidandunpaidwork.Theycomparedifferenttypesofworkand
enterpriseinthelocalcommunity.Studentsdemonstratebasicunderstandingofpersonalmoneymanagementandthe
roleofbanking,budgetingandsaving.
Economicreasoningandinterpretation
AtLevel6,studentsusetheinquiryprocesstoplaneconomicsinvestigationsabouteconomicissuesinthehome,
schoolorlocalcommunityandformconclusionssupportedbyevidence.
The Humanities - Economics

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TableofContents
Overview
Introduction
Domainstructure
Stagesoflearning
CurriculumF10
Level5
Level6
2
2
2
3
6
6
7
The Humanities - Geography

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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 secondarysources,includingmapsatavarietyofscales,photographs,satelliteimages,statisticaldata
l informationandcommunicationstechnologybasedresources
l 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
The Humanities - Geography

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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.
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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.
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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
terminology
Spatialinteraction
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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
AtLevel5,studentsareworkingtowardtheLevel6standards.
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Level6
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
Geographicalknowledgeandunderstanding
AtLevel6,studentsidentifyanddescribeAustraliassignificantnaturalprocesses.Theydescribethereactionofpeople
totheseprocessesincludingthemanagementofnaturaldisasters.Theycomparethevariouswayshumanshaveused
andaffectedtheAustralianenvironment.Studentsrecommendwaysofprotectingenvironmentallysensitiveareasina
sustainableway.Theyprovideexamplesandevidencebasedontheirinquiries.Theyusegeographiclanguagetoidentify
anddescribethehumanandphysicalcharacteristicsoflocalandglobalenvironmentsdepictedbydifferentkindsof
maps,diagrams,photographsandsatelliteimages.
Geospatialskills
AtLevel6,studentsuseatlases,streetdirectoriesandtownplanmapstoaccuratelydescribethedistance,directionand
locationofplaces.Theyidentifyfeaturesfrommaps,satelliteimages,andobliquephotographs.Theydrawsketchmaps
oftheirneighbourhoodusingsimplemappingconventionssuchastitle,scale,northpointandlegend.Theyresearch,
collect,recordanddescribedataobtainedthroughfieldstudysurveysandmeasurementstoformconclusionsaboutthe
useofresources.
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TableofContents
Overview
RationaleandAims
Contentstructure
HistoryacrossFoundationtoLevel10
Achievementstandards
Diversityoflearners
Crosscurriculumpriorities
CurriculumF10
FoundationLevel
Level1
Level2
Level3
Level4
Level5
Level6
2
2
2
4
6
6
7
9
9
12
15
18
22
25
29
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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:
l interestin,andenjoymentof,historicalstudyforlifelonglearningandwork,includingtheircapacityandwillingnessto
beinformedandactivecitizens
l knowledge,understandingandappreciationofthepastandtheforcesthatshapesocieties,includingAustralian
society
l understandinganduseofhistoricalconcepts,suchasevidence,continuityandchange,causeandeffect,perspectives,
empathy,significanceandcontestability
l capacitytoundertakehistoricalinquiry,includingskillsintheanalysisanduseofsources,andinexplanationand
communication.

ContentStructure
TheAustralianCurriculum:Historyisorganisedintotwointerrelatedstrands:HistoricalKnowledgeandUnderstandingand
HistoricalSkills.
HistoricalKnowledgeandUnderstanding
Thisstrandincludespersonal,family,local,stateorterritory,national,regionalandworldhistory.Thereisanemphasison
AustralianhistoryinitsworldhistorycontextatFoundationtoLevel10andafocusonworldhistoryintheseniorsecondary
levels.Thestrandincludesastudyofsocieties,events,movementsanddevelopmentsthathaveshapedworldhistoryfrom
thetimeoftheearliesthumancommunitiestothepresentday.
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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,inbandsofschoolingwillassistinmultiageprogramming
byprovidingacommonfocusfortheteachingandlearningofcontentintheHistoricalKnowledgeandUnderstanding
strand.
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.
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InFoundationtoLevel2,thereisaparticularemphasisontheconceptsofcontinuityandchange,causeandeffect,and
significancewithinthecontextofpersonal,familyandlocalhistory.TheseconceptscontinuetobeafocusofstudyinLevels
36withtheinclusionofcontentrelatedtoperspectiveschallengingthenotionthatthepastisagivenandisunproblematic.
InLevels710theconceptsofevidenceandcontestabilityareintroducedtofurtherdevelopstudents'understandingofthe
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
Althoughthecurriculumisdescribedbylevel,thisdocumentprovidesadvicebylevelandage,onthenatureoflearnersand
therelevantcurriculum:
l FoundationtoLevel2:typicallystudentsfrom5to8yearsofage
l Levels3to6:typicallystudentsfrom8to12yearsofage
l Levels7to10:typicallystudentsfrom12to16yearsofage.
FoundationtoLevel2
Curriculumfocus:Awarenessoffamilyhistoryandcommunityheritage
Throughexperimentation,practiceandplay,childrenintheselevelsusetheirinterestinpeopleandhowthingsworktomake
senseoftheirworld.
ThishistorycurriculumenablesstudentsinFoundationtoLevel2tolearnabouttheirownsocialcontextoffamily,friendsand
school,andthesignificanceofthepast.Theyengagewiththeremainsofthepastdevelopaconceptoftimeaspresent,past
andfuture,andthroughroleplayusetheirimaginationtospeculateaboutthelivesofothersinthepast.
Levels3to6
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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:
l theLevel7curriculumfocusesonhistoryfromthetimeoftheearliesthumancommunitiestotheendoftheancient
period(approximately60,000BCEc.650CE)aperioddefinedbythedevelopmentofculturalpracticesandorganised
societies
l theLevel8curriculumfocusesonhistoryfromtheendoftheancientperiodtothebeginningofthemodernperiod
(c.6501750)aspanofhumanhistorymarkedbysignificanteconomic,religiousandpoliticalchange
l theLevel9curriculumfocusesonthemakingofthemodernworldandAustraliafrom1750to1918aneraof
industrialism,nationalismandimperialism
l theLevel10curriculumfocusesonthehistoryofthemodernworldandAustraliafrom1918tothepresentThe
twentiethcenturywasanimportantperiodinAustraliassocial,cultural,economicandpoliticaldevelopment.
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TheAusVELSHistoryScopeandSequencechartisavailablefromtheVCAAwebsite.

AchievementStandards
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.
Specialeducationneeds
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.
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Intheinterim,advicefromDEECDabouthowtousethecurriculumwithstudentswithspecialeducationneedsisavailable
hereorfromtheDEECDwebsite.SchoolscanalsocontinuetousetheVELSStudentswithDisabilities
Guidelines(PDF615KB).Thesewillbeupdatedduring2013.
Englishasanadditionallanguageordialect
ManystudentsinAustralianschoolsarelearnersofEnglishasanadditionallanguageordialect(EAL/D).LearnersofEAL/D
arestudentswhosefirstlanguageisalanguageotherthanStandardAustralianEnglishandwhorequireadditionalsupport
toassistthemtodevelopEnglishlanguageproficiency.WhilemanyEAL/Dlearnersdowellinschool,thereisasignificant
groupoftheselearnerswholeaveschoolwithoutachievingtheirpotential.
EAL/Dstudentscomefromdiversebackgroundsandmayinclude:
l overseasandAustralianbornchildrenwhosefirstlanguageisalanguageotherthanEnglish
l AboriginalandTorresStraitIslanderstudentswhosefirstlanguageisanIndigenouslanguage,includingtraditional
languages,creolesandrelatedvarieties,orAboriginalEnglish.
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.

Crosscurriculumpriorities
TherearethreecrosscurriculumprioritiesintheAustralianCurriculum:
l AboriginalandTorresStraitIslanderhistoriesandcultures
l AsiaandAustraliasengagementwithAsia
l Sustainability.
Thecrosscurriculumprioritiesareembeddedinthecurriculumandwillhaveastrongbutvaryingpresencedependingon
theirrelevancetoeachofthelearningareas.
AboriginalandTorresStraitIslanderhistoriesandcultures
AboriginalandTorresStraitIslandercommunitiesarestrong,richanddiverse.AboriginalandTorresStraitIslanderIdentityis
centraltothispriorityandisintrinsicallylinkedtoliving,learningAboriginalandTorresStraitIslandercommunities,deep
knowledgetraditionsandholisticworldview.
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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.
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FoundationLevel
PersonalandFamilyHistories
TheFoundationcurriculumprovidesastudyofpersonalandfamilyhistories.Studentslearnabouttheirownhistoryand
thatoftheirfamilythismayincludestoriesfromdifferentculturesandotherpartsoftheworld.Asparticipantsintheirown
history,studentsbuildontheirknowledgeandunderstandingofhowthepastisdifferentfromthepresent.
Thecontentprovidesopportunitiestodevelophistoricalunderstandingthroughkeyconceptsincludingcontinuityand
change,causeandeffect,perspectives,empathyandsignificance.Theseconceptsmaybeinvestigatedwithina
particularhistoricalcontexttofacilitateanunderstandingofthepastandtoprovideafocusforhistoricalinquiries.
Thehistorycontentatthislevelinvolvestwostrands:HistoricalKnowledgeandUnderstandingandHistoricalSkills.
Thesestrandsareinterrelatedandshouldbetaughtinanintegratedwaytheymaybeintegratedacrosslearningareas
andinwaysthatareappropriatetospecificlocalcontexts.Theorderanddetailinwhichtheyaretaughtareprogramming
decisions.
Aframeworkfordevelopingstudentshistoricalknowledge,understandingandskillsisprovidedbyinquiryquestions.
Thekeyinquiryquestionsatthislevelare:
l WhatismyhistoryandhowdoIknow?
l Whatstoriesdootherpeopletellaboutthepast?
l Howcanstoriesofthepastbetoldandshared?
HistoricalKnowledgeandUnderstanding
PersonalandFamilyHistories Elaborations
Whothepeopleintheirfamilyare,where
theywerebornandraisedandhowthey
arerelatedtoeachother(ACHHK001)
l identifyingthedifferentmembersofafamily,(forexamplemother,
father,caregiver,sister,brother,grandparent,aunty,uncle,cousin)
andcreatingsimplefamilytreeswithpicturesorphotographs(if
possibleusingICT)toshowtherelationshipbetweenfamily
members
l namingfamilymembers,findingoutwheretheywerebornand
raisedandplacingtheirphotographs,drawingsandnamesona
classroomworldmap
Thedifferentstructuresoffamiliesand
familygroupstoday,andwhattheyhavein
common(ACHHK002)

l consideringarangeoffamilystructures,(forexamplenuclear
families,onlychildfamilies,largefamilies,singleparentfamilies,
extendedfamilies,blendedfamilies,adoptiveparentfamiliesand
grandparentfamilies)aswellaskinshipgroups,tribesandvillages
l usingimagesandstoriestoidentifysimilaritiesanddifferences
betweenstudents'familiesandthoseofotherchildren(intheirclass
andinstoriesaboutchildreninotherplaces,forexamplethe
countriesofAsia)
l exploringfamilystructuresofAboriginalandTorresStraitIslander
Peoples(forexamplewherechildrenbelongtoextendedfamiliesin
whichtherearespecificrolesandresponsibilitiestoensuresafety
andwellbeing)
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Howthey,theirfamilyandfriends
commemoratepasteventsthatare
importanttothem(ACHHK003)

l makingacalendarofcommemorativeeventsthatstudents,their
familyandfriendscelebrate,(forexamplebirthdays,religious
festivals(suchasEaster,Ramadan,Buddhaday,feastof
Passover),familyreunionsandcommunitycommemorations
(NAIDOCweek,andANZACday)anddiscussingwhytheyare
important
l discussingWelcometoCountryandrecognisingthatthecountry,
placeandtraditionalcustodiansofthelandorseaare
acknowledgedatceremoniesandeventsasamarkofrespect
Howthestoriesoffamiliesandthepast
canbecommunicated,forexample
throughphotographs,artefacts,books,
oralhistories,digitalmedia,and
museums(ACHHK004)

l engagingwiththeoraltraditions,paintingandmusicofAboriginal
andTorresStraitIslanderpeoplesandrecognisingthatthepastis
communicatedthroughstoriespasseddownfromgenerationto
generation
l sharingthestoryofanobjectfromhome,describingitsimportance
tothefamily(forexamplephotographs,oldtoys,statues,medals,
artwork,jewellery)andcreatingaclassmuseum
l recognisingthatstoriesofthepastmaydifferdependingonwhois
tellingthem(forexamplelisteningtostoriesaboutthesameevent
relatedbytwodifferentpeoplesuchasamotherandagrandmother)
HistoricalSkills
Chronology,termsandconcepts Elaborations
Sequencefamiliarobjectsandevents
(ACHHS015)
l orderingsignificantpersonaleventsormilestonesusing
photographsordrawings(suchaswalking,talking,thebirthofa
sibling,movinghouse,anillness,anachievement,firstdayat
school)
Distinguishbetweenthepast,presentand
future(ACHHS016)
l usingsimpletermstodenotetimewhenstudentstalkabouttheir
experiences(forexample'then','now','yesterday','today','tomorrow')
Historicalquestionsandresearch Elaborations
Posequestionsaboutthepastusing
sourcesprovided(ACHHS017)
l inquiringfrommembersoftheirfamilieswheretheywerebornand
raised
l posingquestionsaboutfamilyoraboutpersonalphotographs,for
exampleHowoldwasI?WherewasI?WhatwasIdoing?
l posingquestionsaboutartefacts,forexampleIsitoldornew?
Whatwasitusedfor?
Analysisanduseofsources Elaborations
Explorearangeofsourcesaboutthepast
(ACHHS018)
l identifyingrelevantfeaturesofphotographsoffamilyandfriends
l describinginterestingfeaturesofobjectsandphotographs
connectedtothepast
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FoundationLevelachievementstandard
BytheendoftheFoundationlevel,studentsidentifysimilaritiesanddifferencesbetweenfamilies.Theyrecognisehow
importantfamilyeventsarecommemorated.
Studentssequencefamiliareventsinorder.Theyposequestionsabouttheirpast.Studentsrelateastoryabouttheirpast
usingarangeoftexts.
Identifyandcomparefeaturesofobjects
fromthepastandpresent(ACHHS019)
l distinguishingbetweenwhatisoldandwhatisnew,usingsuch
cluesastheconditionoftheobject
l suggestingideasaboutwhatobjectsfromthepastmayhavebeen
usedfor
l comparingobjectsfromthepastwiththoseofthepresent,using
comparativelanguagesuchas'older','newer'(forexample'Thistoy
isolder''Thatcomputergameismorefunthan...')
Perspectivesandinterpretations Elaborations
Exploreapointofview(ACHHS020) l invitingparents,grandparentsandeldersintotheclassroomto
communicateabouttheirchildhoodsandcomparingtheirfavourite
toyswiththoseofchildrentoday
Explanationandcommunication Elaborations
Developanarrativeaboutthepast
(ACHHS021)
l retellingastoryaboutasignificanteventastudentsfamily
celebratesorcommemoratessuchasbirthdays,weddings,
christenings,religiousfestivals
l relatingastoryabouttheirownlifeordescribinganeventtheyhave
experienced(orallyorthroughpicturesandphotographs)
Usearangeofcommunicationforms
(oral,graphic,written,roleplay)anddigital
technologies(ACHHS022)
l representingideasandcreatingimaginativeresponsesthrough
talking,drawingandplay
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Level1
PresentandPastFamilyLife
TheLevel1curriculumprovidesastudyofpresentandpastfamilylifewithinthecontextofthestudentsownworld.
Studentslearnaboutsimilaritiesanddifferencesinfamilylifebycomparingthepresentwiththepast.Theybeginto
explorethelinks,andthechangesthatoccur,overtime.
Thecontentprovidesopportunitiestodevelophistoricalunderstandingthroughkeyconceptsincludingcontinuityand
change,causeandeffect,perspectives,empathyandsignificance.Theseconceptsmaybeinvestigatedwithina
particularhistoricalcontexttofacilitateanunderstandingofthepastandtoprovideafocusforhistoricalinquiries.
Thehistorycontentatthislevelinvolvestwostrands:HistoricalKnowledge,andUnderstandingandHistoricalSkills.
Thesestrandsareinterrelatedandshouldbetaughtinanintegratedwaytheymaybeintegratedacrosslearningareas
andinwaysthatareappropriatetospecificlocalcontexts.Theorderanddetailinwhichtheyaretaughtareprogramming
decisions.
Aframeworkfordevelopingstudentshistoricalknowledge,understandingandskillsisprovidedbyinquiryquestions.
Thekeyinquiryquestionsatthislevelare:
l Howhasfamilylifechangedorremainedthesameovertime?
l Howcanweshowthatthepresentisdifferentfromorsimilartothepast?
l Howdowedescribethesequenceoftime?
HistoricalKnowledgeandUnderstanding
PresentandPastFamilyLife Elaborations
Differencesinfamilystructuresandrolestoday,and
howthesehavechangedorremainedthesameover
time(ACHHK028)

l comparingfamiliesinthepresentwiththosefromthe
recentpast(thefamiliesofparentsandgrandparents)
intermsoftheirsizeandstructure(forexamplethe
differenttypesoffamilysuchasnuclear,singleparent,
blended)
l discussingkinshipasanimportantpartofrelationships
andfamilystructuresinAboriginalandTorresStrait
Islandersocieties(forexampletheextentofakinship
systemandthewayinwhichitinfluencespeople's
relationships,obligationsandbehaviourtowardseach
other)
l examiningandcommentingontherolesoffamily
membersovertime(forexamplelisteningtostories
abouttherolesofmothers,fathers,caregiversand
childreninthepast)andcomparingthesewithfamily
rolestoday(forexampleworkoutsidethehome,
washing,cooking,cleaning,gardening,childcare)
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Howthepresent,pastandfuturearesignifiedbyterms
indicatingtimesuchasalongtimeago,thenand
now,nowandthen,oldandnew,tomorrow,as
wellasbydatesandchangesthatmayhavepersonal
significance,suchasbirthdays,celebrationsand
seasons(ACHHK029)

l discussing,forexample,whathappenedyesterday,
whatislikelytohappentomorrow,upcomingbirthdays,
celebrationsandseasons,andorderingthese
referencestotimeinsequenceusingtermssuchas
before,after,nextandthen
l discussinghowsomecultures,forexamplethe
Chinese,describeachildasbeingoneleveloldonthe
daytheyareborn
l identifyingdatesandchangesthathavepersonal
significance(forexamplebirthdays,movinghouse,
changingschools,religiousandschoolholidays),
markingtheseonacalendarandcountingdowntime,
aswellasnotingthateventsofpersonalsignificance
maydifferaccordingtochildrensculturalbackgrounds
l examiningAboriginalandTorresStraitIslander
seasonalcalendars(forexampletheGagadju(Kakadu)
andtheD'harawal(Sydney)calendars,eachwithsix
seasons,theArrernte(centralAustralia)withfive,the
Woiwurrung(UpperYarraValley)withseven,andnorth
eastTasmaniawiththree
Differencesandsimilaritiesbetweenstudents'daily
livesandlifeduringtheirparentsandgrandparents
childhoods,includingfamilytraditions,leisuretime
andcommunications.(ACHHK030)
l examiningandcommentingonphotographsandoral
histories(forexampletalkingtoparents,grandparents
andotherelders)tofindouthowdailyliveshave
changed
HistoricalSkills
Chronology,termsandconcepts Elaborations
Sequencefamiliarobjectsandevents(ACHHS031) l usingvisualsequencesoftimesuchasadaysofthe
weekchart,aclasstimetableoracalendarand
markingsignificantdatesonthem
l creatingatimeline,slideshoworstoryusingphotos
Distinguishbetweenthepast,presentandfuture
(ACHHS032)
l identifyingvocabularyofthepast(forexamplewordsfor
objectsfromchildhoodgamesandleisuresuchas
jacks,elastics,recordplayer,transistor)whenmaking
then/nowcomparisons
l usingtermstodenotetime(forexamplethen,now,
yesterday,today,past,present,generations)
Historicalquestionsandresearch Elaborations
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Level1achievementstandard
BytheendofLevel1,studentsexplainhowsomeaspectsofdailylifehavechangedoverrecenttimewhileothershave
remainedthesame.Theydescribepersonalandfamilyeventsthathavesignificance.
Studentssequenceeventsinorder,usingeverydaytermsaboutthepassingoftime.Theyposequestionsaboutthepastand
examinesources(physicalandvisual)tosuggestanswerstothesequestions.Studentsrelatestoriesaboutlifeinthepast,
usingarangeoftexts.
Posequestionsaboutthepastusingsources
provided(ACHHS033)
l inquiringfromparentsandmembersofolder
generationsaboutpastandpresentfamilies(for
examplenumberofchildren,numberofpeoplelivingin
thehousehold,rolesoftheparentsandchildren)
l discussingwhatlifewaslikefortheirparentsand
grandparentsbyexaminingeverydayobjects(for
exampletelephone,radio,cookingutensils,toys),
photosandstoriesfromthepast,usingWhat?How?
When?Why?questions
Analysisanduseofsources Elaborations
Explorearangeofsourcesaboutthepast
(ACHHS034)
l discussingwithparentsandgrandparentsaboutlifein
thepast
l exploringstoriesfromandaboutthepast(forexample
letters,diaries,radioortelevisionprograms)
Identifyandcomparefeaturesofobjectsfromthepast
andpresent(ACHHS035)
l comparingobjectsfromthepastwiththepresentto
identifysimilaritiesanddifferences(forexampletoys,
whitegoods,televisions,radios)
Perspectivesandinterpretations Elaborations
Exploreapointofview(ACHHS036) l representingsimilaritiesanddifferencesbetween
studentsdailylivesandthoseoftheirparentsand
grandparentsingraphicform(forexampleVenn
diagram,ychart)
Explanationandcommunication Elaborations
Developanarrativeaboutthepast.(ACHHS037) l relatingastoryaboutlifeintheirparentsor
grandparentstime(orallyorthroughpicturesand
photographs)
l describingtheirfamiliesoraneventthathaspersonal
significance
Usearangeofcommunicationforms(oral,graphic,
written,roleplay)anddigitaltechnologies
(ACHHS038)
l representingideasandcreatingimaginativeresponses
throughwriting,roleplay,speaking,drawing
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Level2
ThePastinthePresent
TheLevel2curriculumprovidesastudyoflocalhistory.Studentsexplore,recogniseandappreciatethehistoryoftheir
localareabyexaminingremainsofthepastandconsideringwhytheyshouldbepreserved.
Thecontentprovidesopportunitiestodevelophistoricalunderstandingthroughkeyconceptsincludingcontinuityand
change,causeandeffect,perspectives,empathyandsignificance.Theseconceptsmaybeinvestigatedwithina
particularhistoricalcontexttofacilitateanunderstandingofthepastandtoprovideafocusforhistoricalinquiries.
Thehistorycontentatthislevelinvolvestwostrands:HistoricalKnowledge,andUnderstandingandHistoricalSkills.
Thesestrandsareinterrelatedandshouldbetaughtinanintegratedwaytheymaybeintegratedacrosslearningareas
andinwaysthatareappropriatetospecificlocalcontexts.Theorderanddetailinwhichtheyaretaughtareprogramming
decisions.
Aframeworkfordevelopingstudentshistoricalknowledge,understandingandskillsisprovidedbyinquiryquestions.
Thekeyinquiryquestionsatthislevelare:
l Whataspectsofthepastcanyouseetoday?Whatdotheytellus?
l Whatremainsofthepastareimportanttothelocalcommunity?Why?
l Howhavechangesintechnologyshapedourdailylife?
HistoricalKnowledgeandUnderstanding
ThePastinthePresent Elaborations
Thehistoryofasignificantperson,
building,siteorpartofthenatural
environmentinthelocalcommunity
andwhatitrevealsaboutthepast
(ACHHK044)
l usingtheinternet,newspapers,communityinformationguidesandlocal
knowledgetoidentifyandlistthepeopleandplacespromotedasbeingof
historicinterestinthelocalcommunity
l suggestingreasonsforthelocationofalocallandmarkbeforesearching
forresourcesthatprovideanexplanation
l investigatingthehistoryofachosenperson,building,siteorlandmarkin
thelocalcommunityusingsources(forexamplebooks,newspapers,oral
histories,audiovisualmaterial,digitalsources,letters,photographs)and
relatingastorywhichtheserevealaboutthepast
Theimportancetodayofanhistorical
siteofculturalorspiritual
significanceforexample,a
communitybuilding,alandmark,a
warmemorial(ACHHK045)

l discussingwhyaparticularsitehasheritagesignificance/culturalvalue
forpresentgenerations(forexampleitprovidesarecordofasignificant
historicalevent,hasaestheticvalue,reflectsthecommunitysidentity)
l identifying,inconsultationwithAboriginalandTorresStraitIslander
people,andvisiting(whereappropriate)localsites,placesand
landscapesofsignificancetoAboriginalandTorresStraitIslanderpeople
(forexampleengravingsites,rockpaintings,naturalsitesorfeatures
suchastheBirragairockshelter,creeksormountains)
l identifyinganddesigningalocalhistoricaltourofasite(forexampleone
relatedtoaparticularculturalgroup)
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Theimpactofchangingtechnology
onpeopleslives(athomeandinthe
waystheyworked,travelled,
communicated,andplayedinthe
past)(ACHHK046)

l examiningchangesintechnologyoverseveralgenerationsbycomparing
pastandpresentobjectsandphotographs,anddiscussinghowthese
changeshaveshapedpeopleslives(forexamplechangestoland,air
andseatransportthemovefromwoodfiredstovestogas/electrical
appliancestheintroductionoftelevision,transistors,FMradioanddigital
technologies)
l identifyingwherethetechnologyusedintheirgrandparentschildhoods
wasmadecomparedwiththetechnologytheyusetoday
l examiningthetraditionaltoysusedbyAboriginalandTorresStrait
Islanderchildrentoplayandlearn(forexampleArrerntechildrenlearnto
playstringgamessotheycanrememberstoriestheyhavebeentold)
l creatingmodelsoftoysusedbychildrenwholivedwhenelectricitywas
notavailable
HistoricalSkills
Chronology,termsandconcepts Elaborations
Sequencefamiliarobjectsand
events(ACHHS047)
l orderingkeyeventsinthehistoryofthelocalcommunityusing
photographsandannotations
Distinguishbetweenthepast,
presentandfuture(ACHHS048)
l usingtermstodenotethepassingoftimeinspeechandwriting(for
exampleinthepast,levelsago,theoldendays,inthefuture)
l identifyingsignsofthepastinphotographsandothervisual
representationsandusingthecorrecttermforthesefeaturesfor
examplewarmemorial,museum
Historicalquestionsandresearch Elaborations
Posequestionsaboutthepastusing
sourcesprovided(ACHHS049)
l developinginquiryquestionsaboutasite(forexampleWhatdoesitlook
likenow?Whatconditionisitin?Howmightitsusehavechanged?
Whatwasitspurpose?Howwasitbuilt/created?Howwasitpaidfor?
Whatisitsuseandimportanceinthepresent?)
l structuringquestionsusingappropriateverbtenses(forexampleinthe
question:Whatgamesdidchildrenplaybeforeelectricity?,thehelping
verbdidisinthepast
Analysisanduseofsources Elaborations
Explorearangeofsourcesaboutthe
past.(ACHHS050)
l locatinghistoricalevidenceofthelocalcommunityincludingsignsofthe
pastinthepresent(forexampleplaceandstreetnames,monuments,
builtandnonbuilthistoricallandmarks)
l examiningsourcessuchasphotographs,newspapers,storiesandmaps
tolearnaboutthepast(someofthesemaybeonlineandcanbelocated
throughstateandlocallibrarywebsites)
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Level2achievementstandard
BytheendofLevel2,studentsanalyseaspectsofdailylifetoidentifyhowsomehavechangedoverrecenttimewhileothers
haveremainedthesame.Theydescribeaperson,siteoreventofsignificanceinthelocalcommunity.
Studentssequenceeventsinorder,usingarangeoftermsrelatedtotime.Theyposequestionsaboutthepastanduse
sourcesprovided(physical,visual,oral)toanswerthesequestions.Theycompareobjectsfromthepastandpresent.
Studentsdevelopanarrativeaboutthepastusingarangeoftexts.
Identifyandcomparefeaturesof
objectsfromthepastandpresent
(ACHHS051)

l identifyingplaceandstreetnamesinthelocalcommunityanddiscovering
theiroriginandmeaning(forexamplenamesthatarelinkedtoAboriginal
andTorresStraitIslanderpeople,suchasEurobodallaNationalPark
historicaleventssuchasDeadmansCreek,earlysettlers,andpolitical,
religiousandsocialfigures)
l identifyingfeaturesofasite(suchasdates,decorationsandplaqueson
buildings)thatrevealitspast
Perspectivesandinterpretations Elaborations
Exploreapointofview(ACHHS052)

l examiningapointofviewaboutchangestothebuiltandnatural
environmentandtodailylivesovertime
Explanationandcommunication Elaborations
Developanarrativeaboutthepast
(ACHHS053)
l composingstoriestocomparepastandpresentdailylife(forexampleby
usingsoftwaretocreateasoundscapeofthelocalareaandadigital
cameratotakephotographsofthisareainthepresentandbyusing
photographstoshowimagesofthepast)
l describingasignificantpersonorplacefromtheircommunityspast(for
exampleashortreportonabuildingofsignificancedescribingwhen,
where,why,whobuiltit,andwhyitisvaluedorabiographyona
significantindividual)
Usearangeofcommunication
forms(oral,graphic,written,role
play)anddigitaltechnologies
(ACHHS054)
l representingideasandcreatingimaginativeresponsesthroughvisual
imagesaswellaswrittenandspokendescriptionsandnarratives
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Level3
CommunityandRemembrance
TheLevel3curriculumprovidesastudyofidentityanddiversityinbothalocalandbroadercontext.Movingfromthe
heritageoftheirlocalarea,studentsexplorethehistoricalfeaturesanddiversityoftheircommunityasrepresentedin
symbolsandemblemsofsignificance,andcelebrationsandcommemorations,bothlocallyandinotherplacesaround
theworld.
Thecontentprovidesopportunitiestodevelophistoricalunderstandingthroughkeyconceptsincludingsources,
continuityandchange,causeandeffect,perspectives,empathyandsignificance.Theseconceptsmaybe
investigatedwithinaparticularhistoricalcontexttofacilitateanunderstandingofthepastandtoprovideafocusfor
historicalinquiries.
Thehistorycontentatthislevelinvolvestwostrands:HistoricalKnowledge,andUnderstandingandHistoricalSkills.
Thesestrandsareinterrelatedandshouldbetaughtinanintegratedwaytheymaybeintegratedacrosslearningareas
andinwaysthatareappropriatetospecificlocalcontexts.Theorderanddetailinwhichtheyaretaughtareprogramming
decisions.
Aframeworkfordevelopingstudentshistoricalknowledge,understandingandskillsisprovidedbyinquiryquestions.
Thekeyinquiryquestionsatthislevelare:
l Wholivedherefirstandhowdoweknow?
l Howhasourcommunitychanged?Whatfeatureshavebeenlostandwhatfeatureshavebeenretained?
l Whatisthenatureofthecontributionmadebydifferentgroupsandindividualsinthecommunity?
l Howandwhydopeoplechoosetoremembersignificanteventsofthepast?
HistoricalKnowledgeandUnderstanding
CommunityandRemembrance Elaborations
TheimportanceofCountryandPlacetoAboriginal
and/orTorresStraitIslanderpeopleswhobelongtoa
localarea.(Thisisintendedtobealocalareastudy
withafocusononeLanguagegrouphowever,if
informationorsourcesarenotreadilyavailable,
anotherrepresentativeareamaybestudied)
(ACHHK060)

l identifyingthelanguagegroupsofAboriginalandTorres
StraitIslanderpeopleswhobelongtothelocalareaand
explainingtherelationshipbetweenlanguage,country,
placeandspirituality
l listeningtoAboriginalorTorresStraitIslanderElders,
grandparentsandoldercommunitymemberstellstories
associatedwiththelocallanguagegroupsandtheland
theybelongto
ONEimportantexampleofchangeandONE
importantexampleofcontinuityovertimeinthelocal
community,regionorstate/territoryforexample,in
relationtotheareasoftransport,work,education,
naturalandbuiltenvironments,entertainment,daily
life(ACHHK061)
l investigatingadevelopmentinthelocalcommunityfrom
thetimeofEuropeansettlementtothepresentday(for
examplethroughphotographs,newspapers,oral
histories,diariesandletters)
l comparingphotographsfromboththepastandpresent
ofaspecificlocationtoidentifythenatureofchangeor
continuity(thatiskeysimilaritiesanddifferences)
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Therolethatpeopleofdiversebackgroundshave
playedinthedevelopmentandcharacterofthelocal
community(ACHHK062)

l usinglocalsites,museumsandonlinecollections(for
thelocalareaorstate/territory)toidentifythecultural
groupswithinthelocalcommunityandtheirinfluence
overtime(forexampleasreflectedinarchitecture,
commercialoutletsandreligiousbuildings)and
comparingthedevelopmentofthelocalcommunitywith
anothercommunity
Daysandweekscelebratedorcommemoratedin
Australia(includingAustraliaDay,ANZACDay,
HarmonyWeek,NationalReconciliationWeek,
NAIDOCweekandNationalSorryDay)andthe
importanceofsymbolsandemblems.(ACHHK063)

l identifyinganddiscussingthehistoricaloriginsofan
importantAustraliancelebrationorcommemoration
l generatingalistoflocal,stateandnationalsymbolsand
emblems(forexampleclubemblems,schoollogos,
flags,floralemblems,coatofarms)anddiscussingtheir
originsandsignificance
l examiningthesymbolismofflags(forexamplethe
Australian,AboriginalandTorresStraitIslanderflags)
andrecognisingspecialoccasionswhentheyareflown
(forexampleallthreeflagsareflownduringNAIDOC
week,NationalReconciliationWeek,NationalSorryDay
andMABOday)
l recognisingthesignificanceofotherdaysorweeks
includingtheAnniversaryoftheNationalApologyto
AustraliasIndigenousPeoples(2008)
Celebrationsandcommemorationsinotherplaces
aroundtheworldforexample,BastilleDayinFrance,
IndependenceDayintheUSA,includingthosethat
areobservedinAustraliasuchasChineseNew
Level,ChristmasDay,Diwali,Easter,Hanukkah,the
MoonFestivalandRamadan(ACHHK064)

l comparingthesignificanceofnationaldaysindifferent
countries,lookingatwhytheydevelopedandelements
theyhaveincommon
l viewingontheinternetvideosofcelebrationsof
significantdays,suchasIndependenceDayinGreece
l investigatingtheoriginsandsignificanceofinternational
celebrationsorcommemorations(forexamplethe
InternationalDayofPeace)andofcelebrationsimportant
toparticularculturalgroupsinAustraliaandinother
countries
HistoricalSkills
Chronology,termsandconcepts Elaborations
Sequencehistoricalpeopleandevents(ACHHS065) l developinganannotatedtimelineorothervisual
representationofkeystagesofsettlement,which
featureslocal,regionalorstateeventsandpeopleof
historicalsignificance
Usehistoricalterms(ACHHS066)

l usinghistoricalterms(suchasimmigration,exploration,
development,settlementandnamingdaysof
commemorationandemblems)whenspeaking,writing,
andillustrating
l usingacronyms(forexampleNAIDOC,ANZAC)and
understandingtheirmeaning
Historicalquestionsandresearch Elaborations
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Level3achievementstandard
BytheendofLevel3,studentsexplainhowcommunitieschangedinthepast.Theydescribetheexperiencesofanindividual
orgroup.Theyidentifyeventsandaspectsofthepastthathavesignificanceinthepresent.
Posearangeofquestionsaboutthepast
(ACHHS067)
l posingappropriatequestionswheninvestigatingthe
contributionthatindividualsandgroupshavemadeto
thedevelopmentofthelocalcommunity('Who?''What?'
'When?''Where?''Why?')
l posingappropriatequestionswheninvestigatingthe
establishmentofalocalcommunity('Howdidpeople
settle?''Whowerethey?''Whydidtheycometothe
area?')
Identifysources(ACHHS215) l identifyingsourcestoinvestigatechangeinthe
communityinthepast,suchasphotographs,maps,and
theremainsofbuildings
Analysisanduseofsources Elaborations
Locaterelevantinformationfromsourcesprovided
(ACHHS068)
l analysingarangeofsources(forexamplephotographs,
maps,oralhistories)tolocateinformationaboutthe
people,placesandeventsintheircommunityspresent
andpast
l usinginformationtechnologiestoorganiseinformation
andmakeconnections(forexamplecreatingtablesin
wordprocessingsoftware,conceptmapping)
Perspectivesandinterpretations Elaborations
Identifydifferentpointsofview(ACHHS069)

l identifyingthemeaningofcelebrationsfromdifferent
perspectives(forexampleAustraliaDayforAboriginal
andTorresStraitIslanderpeoplescomparedwithAnglo
Australians)
Explanationandcommunication Elaborations
Developtexts,particularlynarratives(ACHHS070) l writingnarrativesaboutthecommunityspastbasedon
researchedfacts,charactersandevents
l composinghistoricaltexts(forexampleabiographyona
noteworthyindividualorgroup,areportonasignificant
event)
Usearangeofcommunicationforms(oral,graphic,
written)anddigitaltechnologies(ACHHS071)
l creatingandeditingapresentation(forexampleonethat
includestext,imagesandsounds)torecordandexplain
thepast
l creatinganoral,written,pictorialordigitalrepresentation
toreflectthediversecharacterofthecommunitytoday
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Studentssequenceeventsandpeople(theirlifetime)inchronologicalorder,withreferencetokeydates.Theypose
questionsaboutthepastandlocateinformationfromsources(written,physical,visual,oral)toanswerthesequestions.
Studentsdeveloptexts,includingnarratives,usingtermsdenotingtime.
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Level4
FirstContacts
TheLevel4curriculumintroducesworldhistoryandthemovementofpeoples.BeginningwiththehistoryofAboriginal
andTorresStraitIslanderpeoples,studentsexamineEuropeanexplorationandcolonisationinAustraliaandthroughout
theworlduptotheearly1800s.Studentsexaminetheimpactofexplorationonothersocieties,howthesesocieties
interactedwithnewcomers,andhowtheseexperiencescontributedtotheirculturaldiversity.
Thecontentprovidesopportunitiestodevelophistoricalunderstandingthroughkeyconceptsincludingsources,
continuityandchange,causeandeffect,perspectives,empathyandsignificance.Theseconceptsmaybe
investigatedwithinaparticularhistoricalcontexttofacilitateanunderstandingofthepastandtoprovideafocusfor
historicalinquiries.
Thehistorycontentatthislevelinvolvestwostrands:HistoricalKnowledgeandUnderstandingandHistoricalSkills.
Thesestrandsareinterrelatedandshouldbetaughtinanintegratedwaytheymaybeintegratedacrosslearningareas
andinwaysthatareappropriatetospecificlocalcontexts.Theorderanddetailinwhichtheyaretaughtareprogramming
decisions.
Aframeworkfordevelopingstudentshistoricalknowledge,understandingandskillsisprovidedbyinquiryquestions
throughtheuseandinterpretationofsources.Thekeyinquiryquestionsatthislevelare:
l Whydidthegreatjourneysofexplorationoccur?
l WhatwaslifelikeforAboriginaland/orTorresStraitIslanderPeoplesbeforethearrivaloftheEuropeans?
l WhydidtheEuropeanssettleinAustralia?
l WhatwasthenatureandconsequenceofcontactbetweenAboriginaland/orTorresStraitIslanderPeoplesandearly
traders,explorersandsettlers?
HistoricalKnowledgeandUnderstanding
FirstContacts Elaborations
ThediversityandlongevityofAustraliasfirst
peoplesandthewaysAboriginaland/or
TorresStraitIslanderpeoplesareconnected
toCountryandPlace(land,sea,waterways
andskies)andtheimplicationsfortheirdaily
lives.(ACHHK077)

l examiningearlyarchaeologicalsites(forexampleNauwalabila,
Malakunanja,DevilsLair,LakeMungo,Preminghana)thatshow
thelongevityoftheAboriginalpeople
l mappingthediversityofAboriginalandTorresStraitIslander
languagegroupsinAustralia,withparticularemphasisonthe
localareaandstate/territory
l investigatingprecontactwaysoflifeoftheAboriginalpeople
and/orTorresStraitIslanderstheirknowledgeoftheir
environmentincludinglandmanagementpracticestheirsense
oftheinterconnectednessofCountry/Place,People,Cultureand
Identityandsomeoftheirprinciples(suchascaringforcountry,
caringforeachotherandrespectingallthings)
l studyingtotemsinthelivesofAboriginaland/orTorresStrait
IslanderPeoplesandexaminingthedifferencesbetweentheir
totems
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Thejourney(s)ofATLEASTONEworld
navigator,explorerortraderuptothelate
eighteenthcentury,includingtheircontacts
withothersocietiesandanyimpacts.
(ACHHK078)

l identifyingkeyindividualsandgroupswhoestablishedcontacts
withAfrica,theAmericas,AsiaandOceaniaduringtheageof
discoveryexaminingthejourneyofoneormoreofthese
explorers(forexampleChristopherColumbus,VascodeGama,
FerdinandMagellan)usinginternetmappingtools,and
examiningtheirimpactononesociety
l usingnavigationmapstoreconstructthejourneyofoneormore
explorers
l investigatingnetworksofexchangebetweendifferentgroupsof
people
StoriesoftheFirstFleet,includingreasonsfor
thejourney,whotravelledtoAustralia,and
theirexperiencesfollowingarrival.
(ACHHK079)
l discussingreasonsfortheFirstFleetjourney,includingan
examinationofthewiderangeofcrimespunishableby
transportation,andlookingatthegroupswhoweretransported
l discussingthetreatmentofprisonersatthattime,andpastand
presentviewsonthecolonisationofAustraliainvestigatingthe
dailylivesandsocialstandingofthosewhotravelledtoAustralia
ontheFirstFleet,includingfamilies,childrenandconvictguards
ThenatureofcontactbetweenAboriginal
peopleand/orTorresStraitIslandersand
others,forexample,theMacassansandthe
Europeans,andtheeffectsofthese
interactionson,forexamplefamiliesandthe
environment(ACHHK080)

l investigatingcontactwithAboriginalandTorresStraitIslander
peoplesbefore1788(forexampletherepulsionoftheDutchat
CapeKeerweerin1606andthetradebetweentheMacassans
andtheYolngupeople)
l comparingtheEuropeanconceptoflandownershipwiththe
AboriginalandTorresStraitIslanderpeoples'relationshipwith
thelandandsea,andhowthisaffectedrelationsbetweenthem
l exploringearlycontacthistorywiththeBritish(forexample
PemulwuyortheBlackWar)andtheimpactthatBritish
colonisationhadonthelivesofAboriginalpeople
(dispossession,dislocationandthelossoflivesthroughconflict,
disease,lossoffoodsourcesandmedicines)
l exploringwhethertheinteractionsbetweenEuropeansand
AboriginalandTorresStraitIslanderpeopleshadpositiveor
negativeeffects
l examiningpaintingsandaccounts(byobserverssuchasWatkin
TenchandDavidCollins)todeterminetheimpactofearlyBritish
colonisationonAboriginalpeoples'country
HistoricalSkills
Chronology,termsandconcepts Elaborations
Sequencehistoricalpeopleandevents
(ACHHS081)
l placingkeyeventsandpeopleofearlycontacthistoryin
chronologicalorderbycreatingtimelinesandexplainingthe
sequence
Usehistoricalterms(ACHHS082)

l usinghistoricaltermswhentalkingaboutthepast(forexample
penal,transportation,navigation,frontierconflict,
colonisation)
l identifyingtheoriginsofplacenamesinAustralia(forexample
thosenamedbyFrenchexplorers,Aboriginalplacenames)
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Level4achievementstandard
BytheendofLevel4,studentsexplainhowandwhylifechangedinthepast,andidentifyaspectsofthepastthatremained
thesame.Theydescribetheexperiencesofanindividualorgroupovertime.Theyrecognisethesignificanceofeventsin
bringingaboutchange.
Studentssequenceeventsandpeople(theirlifetime)inchronologicalordertoidentifykeydates.Theyposearangeof
questionsaboutthepast.Theyidentifysources(written,physical,visual,oral),andlocateinformationtoanswerthese
questions.Theyrecognisedifferentpointsofview.Studentsdevelopandpresenttexts,includingnarratives,usinghistorical
terms.
Historicalquestionsandresearch Elaborations
Posearangeofquestionsaboutthepast
(ACHHS083)

l generatingquestionsaboutthediversityandantiguityof
AboriginalandTorresStraitIslanderpeoples,andthenatureof
contactinearlyAustralia(forexample'Who?''What?''When?'
'Where?''Why?'questions)
l posingquestionsaboutexplorers(forexample'Whowerethey?
'Whereweretheyfrom?''Wheredidtheygo?''Whatdidtheydo?')
l posingquestionsabouttheFirstFleet(forexample'Whydidthe
FirstFleettraveltoAustralia?''Whowasonit?''Whatweretheir
stories?''Whatwasthejourneylike?')
Identifysources(ACHHS216) l identifyingsourcestoinvestigatethestoryoftheFirstFleetand
itsarrival,suchaspaintings,maps,writtenrecords/accounts
Analysisanduseofsources Elaborations
Locaterelevantinformationfromsources
provided(ACHHS084)
l findinghistoricalinformationtodeterminethenatureofcolonial
settlement,theimpactofsignificanteventsandtheroleof
individualsinshapingacolony
Perspectivesandinterpretations Elaborations
Identifydifferentpointsofview(ACHHS085)

l exploringdifferentstoriesaboutcontactexperiencesandearly
penallifetodiscoverthethoughtsorfeelingsofthepeopleatthat
time(forexampleconvicts,AboriginalandTorresStraitIslander
people,convictguards,freesettlers)
Explanationandcommunication Elaborations
Developtexts,particularlynarratives
(ACHHS086)
l listingkeyeventsandpeoplesexperiencesandlinkingthem
togethertoformanarrativeaboutthepast
l recountingtheexperiencesofanindividualbasedonresearched
facts(forexampleabiography,diaryorjournalofanavigatoror
convictontheFirstFleet)
Usearangeofcommunicationforms(oral,
graphic,written)anddigitaltechnologies
(ACHHS087)
l creatingcharts,pictorialstories,maps,digitalandoral
presentationstoexplainthepast
l makingapodcastthatfeaturesastoryfromtheFirstFleet
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VCAA | AusVELS Curriculum | Date PDF created: Wednesday, 29 May 2013 24
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:
l WhatdoweknowaboutthelivesofpeopleinAustraliascolonialpastandhowdoweknow?
l HowdidanAustraliancolonydevelopovertimeandwhy?
l Howdidcolonialsettlementchangetheenvironment?
l WhatwerethesignificanteventsandwhowerethesignificantpeoplethatshapedAustraliancolonies?
HistoricalKnowledgeandUnderstanding
TheAustralianColonies Elaborations
Reasons(economic,politicalandsocial)for
theestablishmentofBritishcoloniesin
Australiaafter1800.(ACHHK093)
l investigatingthereasonsfortheestablishmentofoneormore
Britishcoloniessuchasapenalcolony(forexampleMoreton
Bay,VanDiemensLand)oracolonythatlaterbecameastate
(forexampleWesternAustralia,Victoria)
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VCAA | AusVELS Curriculum | Date PDF created: Wednesday, 29 May 2013 25
Thenatureofconvictorcolonialpresence,
includingthefactorsthatinfluencedpatternsof
development,aspectsofthedailylifeofthe
inhabitants(includingAboriginalPeoplesand
TorresStraitIslanderPeoples)andhowthe
environmentchanged.(ACHHK094)

l investigatingcoloniallifetodiscoverwhatlifewaslikeatthat
timefordifferentinhabitants(forexampleaEuropeanfamilyand
anAboriginalorTorresStraitIslanderLanguagegroup,a
convictandafreesettler,asugarcanefarmerandan
indenturedlabourer)intermsofclothing,diet,leisure,paidand
unpaidwork,language,housingandchildrens'lives'.
l mappinglocal,regionalandstate/territoryruralandurban
settlementpatternsinthe1800s,andnotingfactorssuchas
geographicalfeatures,climate,waterresources,thediscovery
ofgold,transportandaccesstoportfacilitiesthatshapedthese
patterns
l investigatingtheimpactofsettlementontheenvironment(for
examplecomparingthepresentandpastlandscapeandthe
floraandfaunaofthelocalcommunity)
Theimpactofasignificantdevelopmentor
eventonacolonyforexample,frontierconflict,
thegoldrushes,theEurekaStockade,internal
exploration,theadventofrail,theexpansionof
farming,drought.(ACHHK095)

l investigatinganeventordevelopmentandexplainingits
economic,socialandpoliticalimpactonacolony(forexample
theconsequencesoffrontierconflicteventssuchastheMyall
CreekMassacre,thePinjarraMassacretheimpactofSouth
SeaIslandersonsugarfarmingandthetimberindustrythe
impactoftheEurekaStockadeonthedevelopmentof
democracy)
l creatingwhatifscenariosbyconstructingdifferentoutcomes
forakeyevent,forexampleWhatifPeterLalorhadencouraged
goldminerstopayratherthanresistlicencefees?
ThereasonspeoplemigratedtoAustraliafrom
EuropeandAsia,andtheexperiencesand
contributionsofaparticularmigrantgroup
withinacolony.(ACHHK096)

l identifyingthereasonswhypeoplemigratedtoAustraliainthe
1800s(forexampleasconvictsassistedpassengers
indenturedlabourerspeopleseekingabetterlifesuchasgold
minersandthosedislocatedbyeventssuchastheIndustrial
Revolution,theIrishPotatoFamineandtheHighland
Clearances)
l investigatingtheexperiencesandcontributionsofaparticular
migrantgroupwithinacolony(forexampleGermansinSouth
Australia,JapaneseinBroome,AfghanCameleersinthe
NorthernTerritory,ChineseatPalmerRiver,PacificIslandersin
theTorresStrait)
l connecting(whereappropriate)storiesofmigrationtostudents
ownfamilyhistories
Therolethatasignificantindividualorgroup
playedinshapingacolonyforexample,
explorers,farmers,entrepreneurs,artists,
writers,humanitarians,religiousandpolitical
leaders,andAboriginaland/orTorresStrait
Islanderpeoples.(ACHHK097)

l investigatingthecontributionorsignificanceofanindividualor
grouptotheshapingofacolonyinthe1800s(forexample
groupssuchasexplorersorpastoralistsorindividualssuchas
Blaxland,LawsonandWentworth,G.J.Macdonald,Elizabethand
JohnMacarthur,CarolineChisholm,SaintMaryMackillop,Peter
Lalor,JamesUnaipon)
l exploringthemotivationsandactionsofanindividualorgroup
thatshapedacolony
HistoricalSkills
Chronology,termsandconcepts Elaborations
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Sequencehistoricalpeopleandevents
(ACHHS098)
l compilinganannotatedtimelineshowingkeystagesinthe
developmentofcolonialAustraliaincludingthedateof
Europeansettlementineachstate,thedatethecolonywas
established,thedateofselfgovernment
Usehistoricaltermsandconcepts
(ACHHS099)
l usinghistoricalterms(suchasthegoldera,theEureka
Stockade,theMyallCreekMassacre,colony)
l understandingthekeyconceptsrelatedtothecontentsuchas
settlement,expansion,migration,protection,development,
rural,urban)
Historicalquestionsandresearch Elaborations
Identifyquestionstoinformanhistoricalinquiry
(ACHHS100)
l developingkeyquestionsaboutthelocalcommunityorregion
(forexample:Whywastheareasettled?Whatpeoplecameto
liveinthearea?Howdidtheymaketheirliving?Howdidmen,
women,andchildrenlive?)
Identifyandlocatearangeofrelevantsources
(ACHHS101)
l usinginternetsearchengines,museums,librarycatalogues
andindexestofindmaterialrelevanttoaninquiry(forexample
primarysourcessuchasstories,songs,diaries,official
documents,artworks)
l understandingtheinternetdomainnamescom,edu,govas
indicatorsoftheprovenanceofasource
l visitingalocalcemeteryandsurveyingthegravestofindclues
aboutthepatternsofsettlement,agesandcausesofdeathin
thelocalarea
Analysisanduseofsources Elaborations
Locateinformationrelatedtoinquiryquestions
inarangeofsources(ACHHS102)
l findingrelevanthistoricalinformationaboutcolonialAustralia
fromprimaryandsecondarysources
l usingproformasanddatasheetstodevelopquestions,and
recordinformationandsources/references
Compareinformationfromarangeofsources
(ACHHS103)
l examiningtwosourcesofevidencetoidentifysimilaritiesand/or
differences,anddescribingwhattheyrevealaboutthepast
l checkingpublicationdatestoputinformationcontainedinatext
inhistoricalcontext(forexamplea1965Australianhistorybook
mayprovideadifferentperspectivetoonepublishedin2010)
Perspectivesandinterpretations Elaborations
Identifypointsofviewinthepastandpresent
(ACHHS104)
l identifyingthedifferentmotivesandexperiencesofindividuals
andgroupsinthepast(forexamplethereasonspeople
migratedtoAustraliaandtheirdiverseexperiences)
Explanationandcommunication Elaborations
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Level5achievementstandard
BytheendofLevel5,studentsidentifythecausesandeffectsofchangeonparticularcommunities,anddescribeaspectsof
thepastthatremainedthesame.Theydescribethedifferentexperiencesofpeopleinthepast.Theydescribethe
significanceofpeopleandeventsinbringingaboutchange.
Studentssequenceeventsandpeople(theirlifetime)inchronologicalorder,usingtimelines.Whenresearching,students
developquestionstoframeanhistoricalinquiry.Theyidentifyarangeofsourcesandlocateandrecordinformationrelatedto
thisinquiry.Theyexaminesourcestoidentifypointsofview.Studentsdevelop,organiseandpresenttheirtexts,particularly
narrativesanddescriptions,usinghistoricaltermsandconcepts.
Developtexts,particularlynarrativesand
descriptions,whichincorporatesource
materials(ACHHS105)
l usingsourcestodevelopnarratives(forexamplereasonsfor
theestablishmentofcolonies,effectsofkeydevelopmentsand
eventsoncolonies,theimpactofsignificantgroupsor
individualsondevelopment)
l usingsomeofthelanguagedevicesofnarratives,evocative
vocabulary,andliterarysentencestructuresbutusingreal
charactersandeventstotelltheirstory
l creatingvisual,oralorwrittenjournalsreflectingthedailylife
experiencesofdifferentinhabitantsofaconvictorcolonial
settlement
Usearangeofcommunicationforms(oral,
graphic,written)anddigitaltechnologies
(ACHHS106)
l usingICTtocreatepresentationswhicharesuitableforthe
targetaudienceandincludetext,imagesand/oraudiovisuals.
l usingcommunicationtechnologiestoexchangeinformation
andtofosteracollaborativeresponse(forexampleawiki)
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Level6
Australiaasanation
TheLevel6curriculummovesfromcolonialAustraliatothedevelopmentofAustraliaasanation,particularlyafter1900.
StudentsexplorethefactorsthatledtoFederationandexperiencesofdemocracyandcitizenshipovertime.Students
understandthesignificanceofAustraliasBritishheritage,theWestminstersystem,andothermodelsthatinfluencedthe
developmentofAustraliassystemofgovernment.StudentslearnaboutthewayoflifeofpeoplewhomigratedtoAustralia
andtheircontributionstoAustraliaseconomicandsocialdevelopment.
Thecontentprovidesopportunitiestodevelophistoricalunderstandingthroughkeyconceptsincludingsources,
continuityandchange,causeandeffect,perspectives,empathyandsignificance.
Theseconceptsmaybeinvestigatedwithinaparticularhistoricalcontexttofacilitateanunderstandingofthepastandto
provideafocusforhistoricalinquiries.
Thehistorycontentatthislevelinvolvestwostrands:HistoricalKnowledgeandUnderstandingandHistoricalSkills.
Thesestrandsareinterrelatedandshouldbetaughtinanintegratedwaytheymaybeintegratedacrosslearningareas
andinwaysthatareappropriatetospecificlocalcontexts.Theorderanddetailinwhichtheyaretaughtareprogramming
decisions.
Aframeworkfordevelopingstudentshistoricalknowledge,understandingandskillsisprovidedbyinquiryquestions
throughtheuseandinterpretationofsources.Thekeyinquiryquestionsatthislevelare:
l WhyandhowdidAustraliabecomeanation?
l HowdidAustraliansocietychangethroughoutthetwentiethcentury?
l WhowerethepeoplewhocametoAustralia?Whydidtheycome?
l WhatcontributionhavesignificantindividualsandgroupsmadetothedevelopmentofAustraliansociety?
HistoricalKnowledgeandUnderstanding
AustraliaasaNation Elaborations
KeyfiguresandeventsthatledtoAustralias
Federation,includingBritishandAmerican
influencesonAustraliassystemoflawand
government.(ACHHK113)
l studyingAustraliaspathtoFederationthroughanexaminationof
keypeople(forexampleHenryParkes,EdmundBarton,George
Reid,JohnQuick)andevents(forexampletheTenterfield
Oration,theCorowaConference,thereferendumsheldinthe
coloniesfrom1898to1900)
l comparingthemodelofAustralianfederalismwiththeoriginal
modeloftheUnitedStatesofAmericatoidentifytheUSinfluence
onAustraliassystemofgovernment
l identifyingkeyelementsofAustraliassystemoflawand
governmentandtheirorigins(forexampletheMagnaCarta
federalismconstitutionalmonarchytheWestminstersystem
andtheseparationofpowerslegislature,executive,judiciary
thehousesofparliamenthowlawsaremade)
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ExperiencesofAustraliandemocracyand
citizenship,includingthestatusandrightsof
Aboriginalpeopleand/orTorresStrait
Islanders,migrants,women,andchildren.
(ACHHK114)

l thelackofcitizenshiprightsforAboriginalPeoplesandTorres
StraitIslanderPeoplesinAustralia,illustratedbytheirearly
classificationasfloraandfauna,controlsonmovementand
residence,theforcibleremovalofchildrenfromtheirfamilies
leadingtotheStolenGenerations,andpoorpayandworking
conditions
l describingthesignificanceofthe1962righttovotefederallyand
the1967referendum
l investigatingthestoriesofindividualsorgroupswhoadvocated
orfoughtforrightsintwentiethcenturyAustralia(forexampleJack
PattenortheAboriginesProgressiveAssociation)
l investigatingtheexperiencesofdemocracyandcitizenshipof
women(forexamplethesuffragettemovement,thebaron
marriedwomenworking,equalpay,theSexDiscriminationAct
1984)
l investigatingtheexperiencesofdemocracyandcitizenshipof
migrantgroups(forexampleinternmentcampsduringWorldWar
IIassimilationpolicies,antidiscriminationlegislation,
mandatorydetention,payandworkingconditions)
l investigatingtheexperiencesofdemocracyandcitizenshipof
childrenwhowereplacedinorphanages,homesandother
institutions(forexamplethenatureoftheirfoodandshelter,
educationandcontactswithfamily)
Storiesofgroupsofpeoplewhomigratedto
Australia(includingfromONEAsiancountry)
andthereasonstheymigrated,suchas
WorldWarIIandAustralianmigration
programssincethewar.(ACHHK115)

l comparingpushandpullfactorsthathavecontributedtopeople
migratingtoAustralia(forexampleeconomicmigrantsand
politicalrefugees)
l exploringindividualnarrativesusingprimarysources(for
exampleletters,documentsandhistoricalobjects)interviewing
andrecordinganoralhistorydramatisingthejourneyand
circumstancesofarrivalbasedonthesources
l describingculturalpracticesrelatedtofamilylife,beliefsand
customsofnewlyarrivedmigrantgroupsandcomparingthese
withthoseofthecommunitiesinwhichtheysettledwithin
Australia
l connectingstoriesofmigrationtostudentsownfamilyhistories
(whereappropriate)
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Thecontributionofindividualsandgroups,
includingAboriginalpeopleand/orTorres
StraitIslandersandmigrants,tothe
developmentofAustraliansociety,for
exampleinareassuchastheeconomy,
education,science,thearts,sport.
(ACHHK116)

l examiningpopulationdatathatshowtheplacesofbirthof
Australiaspeopleatoneormorepointsoftimeinthepastand
today,andusingdigitaltechnologiestoprocessandrecordthis
data
l investigatingtheroleofspecificculturalgroupsinAustralias
economicandsocialdevelopment(forexamplethecattle
industry,theSnowyMountainsScheme,thepearlingindustry)
l consideringnotableindividualsinAustralianpubliclifeacrossa
rangeoffields(forexamplethearts,science,sport,education),
includingAboriginalandTorresStraitIslanderpeople,arangeof
culturalandsocialgroups,andwomenandmendrawnfromthe
AustralianLivingTreasureslistorfromtheAustralianDictionary
ofBiography)
HistoricalSkills
Chronology,termsandconcepts Elaborations
Sequencehistoricalpeopleandevents.
(ACHHS117)

l placingkeyevents,ideas,movementsandpeopleofthe
twentiethcenturyinchronologicalsequence
l usingtimelinestodescribepasteventsandchanges
l identifyinganddevelopingatimelineofworldunrestthat
contributedtomigrationinthe1900s(forexampletheWorld
Wars,theVietnamWar,thewarintheformerYugoslavia,the
TiananmenSquaremassacre,thewarinSudan)
Usehistoricaltermsandconcepts
(ACHHS118)
l usinghistoricaltermsandconceptsrelatedtothecontentsuch
asdemocracy,federation,empire,immigration,heritage,
diversity,enfranchisement,suffrage
Historicalquestionsandresearch Elaborations
Identifyquestionstoinformanhistorical
inquiry(ACHHS119)

l developingkeyquestionsaboutthebirthofAustraliandemocracy
andtheexperiencesofcitizenshipforwomen,migrantsand
AboriginalandTorresStraitIslanderpeople
l developingkeyquestionsaboutimmigrationsuchas:Whatwere
themainreasonspeoplemigratedtoAustralia?Whomigrated?
Wheredidtheycomefrom?Whatimpacthavetheyhadonthe
characterofAustraliansociety?
Identifyandlocatearangeofrelevant
sources(ACHHS120)
l usinginternetsearchengines,museums,librarycataloguesand
indexestofindmaterialrelevanttoaninquiry
l identifyingcommunityorfamilymemberswhomigratedto
Australiaandconductinganinterviewtolearnabouttheir
experiencesunderstandingthatdifferentquestionselicitdifferent
kindsofanswers(forexamplethedifferencebetweenaclosed
andopenquestionDidyoulikeAustraliawhenyoufirst
arrived?comparedwithHowdidyoufeelaboutAustraliawhen
youfirstarrived?)
l retrievingcensusdatatoconstructargumentsforandagainst
migration
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Level6achievementstandard
Analysisanduseofsources Elaborations
Locateinformationrelatedtoinquiry
questionsinarangeofsources.
(ACHHS121)

l findingrelevanthistoricalinformationinprimaryandsecondary
sources(forexamplerelatedtotherightsandstatusofwomen
aswellasAboriginalandTorresStraitIslanderpeoplesandthe
experiencesofmigrants)
l usingproformasanddatasheetstodevelopquestionsand
recordinformationandsourcesaboutthemovementofpeopleto
Australiainthetwentiethcenturyandtheincreasingcultural
diversityofpresentdayAustralia
Compareinformationfromarangeof
sources.(ACHHS122)
l examiningarangeofsourcesofevidencetoidentifysimilarities
and/ordifferencesanddescribingwhattheyrevealaboutthepast
(forexamplecomparinginformationinsourcestodetermine
viewsontheeffectsofmigrationonthedevelopmentofAustralian
society)
l checkingpublicationdatestoputinhistoricalcontextthe
informationcontainedinthetext(forexamplecomparinga1965
Australianhistorybookanda2010refugeewebsitetoidentify
differentperspectives)
Perspectivesandinterpretations Elaborations
Identifypointsofviewinthepastandpresent
(ACHHS123)
l analysingthelanguageusedinsourcestoidentifyvaluesand
attitudes(forexamplenewAustralians,boatpeople)
l analysingsourcestoidentifypersuasivetechniquessuchas
modality(forexamplewould,could,may,might)andtheuse
ofthepassivevoicetocoveralackofsources(forexampleitis
claimedthatratherthantheactivevoiceTimFlanneryclaims
that...)
Explanationandcommunication Elaborations
Developtexts,particularlynarrativesand
descriptions,whichincorporatesource
materials(ACHHS124)
l developingnarrativesbasedoninformationidentifiedfroma
rangeofsources(usingsomeofthelanguagedevicesof
narratives,evocativevocabulary,andliterarysentencestructures
butusingrealcharactersandeventstotelltheirstory)
l combiningliteraryandinformationallanguage(forexample
StandingonacoldwindypierinKythera,Dimitriwavedgoodbye
tohiscryingmother.)evocativelanguageandcomplexnarrative
structuresandfactualvocabularyandsimpleandcompound
sentencestructures(forexampleItwas1956andGreecewas
recoveringfromalongcivilwar.)
l composinghistoricaltexts(forexampleinformationreports,
expositorytexts,persuasivetexts,recounts,biographies)
Usearangeofcommunicationforms(oral,
graphic,written)anddigitaltechnologies
(ACHHS125)
l developingcharts,graphs,tables,digitalpresentations,written
andoralpresentationstoexplainthepastusingICTs.
l creatingadigitalstory,usingtext,imagesandaudio/visual
material,torecordmigrantexperiences
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BytheendofLevel6,studentsidentifychangeandcontinuityanddescribethecausesandeffectsofchangeonsociety.They
comparethedifferentexperiencesofpeopleinthepast.Theyexplainthesignificanceofanindividualandgroup.
Studentssequenceeventsandpeople(theirlifetime)inchronologicalorder,andrepresenttimebycreatingtimelines.When
researching,studentsdevelopquestionstoframeanhistoricalinquiry.Theyidentifyarangeofsourcesandlocateand
compareinformationtoanswerinquiryquestions.Theyexaminesourcestoidentifyanddescribepointsofview.Students
developtexts,particularlynarrativesanddescriptions.Indevelopingthesetextsandorganisingandpresentingtheir
information,theyusehistoricaltermsandconceptsandincorporaterelevantsources.
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TableofContents
Overview
Introduction
Domainstructure
Stagesoflearning
CurriculumF10
Foundationlevel
Level1
Level2
Level3
Level4
Level5
Level6
2
2
2
4
6
6
7
8
9
10
12
14
Information and Communications Technology

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IntroductiontoInformationandCommunicationsTechnology
Informationandcommunicationstechnology(ICT)isthehardwareandsoftwarethatenablesdatatobedigitallyprocessed,
storedandcommunicated.ICTcanbeusedtoaccess,process,manageandpresentinformationmodelandcontrolevents
constructnewunderstandingandcommunicatewithothers.
ICT,aninterdisciplinarydomain,focusesonprovidingstudentswiththetoolstotransformtheirlearningandtoenrichtheir
learningenvironment.Theknowledge,skillsandbehavioursidentifiedforthisdomainenablestudentsto:
l developnewthinkingandlearningskillsthatproducecreativeandinnovativeinsights
l developmoreproductivewaysofworkingandsolvingproblemsindividuallyandcollaboratively
l createinformationproductsthatdemonstratetheirunderstandingofconcepts,issues,relationshipsandprocesses
l expressthemselvesincontemporaryandsociallyrelevantways
l communicatelocallyandgloballytosolveproblemsandtoshareknowledge
l 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
Learningfocusstatementsarewrittenforeachlevel.Theseoutlinethelearningthatstudentsneedtofocusoniftheyareto
progressinthedomainandachievethestandardsatthelevelswheretheyapply.Theysuggestappropriatelearning
experiencesfromwhichteacherscandrawtodeveloprelevantteachingandlearningactivities.
Standards
Standardsdefinewhatstudentsshouldknowandbeabletodoatdifferentlevelsandarewrittenforeachdimension.In
InformationandCommunicationsTechnology,standardsforassessingandreportingonstudentachievementapplyfrom
Level2.StandardsareorganisedbydimensionsfromLevel4.
Dimensions
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StandardsintheInformationandCommunicationsTechnologydomainareorganisedinthreedimensions.
l ICTforvisualisingthinking
l ICTforcreating
l 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:
l processdataandinformationtocreatesolutionstoproblemsandinformationproductsthatdemonstratetheir
knowledgeandunderstandingsoftheconcepts,issues,relationshipsandprocessesrelatedtoallareasofthe
curriculum
l managetheirfilestosecuretheircontentsandenableefficientretrieval
l planandmonitortheprogressofextendedtasks.
StudentslearntouseICTefficientlytocapture,validateandmanipulatedataforrequiredpurposes.Inordertoimprovethe
appearanceandfunctionalityofinformationproductsandsolutions,theyapplycommonlyacceptedconventions.They
examinetheethicalandlegalimplicationsofusingICTinarangeofsettingssuchasthehome,schoolandtheworkplace.
StudentsevaluatetheusefulnessofICTforsolvingdifferenttypesofproblemsandreflectontheeffectivenessoftheirown
useofICT.
ICTforcommunicating
TheICTforcommunicatingdimensionfocusesonstudentsusingICTto:
l presentideasandunderstandingstoaudiences
l communicatewithknownandunknownaudiences
l supportknowledgebuildingamongteams.
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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.
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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.
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Foundationlevel
LearningFocus
AsstudentsworktowardstheachievementofLevel2standardsinInformationandCommunicationsTechnology(ICT),
theylearnthesafeuseofICTtools,includingleavingelectricalconnectionsalone,sittinguprightinfrontofacomputer,
andhandlingstoragedevicessuchasdisksandmemorystickscarefully.TheylearnthecorrecttermstonameICT
equipmentand,throughuse,becomefamiliarwithcommoniconsonthecomputerdesktop.Theydevelophandeye
coordinationthroughusingamousetocontrolthepointeronthescreen.
Withassistance,studentsworkwithdifferenttypesofdata,suchastext,numbersandimages,tocreatesimple
informationproductsandsharetheirideas.Theydeveloptheirnavigationskillsbyrespondingtostimulusinmultimedia
resourcesthatdevelopliteracyandnumeracyskills.TheyfindandcompareexamplesofICTequipmentathomeand
investigatethepurposeofICTsymbolsandicons.
Standards
IntheInformationandCommunicationsTechnologydomain,standardsforassessingandreportingonstudent
achievementareintroducedatLevel1.ThelearningfocusstatementforFoundationprovidesadviceaboutlearning
experiencesthatwillassiststudentstoworktowardstheachievementofthestandardsatLevel2.
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Level1
LearningFocus
AsstudentsworktowardstheachievementofLevel2standardsinInformationandCommunicationsTechnology(ICT),
theyuseICTtoacquirenewknowledgeandskillsinallareasofthecurriculumandtocreateandpresentinformationin
meaningfulways.Forexample,studentsaccessawebsitetoparticipateinafoodpyramidgame,andthenpresenttheir
understandingoffoodgroupsinaslideshowthatcontainsanimageofalunchboxfilledwiththeappropriatefooditems.
Whenusingmultimediaresources,studentsbegintothinkcriticallyabouttheseresourcesandhowtheyhelplearning.
Intheirlearningofnewmaterial,studentsexperimentwithsomesimpleICTtoolsandtechniquesforvisualisingtheir
thinking.Theylearntoorganiseandclassifyinformationandideas,andpresenttheminamannerthatismeaningfulto
them.Thismayentailcuttingandpasting,droppinganddragging,andcolourcodinginordertogroupsimilaritems,to
sequenceeventsandtoidentifyexamplesthatillustratekeyideas.
Toimprovethepresentationoftextandimages,studentsbegintoapplysimpletechniques,suchasbolding,centring
andchangingcase.Theyexplorearangeofdifferentinformationproductsandidentifyintendedaudiences.Students
displaytheirowninformationproductsinawaythatsuitsdifferentaudiences.
Studentsdevelopanunderstandingoftheimportanceofcheckingtheaccuracyoffactsthataregoingtobeprocessed
thisbeingnecessaryforproducingaccurateoutput.Studentscollectfirsthanddataand,withassistance,enteritintotheir
spreadsheetfilesandmanipulateit.Forexample,aftercollectingtheheightsoffellowstudentsorthenumberof
classmateswithparticulareyecolours,studentsmanipulatethedatabysummingorcolourcodingcells,andthen
presenttheprocesseddataasachart.Individually,andasaclass,theymakesummarystatementsaboutthe
characteristicsoftheprocesseddata.
Workinginanetworkedenvironment,studentsdevelopthepracticeofusingafilenamingsystemthatisbothmeaningful
tothestudents,andavoidsconfusionoverwhoownsparticularfiles.
Studentsbegintoexplorecontemporarywaysofcommunicatingideasandinformationbycomposingandsending
simpleelectronicmessagessuchasemails.
Standards
AtLevel1,studentsareworkingtowardtheLevel2standards(seebelow).
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Level2
LearningFocus
AsstudentsworktowardstheachievementofLevel2standardsinInformationandCommunicationsTechnology(ICT),
theyuseICTtoacquirenewknowledgeandskillsinallareasofthecurriculumandtocreateandpresentinformationin
meaningfulways.Forexample,studentsaccessawebsitetoparticipateinafoodpyramidgame,andthenpresenttheir
understandingoffoodgroupsinaslideshowthatcontainsanimageofalunchboxfilledwiththeappropriatefooditems.
Whenusingmultimediaresources,studentsbegintothinkcriticallyabouttheseresourcesandhowtheyhelplearning.
Intheirlearningofnewmaterial,studentsexperimentwithsomesimpleICTtoolsandtechniquesforvisualisingtheir
thinking.Theylearntoorganiseandclassifyinformationandideas,andpresenttheminamannerthatismeaningfulto
them.Thismayentailcuttingandpasting,droppinganddragging,andcolourcodinginordertogroupsimilaritems,to
sequenceeventsandtoidentifyexamplesthatillustratekeyideas.
Toimprovethepresentationoftextandimages,studentsbegintoapplysimpletechniques,suchasbolding,centring
andchangingcase.Theyexplorearangeofdifferentinformationproductsandidentifyintendedaudiences.Students
displaytheirowninformationproductsinawaythatsuitsdifferentaudiences.
Studentsdevelopanunderstandingoftheimportanceofcheckingtheaccuracyoffactsthataregoingtobeprocessed
thisbeingnecessaryforproducingaccurateoutput.Studentscollectfirsthanddataand,withassistance,enteritintotheir
spreadsheetfilesandmanipulateit.Forexample,aftercollectingtheheightsoffellowstudentsorthenumberof
classmateswithparticulareyecolours,studentsmanipulatethedatabysummingorcolourcodingcells,andthen
presenttheprocesseddataasachart.Individually,andasaclass,theymakesummarystatementsaboutthe
characteristicsoftheprocesseddata.
Workinginanetworkedenvironment,studentsdevelopthepracticeofusingafilenamingsystemthatisbothmeaningful
tothestudents,andavoidsconfusionoverwhoownsparticularfiles.
Studentsbegintoexplorecontemporarywaysofcommunicatingideasandinformationbycomposingandsending
simpleelectronicmessagessuchasemails.
Standards
Atthislevelstandardsarenotorganisedbydimensions.
InformationandCommunicationsTechnology
AtLevel2,studentsmanipulatetext,imagesandnumericdatatocreatesimpleinformationproductsforspecific
audiences.Theymakesimplechangestoimprovetheappearanceoftheirinformationproducts.Theyretrievefilesand
savenewfilesusinganamingsystemthatismeaningfultothem.Theycomposesimpleelectronicmessagestoknown
recipientsandsendthemsuccessfully.Withsomeassistance,studentsuseICTtolocateandretrieverelevant
informationfromavarietyofsources.
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Level3
LearningFocus
AsstudentsworktowardstheachievementofLevel4standardsinInformationandCommunicationsTechnology(ICT),
theydevelopskillsinusingICTforproblemsolving,expressingideas,andpresentinginformationtodifferentaudiences.
Workinginallareasofthecurriculum,studentsexplorearangeofICTtools(forexample,basiceditingtoolssuchas
wordprocessing)andsimpletechniquesforvisualisingthinking.Theyalsousesimplegraphicorganiserssuchas
conceptmapsandsequencechartstoprovideaframeworkforvisualisingthinking.Inparticulartheyusetoolsthatassist
insequencing,andinidentifyingrelationshipsbetween,ideas,factsandconcepts.Studentssavetheirvisualising
thinkingfilestofoldersandwhennewbutsimilarlearningsituationsarise,theyretrievethemandusethemasastarting
pointforthesesituations.Studentsreflectontheusefulnessofsuchtoolsandstrategiesinnewcircumstances.
Studentscomparethepurposesandstructuresofinformationpresentedindifferentmedia,suchasprint,onscreen,or
asanactionforexample,amovingrobot.Individually,studentslearntoprocessdataintheformoftext,imagesand
soundtocreateplannedinformationproducts,suchasinvitations,shortstories,presentationfiles(forexample,a
MicrosoftPowerPointfile),animationsandtitlepagesforbooks.Studentsbegintousemanual(forexample,
proofreading)andelectronic(forexample,spellchecker)techniquestoidentifytypographicalerrorsandmakeappropriate
corrections.Theyusecriteria,suchastheaccuracyandattractivenessoftheirinformationproducts,tomakejudgments
abouthowwelltheymeettheirpurposes.Studentsusesoftwaretoolstoassistwithproblemsolving.Forexample,
studentscreateaquestionnaireusingwordprocessingsoftwaretocollectdataabouttheagesandethnicityofresidents
intheirlocalareaaspartoftheirHumanitiesstudy.Theirunderstandingofthisdataisthendemonstratedina
presentationfile.StudentsworkcollaborativelytodeveloptheirICTskills.
WhenusingICTtoassistwithproblemsolvingandforproducinginformationproducts,studentsinvestigateandapply
somepracticesthatareergonomicallysound,suchasadjustingtheheightofchairstoensurethatelbowsareatan
appropriateangleandusingkeyingtechniquesthatminimisewristharmandmaximisetheefficiencyofdataentry.
Studentsbegintomanagetheirfilesusingsimplewaysoforganisingthemforeasyretrievalforexample,creating
foldersbasedontopicsorformssuchasstories,images,andprojects.Theycomparetheirsystemswiththoseofother
studentsandacknowledgeandacceptdifferentapproachesthatworkfortheuser.Studentsareintroducedtothesimple
securitystrategyofusingpasswordstoprotectaccesstotheirfileswhenworkingonanetwork.
StudentscontinuetodeveloptheirskillsinusingICTtocommunicateknowledgebyexchangingemailmessageswith
others.Whenseekingnewinformationontopicsofimportanceorinterestinallareasofthecurriculum,studentsapplya
setofprocedures(suchassimplekeywords)forlocatinginformationontheintranetandtheInternet,andtheydetermine
thevalueoftheseresourcesbydevelopingandapplyingsimplecriteria(forexample,consideringtheageoftheintended
audience).Theytransferthisknowledgewhentheyevaluatetheirownproducts.
Standards
AtLevel3,studentsareworkingtowardtheLevel4standards.
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Level4
LearningFocus
AsstudentsworktowardstheachievementofLevel4standardsinInformationandCommunicationsTechnology(ICT),
theydevelopskillsinusingICTforproblemsolving,expressingideas,andpresentinginformationtodifferentaudiences.
Workinginallareasofthecurriculum,studentsexplorearangeofICTtools(forexample,basiceditingtoolssuchas
wordprocessing)andsimpletechniquesforvisualisingthinking.Theyalsousesimplegraphicorganiserssuchas
conceptmapsandsequencechartstoprovideaframeworkforvisualisingthinking.Inparticulartheyusetoolsthatassist
insequencing,andinidentifyingrelationshipsbetween,ideas,factsandconcepts.Studentssavetheirvisualising
thinkingfilestofoldersandwhennewbutsimilarlearningsituationsarise,theyretrievethemandusethemasastarting
pointforthesesituations.Studentsreflectontheusefulnessofsuchtoolsandstrategiesinnewcircumstances.
Studentscomparethepurposesandstructuresofinformationpresentedindifferentmedia,suchasprint,onscreen,or
asanactionforexample,amovingrobot.Individually,studentslearntoprocessdataintheformoftext,imagesand
soundtocreateplannedinformationproducts,suchasinvitations,shortstories,presentationfiles(forexample,a
MicrosoftPowerPointfile),animationsandtitlepagesforbooks.Studentsbegintousemanual(forexample,
proofreading)andelectronic(forexample,spellchecker)techniquestoidentifytypographicalerrorsandmakeappropriate
corrections.Theyusecriteria,suchastheaccuracyandattractivenessoftheirinformationproducts,tomakejudgments
abouthowwelltheymeettheirpurposes.Studentsusesoftwaretoolstoassistwithproblemsolving.Forexample,
studentscreateaquestionnaireusingwordprocessingsoftwaretocollectdataabouttheagesandethnicityofresidents
intheirlocalareaaspartoftheirHumanitiesstudy.Theirunderstandingofthisdataisthendemonstratedina
presentationfile.StudentsworkcollaborativelytodeveloptheirICTskills.
WhenusingICTtoassistwithproblemsolvingandforproducinginformationproducts,studentsinvestigateandapply
somepracticesthatareergonomicallysound,suchasadjustingtheheightofchairstoensurethatelbowsareatan
appropriateangleandusingkeyingtechniquesthatminimisewristharmandmaximisetheefficiencyofdataentry.
Studentsbegintomanagetheirfilesusingsimplewaysoforganisingthemforeasyretrievalforexample,creating
foldersbasedontopicsorformssuchasstories,images,andprojects.Theycomparetheirsystemswiththoseofother
studentsandacknowledgeandacceptdifferentapproachesthatworkfortheuser.Studentsareintroducedtothesimple
securitystrategyofusingpasswordstoprotectaccesstotheirfileswhenworkingonanetwork.
StudentscontinuetodeveloptheirskillsinusingICTtocommunicateknowledgebyexchangingemailmessageswith
others.Whenseekingnewinformationontopicsofimportanceorinterestinallareasofthecurriculum,studentsapplya
setofprocedures(suchassimplekeywords)forlocatinginformationontheintranetandtheInternet,andtheydetermine
thevalueoftheseresourcesbydevelopingandapplyingsimplecriteria(forexample,consideringtheageoftheintended
audience).Theytransferthisknowledgewhentheyevaluatetheirownproducts.
Standards
ICTforvisualisingthinking
AtLevel4,studentsuseICTtoolstolistideas,orderthemintologicalsequences,andidentifyrelationshipsbetween
them.Studentsretrievetheirsavedvisualisingthinkingstrategiesandeditthemforuseinnew,butsimilarsituations.
Theyexplainhowthesestrategiescanbeusedfordifferentproblemsorsituations.
ICTforcreating
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AtLevel4,studentsorganisetheirfilesintofoldersclassifiedinawaythatismeaningfultothem.Studentsexplainthe
purposeofpasswordsforaccessingfilesstoredonnetworks.Theyfollowsimpleplansandusetoolsandarangeof
datatypestocreateinformationproductsdesignedtoinform,persuade,entertainoreducateparticularaudiences.They
createinformationproductstoassistinproblemsolvinginallareasofthecurriculum.Withminimalassistance,students
useICTtoolstocaptureandsaveimages.Theyusesimpleeditingfunctionstomanipulatetheimagesforuseintheir
products.
Theymakeongoingmodificationstotheirworktocorrectthespellingoffrequentlyusedwordsandtorectifysimple
formattingerrors.Theyevaluatethefinalinformationproductanddescribehowwellitmeetsitspurpose.Studentsmake
adjustmentstotheirequipmentandapplytechniquesthatareergonomicallysound.
ICTforcommunicating
AtLevel4,studentsinitiateandcomposeemailmessagestoknownandunknownaudiencesand,whereappropriate,
sendreplies.Studentscreatefoldersintheirmailboxtoorganisethestorageofemailmessagestheywishtokeep.They
locateinformationonanintranet,andusearecommendedsearchengineandlimitedkeywordstolocateinformation
fromwebsites.Theydevelopandapplysimplecriteriatoevaluatethevalueofthelocatedinformation.
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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.
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Studentsbegintoworkinacollaborativeglobalenvironment.Theysharetheirdevelopingknowledgewiththeirpeers
throughemail,andseekadvicefromothersthroughfrequentlyaskedquestions(FAQs),websitesorbydirectlyemailing
experts.Studentsconsiderthesemethodsofsharinginformationwithawideraudience,anddevelopknowledgeof
protocolsforsendingandreceivingelectronicinformationthroughtheInternetbycreatingandsendingemailswith
attachmentsanduploadingfilestoprotectedpublicplacesonintranetsortheInternet.
Whenproblemsolving,studentsuserecommendedsearchenginesandbegintorefinesearchquestionstolocate
informationquicklyontheInternet.Thisinvolvesapplyingcriteriaforassessingtheintegrityofinformation,suchasthe
reliabilityofthewebhostandtheaccuracyoftheinformation.
Standards
AtLevel5,studentsareworkingtowardtheLevel6standards.
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Level6
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.
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Studentsbegintoworkinacollaborativeglobalenvironment.Theysharetheirdevelopingknowledgewiththeirpeers
throughemail,andseekadvicefromothersthroughfrequentlyaskedquestions(FAQs),websitesorbydirectlyemailing
experts.Studentsconsiderthesemethodsofsharinginformationwithawideraudience,anddevelopknowledgeof
protocolsforsendingandreceivingelectronicinformationthroughtheInternetbycreatingandsendingemailswith
attachmentsanduploadingfilestoprotectedpublicplacesonintranetsortheInternet.
Whenproblemsolving,studentsuserecommendedsearchenginesandbegintorefinesearchquestionstolocate
informationquicklyontheInternet.Thisinvolvesapplyingcriteriaforassessingtheintegrityofinformation,suchasthe
reliabilityofthewebhostandtheaccuracyoftheinformation.
Standards
ICTforvisualisingthinking
AtLevel6,studentsapplyICTtoolsandtechniquestorepresentandexploreprocesses,patternsandcauseandeffect
relationships.StudentsuseICTtoolsandtechniquesthatsupporttheorganisationandanalysisofconcepts,issuesand
ideasandthatallowrelationshipstobeidentifiedandinferencesdrawnfromthem.
Studentsreviewtheirstoredthinkingstrategiesinordertoidentifysimilaritiesanddifferencesintheirthinkingpatterns.
Theydocumentintheirbankofdigitalevidencehowthesevisualisingthinkingstrategieshelpthemtounderstand
conceptsandrelationships.
ICTforcreating
AtLevel6,studentssafelyandindependentlyusearangeofskills,procedures,equipmentandfunctionstoprocess
differentdatatypesandproduceaccurateandsuitablyformattedproductstosuitdifferentpurposesandaudiences.They
usedesigntoolstorepresenthowsolutionswillbeproducedandthelayoutofinformationproducts.Studentsselect
relevanttechniquesforminimisingthetimetakentoprocessdata,andapplyconventionsandtechniquesthatimprove
theappearanceofthefinishedproduct.Studentsmodifyproductsonanongoingbasisinordertoimprovemeaningand
judgetheirproductsagainstagreedcriteria.
Studentscreateandmaintainanuptodate,logicallystructuredbankofdigitalevidenceoftheirlearning.Theypassword
protectandbackupimportantfilesandusefilenamingconventionsthatalloweasyretrieval.
ICTforcommunicating
AtLevel6,studentsuseemail,websitesandfrequentlyaskedquestionfacilitiestoacquirefrom,orshareinformation
with,peersandknownandunknownexperts.Whenemailing,theysuccessfullyattachfilesandtheyapplyprotocolsfor
sendingandreceivingelectronicinformation.Theysuccessfullyuploadtheirworktoaprotectedpubliconlinespace.
Usingrecommendedsearchengines,studentsrefinetheirsearchstrategiestolocateinformationquickly.Theyevaluate
theintegrityofthelocatedinformationbasedonitsaccuracyandthereliabilityofthewebhost.
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TableofContents
Overview
Introduction
Domainstructure
Stagesoflearning
CurriculumF10
Foundationlevel
Level1
Level2
Level3
Level4
Level5
Level6
2
2
2
3
7
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
Interpersonal Development

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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
Learningfocusstatementsarewrittenforeachlevel.Theseoutlinethelearningthatstudentsneedtofocusoniftheyareto
progressinthedomainandachievethestandardsatthelevelswheretheyapply.Theysuggestappropriatelearning
experiencesfromwhichteacherscandrawtodeveloprelevantteachingandlearningactivities.
Standards
Standardsdefinewhatstudentsshouldknowandbeabletodoatdifferentlevelsandarewrittenforeachdimension.In
InterpersonalDevelopment,standardsforassessingandreportingonstudentachievementapplyfromFoundation,although
atthisleveltheyarenotorganisedbydimension.
Dimensions
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StandardsintheInterpersonalDevelopmentdomainareorganisedintwodimensions:
l Buildingsocialrelationships
l 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.
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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.
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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:
l acceptingtheirphysiqueandtheirgenderidentity
l developingmoresupportiverelationshipswiththeirpeers
l gainingindependencefromtheirparentsandteachers
l seekingeconomicindependence
l thinkingaboutanoccupation
l developingintellectualskillsandconceptsnecessaryforciviccompetence
l desiringandachievingsociallyresponsiblebehaviour
l imaginingthesortoflifetowhichtheyaspire
l buildingconsciousvaluescongruentwithanadequatescientificworldpicture.
Inshort,itisatimeofincreasingresponsibilityandexpectation.Youngpeoplereconsiderwhathasbeeninculcatedinthem,
andacquireapersonalpointofviewandapersonalplaceintheworld.Somemayreachanawarenessofuniversalvalues
andethicalprinciples.
Parentsandteachersoftenbecomelessimportantmodels,especiallywithregardtoissuesthatareofimmediateconcern.
Incontrast,peersbecomemoreimportantasmodels.Programsthatencouragepositivepeerinfluence,andlinkyouthswith
adultswillhavepositiveoutcomesintermsofresilienceandcopingstyles.
Thegreatestshiftincopingoccursbetween14and16levels,whichmakeittheoptimumtimeforstudentstoreflectontheir
copingbehavioursanddevelopparticularstrategies.
Copingskillsareoftenseeninthecontextofabroadersetofskills,attitudesandbeliefsrelatedtoresilience.Resilientyoung
people:
l formattachmentstoprosocialgroupsatschoolandinthecommunity
l formrelationshipswithadiverserangeofpeopleincludingsignificantadults
l haveapositiveattitude,protectivecopingskillsandasenseofoptimism
l aredevelopingasenseofpurposeinlife
l havestabledomesticorlivingarrangements.
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Acommonfactorineachoftheaboveisthesenseofbelongingandinvolvementthatcomesfrombeingameaningfuland
usefulcontributortothegroup,whetherthisbepeer,work,familyorcommunity.
Youngpeoplearemoremotivatedwhentheyseethelinkbetweentasks,theirviewofthemselvesandtheirfuture.Students
whohavetheknowledge,skillsandbehaviourstodothiswillbecapableofgivingandseekingthesupportthatwillassist
themtobecomevaluablecontributorstotheirfamilies,communitiesandworkplaces.Theywillalsobemorelikelytocreate
theconditionsnecessaryforgivingandreceivingthesocial,emotionalandintellectualsupportneededtoachievefull
potentialinhigherlevelsofschoolingandbeyond.
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Foundationlevel
LearningFocus
AsstudentsworktowardstheachievementofFoundationstandardsinInterpersonalDevelopment,theyinteractwiththeir
peers,teachersandotheradultsinarangeofcontexts.Theylearntoplayconstructivelytogetherandareencouragedto
developfriendshipswithpeers.
Studentslearntomanagetheirimpulsesbydevelopinghabitsandroutinesthathelpthemtobeacooperativeclass
member.Theydevelopavocabularytodescribetheemotionstheyexperiencewheninteractingwithothers.
Withteachersupport,studentsbegintoidentifyanddeveloptheskillsrequiredtoworktogetherinagroup,including
takingturns,andsharingandcaringforequipmentandresources.Throughsupportedreflectionontheirown
experiencesofworkingwithapartner,insmallgroupandwholeclasssituations,studentssharetheirthoughtsongroup
collaborationandlearntodescribeandpractiseskillsthatcontributetotheformationofpositiverelationships,and
explainwhytheseskillsaredesirable.
Whileplayinggamesandparticipatinginclassroomactivities,studentspractiselisteningtoothersandrecordingor
retellingwhatothershavesaid.Withteachersupport,theypractiseusingtheseskillswiththeirpeersinavarietyof
contextsandbegintoidentifywhenitwouldbeusefultoapplytheseskillsinothersituations.
Studentsaresupportedtodevelopappropriatelanguagetoexplainwhathappensandhowtheyfeelwhenexperiencing
conflictand/orbullying.Theybegintounderstandhowtheiractionsaffectothers.Studentslearnthatsomepeoplehave
specialneedsandtorespecttherights,feelingsandeffortsofothers.
Standards
Atthislevelstandardsarenotorganisedbydimensions.
InterpersonalDevelopment
AtFoundation,studentsidentifythequalitiesofafriendanddemonstratecareforotherstudents.Theycontributetothe
developmentofpositivesocialrelationshipsinarangeofcontexts.Theyuseappropriatelanguageandactionswhen
dealingwithconflict.Studentsdescribebasicskillsrequiredtoworkcooperativelyingroups.
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Level1
LearningFocus
AsstudentsworktowardstheachievementofLevel2standardsinInterpersonalDevelopment,theyinteractwiththeir
peers,olderandyoungerstudentsandadults,inarangeofcontexts.Withteachersupport,studentsreflectonpersonal
qualitieswhichcontributetothedevelopmentandmaintenanceoffriendships.Theybegintodevelopandexhibit
appropriatebehavioursformaintainingpositivesocialrelationships.
Throughactivitiessuchasreading,discussionandroleplay,studentslearntorecogniseanddescribethefeelingsand
emotionalresponsesofothers.Theycomparethesewiththeirownemotionalresponsesandadjusttheirbehaviourin
response.
Studentslearntorecognisethattheiractionshaveconsequencesforboththemselvesandothersinsocialcontexts.They
begintothinkintermsofotherpeoplesfeelingsandneeds,especiallywhenresolvingconflictordealingwithbullyingfor
example,bysayingsorryortakinganotherpersonspointofviewintoconsideration.
Studentslearntoworkinteamstocompletestructuredactivitieswithinasettimeframe(theteachermayselecttheteams
andallocaterolesandresponsibilities).Studentslearntostayontaskandshareresourcesfairly.Inresponseto
questionsandprompts,theylearntoreflectontheteamschallengesandsuccessesandtheircontributiontotheteams
effectiveness.
Standards
AtLevel1,studentsareworkingtowardtheLevel2standards.
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Level2
LearningFocus
AsstudentsworktowardstheachievementofLevel2standardsinInterpersonalDevelopment,theyinteractwiththeir
peers,olderandyoungerstudentsandadults,inarangeofcontexts.Withteachersupport,studentsreflectonpersonal
qualitieswhichcontributetothedevelopmentandmaintenanceoffriendships.Theybegintodevelopandexhibit
appropriatebehavioursformaintainingpositivesocialrelationships.
Throughactivitiessuchasreading,discussionandroleplay,studentslearntorecogniseanddescribethefeelingsand
emotionalresponsesofothers.Theycomparethesewiththeirownemotionalresponsesandadjusttheirbehaviourin
response.
Studentslearntorecognisethattheiractionshaveconsequencesforboththemselvesandothersinsocialcontexts.They
begintothinkintermsofotherpeoplesfeelingsandneeds,especiallywhenresolvingconflictordealingwithbullyingfor
example,bysayingsorryortakinganotherpersonspointofviewintoconsideration.
Studentslearntoworkinteamstocompletestructuredactivitieswithinasettimeframe(theteachermayselecttheteams
andallocaterolesandresponsibilities).Studentslearntostayontaskandshareresourcesfairly.Inresponseto
questionsandprompts,theylearntoreflectontheteamschallengesandsuccessesandtheircontributiontotheteams
effectiveness.
Standards
Buildingsocialrelationships
AtLevel2,studentsbehaveappropriatelyinarangeofsocialsituations.Theyidentifythefeelingsandneedsofother
people.Studentsidentifyandacceptthatthereareconsequencesfortheiractions.Theytakeappropriatestepstoresolve
simpleconflicts.
Workinginteams
AtLevel2,studentsworkinteamsinassignedroles,stayontaskandcompletestructuredactivitieswithinset
timeframes.Theyshareresourcesfairly.Withteachersupport,theydescribetheircontributiontotheactivitiesoftheteam.
Interpersonal Development

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Level3
LearningFocus
AsstudentsworktowardstheachievementofLevel4standardsinInterpersonalDevelopment,theyinteractwiththeir
peers,olderandyoungerstudents,andadultsinbothinformalandformalcontexts.Theydeveloptheirskillsand
strategiesforgettingtoknowandunderstandotherswithinincreasinglycomplexsituations.Withteachersupport,they
identifydifferenttypesoffriendshipsandrelationships.Theydiscusstheexpectationstheyhaveoffriendshipand
relationshipgroupsandacknowledgetheexpectationsthatothershaveofthem.Theyrecognisethatrelationships
changeandthatpositiverelationshipsdonotdependonalwaysagreeingwithoneanother.
Studentsareencouragedtothinkabouttheirvaluesandhowtheseaffecttheirfeelingsandbehaviour.Theyare
supportedtodeveloprelationshipsbasedonrespectandthevaluingofindividualdifferencesforexample,speaking
respectfullyaboutothers,listeningandrespondingappropriatelyandencouragingotherscontributions.Theylearnto
respectotherstudentsbelongingsand,whenappropriate,tosharetheirown.
Studentsbegintoexplorethelinkbetweentheirfeelingsandtheirbehaviour.Theylearnaboutempathyandusethisto
begintorespondtotheneedsofothers.Usingpromptsandquestions,theydevelopskillsingivingandaccepting
constructivefeedbackforexample,praisingormakingsuggestionsforimprovement.
Studentsareintroducedtoavarietyofstrategiesfordealingwithconflictandbullying.Byarticulatingtheconflicttobe
resolved,theydiscussoptionsandoutcomesandworkwithotherstodevelopplansandprocedurestoreducethe
possibilityofconflict,avoidorresolveconflict.
Inteams,studentsworktowardstheachievementofagreedgoalswithinasettimeframe.Withteacherassistance,they
developawarenessoftheirroleintheteamandresponsibilitiesinvarioussituations,andinteractwithothers
accordingly.Studentsbegintobeawarethatdifferentpointsofviewmaybevalid.Usingprovidedcriteria,theyreflecton
theeffectivenessoftheteamsinwhichtheyparticipate.
Standards
AtLevel3,studentsareworkingtowardtheLevel4standards.
Interpersonal Development

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Level4
LearningFocus
AsstudentsworktowardstheachievementofLevel4standardsinInterpersonalDevelopment,theyinteractwiththeir
peers,olderandyoungerstudents,andadultsinbothinformalandformalcontexts.Theydeveloptheirskillsand
strategiesforgettingtoknowandunderstandotherswithinincreasinglycomplexsituations.Withteachersupport,they
identifydifferenttypesoffriendshipsandrelationships.Theydiscusstheexpectationstheyhaveoffriendshipand
relationshipgroupsandacknowledgetheexpectationsthatothershaveofthem.Theyrecognisethatrelationships
changeandthatpositiverelationshipsdonotdependonalwaysagreeingwithoneanother.
Studentsareencouragedtothinkabouttheirvaluesandhowtheseaffecttheirfeelingsandbehaviour.Theyare
supportedtodeveloprelationshipsbasedonrespectandthevaluingofindividualdifferencesforexample,speaking
respectfullyaboutothers,listeningandrespondingappropriatelyandencouragingotherscontributions.Theylearnto
respectotherstudentsbelongingsand,whenappropriate,tosharetheirown.
Studentsbegintoexplorethelinkbetweentheirfeelingsandtheirbehaviour.Theylearnaboutempathyandusethisto
begintorespondtotheneedsofothers.Usingpromptsandquestions,theydevelopskillsingivingandaccepting
constructivefeedbackforexample,praisingormakingsuggestionsforimprovement.
Studentsareintroducedtoavarietyofstrategiesfordealingwithconflictandbullying.Byarticulatingtheconflicttobe
resolved,theydiscussoptionsandoutcomesandworkwithotherstodevelopplansandprocedurestoreducethe
possibilityofconflict,avoidorresolveconflict.
Inteams,studentsworktowardstheachievementofagreedgoalswithinasettimeframe.Withteacherassistance,they
developawarenessoftheirroleintheteamandresponsibilitiesinvarioussituations,andinteractwithothers
accordingly.Studentsbegintobeawarethatdifferentpointsofviewmaybevalid.Usingprovidedcriteria,theyreflecton
theeffectivenessoftheteamsinwhichtheyparticipate.
Standards
Buildingsocialrelationships
AtLevel4,studentsdemonstraterespectforothersandexhibitappropriatebehaviourformaintainingfriendshipswith
otherpeople.Theysupporteachotherbysharingideasandmaterials,offeringassistance,givingappropriatefeedback
andacknowledgingindividualdifferences.Theyworkwithotherstoreduce,avoidandresolveconflict.
Workinginteams
AtLevel4,studentscooperatewithothersinteamsforagreedpurposes,takingrolesandfollowingguidelines
establishedwithinthetask.Theydescribeandevaluatetheirowncontributionandtheteamsprogresstowardsthe
achievementofagreedgoals.
Interpersonal Development

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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
AtLevel5,studentsareworkingtowardtheLevel6standards.
Interpersonal Development

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Level6
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
Buildingsocialrelationships
AtLevel6,studentsdemonstrate,throughtheirinteractionsinsocialsituations,respectforadiverserangeofpeopleand
groups.Studentsdescribetheimpactofbullying.Theyacceptanddisplayempathyforthepointsofviewandfeelingsof
theirpeersandothers.Theyidentifyanduseavarietyofstrategiestomanageandresolveconflict.
Workinginteams
AtLevel6,studentsworkeffectivelyindifferentteamsandtakeonavarietyofrolestocompletetasksofvaryinglengthand
complexity.Theyworkcooperativelytoallocatetasksanddeveloptimelines.Studentsacceptresponsibilityfortheirrole
andtasks.Theyexplainthebenefitsofworkinginateam.Theyprovidefeedbacktoothersandevaluatetheirownandthe
teamsperformance.
Interpersonal Development

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TableofContents
Overview
Introduction
Domainstructure
Stagesoflearning
PhasesofLearning(formerlyprogressionmeasures)
CurriculumF10
Foundationlevel
Level1
Level2
Level3
Level4
Level5
Level6
2
2
2
4
7
11
11
13
14
15
16
17
18
Languages

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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
Learningfocusstatementsarewrittenforeachlevel.Theseoutlinethelearningthatstudentsneedtofocusoniftheyareto
progressinthedomainandachievethestandardsatthelevelswheretheyapply.Theysuggestappropriatelearning
experiencesfromwhichteacherscandrawtodeveloprelevantteachingandlearningactivities.
Standards
Standardsdefinewhatstudentsshouldknowandbeabletodoatdifferentlevelsandarewrittenforeachdimension.
Languages

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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

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SignlanguageAustralianSignLanguage,orAuslan.FormostlearnersthiswillalsoinvolvereadinginEnglish.

Classicallanguagesancientlanguagesnotusedasameansofeverydaycommunicationbyacontemporarycommunity.
ConsistingofRomanalphabeticallanguages(forexample,Latin)andnonRomanalphabeticallanguages(forexample,
ClassicalGreek).StandardsinthiscategoryapplyonlyinPathway2Levels8and10.

AboriginalLanguagesVictorianAboriginalLanguageswhichinvolvestheprocessofreclamationandthestudyofculture.
SchoolsshouldfollowtheprocessesoutlinedintheAboriginalLanguages,culturesandreclamationinVictorianschools:
standardsP10andprotocolsbookletpriortoincorporatingthislanguagecategoryintheirteachingprograms,with
resourcesavailableatAboriginalLanguagesandCulturesVictoria.

Dimensions
Thisdomainhastwodimensions:
l CommunicatinginalanguageotherthanEnglish
l 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

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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

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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

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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.
CommunicatinginalanguageotherthanEnglish
Oncompletionofthefirstphaseoflearningstudentsshouldtypicallybeableto:
l repeatteachermodelleduseofthelanguage
l participateinchoraluseofthelanguage
l identifythenamesofvisibleobjectsanditemsfromaural/visualcues
l introducethemselves,greetandfarewelltheteacher
l followsimpleclassroomdirections
l recognisesomeculturallyspecificgesturesandbodylanguage,anddemonstratehowtheseareused
l observetheprocessofinterpretingandperformsomeofitssimplefeaturesusingsinglewordsorphrases.
Languages

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StudentsofRomanalphabeticallanguagesshouldbeableto:
l recognisethedifferentsoundsofsimilarletters,anddemonstratedifferencesforkeysounds
l identifylettersoundrelationshipsandcopyandtracelettersandletterclustersandmatchthemtosoundsandwords.
StudentsofNonRomanalphabeticallanguagesshouldbeableto:
l noticeanddiscussthedifferentwritingsystem,andpractisewritingindividuallettersandothersymbols
l distinguishselectedlettersoundsfromEnglish,matchsoundsandletters,identifywordsforconcreteitemsfromcues,
etc.
l copyortraceselectedlettersandmatchthemtosoundsandwords.
StudentsofCharacterlanguagesshouldbeableto:
l noticeanddiscussthedifferentwritingsystem,andpractisewritingselectedletters,charactersorothersymbols
l recognisecharactersassociatedwithspecificconcreteitemsandtheirdifferentsounds,matchingsymbolsto
meaningsandforms
l traceorcopyselectedcharacters.
StudentsofSignlanguageshouldbeableto:
l noticeanddiscussthevisualnatureofcommunication
l demonstratesinglesignsandsimplesignedsequences
l recognisesignsandsimplesignedsequencesemphasisingnonmanualfeatures
l producesimplemanualsignsandnonmanualsignstoparticipateingamesandactivities.
Interculturalknowledgeandlanguageawareness
Oncompletionofthefirstphaseoflearningstudentsshouldtypicallybeableto:
l demonstrateanunderstandingofsomeofthedifferencesinhowpeopleeatanddress,signandgesture,writeand
saythings
l identifysomeoftherelationshipsbetweenselectedletters,soundsortonesinthelanguagecomparedtoEnglishor
otherfamiliarlanguages
l identifyaculturalicon,geographicfeature,famousbuildingorculturalpracticeandmakeasimplestatementaboutitin
thelanguage
l displayanawarenessofdifferentwaysofdoingthingsinparticularsituations
l expresstheirownpreferencesinthelanguage,orbyrespondingtocuesgiveninthelanguage.
Phaseoflearning:2
ThesecondphaseoflearningbuildsontheintroductiontothestudiesofLanguagesknowledgeandskillssetoutinPhase
1.
CommunicatinginalanguageotherthanEnglish
Oncompletionofthesecondphaseoflearningstudentsshouldtypicallybeableto:
l generatesimpleoriginalsentences(includingexpressinglikesanddislikes)
l introducethemselves,greetandfarewelltheteacher,andexpressthanksandapologies
l respondtosimplequestionsaboutshortsongs,storiesandrhymes
l extrapolatefromfamiliarsounds,tonemarkers,signs,andsoon,tospellnewwords
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l writewords/lettersincontextandinmodelledsentences
l recognisesomeculturallyspecificgesturesandbodylanguageandintegratethemintotheirownoralcommunications
l demonstratethegeneralcharacteristicsofinterpretingandtranslatinginspecificactivities
l recognisevariationsinhowpeoplerespondindailysituationsanddescribethevaluesunderpinningtheseresponses
l recognisetheuseofthelanguageinseveralmediaandinformationandcommunicationstechnologies,andproduce
simplemultimediatextsinthelanguage
l demonstrateanunderstandingofvariationinlanguageuse,dependingontheaudienceandcontext.
StudentsofRomanalphabeticallanguagesshouldbeableto:
l pronouncethesoundsattributedtolettersincontextbyreadingaloudorrepeatingpronunciationassociatedwith
writtenwords
l independentlyproducewordsinwritingandproduceoriginalvariationsonmodelledwrittensentences
l recogniseanduseaccentsandpunctuationsuitedtothelanguage,whereapplicable.
StudentsofNonRomanalphabeticallanguagesshouldbeableto:
l identifylettersoundrelationshipsandpractisepronunciation
l writewordsincontextandinmodelledsentences,includingrelevantaccentsandpunctuation.
StudentsofCharacterlanguagesshouldbeableto:
l practisewritingcharactersandothersymbolsanddeveloplinksbetweenvisualcues,soundsandmeaning
l recognisefundamentaldifferencesbetweentheuseofanalphabet,asinEnglish,andadifferentwritingsystem
l readaloudandformeaning
l writespecificcharactersassociatedwithparticularwordsorsounds
l identifyandcompareelementsofpunctuationincontextinmorethanonelanguage.
StudentsofSignlanguageshouldbeableto:
l developcomprehensionthroughnonverbalmeansandbyusingsignlanguageinsimpleconversations
l obtainmeaningfromnonverbalcommunicationtofollowinstructionsortousetheinformationforapurpose
l participateinrealorsimulatedconversationsandeverydaytransactionsbyimitatingandadaptingmodels.
Interculturalknowledgeandlanguageawareness
Oncompletionofthesecondphaseoflearningstudentsshouldtypicallybeableto:
l expresstheirownpreferencesorviewsandcommunicatemeaningfortheirownpurposesinthelanguage
l namesomecolours,shapes,objects,placesandpeopleassociatedwithacountrywherethelanguageisspoken
l identifytwoormoreplaces,features,famousbuildings,landmarksorculturalpracticesinanothersociety,and
describesomeaspectoftheseinsimplesentencesinthelanguage
l recognisevariationsinhowpeoplerespondindailysituationsanddescribethevaluesunderpinningtheseresponses
l participateinthecreationandmaintenanceofthelanguageandculturalambienceintheclassroom
l recognisethesimilaritiesanddifferencesbetweenlanguagesforexample,insentencestructures.
Phaseoflearning:3
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Thethirdphaseoflearningbuildsfurtherontheknowledgeandskillsstudentshaveacquiredinphases1and2and
preparesthemtoundertakethelearningassociatedwiththestandardsthatareintroducedfromLevel5onward.
CommunicatinginalanguageotherthanEnglish
Oncompletionofthethirdphaseoflearningstudentsshouldtypicallybeableto:
l writesimplesentencesbasedonmodelledexamples
l listentoshort,simpletextsandshowunderstanding
l useadictionaryinguidedsituationstofindthemeaningofsimplewordsandtoexpandtheirvocabularyresources
l usesubstitutionstrategiestogeneratechangedmeaning
l understandnewwordsintroducedintofamiliarwrittentexts,predictingfromclues
l usebasicstructuresinresponsetosimplequestions
l constructquestionsthemselvesusinginformationfromtheanswerstheyreceiveinstructuredsituations
l appropriatelyintegratemanyculturallyspecificgesturesintotheiroralcommunication
l usesimplesoftwareapplicationstodemonstrateunderstandingofknownvocabularyandstructures
l participateeffectivelyinverysimpleinterpretingandtranslatingroutines.
StudentsofRomanalphabeticallanguagesshouldbeableto:
l readandrespondtosimpleandfamiliartexts
l writeinthelanguageusingmodelledtextsandgeneratingoriginalmaterialswithteacherguidance.
StudentsofNonRomanalphabeticallanguagesshouldbeableto:
l readsentencesonfamiliartopics
l practisewritingbycopying,usingmodelledtextandgeneratingsentencesoforiginaltext.
StudentsofCharacterlanguagesshouldbeableto:
l readandwriteknowncharactersandothersymbolsandalsoexpandtheirrepertoireofknowncharacters
l begintounderstandthatthenumberofcharactersthattheycanreadisgreaterthanthosetheycanwrite,andtoreflect
onwhy.
StudentsofSignlanguageshouldbeableto:
l developtheircomprehensionofsimplesignedtextsbyidentifyingspecificitemsofinformationwhenmakingchoices,
answeringquestionsandrelayinginformationtootherparticipantsinasignedexchange
l engageinexchangestoprovideandobtaininformationabouteverydayactivities.
Interculturalknowledgeandlanguageawareness
Oncompletionofthethirdphaseoflearningstudentsshouldtypicallybeableto:
l demonstrateanunderstandingofculturallyappropriatevalues,responsesandpatternsofbehaviourinparticular
situationsrelatedtothetopicsbeingstudied
l identifyandusekeyfeaturesofthelanguage,suchasgrammaticalgender,tones,formalandinformalmodesof
address
l compareandcontrastlikeeventsincultureswhichusedifferentlanguages
l exploreatopicofinterestthroughthelanguage
l developrevisionmaterialsforlanguagerulesandapplicationstosharewithotherstudents.
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Foundationlevel
LearningFocus
AsstudentsworktowardstheachievementofstandardsatPathway1Level6,theydevelopanunderstandingofthe
speakersofthelanguageotherthanEnglishandthecountries,regionsandcommunitieswherethelanguageisspoken.
InpreparationforLevel6standards,studentsneedtodeveloptheknowledgeandskillsdescribedintheprogression
measures.
Studentsaregivenopportunitiestolearnaboutthespeakersofthelanguagethroughtheintroductionofculturallyrelevant
andageappropriatestimulusmaterials,suchasCDROMsandvariousdigitalmedia,videos,storiesandguest
speakers.
Theyunderstandthatthelanguageisusedforcommunication,andthatpeopleoutsidetheirclassroomalsospeakthe
language.TheybegintounderstandthattherearedifferencesbetweenthelanguageandEnglish.Theybecomeaware
thattherearevariouswaysofdoingthingsandthatthingsareimportantfordifferentreasonsforexample,thereare
variousspecialfestivalsatdifferenttimesoftheyear,andthattheseareaffectedbygeographyandclimate.
Studentsbegintouseandrespondtothelanguageintheclassroom,relatingthelanguagetowhattheysee,hearand
touch,andtotopicsrelatedtoself,home,familyandtootherclassroomactivities.
Throughgreetings,introductions,songsandothersimpleroutines,studentsbecomefamiliarwiththesoundsofthe
languageandclustersofwords,andpractiseusingthelanguage.Fromthebeginning,theyhearwords,phrasesand
basicsentencesinuse.Studentsareintroducedtoconcretelanguagewithrepetitivepatterns,anddevelopstrategiesfor
memorisationandcomprehension.Theystarttointerpretgestureandfacialexpressions,andusesomeofthenon
verbalbehaviourthatispartofthelanguage.Asfaraspossible,studentsareimmersedinhearingthelanguage,whose
meaningismadeclearby:
l gestures(forexample,indicating,touching)
l dramatisation(forexample,roleplaying,costumewearing,puppets,scenarios,imitatingcharacters)
l singing(forexample,actedparts,participationrhymes,choralpractice)
l activities(forexample,painting,Internetormultimediagames,digitallearningobjects,interculturalawarenessgames)
l conversing(forexample,repeatingteachermodels,askingandansweringscaffoldedquestions,identifyingobjects
andtheircharacteristics,usinghereandnowcues,labellingclassroomandhomeobjects)
l viewing(forexample,video,graphic,visualandotherstimulusmaterial)
l dance.
Studentsparticipateincooking,physicaleducation,rolegames,painting,drawing,fingerpainting,puppetmakingand
similaractivitieswhichlocatethelanguageinrealcommunicationcontexts,hearingextendedbutsimplestretchesofthe
languageandgraduallyusingitthemselves.
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Studentsundertakethedevelopmentofwritingskillsappropriatetothelanguagebeingstudiedandcommunicateusing
explicitmodelswithongoingteachersupportandscaffolding.
Standards
InLanguagesPathway1,standardsforassessingandreportingachievementareintroducedatLevel5.Schoolsthat
providelanguageprogramspriortoLevel5shouldrefertotheLanguagesphasesoflearning(formerlyprogression
measures)whichprovideatypicalsequenceofsecondlanguagedevelopment.TheFoundationtoLevel4learningfocus
statementsprovideadviceforteachersaboutlearningexperiencesthatwillassiststudentstoworktowardsthe
achievementofthestandardsatLevel6.
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Level1
LearningFocus
AsstudentsworktowardstheachievementofstandardsinLanguagesatPathway1Level6,theylearnaboutculturein
contextfromstimulusmaterials.Theylearnthattherearedifferentwaysofdoingthingsandtoidentifywhatisfamiliarand
whatisdifferentintheirownandothercultures.InpreparationforLevel6standards,studentsneedtodevelopthe
knowledgeandskillsdescribedintheprogressionmeasures.
StudentsstarttounderstandandusethelanguageotherthanEnglishinstructuredsituationsandactivitiesrelatedto
theirlocalenvironment:self,family,home,classroomandcommunity.Todevelopcomprehensiontheyrespondnon
verballyorbyusingkeywordsorshortphrases.Theybegintousesetsofwordsandsentencesthatareencountered
frequentlyintheclassroom,andtoinsertwordsintosimplesentences.Studentslearntorecognisetheprintedformof
familiarwordsthattheyhavememorised.Theybegintoidentifypatternsandcommonelementsinthelanguage,and
experimentwiththelanguagetoexpressthemselves.
Asfaraspossible,studentsareimmersedinhearingthelanguage,whosemeaningismadeclearbygestures,
dramatisation,singing,doingactivities,conversing,viewing,etc.Studentsexperimentwiththelanguageusingwords,
phrasesandbasicsentencestoexpressthemselves.Theybegintodemonstrateunderstandingforexample,byusing
pictures,bodylanguageorgesture,performingactionsorwritinginthelanguage.Studentsidentifysomecommon
elementsinthelanguagethatdifferfrom,oraresimilarto,Englishandotherlanguageswithwhichtheymaybefamiliar.
Stimulusmaterialssuchasstoriesandreadings,activitiesandgames,multimediaresources,visualandgraphic
displaysandInternetsites,encouragestudentstounderstandthatthelanguageisusednormallyforcommunicationin
thesesettings.Studentsaregivenopportunitiestoobservedifferencesinthewaythelanguagesoundswhenusedby
differentspeakers,orindifferentcontexts.Theyalsoidentifyfeaturesofcommunication,andwhererelevant,differences
indress,eating,greetingroutines,waysofbeingpoliteandobviousculturalpractices.Theyobservetheprocessesof
interpretingandtranslating.
Studentscontinuetocommunicatebydrawingonexplicitmodelsandwithongoingteachersupportandscaffolding.They
experimentwithwrittenorsignedlanguageandexpressthemselvesbyapproximatingmeaning.
Standards
InLanguagesPathway1,standardsforassessingandreportingachievementareintroducedatLevel5.Schoolsthat
providelanguageprogramspriortoLevel4shouldrefertotheLanguagesphasesoflearning(formerlyprogression
measures)whichprovideatypicalsequenceofsecondlanguagedevelopment.TheFoundationtoLevel4learningfocus
statementsprovideadviceforteachersaboutlearningexperiencesthatwillassiststudentstoworktowardsthe
achievementofthestandardsatLevel6.
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Level2
LearningFocus
AsstudentsworktowardstheachievementofstandardsinLanguagesatPathway1Level6,theylearnaboutculturein
contextfromstimulusmaterials.Theylearnthattherearedifferentwaysofdoingthingsandtoidentifywhatisfamiliarand
whatisdifferentintheirownandothercultures.InpreparationforLevel6standards,studentsneedtodevelopthe
knowledgeandskillsdescribedintheprogressionmeasures.
StudentsstarttounderstandandusethelanguageotherthanEnglishinstructuredsituationsandactivitiesrelatedto
theirlocalenvironment:self,family,home,classroomandcommunity.Todevelopcomprehensiontheyrespondnon
verballyorbyusingkeywordsorshortphrases.Theybegintousesetsofwordsandsentencesthatareencountered
frequentlyintheclassroom,andtoinsertwordsintosimplesentences.Studentslearntorecognisetheprintedformof
familiarwordsthattheyhavememorised.Theybegintoidentifypatternsandcommonelementsinthelanguage,and
experimentwiththelanguagetoexpressthemselves.
Asfaraspossible,studentsareimmersedinhearingthelanguage,whosemeaningismadeclearbygestures,
dramatisation,singing,doingactivities,conversing,viewing,etc.Studentsexperimentwiththelanguageusingwords,
phrasesandbasicsentencestoexpressthemselves.Theybegintodemonstrateunderstandingforexample,byusing
pictures,bodylanguageorgesture,performingactionsorwritinginthelanguage.Studentsidentifysomecommon
elementsinthelanguagethatdifferfrom,oraresimilarto,Englishandotherlanguageswithwhichtheymaybefamiliar.
Stimulusmaterialssuchasstoriesandreadings,activitiesandgames,multimediaresources,visualandgraphic
displaysandInternetsites,encouragestudentstounderstandthatthelanguageisusednormallyforcommunicationin
thesesettings.Studentsaregivenopportunitiestoobservedifferencesinthewaythelanguagesoundswhenusedby
differentspeakers,orindifferentcontexts.Theyalsoidentifyfeaturesofcommunication,andwhererelevant,differences
indress,eating,greetingroutines,waysofbeingpoliteandobviousculturalpractices.Theyobservetheprocessesof
interpretingandtranslating.
Studentscontinuetocommunicatebydrawingonexplicitmodelsandwithongoingteachersupportandscaffolding.They
experimentwithwrittenorsignedlanguageandexpressthemselvesbyapproximatingmeaning.
Standards
InLanguagesPathway1,standardsforassessingandreportingachievementareintroducedatLevel5.Schoolsthat
providelanguageprogramspriortoLevel5shouldrefertotheLanguagesphasesoflearning(formerlyprogression
measures)whichprovideatypicalsequenceofsecondlanguagedevelopment.TheFoundationtoLevel4learningfocus
statementsprovideadviceforteachersaboutlearningexperiencesthatwillassiststudentstoworktowardsthe
achievementofthestandardsatLevel6.
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Level3
LearningFocus
AsstudentsworktowardstheachievementofstandardsinLanguagesatPathway1Level6,theybegintounderstand
andusethelanguageotherthanEnglishinrelationtotheirpersonalworld,countrieswherethelanguageisspoken(for
example,itsgeography,history,aspectsofshopping)andtheworldoftheimagination.Theybegintocollectinformation
inthelanguage(forexample,fromtheInternetorfrommodifiedtexts).Theystarttoexplorethebeliefsandlifestylesof
peoplefromothercountrieswhonowliveinAustralia.InpreparationforLevel6standards,studentsneedtodevelopthe
knowledgeandskillsdescribedintheprogressionmeasures.
Studentsconsolidatepreviouslylearntlanguageandextendtheirpersonalvocabularyandknowledgeoflanguage
structures.Theyreadshorttexts,talkaboutdailylifeandadaptlanguagethattheyknowtonewcontexts.
TheydiscernpatternsandmakeconnectionsbetweenthelanguageandEnglish(andpossiblyotherlanguages)and
understandthattherearerules,someofwhicharecommonacrosslanguagesandsomethatarenot.
Studentsexperienceawiderangeofvoicesandsettingswherethelanguageisused,includingextendedpassagesin
bothoralandwrittenformforexample,simplestories,legends,songsandrhymes.Theycollectinformationaboutthe
settings,countriesandregionswherethelanguageisspoken.Throughthisandotherstimulusmaterial,studentsare
encouragedtoreflectonlifeinthesecountries,aswellastheirown.
Studentsareencouragedtoidentifyarangeofnaturalcontextsfortheuseofthelanguage,andthespecificfeaturesof
communicationinthesecontexts.Theyrecognisetheuseofthelanguageininformationandcommunicationstechnology
applicationsandexperienceitinmultimediacomputertexts.
Theymakelinksbetweenknowledgeaboutrelevantgeographyandhistory,orwaysofthinkingaboutspecific
topics/issues(forexample,numbersystems,bargainingorhagglingwhenshopping,theinfluenceofsocial
relationships)andtheirunderstandingofthelanguageanditsuse.
Theyusesimplesoftwareapplicationstodemonstrateunderstandingofknownvocabularyandstructures.They
participateinverysimpleinterpretingandtranslatingroutines.
Studentscommunicaterelyingonmodelsandwithongoingteachersupportandscaffolding.Theyexperimentwith
languageandexpressthemselvesbyapproximatingmeaning.
Standards
InLanguagesPathway1,standardsforassessingandreportingachievementareintroducedatLevel5.Schoolsthat
providelanguageprogramspriortoLevel5shouldrefertotheLanguagesphasesoflearning(formerlyprogression
measures)whichprovideatypicalsequenceofsecondlanguagedevelopment.TheFoundationtoLevel4learningfocus
statementsprovideadviceforteachersaboutlearningexperiencesthatwillassiststudentstoworktowardsthe
achievementofthestandardsatLevel6.
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Level4
LearningFocus
AsstudentsworktowardstheachievementofstandardsinLanguagesatPathway1Level6,theybegintounderstand
andusethelanguageotherthanEnglishinrelationtotheirpersonalworld,countrieswherethelanguageisspoken(for
example,itsgeography,history,aspectsofshopping)andtheworldoftheimagination.Theybegintocollectinformation
inthelanguage(forexample,fromtheInternetorfrommodifiedtexts).Theystarttoexplorethebeliefsandlifestylesof
peoplefromothercountrieswhonowliveinAustralia.InpreparationforLevel6standards,studentsneedtodevelopthe
knowledgeandskillsdescribedintheprogressionmeasures.
Studentsconsolidatepreviouslylearntlanguageandextendtheirpersonalvocabularyandknowledgeoflanguage
structures.Theyreadshorttexts,talkaboutdailylifeandadaptlanguagethattheyknowtonewcontexts.
TheydiscernpatternsandmakeconnectionsbetweenthelanguageandEnglish(andpossiblyotherlanguages)and
understandthattherearerules,someofwhicharecommonacrosslanguagesandsomethatarenot.
Studentsexperienceawiderangeofvoicesandsettingswherethelanguageisused,includingextendedpassagesin
bothoralandwrittenformforexample,simplestories,legends,songsandrhymes.Theycollectinformationaboutthe
settings,countriesandregionswherethelanguageisspoken.Throughthisandotherstimulusmaterial,studentsare
encouragedtoreflectonlifeinthesecountries,aswellastheirown.
Studentsareencouragedtoidentifyarangeofnaturalcontextsfortheuseofthelanguage,andthespecificfeaturesof
communicationinthesecontexts.Theyrecognisetheuseofthelanguageininformationandcommunicationstechnology
applicationsandexperienceitinmultimediacomputertexts.
Theymakelinksbetweenknowledgeaboutrelevantgeographyandhistory,orwaysofthinkingaboutspecific
topics/issues(forexample,numbersystems,bargainingorhagglingwhenshopping,theinfluenceofsocial
relationships)andtheirunderstandingofthelanguageanditsuse.
Theyusesimplesoftwareapplicationstodemonstrateunderstandingofknownvocabularyandstructures.They
participateinverysimpleinterpretingandtranslatingroutines.
Studentscommunicaterelyingonmodelsandwithongoingteachersupportandscaffolding.Theyexperimentwith
languageandexpressthemselvesbyapproximatingmeaning.
Standards
InLanguagesPathway1,standardsforassessingandreportingachievementareintroducedatLevel5.Schoolsthat
providelanguageprogramspriortoLevel5shouldrefertotheLanguagesphasesoflearning(formerlyprogression
measures)whichprovideatypicalsequenceofsecondlanguagedevelopment.TheFoundationtoLevel4learningfocus
statementsprovideadviceforteachersaboutlearningexperiencesthatwillassiststudentstoworktowardsthe
achievementofthestandardsatLevel6.
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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
AtLevel5,studentsareworkingtowardtheLevel6standards.
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Level6
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
CommunicatinginalanguageotherthanEnglish
AtPathway1Level6,studentsparticipateinoralinteractionstoconveyandreceiveinformation.Studentsdemonstrate
sounddiscriminationeffectively.Intonelanguages,studentsdiscerntonepatternsinslowedspeech.
Studentsshowawarenessofthelanguageandculturalrequirementsrelatedtoagiventopictheyadaptlanguageand
gestureappropriatelyfortherole,audienceandpurposeofthediscourse.Theyacquireandusenewinformationand
language,andrecyclepreviouslylearntlanguageskillsandknowledgeinnewcontexts.Theyinitiateandlead
communicationandrespondtocommunicationinitiatedbyothers.
Studentsapplytheirknowledgeofwordmeanings,wordassociationsandcognatestotheirownwork.
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Studentsorganiseandapplygrammaticalinformationandknowledgeofwords,conductdictionaryresearch,andwork
independentlyondefinedprojectsusingthelanguage.

Romanalphabeticallanguages
l Studentsreadawiderangeofshortand/ormodifiedtextsformeaningandforuseasmodelsintheirownwriting.They
readaloudeffectivelyandapplyknowledgeofpronunciation,punctuation,toneandlettersoundvariationsinparticular
contexts.Writinginparagraphs,theyexpressthemselvesinarangeofcontextsandaresensitivetotheaudienceand
purposeofthewriting.Usingprintandelectronicresources,theydraft,selfcorrect,accessdictionaries,scriptcheck
andpresentwrittenproducts.

NonRomanalphabeticallanguages
l Studentsreadshortpassagesformeaning.Theyreadaloudeffectively,andapplyknowledgeofarangeofaccents,
tonemarkersandpunctuationinavarietyofcontexts.Theyexpressthemselvesthroughwritingbygeneratingoriginal
sentencesinthelanguage,usingmodelledexampleswhichmaybelinkedtoformparagraphs.Usingprintand
electronicresources,theydraft,selfcorrect,accessdictionaries,scriptcheckandpresentwrittenproducts.

Characterlanguages
l Studentsreadshort,modifiedtextsformeaning.Theyreadaloudeffectively,andapplyknowledgeoffamiliarcharacters
andpunctuationinarangeofcontexts.Theywritecharacters,payingattentiontoshape,strokeorderandproportion.
Theycategorisethecharacterstheyhavelearntintogroupsbasedonsimilaritiesinmeaning,appearance,
pronunciationorfunction,andintroducenewlylearntcharactersintotheseschemata.Theywritesentencesusing
appropriatecharactersandformparagraphsbyfollowingmodelledexamples.Theyusepinyin/rmajiforbasicword
processing.Theyexplaindistinctiverulesrelatingtowritinginthelanguage,andapplystrategies,usingprintand
electronicresources,forcheckingandselfcorrectingtheircharacteruse.Theyidentifytraditionaltechniquesforwriting.

Signlanguage
l Studentsusesimplesignedtextsandidentifyspecificitemsofinformation,makechoices,answerquestionsandrelay
informationtootherparticipantsinasignedexchange.Theyconveypersonalorfactualinformationinshort,linked
sequences.Theyengageeffectivelyinexchangestoprovideandobtaininformationabouteverydayactivities.Theyuse
variousinformationandcommunicationstechnologyapplicationsforrecordingandconveyingsignedmeaning.
Interculturalknowledgeandlanguageawareness
Studentsdemonstrateskillsandknowledgeinthisdimensionbythechoicestheymakeinformulatingtheir
responseto,oruseof,thelanguage.
AtPathway1Level6,studentsapplyrelevantconversationalrulesandexpectationsforexample,thoserelatedto
politeness.Theydemonstrateunderstandingofculturaldifferencesinwritingconventionsforspecificdiscourseformsby
producingequivalentitemsinanotherlanguage.
Studentsdemonstrateeffectivereflectionontheirlanguagelearningbysharingalearningstrategytheyusesuccessfully,
orbyevaluatingandimprovingastrategytheyhavetried.Theyinteractwithmembersofthelanguagecommunityin
Australiaasameansofextendingtheirunderstandingofperspectivesonthethemesandtopicsstudiedinthe
classroom.
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StudentsidentifywaysinwhichthelanguageandculturehasimpactedonAustraliaandpresentinformationinwrittenor
oralformsinthelanguage.
Languages

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TableofContents
Overview
RationaleandAims
Contentstructure
MathematicsacrossFoundationtoLevel10
Achievementstandards
Diversityoflearners
Crosscurriculumpriorities
CurriculumF10
FoundationLevel
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Mathematics

VCAA | AusVELS Curriculum | Date PDF created: Wednesday, 29 May 2013 1

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:
l areconfident,creativeusersandcommunicatorsofmathematics,abletoinvestigate,representandinterpretsituations
intheirpersonalandworklivesandasactivecitizens
l developanincreasinglysophisticatedunderstandingofmathematicalconceptsandfluencywithprocesses,andare
abletoposeandsolveproblemsandreasoninNumberandAlgebra,MeasurementandGeometry,andStatistics
andProbability
l recogniseconnectionsbetweentheareasofmathematicsandotherdisciplinesandappreciatemathematicsasan
accessibleandenjoyabledisciplinetostudy.

Contentstructure
TheAustralianCurriculum:Mathematicsisorganisedaroundtheinteractionofthreecontentstrandsandfourproficiency
strands.
Mathematics

VCAA | AusVELS Curriculum | Date PDF created: Wednesday, 29 May 2013 2
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

VCAA | AusVELS Curriculum | Date PDF created: Wednesday, 29 May 2013 3
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 MeasurementandGeometry StatisticsandProbability
Numberandplacevalue(F8) Usingunitsofmeasurement
(F10)
Chance(110)
Mathematics

VCAA | AusVELS Curriculum | Date PDF created: Wednesday, 29 May 2013 4
Leveldescriptions
Leveldescriptionsemphasisetheimportanceofworkingmathematicallywithinthecontent.Theyprovideanoverviewofthe
relationshipbetweentheproficiencies(Understanding,Fluency,ProblemSolvingandReasoning)andthecontentforeach
level.
Contentelaborations
ContentelaborationsareprovidedforFoundationtoLevel10toillustrateandexemplifycontentandassistteachersto
developacommonunderstandingofthecontentdescriptions.Theyarenotintendedtobecomprehensivecontentpointsthat
allstudentsneedtobetaught.
Glossary
Aglossaryisprovidedtosupportthecommonunderstandingofkeytermsinthecontentdescriptions.
Thissupportdocumentcontainsadditionalinformationtosupporttheglossary.

MathematicsacrossFoundationtoLevel10
Althoughthecurriculumisdescribedbylevel,thisdocumentprovidesadvicebylevelandage,onthenatureoflearnersand
therelevantcurriculum:
l FoundationLevel2:typicallystudentsfrom5to8yearsofage
l Levels36:typicallystudentsfrom8to12yearsofage
l Levels710:typicallystudentsfrom12to16yearsofage.
FoundationLevel2
Theselevelslaythefoundationforlearningmathematics.Studentsatthislevelcanaccesspowerfulmathematicalideas
relevanttotheircurrentlivesandlearnthelanguageofmathematics,whichisvitaltofutureprogression.
Fractionsanddecimals(16) Shape(F7) Datarepresentationandinterpretation(F
10)
Realnumbers(710) Geometricreasoning(310)
Moneyandfinancialmathematics(1
10)
Locationandtransformation
(F7)

Patternsandalgebra(F10) Pythagorasandtrigonometry(9
10)

Linearandnonlinearrelationships(8
10)

Mathematics

VCAA | AusVELS Curriculum | Date PDF created: Wednesday, 29 May 2013 5
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

VCAA | AusVELS Curriculum | Date PDF created: Wednesday, 29 May 2013 6
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.

AchievementStandards
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
historiesandabilitiesaswellasculturallanguagebackgroundsandsocioeconomicfactors.
Specialeducationneeds
TheobjectivesoftheAustralianCurriculumarethesameforallstudents.Thecurriculumoffersflexibilityforteacherstotailor
theirteachinginwaysthatproviderigorous,relevantandengaginglearningandassessmentopportunitiesforstudentswith
specialeducationneeds.
Mathematics

VCAA | AusVELS Curriculum | Date PDF created: Wednesday, 29 May 2013 7
Moststudentswithspecialeducationneedscanengagewiththecurriculumprovidedthenecessaryadjustmentsaremade
tothecomplexityofthecurriculumcontentandtothemeansthroughwhichstudentsdemonstratetheirknowledge,skillsand
understanding.
Forsomelearners,makingadjustmentstoinstructionalprocessesandtoassessmentstrategiesenablesstudentsto
achieveeducationalstandardscommensuratewiththeirpeers.
Forotherstudents,teacherswillneedtomakeappropriateadjustmentstothecomplexityofthecurriculumcontent,focusing
instructiononcontentdifferenttothattaughttoothersintheiragegroup.Itfollowsthatadjustmentswillalsoneedtobemade
tohowthestudentsprogressismonitored,assessedandreported.
Forasmallpercentageofstudents,theFoundationtoLevel10curriculumcontentandachievementstandardsmaynotbe
appropriatenormeaningful,evenwithadjustments.Mostofthesestudentshaveasignificantintellectualdisability.ACARA
willdevelopadditionalcurriculumcontentandachievementstandardsforthisgroupofstudentsinordertoprovidean
AustralianCurriculumthatisinclusiveofeverylearner.
Intheinterim,advicefromDEECDabouthowtousethecurriculumwithstudentswithspecialeducationneedsisavailable
hereorfromtheDEECDwebsite.SchoolscanalsocontinuetousetheVELSStudentswithDisabilities
Guidelines(PDF615KB).Thesewillbeupdatedduring2013.
Englishasanadditionallanguageordialect
ManystudentsinAustralianschoolsarelearnersofEnglishasanadditionallanguageordialect(EAL/D).LearnersofEAL/D
arestudentswhosefirstlanguageisalanguageotherthanStandardAustralianEnglishandwhorequireadditionalsupport
toassistthemtodevelopEnglishlanguageproficiency.WhilemanyEAL/Dlearnersdowellinschool,thereisasignificant
groupoftheselearnerswholeaveschoolwithoutachievingtheirpotential.
EAL/Dstudentscomefromdiversebackgroundsandmayinclude:
l overseasandAustralianbornchildrenwhosefirstlanguageisalanguageotherthanEnglish
l AboriginalandTorresStraitIslanderstudentswhosefirstlanguageisanIndigenouslanguage,includingtraditional
languages,creolesandrelatedvarieties,orAboriginalEnglish.
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.

Crosscurriculumpriorities
Mathematics

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TherearethreecrosscurriculumprioritiesintheAustralianCurriculum:
l AboriginalandTorresStraitIslanderhistoriesandcultures
l AsiaandAustraliasengagementwithAsia
l Sustainability.
Thecrosscurriculumprioritiesareembeddedinthecurriculumandwillhaveastrongbutvaryingpresencedependingon
theirrelevancetoeachofthelearningareas.
AboriginalandTorresStraitIslanderhistoriesandcultures
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.
AsiaandAustraliasengagementwithAsia
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

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TheAustralianCurriculum:Mathematicsprovidesopportunitiesforstudentstodeveloptheproficienciesofproblemsolving
andreasoningessentialfortheexplorationofsustainabilityissuesandtheirsolutions.Mathematicalunderstandingsand
skillsarenecessarytomeasure,monitorandquantifychangeinsocial,economicandecologicalsystemsovertime.
Statisticalanalysisenablespredictionofprobablefuturesbasedonfindingsandhelpsinformdecisionmakingandactions
thatwillleadtopreferredfutures.
Inthislearningarea,studentscanobserve,recordandorganisedatacollectedfromprimarysourcesovertimeandanalyse
datarelatingtoissuesofsustainabilityfromsecondarysources.Theycanapplyspatialreasoning,measurement,
estimation,calculationandcomparisontogaugelocalecosystemhealthandcancostproposedactionsforsustainability.
Mathematics

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FoundationLevel
TheproficiencystrandsUnderstanding,Fluency,ProblemSolvingandReasoningareanintegralpartofmathematics
contentacrossthethreecontentstrands:NumberandAlgebra,MeasurementandGeometry,andStatisticsand
Probability.Theproficienciesreinforcethesignificanceofworkingmathematicallywithinthecontentanddescribehow
thecontentisexploredordeveloped.Theyprovidethelanguagetobuildinthedevelopmentalaspectsofthelearningof
mathematics.
Atthislevel:

Understandingincludesconnectingnames,numeralsandquantities
Fluencyincludesreadilycountingnumbersinsequences,continuingpatterns,andcomparingthelengthsofobjects
ProblemSolvingincludesusingmaterialstomodelauthenticproblems,sortingobjects,usingfamiliarcounting
sequencestosolveunfamiliarproblems,anddiscussingthereasonablenessoftheanswer
Reasoningincludesexplainingcomparisonsofquantities,creatingpatterns,andexplainingprocessesforindirect
comparisonoflength
NumberandAlgebra
Numberandplacevalue Elaborations
Establishunderstandingofthelanguageand
processesofcountingbynamingnumbersin
sequences,initiallytoandfrom20,movingfromany
startingpoint(ACMNA001)

l readingstoriesfromotherculturesfeaturingcountingin
sequencetoassiststudentstorecognisewaysof
countinginlocallanguagesandacrosscultures
l identifyingthenumberwordsinsequence,backwards
andforwards,andreasoningwiththenumber
sequences,establishingthelanguageonwhich
subsequentcountingexperiencescanbebuilt
l developingfluencywithforwardsandbackwards
countinginmeaningfulcontexts,includingstoriesand
rhymes
l understandingthatnumbersaresaidinaparticular
orderandtherearepatternsinthewaywesaythem
Connectnumbernames,numeralsandquantities,
includingzero,initiallyupto10andthenbeyond
(ACMNA002)

l understandingthateachobjectmustbecountedonly
once,thatthearrangementofobjectsdoesnotaffecthow
manythereare,andthatthelastnumbercounted
answersthehowmanyquestion
l usingscenariostohelpstudentsrecognisethatother
culturescountinavarietyofways,suchasbyplacing
onepebbleinabagtorepresentoneobject(forexample
tocountthenumberofcattle).
Mathematics

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Subitisesmallcollectionsofobjects(ACMNA003) l usingsubitisingasthebasisfororderingandcomparing
collectionsofnumbers
Compare,orderandmakecorrespondences
betweencollections,initiallyto20,andexplain
reasoning(ACMNA289)

l comparingandorderingitemsoflikeandunlike
characteristicsusingthewordsmore,l ess,sameas
andnotthesameasandgivingreasonsforthese
answers
l understandingandusingtermssuchasfirstand
secondtoindicateordinalpositioninasequence.
l usingobjectswhicharepersonallyandculturallyrelevant
tostudents
Representpracticalsituationstomodeladditionand
sharing(ACMNA004)

l usingarangeofpracticalstrategiesforaddingsmall
groupsofnumbers,suchasvisualdisplaysorconcrete
materials
l usingAboriginalandTorresStraitIslandermethodsof
adding,includingspatialpatternsandreasoning
Patternsandalgebra Elaborations
Sortandclassifyfamiliarobjectsandexplainthe
basisfortheseclassifications.Copy,continueand
createpatternswithobjectsanddrawings
(ACMNA005)
l observingnaturalpatternsintheworldaroundus
l creatinganddescribingpatternsusingmaterials,
sounds,movementsordrawings
MeasurementandGeometry
Usingunitsofmeasurement Elaborations
Usedirectandindirectcomparisonstodecidewhich
islonger,heavierorholdsmore,andexplain
reasoningineverydaylanguage(ACMMG006)
l comparingobjectsdirectly,byplacingoneobjectagainst
anothertodeterminewhichislongerorbypouringfrom
onecontainerintotheothertoseewhichoneholdsmore
l usingsuitablelanguageassociatedwithmeasurement
attributes,suchastallandtaller,heavyandheavier,
holdsmoreandholdsless
Compareandorderthedurationofeventsusingthe
everydaylanguageoftime(ACMMG007)
l knowingandidentifyingthedaysoftheweekandlinking
specificdaystofamiliarevents
l sequencingfamiliareventsintimeorder
Connectdaysoftheweektofamiliareventsand
actions(ACMMG008)
l choosingeventsandactionsthatmakeconnectionswith
studentseverydayfamilyroutines
Shape Elaborations
Sort,describeandnamefamiliartwodimensional
shapesandthreedimensionalobjectsinthe
environment(ACMMG009)
l sortinganddescribingsquares,circles,triangles,
rectangles,spheresandcubes
Locationandtransformation Elaborations
Mathematics

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FoundationLevelachievementstandard
NumberandAlgebra
Studentsconnectnumbernamesandnumeralswithsetsofupto20elements,estimatethesizeofthesesets,anduse
countingstrategiestosolveproblemsthatinvolvecomparing,combiningandseparatingthesesets.Theymatchindividual
objectswithcountingsequencesuptoandbackfrom20.Studentsorderthefirst10elementsofaset.
MeasurementandGeometry
Studentsidentifymeasurementattributesinpracticalsituationsandcomparelengths,massesandcapacitiesoffamiliar
objects.Theyorderevents,explaintheirduration,andmatchdaysoftheweektofamiliarevents.Studentsidentifysimple
shapesintheirenvironmentandsortshapesbytheircommonanddistinctivefeatures.Theyusesimplestatementsand
gesturestodescribelocation.
StatisticsandProbability
Studentssortfamiliarcategoricaldataintosetsandusethesetoansweryes/noquestionsandmakesimpletrue/false
statementsaboutthedata.
Describepositionandmovement(ACMMG010) l interpretingtheeverydaylanguageoflocationand
direction,suchasbetween,near,nextto,forwards,
towards
l followingandgivingsimpledirectionstoguideafriend
aroundanobstaclepathandviceversa
StatisticsandProbability
Datarepresentationandinterpretation Elaborations
Answeryes/noquestionstocollectinformation
(ACMSP011)
l posingquestionsaboutthemselvesandfamiliarobjects
andevents
l representingresponsestoquestionsusingsimple
displays,includinggroupingstudentsaccordingtotheir
answers
l usingdatadisplaystoanswersimplequestionssuchas
howmanystudentsansweredyestohavingbrown
hair?
Mathematics

VCAA | AusVELS Curriculum | Date PDF created: Wednesday, 29 May 2013 13
Level1
TheproficiencystrandsUnderstanding,Fluency,ProblemSolvingandReasoningareanintegralpartofmathematics
contentacrossthethreecontentstrands:NumberandAlgebra,MeasurementandGeometry,andStatisticsand
Probability.Theproficienciesreinforcethesignificanceofworkingmathematicallywithinthecontentanddescribehow
thecontentisexploredordeveloped.Theyprovidethelanguagetobuildinthedevelopmentalaspectsofthelearningof
mathematics.
Atthislevel:Understandingincludesconnectingnames,numeralsandquantities,andpartitioningnumbersinvarious
ways
Fluencyincludescountingnumberinsequencesreadilyforwardandbackwards,locatingnumbersonaline,andnaming
thedaysoftheweek
ProblemSolvingincludesusingmaterialstomodelauthenticproblems,givingandreceivingdirectionstounfamiliar
places,andusingfamiliarcountingsequencestosolveunfamiliarproblemsanddiscusingthereasonablenessofthe
answer
Reasoningincludesexplainingdirectandindirectcomparisonsoflengthusinguniforminformalunits,justifying
representationsofdata,andexplainingpatternsthathavebeencreated
NumberandAlgebra
Numberandplacevalue Elaborations
Developconfidencewithnumbersequencestoandfrom
100byonesfromanystartingpoint.Skipcountbytwos,
fivesandtensstartingfromzero(ACMNA012)

l usingthepopularKoreancountinggame(sam
yukgu)forskipcounting
l developingfluencywithforwardsandbackwards
countinginmeaningfulcontextssuchascircle
games
Recognise,model,read,writeandordernumberstoat
least100.Locatethesenumbersonanumberline
(ACMNA013)
l modellingnumberswitharangeofmaterialand
images
l identifyingnumbersthatarerepresentedona
numberlineandplacingnumbersonaprepared
numberline
Countcollectionsto100bypartitioningnumbersusing
placevalue(ACMNA014)
l understandingpartitioningofnumbersandthe
importanceofgroupingintens
l understandingtwodigitnumbersascomprisedof
tensandones/units
Representandsolvesimpleadditionandsubtraction
problemsusingarangeofstrategiesincludingcountingon,
partitioningandrearrangingparts(ACMNA015)
l developingarangeofmentalstrategiesfor
additionandsubtractionproblems
Fractionsanddecimals Elaborations
Mathematics

VCAA | AusVELS Curriculum | Date PDF created: Wednesday, 29 May 2013 14
Recogniseanddescribeonehalfasoneoftwoequalparts
ofawhole.(ACMNA016)
l sharingacollectionofreadilyavailablematerials
intotwoequalportions
l splittinganobjectintotwoequalpiecesand
describinghowthepiecesareequal
Moneyandfinancialmathematics Elaborations
Recognise,describeandorderAustraliancoinsaccording
totheirvalue(ACMNA017)

l showingthatcoinsaredifferentinothercountries
bycomparingAsiancoinstoAustraliancoins
l understandingthatthevalueofAustraliancoinsis
notrelatedtosize
l describingthefeaturesofcoinsthatmakeit
possibletoidentifythem
Patternsandalgebra Elaborations
Investigateanddescribenumberpatternsformedbyskip
countingandpatternswithobjects(ACMNA018)
l usingplacevaluepatternsbeyondtheteensto
generalisethenumbersequenceandpredictthe
nextnumber
l investigatingpatternsinthenumbersystem,such
astheoccurrenceofaparticulardigitinthe
numbersto100
MeasurementandGeometry
Usingunitsofmeasurement Elaborations
Measureandcomparethelengthsandcapacitiesofpairs
ofobjectsusinguniforminformalunits(ACMMG019)
l understandingthatinordertocompareobjects,the
unitofmeasurementmustbethesamesize
Telltimetothehalfhour(ACMMG020) l readingtimeonanalogueanddigitalclocksand
observingthecharacteristicsofhalfhourtimes
Describedurationusingmonths,weeks,daysandhours
(ACMMG021)
l describingthedurationoffamiliarsituationssuch
ashowlongisituntilwenextcometoschool?
Shape Elaborations
Recogniseandclassifyfamiliartwodimensionalshapes
andthreedimensionalobjectsusingobviousfeatures
(ACMMG022)
l focusingongeometricfeaturesanddescribing
shapesandobjectsusingeverydaywordssuchas
'corners','edges'and'faces'
Locationandtransformation Elaborations
Mathematics

VCAA | AusVELS Curriculum | Date PDF created: Wednesday, 29 May 2013 15
Level1achievementstandard
NumberandAlgebra
Studentscounttoandfrom100andlocatethesenumbersonanumberline.Theypartitionnumbersusingplacevalueand
carryoutsimpleadditionsandsubtractions,usingcountingstrategies.StudentsrecogniseAustraliancoinsaccordingto
theirvalue.Theyidentifyrepresentationsofonehalf.Studentsdescribenumbersequencesresultingfromskipcountingby
2s,5sand10s.Theycontinuesimplepatternsinvolvingnumbersandobjectswithandwithouttheuseofdigitaltechnology.
MeasurementandGeometry
Studentsuseinformalunitsofmeasurementtoorderobjectsbasedonlengthandcapacity.Theytelltimetothehalfhour
andexplaintimedurations.Studentsdescribetwodimensionalshapesandthreedimensionalobjects.Theyusethe
languageofdistanceanddirectiontomovefromplacetoplace.
StatisticsandProbability
Studentsdescribedatadisplays.Theyaskquestionstocollectdataanddrawsimpledatadisplays.Studentsclassify
outcomesofsimplefamiliarevents.
Giveandfollowdirectionstofamiliarlocations(ACMMG023) l understandingthatpeopleneedtogiveandfollow
directionstoandfromaplace,andthatthis
involvesturns,directionanddistance
l understandingthemeaningandimportanceof
wordssuchasclockwise,anticlockwise,
forwardandunderwhengivingandfollowing
directions
l interpretingandfollowingdirectionsaround
familiarlocations
StatisticsandProbability
Chance Elaborations
Identifyoutcomesoffamiliareventsinvolvingchanceand
describethemusingeverydaylanguagesuchaswill
happen,wonthappenormighthappen(ACMSP024)
l justifyingthatsomeeventsarecertainor
impossible
Datarepresentationandinterpretation Elaborations
Choosesimplequestionsandgatherresponses
(ACMSP262)
l determiningwhichquestionswillgather
appropriateresponsesforasimpleinvestigation
Representdatawithobjectsanddrawingswhereone
objectordrawingrepresentsonedatavalue.Describethe
displays(ACMSP263)
l understandingonetoonecorrespondence
l describingdisplaysbyidentifyingcategorieswith
thegreatestorleastnumberofobjects
Mathematics

VCAA | AusVELS Curriculum | Date PDF created: Wednesday, 29 May 2013 16
Level2
TheproficiencystrandsUnderstanding,Fluency,ProblemSolvingandReasoningareanintegralpartofmathematics
contentacrossthethreecontentstrands:NumberandAlgebra,MeasurementandGeometry,andStatisticsand
Probability.Theproficienciesreinforcethesignificanceofworkingmathematicallywithinthecontentanddescribehow
thecontentisexploredordeveloped.Theyprovidethelanguagetobuildinthedevelopmentalaspectsofthelearningof
mathematics.
Atthislevel:

Understandingincludesconnectingnumbercalculationswithcountingsequences,partitioningandcombiningnumbers
flexibly,identifyinganddescribingtherelationshipbetweenadditionandsubtractionandbetweenmultiplicationand
division
Fluencyincludescountingnumbersinsequencesreadily,usinginformalunitsiterativelytocomparemeasurements,
usingthelanguageofchancetodescribeoutcomesoffamiliarchanceeventsanddescribingandcomparingtime
durations
ProblemSolvingincludesformulatingproblemsfromauthenticsituations,makingmodelsandusingnumbersentences
thatrepresentproblemsituations,andmatchingtransformationswiththeiroriginalshape
Reasoningincludesusingknownfactstoderivestrategiesforunfamiliarcalculations,comparingandcontrastingrelated
modelsofoperations,andcreatingandinterpretingsimplerepresentationsofdata
NumberandAlgebra
Numberandplacevalue Elaborations
Investigatenumbersequences,initiallythoseincreasing
anddecreasingbytwos,threes,fivesandtenfromany
startingpoint,thenmovingtoothersequences.
(ACMNA026)
l developingfluencyandconfidencewithnumbersand
calculationsbysayingnumbersequences
l recognisingpatternsinnumbersequences,suchas
adding10alwaysresultsinthesamefinaldigit
Recognise,model,representandordernumberstoat
least1000(ACMNA027)
l recognisingtherearedifferentwaysofrepresenting
numbersandidentifyingpatternsgoingbeyond100
l developingfluencywithwritingnumbersinmeaningful
contexts
Group,partitionandrearrangecollectionsupto1000in
hundreds,tensandonestofacilitatemoreefficient
counting(ACMNA028)

l usinganabacustomodelandrepresentnumbers
l understandingthreedigitnumbersascomprisedof
hundreds,tensandones/units
l demonstratingandusingmodelssuchaslinking
blocks,sticksinbundles,placevalueblocksand
Aboriginalbeadstringsandexplainingreasoning
Mathematics

VCAA | AusVELS Curriculum | Date PDF created: Wednesday, 29 May 2013 17
Exploretheconnectionbetweenadditionandsubtraction
(ACMNA029)
l becomingfluentwithpartitioningnumbersto
understandtheconnectionbetweenadditionand
subtraction
l usingcountingontoidentifythemissingelementin
anadditiveproblem
Solvesimpleadditionandsubtractionproblemsusinga
rangeofefficientmentalandwrittenstrategies
(ACMNA030)
l becomingfluentwitharangeofmentalstrategiesfor
additionandsubtractionproblems,suchas
commutativityforaddition,buildingto10,doubles,10
factsandadding10
l modellingandrepresentingsimpleadditivesituations
usingmaterialssuchas10frames,20framesand
emptynumberlines
Recogniseandrepresentmultiplicationasrepeated
addition,groupsandarrays(ACMNA031)
l representingarrayproblemswithavailablematerials
andexplainingreasoning
l visualisingagroupofobjectsasaunitandusingthis
tocalculatethenumberofobjectsinseveralidentical
groups
Recogniseandrepresentdivisionasgroupinginto
equalsetsandsolvesimpleproblemsusingthese
representations(ACMNA032)
l dividingtheclassoracollectionofobjectsintoequal
sizedgroups
l identifyingthedifferencebetweendividingasetof
objectsintothreeequalgroupsanddividingthesame
setofobjectsintogroupsofthree
Fractionsanddecimals Elaborations
Recogniseandinterpretcommonusesofhalves,
quartersandeighthsofshapesandcollections
(ACMNA033)
l recognisingthatsetsofobjectscanbepartitionedin
differentwaystodemonstratefractions
l relatingthenumberofpartstothesizeofafraction
Moneyandfinancialmathematics Elaborations
CountandordersmallcollectionsofAustraliancoins
andnotesaccordingtotheirvalue(ACMNA034)
l identifyingequivalentvaluesincollectionsofcoinsor
notes,suchastwofivecentcoinshavingthesame
valueasone10centcoin
l countingcollectionsofcoinsornotestomakeupa
particularvalue,suchasthatshownonapricetag
Patternsandalgebra Elaborations
Describepatternswithnumbersandidentifymissing
elements(ACMNA035)
l describingapatterncreatedbyskipcountingand
representingthepatternonanumberline
l investigatingfeaturesofnumberpatternsresulting
fromaddingtwos,fivesor10s
Solveproblemsbyusingnumbersentencesforaddition
orsubtraction(ACMNA036)
l representingawordproblemasanumbersentence
l writingawordproblemtorepresentanumber
sentence
Mathematics

VCAA | AusVELS Curriculum | Date PDF created: Wednesday, 29 May 2013 18
MeasurementandGeometry
Usingunitsofmeasurement Elaborations
Compareandorderseveralshapesandobjectsbased
onlength,area,volumeandcapacityusingappropriate
uniforminformalunits(ACMMG037)
l comparinglengthsusingfingerlength,handspanora
pieceofstring
l comparingareasusingthepalmofthehandora
stone
l comparingcapacitiesusingarangeofcontainers
Comparemassesofobjectsusingbalancescales
(ACMMG038)
l usingbalancescalestodeterminewhetherthemass
ofdifferentobjectsismore,lessoraboutthesame,or
tofindouthowmanymarblesareneededtobalancea
tubofmargarineoracartonofmilk
Telltimetothequarterhour,usingthelanguageof'past'
and'to'(ACMMG039)
l describingthecharacteristicsofquarterpasttimeson
ananalogueclock,andidentifyingthatthesmallhand
ispointingjustpastthenumberandthebighandis
pointingtothethree
Nameandordermonthsandseasons(ACMMG040)

l investigatingtheseasonsusedbyAboriginalpeople,
comparingthemtothoseusedinWesternsocietyand
recognisingtheconnectiontoweatherpatterns.
Useacalendartoidentifythedateanddeterminethe
numberofdaysineachmonth(ACMMG041)

l usingcalendarstolocatespecificinformation,such
asfindingagivendateonacalendarandsayingwhat
dayitis,andidentifyingpersonallyorculturallyspecific
days
Shape Elaborations
Describeanddrawtwodimensionalshapes,withand
withoutdigitaltechnologies(ACMMG042)
l identifyingkeyfeaturesofsquares,rectangles,
triangles,kites,rhombusesandcircles,suchas
straightlinesorcurvedlines,andcountingtheedges
andcorners
Describethefeaturesofthreedimensionalobjects
(ACMMG043)
l identifyinggeometricfeaturessuchasthenumberof
faces,cornersoredges
Locationandtransformation Elaborations
Interpretsimplemapsoffamiliarlocationsandidentify
therelativepositionsofkeyfeatures(ACMMG044)
l understandingthatweuserepresentationsofobjects
andtheirpositions,suchasonmaps,toallowusto
receiveandgivedirectionsandtodescribeplace
l constructingarrangementsofobjectsfromasetof
directions
Investigatetheeffectofonestepslidesandflipswith
andwithoutdigitaltechnologies(ACMMG045)
l understandingthatobjectscanbemovedbut
changingpositiondoesnotalteranobjectssizeor
features
Mathematics

VCAA | AusVELS Curriculum | Date PDF created: Wednesday, 29 May 2013 19
Level2achievementstandard
NumberandAlgebra
Studentscounttoandfrom,andordernumbersupto1000.Theyperformsimpleadditionandsubtractioncalculations,using
arangeofstrategies.TheyfindthetotalvalueofsimplecollectionsofAustraliannotesandcoins.Studentsrepresent
multiplicationanddivisionbygroupingintosetsanddividecollectionsandshapesintohalves,quartersandeighths.They
recogniseincreasinganddecreasingnumbersequencesinvolving2s,3s,5sand10s,identifythemissingelementina
numbersequence,andusedigitaltechnologytoproducesequencesbyconstantaddition.
MeasurementandGeometry
Studentsordershapesandobjects,usinginformalunitsforarangeofmeasures.Theytelltimetothequarterhouranduse
acalendartoidentifythedate,days,weeksandmonthsincludedinseasonsandotherevents.Studentsdrawtwo
dimensionalshapes,specifytheirfeaturesandexplaintheeffectsofonesteptransformations.Theyrecognisethefeatures
ofthreedimensionalobjects.Theyinterpretsimplemapsoffamiliarlocations.
StatisticsandProbability
Studentscollectdatafromrelevantquestionstocreatelists,tablesandpicturegraphswithandwithouttheuseofdigital
technology.Theyinterpretdataincontext.Studentsdescribeoutcomesoffamiliareventsusingeverydaylanguage.
Identifyanddescribehalfandquarterturns(ACMMG046) l predictingandreproducingapatternbasedaround
halfandquarterturnsofashapeandsketchingthe
nextelementinthepattern
StatisticsandProbability
Chance Elaborations
Identifypracticalactivitiesandeverydayeventsthat
involvechance.Describeoutcomesaslikelyor
unlikelyandidentifysomeeventsascertainor
impossible(ACMSP047)
l classifyingalistofeverydayeventsaccordingtohow
likelytheyaretohappen,usingthelanguageof
chance,andexplainingreasoning
Datarepresentationandinterpretation Elaborations
Identifyaquestionofinterestbasedononecategorical
variable.Gatherdatarelevanttothequestion
(ACMSP048)

l determiningthevarietyofbirdlifeintheplaygroundand
usingapreparedtabletorecordobservations
Collect,checkandclassifydata(ACMSP049) l recognisingtheusefulnessoftallymarks
l identifyingcategoriesofdataandusingthemtosort
data
Createdisplaysofdatausinglists,tableandpicture
graphsandinterpretthem(ACMSP050)
l creatingpicturegraphstorepresentdatausingone
toonecorrespondence
l comparingtheusefulnessofdifferentdatadisplays
Mathematics

VCAA | AusVELS Curriculum | Date PDF created: Wednesday, 29 May 2013 20
Level3
TheproficiencystrandsUnderstanding,Fluency,ProblemSolvingandReasoningareanintegralpartofmathematics
contentacrossthethreecontentstrands:NumberandAlgebra,MeasurementandGeometry,andStatisticsand
Probability.Theproficienciesreinforcethesignificanceofworkingmathematicallywithinthecontentanddescribehow
thecontentisexploredordeveloped.Theyprovidethelanguagetobuildinthedevelopmentalaspectsofthelearningof
mathematics.
Atthislevel:
Understandingincludesconnectingnumberrepresentationswithnumbersequences,partitioningandcombining
numbersflexibly,representingunitfractions,usingappropriatelanguagetocommunicatetimes,andidentifying
environmentalsymmetry
Fluencyincludesrecallingmultiplicationfacts,usingfamiliarmetricunitstoorderandcompareobjects,identifyingand
describingoutcomesofchanceexperiments,interpretingmapsandcommunicatingpositions
ProblemSolvingincludesformulatingandmodellingauthenticsituationsinvolvingplanningmethodsofdatacollection
andrepresentation,makingmodelsofthreedimensionalobjectsandusingnumberpropertiestocontinuenumber
patterns
Reasoningincludesusinggeneralisingfromnumberpropertiesandresultsofcalculations,comparingangles,creating
andinterpretingvariationsintheresultsofdatacollectionsanddatadisplays
NumberandAlgebra
Numberandplacevalue Elaborations
Investigatetheconditionsrequiredfora
numbertobeoddorevenandidentifyodd
andevennumbers(ACMNA051)
l identifyingevennumbersusingskipcountingbytwosorby
groupingevencollectionsofobjectsintwos
l explainingwhyallnumbersthatendinthedigits0,2,4,6and8
areevenandthatnumbersendingin1,3,5,7and9areodd
Recognise,model,representandorder
numberstoatleast10000(ACMNA052)
l placingfourdigitnumbersonanumberlineusinganappropriate
scale
l reproducingnumbersinwordsusingtheirnumerical
representationsandviceversa
Applyplacevaluetopartition,rearrangeand
regroupnumberstoatleast10000toassist
calculationsandsolveproblems
(ACMNA053)
l recognisingthat10000equals10thousands,100hundreds,
1000tensand10000ones
l justifyingchoicesaboutpartitioningandregroupingnumbersin
termsoftheirusefulnessforparticularcalculations
Recogniseandexplaintheconnection
betweenadditionandsubtraction
(ACMNA054)
l demonstratingtheconnectionbetweenadditionandsubtraction
usingpartitioningorbywritingequivalentnumbersentences
Mathematics

VCAA | AusVELS Curriculum | Date PDF created: Wednesday, 29 May 2013 21
Recalladditionfactsforsingledigitnumbers
andrelatedsubtractionfactstodevelop
increasinglyefficientmentalstrategiesfor
computation(ACMNA055)
l recognisingthatcertainsingledigitnumbercombinationsalways
resultinthesameanswerforadditionandsubtraction,andusing
thisknowledgeforadditionandsubtractionoflargernumbers
l combiningknowledgeofadditionandsubtractionfactsand
partitioningtoaidcomputation(forexample57+19=57+201)
Recallmultiplicationfactsoftwo,three,five
andtenandrelateddivisionfacts
(ACMNA056)
l establishingmultiplicationfactsusingnumbersequences
Representandsolveproblemsinvolving
multiplicationusingefficientmentaland
writtenstrategiesandappropriatedigital
technologies(ACMNA057)
l writingsimplewordproblemsinnumericalformandviceversa
l usingacalculatortocheckthesolutionandreasonablenessof
theanswer
Fractionsanddecimals Elaborations
Modelandrepresentunitfractionsincluding
1/2,1/4,1/3,1/5andtheirmultiplestoa
completewhole(ACMNA058)

l partitioningareas,lengthsandcollectionstocreatehalves,thirds,
quartersandfifths,suchasfoldingthesamesizedsheetsof
papertoillustratedifferentunitfractionsandcomparingthe
numberofpartswiththeirsizes
l locatingunitfractionsonanumberline
l recognisingthatinEnglishthetermonethirdisused(order:
numerator,denominator)butthatinotherlanguagesthisconcept
maybeexpressedasthreeparts,oneofthem(order:
denominator,numerator)forexampleJapanese
Moneyandfinancialmathematics Elaborations
Representmoneyvaluesinmultipleways
andcountthechangerequiredforsimple
transactionstothenearestfivecents
(ACMNA059)

l recognisingtherelationshipbetweendollarsandcents,andthat
notallcountriesusethesedenominationsanddivisions(for
exampleJapaneseYen)
Patternsandalgebra Elaborations
Describe,continue,andcreatenumber
patternsresultingfromperformingaddition
orsubtraction(ACMNA060)
l identifyingandwritingtherulesfornumberpatterns
l describingaruleforanumberpattern,thencreatingthepattern
MeasurementandGeometry
Usingunitsofmeasurement Elaborations
Measure,orderandcompareobjectsusing
familiarmetricunitsoflength,massand
capacity(ACMMG061)

l recognisingtheimportanceofusingcommonunitsof
measurement
l recognisingandusingcentimetresandmetres,gramsand
kilograms,andmillilitresandlitres
Mathematics

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Telltimetotheminuteandinvestigatethe
relationshipbetweenunitsoftime
(ACMMG062)
l recognisingthereare60minutesinanhourand60secondsina
minute
Shape Elaborations
Makemodelsofthreedimensionalobjects
anddescribekeyfeatures(ACMMG063)

l exploringthecreationofthreedimensionalobjectsusingorigami,
includingprismsandpyramids
Locationandtransformation Elaborations
Createandinterpretsimplegridmapsto
showpositionandpathways(ACMMG065)
l creatingamapoftheclassroomorplayground
Identifysymmetryintheenvironment
(ACMMG066)

l identifyingsymmetryinAboriginalrockcarvingsorart
l identifyingsymmetryinthenaturalandbuiltenvironment
Geometricreasoning Elaborations
Identifyanglesasmeasuresofturnand
compareanglesizesineverydaysituations
(ACMMG064)
l openingdoorspartiallyandfullyandcomparingthesizeofthe
anglescreated
l recognisingthatanalogueclocksusetheturningofarmsto
indicatetime,andcomparingthesizeofanglesbetweenthearms
forfamiliartimes
StatisticsandProbability
Chance Elaborations
Conductchanceexperiments,identifyand
describepossibleoutcomesandrecognise
variationinresults(ACMSP067)
l conductingrepeatedtrialsofchanceexperimentssuchastossing
acoinordrawingaballfromabagandidentifyingthevariations
betweentrials
Datarepresentationandinterpretation Elaborations
Identifyquestionsorissuesforcategorical
variables.Identifydatasourcesandplan
methodsofdatacollectionandrecording
(ACMSP068)
l refiningquestionsandplanninginvestigationsthatinvolve
collectingdata,andcarryingouttheinvestigation(forexample
narrowingthefocusofaquestionsuchaswhichisthemost
popularbreakfastcereal?towhichisthemostpopularbreakfast
cerealamongLevel3studentsinourclass?)
Collectdata,organiseintocategoriesand
createdisplaysusinglists,tables,picture
graphsandsimplecolumngraphs,withand
withouttheuseofdigitaltechnologies
(ACMSP069)

l exploringmeaningfulandincreasinglyefficientwaystorecord
data,andrepresentingandreportingtheresultsofinvestigations
l collectingdatatoinvestigatefeaturesinthenaturalenvironment
Mathematics

VCAA | AusVELS Curriculum | Date PDF created: Wednesday, 29 May 2013 23
Level3achievementstandard
NumberandAlgebra
Studentscountandordernumberstoandfrom10000.Theyrecognisetheconnectionbetweenadditionandsubtraction,
andsolveproblemsusingefficientstrategiesformultiplicationwithandwithouttheuseofdigitaltechnology.Studentsrecall
additionandmultiplicationfactsforsingledigitnumbers.Theyrepresentmoneyvaluesinvariouswaysandcorrectlycount
outchangefromfinancialtransactions.Studentsmodelandrepresentunitfractionsforhalves,thirds,quarters,fifthsand
eighths,andmultiplesoftheseuptoone.Theyclassifynumbersaseitheroddoreven,continuenumberpatternsinvolving
additionorsubtraction,andexploresimplenumbersequencesbasedonmultiples.
MeasurementandGeometry
Studentsusemetricunitsforlength,massandcapacity.Theytelltimetothenearestminute.Studentsidentifysymmetryin
naturalandconstructedenvironments.Theyuseanglesizeasameasureofturninrealsituationsandmakemodelsof
threedimensionalobjects.Studentsmatchpositionsonmapswithgiveninformationandcreatesimplemaps.
StatisticsandProbability
Studentscarryoutsimpledatainvestigationsforcategoricalvariables.Theyinterpretandcomparedatadisplays.Students
conductchanceexperiments,listpossibleoutcomesandrecognisevariationsinresults.
Interpretandcomparedatadisplays
(ACMSP070)
l comparingvariousstudentgenerateddatarepresentationsand
describingtheirsimilaritiesanddifferences
Mathematics

VCAA | AusVELS Curriculum | Date PDF created: Wednesday, 29 May 2013 24
Level4
TheproficiencystrandsUnderstanding,Fluency,ProblemSolvingandReasoningareanintegralpartofmathematics
contentacrossthethreecontentstrands:NumberandAlgebra,MeasurementandGeometry,andStatisticsand
Probability.Theproficienciesreinforcethesignificanceofworkingmathematicallywithinthecontentanddescribehow
thecontentisexploredordeveloped.Theyprovidethelanguagetobuildinthedevelopmentalaspectsofthelearningof
mathematics.
Atthislevel:

Understandingincludesmakingconnectionsbetweenrepresentationsofnumbers,partitioningandcombiningnumbers
flexibly,extendingplacevaluetodecimals,usingappropriatelanguagetocommunicatetimes,anddescribingproperties
ofsymmetricalshapes
Fluencyincludesrecallingmultiplicationtables,communicatingsequencesofsimplefractions,usinginstrumentsto
measureaccurately,creatingpatternswithshapesandtheirtransformations,andcollectingandrecordingdata
ProblemSolvingincludesformulating,modellingandrecordingauthenticsituationsinvolvingoperations,comparing
largenumberswitheachother,comparingtimedurations,andusingpropertiesofnumberstocontinuepatterns
Reasoningincludesusinggeneralisingfromnumberpropertiesandresultsofcalculations,derivingstrategiesfor
unfamiliarmultiplicationanddivisiontasks,comparingangles,communicatinginformationusinggraphicaldisplaysand
evaluatingtheappropriatenessofdifferentdisplays
NumberandAlgebra
Numberandplacevalue Elaborations
Investigateandusethepropertiesofoddandeven
numbers(ACMNA071)
l usingthefouroperationswithpairsofoddoreven
numbersoroneoddandoneevennumber,then
usingtherelationshipsestablishedtocheckthe
accuracyofcalculations
Recognise,representandordernumberstoatleasttens
ofthousands(ACMNA072)
l reproducingfivedigitnumbersinwordsusingtheir
numericalrepresentations,andviceversa
Applyplacevaluetopartition,rearrangeandregroup
numberstoatleasttensofthousandstoassist
calculationsandsolveproblems(ACMNA073)
l recognisinganddemonstratingthattheplacevalue
patternisbuiltontheoperationsofmultiplicationor
divisionoftens
Investigatenumbersequencesinvolvingmultiplesof3,4,
6,7,8,and9(ACMNA074)
l recognisingthatnumbersequencescanbeextended
indefinitely,anddetermininganypatternsinthe
sequences
Recallmultiplicationfactsupto1010andrelated
divisionfacts(ACMNA075)
l usingknownmultiplicationfactstocalculaterelated
divisionfacts
Mathematics

VCAA | AusVELS Curriculum | Date PDF created: Wednesday, 29 May 2013 25
Developefficientmentalandwrittenstrategiesanduse
appropriatedigitaltechnologiesformultiplicationandfor
divisionwherethereisnoremainder(ACMNA076)
l usingknownfactsandstrategies,suchas
commutativity,doublingandhalvingformultiplication,
andconnectingdivisiontomultiplicationwhenthere
isnoremainder
Fractionsanddecimals Elaborations
Investigateequivalentfractionsusedincontexts
(ACMNA077)
l exploringtherelationshipbetweenfamiliesof
fractions(halves,quartersandeighthsorthirdsand
sixths)byfoldingaseriesofpaperstripstoconstruct
afractionwall
Countbyquartershalvesandthirds,includingwithmixed
numerals.Locateandrepresentthesefractionsona
numberline(ACMNA078)

l convertingmixednumberstoimproperfractionsand
viceversa
l investigatingtheuseoffractionsandsharingasa
wayofmanagingCountry:forexampletakingnomore
thanhalftheeggsfromanesttoprotectfuturebird
populations
Recognisethattheplacevaluesystemcanbeextended
totenthsandhundredths.Makeconnectionsbetween
fractionsanddecimalnotation(ACMNA079)
l usingdivisionby10toextendtheplacevaluesystem
l usingknowledgeoffractionstoestablish
equivalencesbetweenfractionsanddecimalnotation
Moneyandfinancialmathematics Elaborations
Solveproblemsinvolvingpurchasesandthecalculation
ofchangetothenearestfivecentswithandwithoutdigital
technologies(ACMNA080)

l recognisingthatnotallcountriesusedollarsand
cents,egIndiausesrupees.
l Carryingoutcalculationsinanothercurrencyaswell
asindollarsandcents,andidentifyingbothas
decimalsystems
Patternsandalgebra Elaborations
Exploreanddescribenumberpatternsresultingfrom
performingmultiplication(ACMNA081)
l identifyingexamplesofnumberpatternsineveryday
life
Solvewordproblemsbyusingnumbersentences
involvingmultiplicationordivisionwherethereisno
remainder(ACMNA082)
l representingawordproblemasanumbersentence
l writingawordproblemusingagivennumber
sentence
Useequivalentnumbersentencesinvolvingadditionand
subtractiontofindunknownquantities(ACMNA083)
l writingnumbersentencestorepresentandanswer
questionssuchas:Whenanumberisaddedto23
theansweristhesameas57minus19.Whatisthe
number?
l usingpartitioningtofindunknownquantitiesin
numbersentences
MeasurementandGeometry
Usingunitsofmeasurement Elaborations
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Usescaledinstrumentstomeasureandcompare
lengths,masses,capacitiesandtemperatures
(ACMMG084)
l readingandinterpretingthegraduatedscalesona
rangeofmeasuringinstrumentstothenearest
graduation
Compareobjectsusingfamiliarmetricunitsofareaand
volume(ACMMG290)

l comparingareasusinggridpaper
l comparingvolumeusingcenticubes
l recognisingthatmetricunitsarenottheonlyunits
usedthroughouttheworld,forexamplemeasuring
theareaoffloorspaceusingtatamimats(Japan),
usingsquaresforroomandhousearea(Australia)
Convertbetweenunitsoftime(ACMMG085) l identifyingandusingthecorrectoperationfor
convertingunitsoftime
Useamandpmnotationandsolvesimpletime
problems(ACMMG086)
l calculatingthetimespentatschoolduringanormal
schoolday
l calculatingthetimerequiredtotravelbetweentwo
locations
l determiningarrivaltimegivendeparturetime
Shape Elaborations
Comparetheareasofregularandirregularshapesby
informalmeans(ACMMG087)
l comparingareasusingmetricunits,suchas
countingthenumberofsquarecentimetresrequired
tocovertwoareasbyoverlayingtheareaswithagrid
ofcentimetresquares
Compareanddescribetwodimensionalshapesthat
resultfromcombiningandsplittingcommonshapes,
withandwithouttheuseofdigitaltechnologies
(ACMMG088)
l identifyingcommontwodimensionalshapesthatare
partofacompositeshapebyrecreatingitfromthese
shapes
l creatingatwodimensionalshapesfromverbalor
writteninstructions
Locationandtransformation Elaborations
Usesimplescales,legendsanddirectionstointerpret
informationcontainedinbasicmaps(ACMMG090)

l identifyingthescaleusedonmapsofcitiesandrural
areasinAustraliaandacityinIndonesiaand
describingthedifference
l usingdirectionstofindfeaturesonamap
Createsymmetricalpatterns,picturesandshapeswith
andwithoutdigitaltechnologies(ACMMG091)

l usingstimulusmaterialssuchasthemotifsin
CentralAsiantextiles,Tibetanartefacts,Indianlotus
designsandsymmetryinYolnguorCentraland
WesternDesertart
Geometricreasoning Elaborations
Compareanglesandclassifythemasequalto,greater
thanorlessthanarightangle(ACMMG089)
l creatinganglesandcomparingthemtoarightangle
usingdigitaltechnologies
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Level4achievementstandard
NumberandAlgebra
Studentsrecallmultiplicationfactsto10x10andrelateddivisionfacts.Theychooseappropriatestrategiesforcalculations
involvingmultiplicationanddivision,withandwithouttheuseofdigitaltechnology,andestimateanswersaccuratelyenough
forthecontext.Studentssolvesimplepurchasingproblemswithandwithouttheuseofdigitaltechnology.Theylocate
familiarfractionsonanumberline,recognisecommonequivalentfractionsinfamiliarcontextsandmakeconnections
betweenfractionsanddecimalnotationsuptotwodecimalplaces.Studentsidentifyunknownquantitiesinnumber
sentences.Theyusethepropertiesofoddandevennumbersanddescribenumberpatternsresultingfrommultiplication.
Studentscontinuenumbersequencesinvolvingmultiplesofsingledigitnumbersandunitfractions,andlocatethemona
numberline.
MeasurementandGeometry
StatisticsandProbability
Chance Elaborations
Describepossibleeverydayeventsandordertheir
chancesofoccurring(ACMSP092)
l usinglistsofeventsfamiliartostudentsandordering
themfromleastlikelytomostlikelytooccur
Identifyeverydayeventswhereonecannothappenifthe
otherhappens(ACMSP093)
l usingexamplessuchasweather,whichcannotbe
dryandwetatthesametime
Identifyeventswherethechanceofonewillnotbe
affectedbytheoccurrenceoftheother(ACMSP094)
l explainingwhytheprobabilityofanewbabybeing
eitheraboyoragirldoesnotdependonthesexof
thepreviousbaby
Datarepresentationandinterpretation Elaborations
Selectandtrialmethodsfordatacollection,including
surveyquestionsandrecordingsheets(ACMSP095)
l comparingtheeffectivenessofdifferentmethodsof
collectingdata
l choosingthemosteffectivewaytocollectdatafora
giveninvestigation
Constructsuitabledatadisplays,withandwithoutthe
useofdigitaltechnologies,fromgivenorcollecteddata.
Includetables,columngraphsandpicturegraphswhere
onepicturecanrepresentmanydatavalues(ACMSP096)
l exploringwaysofpresentingdataandshowingthe
resultsofinvestigations
l investigatingdatadisplaysusingmanytoone
correspondence
Evaluatetheeffectivenessofdifferentdisplaysin
illustratingdatafeaturesincludingvariability(ACMSP097)
l interpretingdatarepresentationsinthemediaand
otherforumsinwhichsymbolsrepresentmorethan
onedatavalue
l suggestingquestionsthatcanbeansweredbya
givendatadisplayandusingthedisplaytoanswer
questions
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Studentscompareareasofregularandirregularshapes,usinginformalunits.Theysolveproblemsinvolvingtimeduration.
Studentsusescaledinstrumentstomeasurelength,angle,area,mass,capacityandtemperatureofshapesandobjects.
Theyconvertbetweenunitsoftime.Studentscreatesymmetricalsimpleandcompositeshapesandpatterns,withand
withouttheuseofdigitaltechnology.Theyclassifyanglesinrelationtoarightangle.Studentsinterpretinformationcontained
inmaps.
StatisticsandProbability
Studentsdescribedifferentmethodsfordatacollectionandrepresentation,andevaluatetheireffectiveness.Theyconstruct
datadisplaysfromgivenorcollecteddata,withandwithouttheuseofdigitaltechnology.Studentslisttheprobabilitiesof
everydayevents.Theyidentifydependentandindependentevents.
Mathematics

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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 Elaborations
Identifyanddescribefactorsandmultiplesof
wholenumbersandusethemtosolveproblems
(ACMNA098)
l exploringfactorsandmultiplesusingnumbersequences
l usingsimpledivisibilitytests
Useestimationandroundingtocheckthe
reasonablenessofanswerstocalculations
(ACMNA099)
l recognisingtheusefulnessofestimationtocheck
calculations
l applyingmentalstrategiestoestimatetheresultof
calculations,suchasestimatingthecostofasupermarket
trolleyload
Solveproblemsinvolvingmultiplicationoflarge
numbersbyoneortwodigitnumbersusing
efficientmental,writtenstrategiesandappropriate
digitaltechnologies(ACMNA100)
l exploringtechniquesformultiplicationsuchasthearea
model,theItalianlatticemethodorthepartitioningof
numbers
l applyingthedistributivelawandusingarraystomodel
multiplicationandexplaincalculationstrategies
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Solveproblemsinvolvingdivisionbyaonedigit
number,includingthosethatresultinaremainder
(ACMNA101)
l usingthefactthatequivalentdivisioncalculationsresultif
bothnumbersaredividedbythesamefactor
l interpretingandrepresentingtheremainderindivision
calculationssensiblyforthecontext
Useefficientmentalandwrittenstrategiesand
applyappropriatedigitaltechnologiestosolve
problems(ACMNA291)
l usingcalculatorstocheckthereasonablenessofanswers
Fractionsanddecimals Elaborations
Compareandordercommonunitfractionsand
locateandrepresentthemonanumberline
(ACMNA102)
l recognisingtheconnectionbetweentheorderofunit
fractionsandtheirdenominators
Investigatestrategiestosolveproblemsinvolving
additionandsubtractionoffractionswiththe
samedenominator(ACMNA103)
l modellingandsolvingadditionandsubtractionproblems
involvingfractionsbyusingjumpsonanumberline,or
makingdiagramsoffractionsaspartsofshapes
Recognisethattheplacevaluesystemcanbe
extendedbeyondhundredths(ACMNA104)
l usingknowledgeofplacevalueanddivisionby10toextend
thenumbersystemtothousandthsandbeyond
l recognisingtheequivalenceofonethousandthsand0.001
Compare,orderandrepresentdecimals
(ACMNA105)
l locatingdecimalsonanumberline
Moneyandfinancialmathematics Elaborations
Createsimplefinancialplans(ACMNA106) l creatingasimplebudgetforaclassfundraisingevent
l identifyingtheGSTcomponentofinvoicesandreceipts
Patternsandalgebra Elaborations
Describe,continueandcreatepatternswith
fractions,decimalsandwholenumbersresulting
fromadditionandsubtraction(ACMNA107)
l usingthenumberlineordiagramstocreatepatterns
involvingfractionsordecimals
Useequivalentnumbersentencesinvolving
multiplicationanddivisiontofindunknown
quantities(ACMNA121)
l usingrelevantproblemstodevelopnumbersentences
MeasurementandGeometry
Usingunitsofmeasurement Elaborations
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Chooseappropriateunitsofmeasurementfor
length,area,volume,capacityandmass
(ACMMG108)

l investigatingalternativemeasuresofscaletodemonstrate
thatthesevarybetweencountriesandchangeovertime,for
exampletemperaturemeasurementinAustralia,Indonesia,
JapanandUSA
l recognisingthatsomeunitsofmeasurementarebetter
suitedforsometasksthanothers,forexamplekilometres
ratherthanmetrestomeasurethedistancebetweentwo
towns
Calculatetheperimeterandareaofrectangles
usingfamiliarmetricunits(ACMMG109)
l exploringefficientwaysofcalculatingtheperimetersof
rectanglessuchasaddingthelengthandwidthtogetherand
doublingtheresult
l exploringefficientwaysoffindingtheareasofrectangles
Compare12and24hourtimesystemsand
convertbetweenthem(ACMMG110)

l investigatingthewaystimewasandismeasuredindifferent
AboriginalCountry,suchasusingtidalchange
l usingunitshours,minutesandseconds
Shape Elaborations
Connectthreedimensionalobjectswiththeirnets
andothertwodimensionalrepresentations
(ACMMG111)
l identifyingtheshapeandrelativepositionofeachfaceofa
solidtodeterminethenetofthesolid,includingthatof
prismsandpyramids
l representingtwodimensionalshapessuchas
photographs,sketchesandimagescreatedbydigital
technologies
Locationandtransformation Elaborations
Useagridreferencesystemtodescribe
locations.Describeroutesusinglandmarksand
directionallanguage(ACMMG113)

l comparingaerialviewsofCountry,desertpaintingsand
mapswithgridreferences
l creatingagridreferencesystemfortheclassroomand
usingittolocateobjectsanddescriberoutesfromone
objecttoanother
Describetranslations,reflectionsandrotationsof
twodimensionalshapes.Identifylineand
rotationalsymmetries(ACMMG114)
l identifyinganddescribingthelineandrotationalsymmetryof
arangeoftwodimensionalshapes,bymanuallycutting,
foldingandturningshapesandbyusingdigitaltechnologies
l identifyingtheeffectsoftransformationsbymanuallyflipping,
slidingandturningtwodimensionalshapesandbyusing
digitaltechnologies
Applytheenlargementtransformationtofamiliar
twodimensionalshapesandexplorethe
propertiesoftheresultingimagecomparedwith
theoriginal(ACMMG115)
l usingdigitaltechnologiestoenlargeshapes
l usingagridsystemtoenlargeafavouriteimageorcartoon
Geometricreasoning Elaborations
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Level5achievementstandard
NumberandAlgebra
Studentssolvesimpleproblemsinvolvingthefouroperationsusingarangeofstrategiesincludingdigitaltechnology.They
estimatetocheckthereasonablenessofanswersandapproximateanswersbyrounding.Studentsidentifyanddescribe
factorsandmultiples.Theyexplainplansforsimplebudgets.Studentsorderdecimalsandunitfractionsandlocatethemon
anumberline.Studentsaddandsubtractfractionswiththesamedenominator.Theyfindunknownquantitiesinnumber
sentencesandcontinuepatternsbyaddingorsubtractingfractionsanddecimals.
MeasurementandGeometry
Estimate,measureandcompareanglesusing
degrees.Constructanglesusingaprotractor
(ACMMG112)
l measuringandconstructinganglesusingboth180and
360protractors
l recognisingthatangleshavearmsandavertex,andthat
sizeistheamountofturnrequiredforonearmtocoincide
withtheother
StatisticsandProbability
Chance Elaborations
Listoutcomesofchanceexperimentsinvolving
equallylikelyoutcomesandrepresent
probabilitiesofthoseoutcomesusingfractions
(ACMSP116)

l commentingonthelikelihoodofwinningsimplegamesof
chancebyconsideringthenumberofpossibleoutcomes
andtheconsequentchanceofwinninginsimplegamesof
chancesuchasjankenpon(rockpaperscissors)
Recognisethatprobabilitiesrangefrom0to1
(ACMSP117)
l investigatingtheprobabilitiesofalloutcomesforasimple
chanceexperimentandverifyingthattheirsumequals1
Datarepresentationandinterpretation Elaborations
Posequestionsandcollectcategoricalor
numericaldatabyobservationorsurvey
(ACMSP118)

l posingquestionsaboutinsectdiversityintheplayground,
collectingdatabytapingaonemetresquarepieceofpaper
totheplaygroundandobservingthetypeandnumberof
insectsonitovertime
Constructdisplays,includingcolumngraphs,dot
plotsandtables,appropriatefordatatype,with
andwithouttheuseofdigitaltechnologies
(ACMSP119)
l identifyingthebestmethodsofpresentingdatatoillustrate
theresultsofinvestigationsandjustifyingthechoiceof
representations
Describeandinterpretdifferentdatasetsin
context(ACMSP120)
l usingandcomparingdatarepresentationsfordifferentdata
setstohelpdecisionmaking
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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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VCAA | AusVELS Curriculum | Date PDF created: Wednesday, 29 May 2013 34
Level6
TheproficiencystrandsUnderstanding,Fluency,ProblemSolvingandReasoningareanintegralpartofmathematics
contentacrossthethreecontentstrands:NumberandAlgebra,MeasurementandGeometry,andStatisticsand
Probability.Theproficienciesreinforcethesignificanceofworkingmathematicallywithinthecontentanddescribehow
thecontentisexploredordeveloped.Theyprovidethelanguagetobuildinthedevelopmentalaspectsofthelearningof
mathematics.
Atthislevel:
Understandingincludesdescribingpropertiesofdifferentsetsofnumbers,usingfractionsanddecimalstodescribe
probabilities,representingfractionsanddecimalsinvariouswaysanddescribingconnectionsbetweenthem,and
makingreasonableestimations
Fluencyincludesrepresentingintegersonanumberline,calculatingsimplepercentages,usingbracketsappropriately,
convertingbetweenfractionsanddecimals,usingoperationswithfractions,decimalsandpercentages,measuringusing
metricunits,andinterpretingtimetables
ProblemSolvingincludesformulatingandsolvingauthenticproblemsusingfractions,decimals,percentagesand
measurements,interpretingsecondarydatadisplays,andfindingthesizeofunknownangles
Reasoningincludesexplainingmentalstrategiesforperformingcalculations,describingresultsforcontinuingnumber
sequences,explainingthetransformationofoneshapeintoanother,explainingwhytheactualresultsof
chanceexperimentsmaydifferfromexpectedresults
NumberandAlgebra
Numberandplacevalue Elaborations
Identifyanddescribepropertiesofprime,
composite,squareandtriangular
numbers(ACMNA122)
l understandingthatsomenumbershavespecialpropertiesandthat
thesepropertiescanbeusedtosolveproblems
l representingcompositenumbersasaproductoftheirprimefactors
andusingthisformtosimplifycalculationsbycancellingcommon
primes
l understandingthatifanumberisdivisiblebyacompositenumber
thenitisalsodivisiblebytheprimefactorsofthatnumber(for
example216isdivisibleby8becausethenumberrepresentedby
thelastthreedigitsisdivisibleby8,andhence216isalsodivisible
by2and4)
Selectandapplyefficientmentaland
writtenstrategiesandappropriatedigital
technologiestosolveproblemsinvolving
allfouroperationswithwholenumbers
(ACMNA123)
l applyingstrategiesalreadydevelopedforsolvingproblemsinvolving
smallnumberstothoseinvolvinglargenumbers
l applyingarangeofstrategiestosolverealisticproblemsand
commentingontheefficiencyofdifferentstrategies
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Investigateeverydaysituationsthatuse
integers.Locateandrepresentthese
numbersonanumberline(ACMNA124)
l understandingthatintegersare...3,2,1,0,1,2,3,.....
l solvingeverydayadditiveproblemsusinganumberline
l investigatingeverydaysituationsthatuseintegers,suchas
temperatures
l usingnumberlinestopositionandorderintegersaroundzero
Fractionsanddecimals Elaborations
Comparefractionswithrelated
denominatorsandlocateandrepresent
themonanumberline(ACMNA125)
l demonstratingequivalencebetweenfractionsusingdrawingsand
models
Solveproblemsinvolvingadditionand
subtractionoffractionswiththesameor
relateddenominators(ACMNA126)
l understandingtheprocessesforaddingandsubtractingfractions
withrelateddenominatorsandfractionsasanoperator,in
preparationforcalculatingwithallfractions
l solvingrealisticadditive(additionandsubtraction)problems
involvingfractionstodevelopunderstandingofequivalentfractions
andtheuseoffractionsasoperators
l modellingandsolvingadditiveproblemsinvolvingfractionsbyusing
methodssuchasjumpsonanumberline,orbymakingdiagrams
offractionsaspartsofshapes
Findasimplefractionofaquantitywhere
theresultisawholenumber,withand
withoutdigitaltechnologies(ACMNA127)
l recognisingthatfindingonethirdofaquantityisthesameas
dividingby3
Addandsubtractdecimals,withand
withoutdigitaltechnologies,anduse
estimationandroundingtocheckthe
reasonablenessofanswers(ACMNA128)
l extendingwholenumberstrategiestoexploreanddevelop
meaningfulwrittenstrategiesforadditionandsubtractionofdecimal
numberstothousandths
l exploringandpractisingefficientmethodsforsolvingproblems
requiringoperationsondecimals,togainfluencywithcalculating
withdecimalsandwithrecognisingappropriateoperations
Multiplydecimalsbywholenumbersand
performdivisionsbynonzerowhole
numberswheretheresultsare
terminatingdecimals,withandwithout
digitaltechnologies(ACMNA129)
l interpretingtheresultsofcalculationstoprovideananswer
appropriatetothecontext
Multiplyanddividedecimalsbypowersof
10(ACMNA130)
l Multiplyinganddividingdecimalsbymultiplesofpowersof10
Makeconnectionsbetweenequivalent
fractions,decimalsandpercentages
(ACMNA131)
l connectingfractions,decimalsandpercentagesasdifferent
representationsofthesamenumber,movingfluentlybetween
representationsandchoosingtheappropriateonefortheproblem
beingsolved
Moneyandfinancialmathematics Elaborations
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Investigateandcalculatepercentage
discountsof10%,25%and50%onsale
items,withandwithoutdigital
technologies(ACMNA132)
l usingauthenticinformationtocalculatepricesonsalegoods
Patternsandalgebra Elaborations
Continueandcreatesequencesinvolving
wholenumbers,fractionsanddecimals.
Describetheruleusedtocreatethe
sequence(ACMNA133)
l identifyingandgeneralisingnumberpatterns
l investigatingadditiveandmultiplicativepatternssuchasthenumber
oftilesinageometricpattern,orthenumberofdotsorothershapes
insuccessiverepeatsofastriporborderpatternlookingforpatterns
inthewaythenumbersincrease/decrease
Exploretheuseofbracketsandorderof
operationstowritenumbersentences
(ACMNA134)
l appreciatingtheneedforrulestocompletemultipleoperations
withinthesamenumbersentence
MeasurementandGeometry
Usingunitsofmeasurement Elaborations
Connectdecimalrepresentationstothe
metricsystem(ACMMG135)
l recognisingtheequivalenceofmeasurementssuchas1.25metres
and125centimetres
Convertbetweencommonmetricunitsof
length,massandcapacity(ACMMG136)
l identifyingandusingthecorrectoperationswhenconvertingunits
includingmillimetres,centimetres,metres,kilometres,milligrams,
grams,kilograms,tonnes,millilitres,litres,kilolitresandmegalitres
l recognisingthesignificanceoftheprefixesinunitsofmeasurement
Solveproblemsinvolvingthecomparison
oflengthsandareasusingappropriate
units(ACMMG137)
l recognisingandinvestigatingfamiliarobjectsusingconcrete
materialsanddigitaltechnologies
Connectvolumeandcapacityandtheir
unitsofmeasurement(ACMMG138)
l recognisingthat1mlisequivalentto1cm
3

Interpretandusetimetables(ACMMG139) l planningatripinvolvingoneormoremodesofpublictransport
l developingatimetableofdailyactivities
Shape Elaborations
Constructsimpleprismsandpyramids
(ACMMG140)

l consideringthehistoryandsignificanceofpyramidsfromarangeof
culturalperspectivesincludingthosestructuresfoundinChina,
KoreaandIndonesia
l constructingprismsandpyramidsfromnets,andskeletalmodels
Locationandtransformation Elaborations
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Investigatecombinationsoftranslations,
reflectionsandrotations,withandwithout
theuseofdigitaltechnologies
(ACMMG142)
l designingaschoolorbrandlogousingtransformationofoneor
moreshapes
l understandingthattranslations,rotationsandreflectionscan
changethepositionandorientationbutnotshapeorsize
IntroducetheCartesiancoordinatesystem
usingallfourquadrants(ACMMG143)
l understandingthattheCartesianplaneprovidesagraphicalor
visualwayofdescribinglocation
Geometricreasoning Elaborations
Investigate,withandwithoutdigital
technologies,anglesonastraightline,
anglesatapointandverticallyopposite
angles.Useresultstofindunknown
angles(ACMMG141)

l identifyingthesizeofarightangleas90anddefiningacute,
obtuse,straightandreflexangles
l measuring,estimatingandcomparinganglesindegreesand
classifyinganglesaccordingtotheirsizes
l investigatingtheuseofrotationandsymmetryinthediagrammatic
representationsofkinshiprelationshipsofCentralandWestern
Desertpeople
l recognisingandusingthetwoalternateconventionsfornaming
angles
StatisticsandProbability
Chance Elaborations
Describeprobabilitiesusingfractions,
decimalsandpercentages(ACMSP144)

l investigatinggamesofchancepopularindifferentculturesand
evaluatingtherelativebenefitstotheorganisersandparticipants(for
examplePachinko)
Conductchanceexperimentswithboth
smallandlargenumbersoftrialsusing
appropriatedigitaltechnologies
(ACMSP145)
l conductingrepeatedtrialsofchanceexperiments,identifyingthe
variationbetweentrialsandrealisingthattheresultstendtothe
predictionwithlargernumbersoftrials
Compareobservedfrequenciesacross
experimentswithexpectedfrequencies
(ACMSP146)
l predictinglikelyoutcomesfromarunofchanceeventsand
distinguishingthesefromsurprisingresults
Datarepresentationandinterpretation Elaborations
Interpretandcomparearangeofdata
displays,includingsidebysidecolumn
graphsfortwocategoricalvariables
(ACMSP147)
l comparingdifferentstudentgenerateddiagrams,tablesand
graphs,describingtheirsimilaritiesanddifferencesand
commentingontheusefulnessofeachrepresentationfor
interpretingthedata
l understandingthatdatacanberepresentedindifferentways,
sometimeswithonesymbolrepresentingmorethanonepieceof
data,andthatitisimportanttoreadallinformationabouta
representationbeforemakingjudgments
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Level6achievementstandard
NumberandAlgebra
Studentsrecognisethepropertiesofprime,composite,squareandtriangularnumbersanddeterminesetsofthese
numbers.Theysolveproblemsthatinvolveallfouroperationswithwholenumbersanddescribetheuseofintegersin
everydaycontexts.Studentslocatefractionsandintegersonanumberlineandconnectfractions,decimalsandpercentages
asdifferentrepresentationsofthesamenumber.Theysolveproblemsinvolvingtheadditionandsubtractionofrelated
fractions.Studentscalculateasimplefractionofaquantityandcalculatecommonpercentagediscountsonsaleitems,with
andwithouttheuseofdigitaltechnology.Theymakeconnectionsbetweenthepowersof10andthemultiplicationand
divisionofdecimals.Studentsadd,subtractandmultiplydecimalsanddividedecimalswheretheresultisrational.Students
writenumbersentencesusingbracketsandorderofoperations,andspecifyrulesusedtogeneratesequencesinvolving
wholenumbers,fractionsanddecimals.Theyuseorderedpairsofintegerstorepresentcoordinatesofpointsandlocatea
pointinanyoneofthefourquadrantsontheCartesianplane.
MeasurementandGeometry
Studentsrelatedecimalstothemetricsystemandchooseappropriateunitsofmeasurementtoperformacalculation.They
solveproblemsinvolvinglengthandarea,andmakeconnectionsbetweencapacityandvolume.Studentsinterpretavariety
ofeverydaytimetables.Theysolveproblemsusingthepropertiesofanglesandinvestigatesimplecombinationsof
transformationsintheplane,withandwithouttheuseofdigitaltechnology.Studentsconstructsimpleprismsandpyramids.
StatisticsandProbability
Studentsinterpretandcompareavarietyofdatadisplays,includingdisplaysfortwocategoricalvariables.Theyanalyseand
evaluatedatafromsecondarysources.Studentscompareobservedandexpectedfrequenciesofevents,includingthose
whereoutcomesoftrialsaregeneratedwiththeuseofdigitaltechnology.Theyspecify,listandcommunicateprobabilitiesof
eventsusingsimpleratios,fractions,decimalsandpercentages.
Interpretsecondarydatapresentedin
digitalmediaandelsewhere(ACMSP148)
l investigatingdatarepresentationsinthemediaanddiscussing
whattheyillustrateandthemessagesthepeoplewhocreatedthem
mightwanttoconvey
l identifyingpotentiallymisleadingdatarepresentationsinthemedia,
suchasgraphswithbrokenaxesornonlinearscales,graphicsnot
drawntoscale,datanotrelatedtothepopulationaboutwhichthe
claimsaremade,andpiechartsinwhichthewholepiedoesnot
representtheentirepopulationaboutwhichtheclaimsaremade
Mathematics

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TableofContents
Overview
Introduction
Domainstructure
Stagesoflearning
CurriculumF10
Foundationlevel
Level1
Level2
Level3
Level4
Level5
Level6
2
2
2
3
6
6
7
8
9
10
12
13
Personal Learning

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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:
l developanunderstandingoftheirstrengthsandpotential
l seekandrespondappropriatelytofeedbackfromtheirteachers,peersandothermembersofthecommunity
l developskillsofgoalsettingandtimeandresourcemanagement
l increasinglymanagetheirownlearningandgrowthbymonitoringtheirlearning,andsettingandreflectingontheir
learninggoals
l learntounderstandandtomanagetheirownemotions
l developresilienceanddispositionswhichsupportlearning
l recogniseandenactlearningprincipleswithinandbeyondtheschool
l prepareforlifelonglearning.
Theachievementoftheseoutcomesrequiresthecreationofaschoolandclassroomculture,whereallstudentsare
respectedandvaluedasindividualswiththecapacitytolearnandthink,andwhereselfregulatedeffortinlearningis
promoted.

StructureofthePersonalLearningDomain
ThePersonalLearningdomaininAusVELSusesanelevenlevelstructuretobothreflectthedesignofthenewAustralian
CurriculumandtoprovideaconsistenstructureacrossalltheAusVELSdomain(formoredetails,pleaseseeOverview).
Eachlevelincludesalearningfocusstatementand,from(AusVELS)Level3,asetofstandardsorganisedbydimension.
Learningfocus
Personal Learning

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Learningfocusstatementsarewrittenforeachlevel.Theseoutlinethelearningthatstudentsneedtofocusoniftheyareto
progressinthedomainandachievethestandardsatthelevelswheretheyapply.Theysuggestappropriatelearning
experiencesfromwhichteacherscandrawtodeveloprelevantteachingandlearningactivities.
Standards
Standardsdefinewhatstudentsshouldknowandbeabletodoatdifferentlevelsandarewrittenforeachdimension.In
PersonalLearning,standardsforassessingandreportingonstudentachievementapplyfromLevel3.
Dimensions
StandardsinthePersonalLearningdomainareorganisedintwodimensions:
l Theindividuallearner
l 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:
l learningtocopewithaneducationalenvironmentbecomingresilientinthefaceofdaytodaychallenges
Personal Learning

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l developingselfefficacyskillsthatgivethemtheattitudeandconfidencetopersistinthelearningprocess
l 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.
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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

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Foundationlevel
LearningFocus
AsstudentsworktowardstheachievementofLevel4standardsinPersonalLearning,theyexperiencediverse
approachesandresponsestolearning.Withteachersupport,theymakelinkswiththeirexistingexperiencesanddevelop
theviewthatlearningisexploratory,funandrewarding.
Studentsbegintoreflectonthemselvesaslearners,inparticularontheirfeelingsaboutlearning,byrespondingtoopen
endedstatementssuchasImproudofthisbecause,andusingvisualaidsthatillustratetheirresponsestolearning,
suchashappyandunhappyfaces.Theyalsoreflectontheirownlearningbyrespondingtopromptssuchas,Whatdo
youknownowthatyoudidntknowbefore?
Studentsareprovidedwithopportunitiestolearnwithpeersandtosharetheirfeelingsandthoughtsaboutlearningwith
others.Theybegintounderstandthatlisteningtotheresponsesofotherscanassistthemtomakesenseofnew
experiencesandprovideusefulcuesfortheirownlearning.Studentsareencouragedtotakeriskswiththeirlearningand
begintounderstandthatmistakescanbeavehicleforfurtherlearning.
Studentsbegintotakeinitiativeaslearnersbyaskingquestionswhenneededandattemptingsmallprojects.Theybegin
tosolveproblemsandcompleteworkusingtheirinitiativeasafirststepandaskingforteacherassistanceasrequired.
Withsupport,studentslearntomanagetheirtimeandresourcestocompleteshorttasks.
Standards
InPersonalLearning,standardsforassessingandreportingonstudentachievementareintroducedatLevel3.The
learningfocusstatementsforFoundationtoLevel2provideadviceaboutlearningexperiencesthatwillassiststudentsto
worktowardstheachievementofthestandardsatLevel4.
Personal Learning

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Level1
LearningFocus
AsstudentsworktowardstheachievementofLevel4standardsinPersonalLearning,theyparticipateinawiderangeof
learningexperienceswhichinvolveavarietyoflearningstylesandapproachestolearning.Withteachersupport,they
reflectonthoseapproacheswhichtheybelievehelpthemlearnmosteffectively.Studentsbegintorecordtheirfeelings
andunderstandingabouttheirlearning,respondingtopromptswhichhelpthemacknowledgetheirsuccesses,noting
whereimprovementscouldbemadeandreflectingontheefforttheyputintoparticulartasks.
Studentsdevelopstrategiestousewhentheyarefeelinguncertainabouttheirlearning,suchasseekingassistancefrom
theirteachers.Theybegintorecognisethatlearningfrommistakesisanimportantattributeofbeingagoodlearner.
Withteachersupport,studentsdevelopsimpleprotocolstoassistthemtolearneffectivelysuchaslisteningattentively.
Theybegintorecognisetheircontributiontotheachievementofapositivelearningenvironmentintheclassroom.
Studentsbegintotakeresponsibilityformanagingtheirtimeandresourceswithinthecontextofstructuredtasksthat
haveclearoutcomesandasettimeframe.Theybegintosetshorttermgoalsrelatedtospecifictasks,suchassettinga
timelimitforaparticularactivity,andtoreflectontheirachievements.
Standards
InPersonalLearning,standardsforassessingandreportingonstudentachievementareintroducedatLevel3.The
learningfocusstatementsforFoundationtoLevel2provideadviceaboutlearningexperiencesthatwillassiststudentsto
worktowardstheachievementofthestandardsatLevel4.
Personal Learning

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Level2
LearningFocus
AsstudentsworktowardstheachievementofLevel4standardsinPersonalLearning,theyparticipateinawiderangeof
learningexperienceswhichinvolveavarietyoflearningstylesandapproachestolearning.Withteachersupport,they
reflectonthoseapproacheswhichtheybelievehelpthemlearnmosteffectively.Studentsbegintorecordtheirfeelings
andunderstandingabouttheirlearning,respondingtopromptswhichhelpthemacknowledgetheirsuccesses,noting
whereimprovementscouldbemadeandreflectingontheefforttheyputintoparticulartasks.
Studentsdevelopstrategiestousewhentheyarefeelinguncertainabouttheirlearning,suchasseekingassistancefrom
theirteachers.Theybegintorecognisethatlearningfrommistakesisanimportantattributeofbeingagoodlearner.
Withteachersupport,studentsdevelopsimpleprotocolstoassistthemtolearneffectivelysuchaslisteningattentively.
Theybegintorecognisetheircontributiontotheachievementofapositivelearningenvironmentintheclassroom.
Studentsbegintotakeresponsibilityformanagingtheirtimeandresourceswithinthecontextofstructuredtasksthat
haveclearoutcomesandasettimeframe.Theybegintosetshorttermgoalsrelatedtospecifictasks,suchassettinga
timelimitforaparticularactivity,andtoreflectontheirachievements.
Standards
InPersonalLearning,standardsforassessingandreportingonstudentachievementareintroducedatLevel3.The
learningfocusstatementsforFoundationtoLevel2provideadviceaboutlearningexperiencesthatwillassiststudentsto
worktowardstheachievementofthestandardsatLevel4.
Personal Learning

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Level3
LearningFocus
AsstudentsworktowardstheachievementofLevel4standardsinPersonalLearning,theybegintobuildonpersonal
strengthsbyrecognisingstrategiesforlearningwhichhelpthemlearnmosteffectively.Withsupport,theyusetheirpast
learningtoinformtheirfuturelearning,andbegintosetlearningimprovementgoals.
Studentsparticipateinadiverserangeoflearningactivitiesthatallowthemtoacknowledgetheirdevelopmentas
learners.Theymonitortheirlearningthroughstrategiessuchassharetimeandseekingfeedbackfromtheteacherand,
whereappropriate,theirpeers.
Studentslearntorecognisethevariouspositiveandnegativeemotionsthatmaybeassociatedwiththeirlearning,and
thatfeelingsofuncertaintydonotequatewithaninabilitytocompleteatask.Theyexploretheimplicationsofimpulsive
behaviourandidentifystrategiestheycanusetomanageimpulsiveness,suchastakingtimetothinkabouttheir
opinionsbeforegivingthemandconsideringalternativeviewpointsbeforemakingavaluejudgmentaboutanidea.They
developanawarenessoftheiremotionsandthecapacitytousepositiveselftalkforexample,bycompilingalistof
strategiestheycanimplementwhentheyarefeelinguncertain.Throughreflectionontheirachievementsacrossarange
oftasks,theybegintounderstandtherolesofpersistenceandeffortincompletingtasks.Studentsreflectontheirown
behaviourintheclassroomandthepersonalvaluesthatinformthosebehaviours.Theydevelopandrespectprotocols,
suchascodesofcooperation,thatpromotelearningwithpeers.Theybegintocomparetheirownvalueswiththose
agreedtobytheclass.
Studentsreflectontheircontributiontothecreationofapositivelearningcultureintheclassroomandrecognisethatthey
maylearnwithandfrompeers.
Withsupport,studentsdevelopstrategiesformanagingtheirownlearning,andidentifytheneedforresourceandtime
managementincompletingshorttasks.Theybegintousevarioustools,suchaspersonaldiariesandportfolios,tohelp
themreflectontheeffectivenessofthestrategiestheyuseinlearningandinrecordingandcommentingontask
outcomes.Theylearntosetsimplegoalsforfuturelearningsuchastopractiseaspecificskill.Theybegintoreview
theirworktocheckforaccuracy.
Standards
AtLevel3,studentsareworkingtowardtheLevel4standards.
Personal Learning

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Level4
LearningFocus
AsstudentsworktowardstheachievementofLevel4standardsinPersonalLearning,theybegintobuildonpersonal
strengthsbyrecognisingstrategiesforlearningwhichhelpthemlearnmosteffectively.Withsupport,theyusetheirpast
learningtoinformtheirfuturelearning,andbegintosetlearningimprovementgoals.
Studentsparticipateinadiverserangeoflearningactivitiesthatallowthemtoacknowledgetheirdevelopmentas
learners.Theymonitortheirlearningthroughstrategiessuchassharetimeandseekingfeedbackfromtheteacherand,
whereappropriate,theirpeers.
Studentslearntorecognisethevariouspositiveandnegativeemotionsthatmaybeassociatedwiththeirlearning,and
thatfeelingsofuncertaintydonotequatewithaninabilitytocompleteatask.Theyexploretheimplicationsofimpulsive
behaviourandidentifystrategiestheycanusetomanageimpulsiveness,suchastakingtimetothinkabouttheir
opinionsbeforegivingthemandconsideringalternativeviewpointsbeforemakingavaluejudgmentaboutanidea.They
developanawarenessoftheiremotionsandthecapacitytousepositiveselftalkforexample,bycompilingalistof
strategiestheycanimplementwhentheyarefeelinguncertain.Throughreflectionontheirachievementsacrossarange
oftasks,theybegintounderstandtherolesofpersistenceandeffortincompletingtasks.Studentsreflectontheirown
behaviourintheclassroomandthepersonalvaluesthatinformthosebehaviours.Theydevelopandrespectprotocols,
suchascodesofcooperation,thatpromotelearningwithpeers.Theybegintocomparetheirownvalueswiththose
agreedtobytheclass.
Studentsreflectontheircontributiontothecreationofapositivelearningcultureintheclassroomandrecognisethatthey
maylearnwithandfrompeers.
Withsupport,studentsdevelopstrategiesformanagingtheirownlearning,andidentifytheneedforresourceandtime
managementincompletingshorttasks.Theybegintousevarioustools,suchaspersonaldiariesandportfolios,tohelp
themreflectontheeffectivenessofthestrategiestheyuseinlearningandinrecordingandcommentingontask
outcomes.Theylearntosetsimplegoalsforfuturelearningsuchastopractiseaspecificskill.Theybegintoreview
theirworktocheckforaccuracy.
Standards
Theindividuallearner
AtLevel4,studentsdescribethefactorsthataffectlearningandidentifystrategiesthatwillenhancetheirownlearning.
Withsupport,theyidentifytheirlearningstrengthsandweaknessesandlearninghabitsthatimprovelearningoutcomes.
Theyseekteacherfeedbacktodeveloptheircontentknowledgeandunderstanding.Theymakeandjustifysome
decisionsabouttheirlearningand,withsupport,setlearningimprovementgoals.Theycontributetothedevelopmentof
protocolsthatcreateapositivelearningenvironmentintheclassroom.
Managingpersonallearning
Personal Learning

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AtLevel4,studentssetshortterm,achievablegoalsinrelationtospecifictasks.Theycompleteshorttasksbyplanning
andallocatingappropriatetimeandresources.Theyundertakesomemultistep,extendedtasksindependently.They
commentontaskprogressandachievements.Theymanagetheirfeelingsinpursuitofgoalsanddemonstrateapositive
attitudetowardstheirlearning.
Personal Learning

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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
AtLevel5,studentsareworkingtowardtheLevel6standards.
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Level6
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
Theindividuallearner
Personal Learning

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AtLevel6,studentsidentify,withsupport,theirpreferredlearningstylesandusestrategiesthatpromotelearning.They
monitoranddescribeprogressintheirlearninganddemonstratelearninghabitsthataddresstheirindividualneeds.
Theyseekandrespondtoteacherfeedbacktodeveloptheircontentknowledgeandunderstanding.Theyidentifyand
explainhowdifferentperspectivesandattitudescanaffectlearning.Theynegotiatelearningimprovementgoalsand
justifythechoicestheymakeabouttheirownlearning.Studentsactivelydevelop,monitorandrefineprotocolsthatcreate
apositivelearningenvironmentintheclassroom.
Managingpersonallearning
AtLevel6,studentsdevelopandimplementplanstocompleteshorttermandlongtermtaskswithintimeframessetby
theteacher,utilisingappropriateresources.Theyundertakesomesettasksindependently,identifyingstagesfor
completion.Theydescribetaskprogressandachievements,suggestinghowoutcomesmayhavebeenimproved.They
persistwhenexperiencingdifficultywithlearningtasks.Theyseekanduselearningsupportwhenneededfrompeers,
teachersandotheradults.Theypractisepositiveselftalk.Theydemonstrateapositiveattitudetolearningwithinand
outsidetheclassroom.
Personal Learning

VCAA | AusVELS Curriculum | Date PDF created: Wednesday, 29 May 2013 14

TableofContents
Overview
RationaleandAims
Contentstructure
Theoverarchingideas
ScienceacrossFoundationtoLevel10
Achievementstandards
Diversityoflearners
Crosscurriculumpriorities
CurriculumF10
FoundationLevel
Level1
Level2
Level3
Level4
Level5
Level6
2
2
2
6
7
9
9
10
13
13
15
18
22
25
29
33
Science

VCAA | AusVELS Curriculum | Date PDF created: Wednesday, 29 May 2013 1

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:
l aninterestinscienceasameansofexpandingtheircuriosityandwillingnesstoexplore,askquestionsaboutand
speculateonthechangingworldinwhichtheylive
l anunderstandingofthevisionthatscienceprovidesofthenatureoflivingthings,oftheEarthanditsplaceinthe
cosmos,andofthephysicalandchemicalprocessesthatexplainthebehaviourofallmaterialthings
l anunderstandingofthenatureofscientificinquiryandtheabilitytousearangeofscientificinquirymethods,including
questioningplanningandconductingexperimentsandinvestigationsbasedonethicalprinciplescollectingand
analysingdataevaluatingresultsanddrawingcritical,evidencebasedconclusions
l anabilitytocommunicatescientificunderstandingandfindingstoarangeofaudiences,tojustifyideasonthebasisof
evidence,andtoevaluateanddebatescientificargumentsandclaims
l anabilitytosolveproblemsandmakeinformed,evidencebaseddecisionsaboutcurrentandfutureapplicationsof
sciencewhiletakingintoaccountethicalandsocialimplicationsofdecisions
l anunderstandingofhistoricalandculturalcontributionstoscienceaswellascontemporaryscienceissuesand
activitiesandanunderstandingofthediversityofcareersrelatedtoscience
l asolidfoundationofknowledgeofthebiological,chemical,physical,Earthandspacesciences,includingbeingableto
selectandintegratethescientificknowledgeandmethodsneededtoexplainandpredictphenomena,toapplythat
understandingtonewsituationsandevents,andtoappreciatethedynamicnatureofscienceknowledge.

Contentstructure
Science

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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
Althoughthecurriculumisdescribedbylevel,thisdocumentprovidesadvicebylevelandage,onthenatureoflearnersand
therelevantcurriculum:
l FoundationLevel2:typicallystudentsfrom5to8yearsofage
Science

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l Levels36:typicallystudentsfrom8to12yearsofage
l 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.
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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
TheAustralianCurriculumhasbeendevelopedtoensurethatcurriculumcontentandachievementstandardsestablishhigh
expectationsforallstudents.Everystudentisentitledtoenrichinglearningexperiencesacrossallareasofthecurriculum.
StudentsinAustralianclassroomshavemultiple,diverseandchangingneedsthatareshapedbyindividuallearning
historiesandabilitiesaswellasculturallanguagebackgroundsandsocioeconomicfactors.
Specialeducationneeds
TheobjectivesoftheAustralianCurriculumarethesameforallstudents.Thecurriculumoffersflexibilityforteacherstotailor
theirteachinginwaysthatproviderigorous,relevantandengaginglearningandassessmentopportunitiesforstudentswith
specialeducationneeds.
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Moststudentswithspecialeducationneedscanengagewiththecurriculumprovidedthenecessaryadjustmentsaremade
tothecomplexityofthecurriculumcontentandtothemeansthroughwhichstudentsdemonstratetheirknowledge,skillsand
understanding.
Forsomelearners,makingadjustmentstoinstructionalprocessesandtoassessmentstrategiesenablesstudentsto
achieveeducationalstandardscommensuratewiththeirpeers.
Forotherstudents,teacherswillneedtomakeappropriateadjustmentstothecomplexityofthecurriculumcontent,focusing
instructiononcontentdifferenttothattaughttoothersintheiragegroup.Itfollowsthatadjustmentswillalsoneedtobemade
tohowthestudentsprogressismonitored,assessedandreported.
Forasmallpercentageofstudents,theFoundationtoLevel10curriculumcontentandachievementstandardsmaynotbe
appropriatenormeaningful,evenwithadjustments.Mostofthesestudentshaveasignificantintellectualdisability.ACARA
willdevelopadditionalcurriculumcontentandachievementstandardsforthisgroupofstudentsinordertoprovidean
AustralianCurriculumthatisinclusiveofeverylearner.
Intheinterim,advicefromDEECDabouthowtousethecurriculumwithstudentswithspecialeducationneedsisavailable
hereorfromtheDEECDwebsite.SchoolscanalsocontinuetousetheVELSStudentswithDisabilities
Guidelines(PDF615KB).Thesewillbeupdatedduring2013.
Englishasanadditionallanguageordialect
ManystudentsinAustralianschoolsarelearnersofEnglishasanadditionallanguageordialect(EAL/D).LearnersofEAL/D
arestudentswhosefirstlanguageisalanguageotherthanStandardAustralianEnglishandwhorequireadditionalsupport
toassistthemtodevelopEnglishlanguageproficiency.WhilemanyEAL/Dlearnersdowellinschool,thereisasignificant
groupoftheselearnerswholeaveschoolwithoutachievingtheirpotential.
EAL/Dstudentscomefromdiversebackgroundsandmayinclude:
l overseasandAustralianbornchildrenwhosefirstlanguageisalanguageotherthanEnglish
l AboriginalandTorresStraitIslanderstudentswhosefirstlanguageisanIndigenouslanguage,includingtraditional
languages,creolesandrelatedvarieties,orAboriginalEnglish.
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.

Crosscurriculumpriorities
Science

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TherearethreecrosscurriculumprioritiesintheAustralianCurriculum:
l AboriginalandTorresStraitIslanderhistoriesandcultures
l AsiaandAustraliasengagementwithAsia
l Sustainability.
Thecrosscurriculumprioritiesareembeddedinthecurriculumandwillhaveastrongbutvaryingpresencedependingon
theirrelevancetoeachofthelearningareas.
AboriginalandTorresStraitIslanderhistoriesandcultures
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.
AsiaandAustraliasengagementwithAsia
IntheAustralianCurriculum:Science,thepriorityofAsiaandAustraliasengagementwithAsiaprovidesrichandengaging
contextsfordevelopingstudentsscienceknowledge,understandingandskills.
TheAustralianCurriculum:ScienceprovidesopportunitiesforstudentstorecognisethatpeoplefromtheAsiaregionhave
madeandcontinuetomakesignificantcontributionstothedevelopmentofscienceunderstandingsandtheirapplications.It
enablesstudentstorecognisethattheAsiaregionincludesdiverseenvironmentsandtoappreciatethatinteractionbetween
humanactivityandtheseenvironmentscontinuestoinfluencetheregion,includingAustralia,andhassignificanceforthe
restoftheworld.
Inthislearningarea,studentsappreciatethattheAsiaregionplaysanimportantroleinscientificresearchanddevelopment.
Thesecanincluderesearchanddevelopmentinareassuchasmedicine,naturalresourcemanagement,nanotechnologies,
communicationtechnologiesandnaturaldisasterpredictionandmanagement.
Sustainability
Science

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IntheAustralianCurriculum:Sciencethepriorityofsustainabilityprovidesauthenticcontextsforexploring,investigatingand
understandingchemical,biological,physicalandEarthandspacesystems.
TheAustralianCurriculum:Scienceexploresawiderangeofsystemsthatoperateatdifferenttimeandspatialscales.By
investigatingtherelationshipsbetweensystemsandsystemcomponentsandhowsystemsrespondtochange,students
developanappreciationfortheinterconnectednessofEarthsbiosphere,geosphere,hydrosphereandatmosphere,
Relationshipsincludingcyclesandcauseandeffectareexplored,andstudentsdevelopobservationandanalysisskillsto
examinetheserelationshipsintheworldaroundthem.
Inthislearningarea,studentsappreciatethatscienceprovidesthebasisfordecisionmakinginmanyareasofsocietyand
thatthesedecisionscanimpactontheEarthsystem.Theyunderstandtheimportanceofusingsciencetopredictpossible
effectsofhumanandotheractivityandtodevelopmanagementplansoralternativetechnologiesthatminimisethese
effects.
Science

VCAA | AusVELS Curriculum | Date PDF created: Wednesday, 29 May 2013 12

FoundationLevel
ThesciencecontentincludesthethreestrandsofScienceUnderstanding,ScienceInquirySkillsandScienceasa
HumanEndeavour.Thethreestrandsofthecurriculumareinterrelatedandtheircontentistaughtinanintegratedway.
Theorderanddetailinwhichthecontentdescriptionsareorganisedintoteaching/learningprogramsaredecisionstobe
madebytheteacher.
FromFoundationtoLevel2,studentslearnthatobservationscanbeorganisedtorevealpatterns,andthatthesepatterns
canbeusedtomakepredictionsaboutphenomena.InFoundation,studentsobserveanddescribethebehavioursand
propertiesofeverydayobjects,materialsandlivingthings.Theyexplorechangeintheworldaroundthem,including
changesthatimpactonthem,suchastheweather,andchangestheycaneffect,suchasmakingthingsmoveorchange
shape.Theylearnthatseekinganswerstoquestionsandmakingobservationsisacorepartofscienceandusetheir
sensestogatherdifferenttypesofinformation.
ScienceUnderstanding
Biologicalsciences Elaborations
Livingthingshavebasicneeds,includingfood
andwater(ACSSU002)

l identifyingtheneedsofhumanssuchaswarmth,foodand
water,usingstudentsownexperiences
l recognisingtheneedsoflivingthingsinarangeofsituations
suchaspetsathome,plantsinthegardenorplantsand
animalsinbushland
l comparingtheneedsofplantsandanimals
Chemicalsciences Elaborations
Objectsaremadeofmaterialsthathave
observableproperties(ACSSU003)

l sortingandgroupingmaterialsonthebasisofobservable
propertiessuchascolour,textureandflexibility
l thinkingabouthowthematerialsusedinbuildingsandshelters
aresuitedtothelocalenvironment
l investigatingdifferentformsofclothingusedfordifferent
activities
l comparingthetraditionalmaterialsusedforclothingfrom
aroundtheworld
Earthandspacesciences Elaborations
Dailyandseasonalchangesinour
environment,includingtheweather,affect
everydaylife(ACSSU004)

l linkingthechangesinthedailyweathertothewaywemodifyour
behaviouranddressfordifferentconditions,includingexamples
fromdifferentcultures
l investigatinghowchangesintheweathermightaffectanimals
suchaspets,animalsthathibernate,ormigratoryanimals
l learninghowAboriginalandTorresStraitIslanderconceptsof
timeandweatherpatternsexplainhowthingshappeninthe
worldaroundthem
Physicalsciences Elaborations
Science

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FoundationLevelachievementstandard
BytheendoftheFoundationlevel,studentsdescribethepropertiesandbehaviouroffamiliarobjects.Theysuggesthowthe
environmentaffectsthemandotherlivingthings.
Studentsshareandrecordobservationsoffamiliarobjectsandevents.
Thewayobjectsmovedependsonavarietyof
factors,includingtheirsizeandshape
(ACSSU005)
l observingthewaydifferentshapedobjectssuchasballs,
blocksandtubesmove
l comparingthewaydifferentsized,butsimilarshaped,objects
suchastennisballs,golfballs,marblesandbasketballsroll
andbounce
l observinghowthemovementofdifferentlivingthingsdepends
ontheirsizeandshape
ScienceasaHumanEndeavour
Natureanddevelopmentofscience Elaborations
Scienceinvolvesexploringandobservingthe
worldusingthesenses(ACSHE013)
l recognisingthatobservationisanimportantpartofexploring
andinvestigatingthethingsandplacesaroundus
l sharingobservationswithothersandcommunicatingtheir
experiences
l exploringandobservingusinghearing,smell,touch,seeingand
taste
ScienceInquirySkills
Questioningandpredicting Elaborations
Respondtoquestionsaboutfamiliarobjects
andevents(ACSIS014)
l consideringquestionsrelatingtothehomeandschooland
objectsusedineverydaylife
Planningandconducting Elaborations
Exploreandmakeobservationsbyusingthe
senses(ACSIS011)
l usingsight,hearing,touch,tasteandsmellsothatstudentscan
gatherinformationabouttheworldaroundthem
Processingandanalysingdataand
information
Elaborations
Engageindiscussionsaboutobservations
andusemethodssuchasdrawingto
representideas(ACSIS233)
l takingpartininformalandguideddiscussionsrelatingto
studentsobservations
l usingdrawingstorepresentobservationsandideasand
discussingtheirrepresentationswithothers
Communicating Elaborations
Shareobservationsandideas(ACSIS012) l workingingroupstodescribewhatstudentshavedoneand
whattheyhavefoundout
l communicatingideasthroughroleplayanddrawing
Science

VCAA | AusVELS Curriculum | Date PDF created: Wednesday, 29 May 2013 14
Level1
TheScienceInquirySkillsandScienceasaHumanEndeavourstrandsaredescribedacrossatwolevelband.Intheir
planning,schoolsandteachersrefertotheexpectationsoutlinedintheAchievementStandardandalsotothecontentof
theScienceUnderstandingstrandfortherelevantleveltoensurethatthesetwostrandsareaddressedoverthetwolevel
period.Thethreestrandsofthecurriculumareinterrelatedandtheircontentistaughtinanintegratedway.Theorderand
detailinwhichthecontentdescriptionsareorganisedintoteaching/learningprogramsaredecisionstobemadebythe
teacher.
FromFoundationtoLevel2,studentslearnthatobservationscanbeorganisedtorevealpatterns,andthatthesepatterns
canbeusedtomakepredictionsaboutphenomena.InLevel1,studentsinfersimplecauseandeffectrelationshipsfrom
theirobservationsandexperiences,andbegintolinkeventsandphenomenawithobservableeffects.Theyobserve
changesthatcanbelargeorsmallandhappenquicklyorslowly.Theyexplorethepropertiesoffamiliarobjectsand
phenomena,identifyingsimilaritiesanddifferences.Studentsbegintovaluecountingasameansofcomparing
observations,andareintroducedtowaysoforganisingtheirobservations.
ScienceUnderstanding
Biologicalsciences Elaborations
Livingthingshaveavarietyofexternalfeatures
(ACSSU017)
l recognisingcommonfeaturesofanimalssuchashead,
legsandwings
l describingtheuseofanimalbodypartsforparticular
purposessuchasmovingandfeeding
l identifyingcommonfeaturesofplantssuchasleavesand
roots
l describingtheuseofplantpartsforparticularpurposes
suchasmakingfoodandobtainingwater
Livingthingsliveindifferentplaceswheretheir
needsaremet(ACSSU211)

l exploringdifferenthabitatsinthelocalenvironmentsuchas
thebeach,bushandbackyard
l recognisingthatdifferentlivingthingsliveindifferentplaces
suchaslandandwater
l exploringwhathappenswhenhabitatschangeandsome
livingthingscannolongerhavetheirneedsmet
Chemicalsciences Elaborations
Everydaymaterialscanbephysicallychangedina
varietyofways(ACSSU018)
l predictingandcomparinghowtheshapesofobjectsmade
fromdifferentmaterialscanbephysicallychangedthrough
actionssuchasbending,stretchingandtwisting
l exploringhowmaterialssuchaswater,chocolateorplay
doughchangewhenwarmedorcooled
Earthandspacesciences Elaborations
Science

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Observablechangesoccurintheskyand
landscape(ACSSU019)

l exploringthelocalenvironmenttoidentifyanddescribe
natural,managedandconstructedfeatures
l recordingshortandlongertermpatternsofeventsthat
occuronEarthandinthesky,suchastheappearanceof
themoonandstarsatnight,theweatherandtheseasons
Physicalsciences Elaborations
Lightandsoundareproducedbyarangeof
sourcesandcanbesensed(ACSSU020)
l recognisingsensesareusedtolearnabouttheworld
aroundus:oureyestodetectlight,ourearstodetect
sound,andtouchtofeelvibrations
l identifyingthesunasasourceoflight
l recognisingthatobjectscanbeseenwhenlightfrom
sourcesisavailabletoilluminatethem
l exploringdifferentwaystoproducesoundusingfamiliar
objectsandactionssuchasstriking,blowing,scrapingand
shaking
l comparingsoundsmadebymusicalinstrumentsusing
characteristicssuchasloudness,pitchandactionsused
tomakethesound
ScienceasaHumanEndeavour
Natureanddevelopmentofscience Elaborations
Scienceinvolvesaskingquestionsabout,and
describingchangesin,objectsandevents
(ACSHE021)

l jointlyconstructingquestionsabouttheeventsandfeatures
ofthelocalenvironmentwithteacherguidance
l recognisingthatdescriptionsofwhatweobserveareused
bypeopletohelpidentifychange
Useandinfluenceofscience Elaborations
Peopleusescienceintheirdailylives,including
whencaringfortheirenvironmentandlivingthings
(ACSHE022)

l consideringhowscienceisusedinactivitiessuchas
cooking,fishing,transport,sport,medicineandcaringfor
plantsandanimals
l consideringthattechnologiesusedbyAboriginaland
TorresStraitIslanderpeoplerequireanunderstandingof
howmaterialscanbeusedtomaketoolsandweapons,
musicalinstruments,clothing,cosmeticsandartworks
l exploringhowmusicalinstrumentscanbeusedtoproduce
differentsounds
l comparinghowdifferentlightsourcesareusedindailylife
l identifyingwaysthatscienceknowledgeisusedinthecare
ofthelocalenvironmentsuchasanimalhabitats,and
suggestingchangestoparksandgardenstobettermeet
theneedsofnativeanimals
ScienceInquirySkills
Questioningandpredicting Elaborations
Science

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Level1achievementstandard
AtLevel1,thestudentisworkingtowardstheLevel2standard.
Respondtoandposequestions,andmake
predictionsaboutfamiliarobjectsandevents
(ACSIS024)
l thinkingabout"Whatwillhappenif?"typequestions
abouteverydayobjectsandevents
l usingthesensestoexplorethelocalenvironmenttopose
interestingquestionsandmakingpredictionsaboutwhat
willhappen
Planningandconducting Elaborations
Participateindifferenttypesofguided
investigationstoexploreandanswerquestions,
suchasmanipulatingmaterials,testingideas,and
accessinginformationsources(ACSIS025)
l manipulatingobjectsandmakingobservationsofwhat
happens
l researchingideascollaborativelyusingbigbooks,web
pagesandICTwithintheclassroom
l exploringdifferentwaysofsolvingsciencequestions
throughguideddiscussion
l sortinginformationandclassifyingobjectsbasedoneasily
observablecharacteristicswithteacherguidance
Useinformalmeasurementsinthecollectionand
recordingofobservations,withtheassistanceof
digitaltechnologiesasappropriate(ACSIS026)
l usingunitsthatarefamiliartostudentsfromhomeand
school,suchascups(cooking),handspans(length)and
walkingpaces(distance)tomakeandrecordobservations
withteacherguidance
Processingandanalysingdataandinformation Elaborations
Usearangeofmethodstosortinformation,
includingdrawingsandprovidedtables(ACSIS027)
l usingmatchingactivities,includingidentifyingsimilar
things,oddoneoutandopposites
l exploringwaysofrecordingandsharinginformation
throughclassdiscussion
l jointlyconstructingsimplecolumngraphsandpicture
graphstorepresentclassinvestigations
Throughdiscussion,compareobservationswith
predictions(ACSIS212)
l dicussingoriginalpredictionsand,withguidance,
comparingthesetotheirobservations
Evaluating Elaborations
Compareobservationswiththoseofothers
(ACSIS213)
l discussingobservationsasawholeclasstoidentify
similaritiesanddifferencesintheirobservations
Communicating Elaborations
Representandcommunicateobservationsand
ideasinavarietyofwayssuchasoralandwritten
language,drawingandroleplay(ACSIS029)
l discussingorrepresentingwhatwasdiscoveredinan
investigation
l engaginginwholeclassorguidedsmallgroup
discussionstoshareobservationsandideas
Science

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Level2
TheScienceInquirySkillsandScienceasaHumanEndeavourstrandsaredescribedacrossatwolevelband.Intheir
planning,schoolsandteachersrefertotheexpectationsoutlinedintheAchievementStandardsandalsotothecontentof
theScienceUnderstandingstrandfortherelevantleveltoensurethatthesetwostrandsareaddressedoverthetwolevel
period.Thethreestrandsofthecurriculumareinterrelatedandtheircontentistaughtinanintegratedway.Theorderand
detailinwhichthecontentdescriptionsareorganisedintoteaching/learningprogramsaredecisionstobemadebythe
teacher.
FromFoundationtoLevel2,studentslearnthatobservationscanbeorganisedtorevealpatterns,andthatthesepatterns
canbeusedtomakepredictionsaboutphenomena.InLevel2,studentsdescribethecomponentsofsimplesystems,
suchasstationaryobjectssubjectedtopushesorpulls,orcombinationsofmaterials,andshowhowobjectsand
materialsinteractthroughdirectmanipulation.Theyobservepatternsofgrowthandchangeinlivingthings,anddescribe
patternsandmakepredictions.TheyexploretheuseofresourcesfromEarthandareintroducedtotheideaoftheflowof
matterwhenconsideringhowwaterisused.Theyusecountingandinformalmeasurementstomakeandcompare
observationsandbegintorecognisethatorganisingtheseobservationsintablesmakesiteasiertoshowpatterns.
ScienceUnderstanding
Biologicalsciences Elaborations
Livingthingsgrow,changeandhaveoffspringsimilarto
themselves(ACSSU030)
l representingpersonalgrowthandchangesfrombirth
l recognisingthatlivingthingshavepredictable
characteristicsatdifferentstagesofdevelopment
l exploringdifferentcharacteristicsoflifestagesin
animalssuchasegg,caterpillarandbutterfly
l observingthatallanimalshaveoffspring,usuallywith
twoparents
Chemicalsciences Elaborations
Differentmaterialscanbecombined,includingby
mixing,foraparticularpurpose(ACSSU031)

l exploringthelocalenvironmenttoobserveavarietyof
materials,anddescribingwaysinwhichmaterialsare
used
l investigatingtheeffectsofmixingmaterialstogether
l suggestingwhydifferentpartsofeverydayobjects
suchastoysandclothesaremadefromdifferent
materials
l identifyingmaterialssuchaspaperthatcanbe
changedandremadeorrecycledintonewproducts
Earthandspacesciences Elaborations
Science

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Earthsresources,includingwater,areusedinavariety
ofways(ACSSU032)

l identifyingtheEarthsresourcesincludingwater,soil
andminerals,anddescribinghowtheyareusedin
theschool
l describinghowaresourcesuchaswateris
transferredfromitssourcetoitspointofuse
l consideringwhatmighthappentohumansifthere
wereachangeinafamiliaravailableresource,such
aswater
l identifyingactionsatschoolsuchasturningoff
drippingtaps,thatcanconserveresources
Physicalsciences Elaborations
Apushorapullaffectshowanobjectmovesorchanges
shape(ACSSU033)
l exploringwaysthatobjectsmoveonland,through
waterandintheair
l exploringhowdifferentstrengthsofpushesandpulls
affectthemovementofobjects
l identifyingtoysfromdifferentculturesthatusethe
forcesofpushorpull
l consideringtheeffectsofobjectsbeingpulled
towardstheEarth
ScienceasaHumanEndeavour
Natureanddevelopmentofscience Elaborations
Scienceinvolvesaskingquestionsabout,anddescribing
changesin,objectsandevents(ACSHE034)

l describingeverydayeventsandexperiencesand
changesinourenvironmentusingknowledgeof
science
l suggestinghoweverydayitemswork,using
knowledgeofforcesormaterials
l identifyinganddescribingsourcesofwater
Useandinfluenceofscience Elaborations
Peopleusescienceintheirdailylives,includingwhen
caringfortheirenvironmentandlivingthings
(ACSHE035)

l monitoringinformationabouttheenvironmentand
Earthsresources,suchasrainfall,waterlevelsand
temperature
l findingoutabouthowAboriginalandTorresStrait
Islanderpeopleusesciencetomeettheirneeds,
includingfoodsupply
l exploringhowdifferentcultureshavemadeinks,
pigmentsandpaintsbymixingmaterials
l identifyingthewayshumansmanageandprotect
resources,suchasreducingwasteandcaringfor
watersupplies
l recognisingthatmanylivingthingsrelyonresources
thatmaybethreatened,andthatscience
understandingcancontributetothepreservationof
suchresources
Science

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Level2achievementstandard
ScienceInquirySkills
Questioningandpredicting Elaborations
Respondtoandposequestions,andmakepredictions
aboutfamiliarobjectsandevents(ACSIS037)
l usingthesensestoexplorethelocalenvironmentto
poseinterestingquestions,makeinferencesand
predictions
l thinkingaboutWhatwillhappenif...?typequestions
abouteverydayobjectsandevents
Planningandconducting Elaborations
Participateindifferenttypesofguidedinvestigationsto
exploreandanswerquestions,suchasmanipulating
materials,testingideas,andaccessinginformation
sources(ACSIS038)
l manipulatingobjectsandmaterialsandmaking
observationsoftheresults
l researchingwiththeuseofsimpleinformation
sources
l sortingobjectsandeventsbasedoneasilyidentified
characteristics
Useinformalmeasurementsinthecollectionand
recordingofobservations,withtheassistanceofdigital
technologiesasappropriate(ACSIS039)
l usingunitsthatarefamiliartostudentsfromhome
andschool,suchascups(cooking),handspans
(length)andwalkingpaces(distance)tomakeand
compareobservations
Processingandanalysingdataandinformation Elaborations
Usearangeofmethodstosortinformation,including
drawingsandprovidedtables(ACSIS040)
l constructingcolumnandpicturegraphswithteacher
guidancetorecordgatheredinformation
l sortinginformationinprovidedtablesorgraphic
organisers
Throughdiscussion,compareobservationswith
predictions(ACSIS214)
l comparinganddiscussing,withguidance,whether
observationswereexpected
Evaluating Elaborations
Compareobservationswiththoseofothers(ACSIS041) l discussingobservationswithotherstudentstosee
similaritiesanddifferencesinresults
Communicating Elaborations
Representandcommunicateobservationsandideasin
avarietyofwayssuchasoralandwrittenlanguage,
drawingandroleplay(ACSIS042)
l presentingideastootherstudents,bothonetoone
andinsmallgroups
l discussingwithotherswhatwasdiscoveredfroman
investigation
Science

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BytheendofLevel2,studentsdescribetheeffectsofinteractingwithmaterialsandobjects.Theyidentifyanddescribea
rangeofhabitatsandthedifferentusesofmaterialsandresources.Theydescribechangestoobjects,materials,living
thingsandthingsintheirlocalenvironment.Theydescribeexamplesofhowpeopleusescienceintheirdailylives.
Studentsposequestionsabouteverydayphenomenaandpredictoutcomesofinvestigations.Theyuseinformal
measurementstomakeandcompareobservations.Theyfollowinstructionstorecord,sortandrepresenttheirobservations
andcommunicatetheirideastoothers.
Science

VCAA | AusVELS Curriculum | Date PDF created: Wednesday, 29 May 2013 21
Level3
TheScienceInquirySkillsandScienceasaHumanEndeavourstrandsaredescribedacrossatwolevelband.Intheir
planning,schoolsandteachersrefertotheexpectationsoutlinedintheAchievementStandardandalsotothecontentof
theScienceUnderstandingstrandfortherelevantleveltoensurethatthesetwostrandsareaddressedoverthetwolevel
period.Thethreestrandsofthecurriculumareinterrelatedandtheircontentistaughtinanintegratedway.Theorderand
detailinwhichthecontentdescriptionsareorganisedintoteaching/learningprogramsaredecisionstobemadebythe
teacher.
OverLevels3to6,studentsdeveloptheirunderstandingofarangeofsystemsoperatingatdifferenttimeandgeographic
scales.InLevel3,studentsobserveheatanditseffectsonsolidsandliquidsandbegintodevelopanunderstandingof
energyflowsthroughsimplesystems.Inobservingdayandnight,theydevelopanappreciationofregularandpredictable
cycles.Studentsordertheirobservationsbygroupingandclassifyinginclassifyingthingsaslivingornonlivingthey
begintorecognisethatclassificationsarenotalwayseasytodefineorapply.Theybegintoquantifytheirobservationsto
enablecomparison,andlearnmoresophisticatedwaysofidentifyingandrepresentingrelationships,includingtheuseof
tablesandgraphstoidentifytrends.Theyusetheirunderstandingofrelationshipsbetweencomponentsofsimple
systemstomakepredictions.
ScienceUnderstanding
Biologicalsciences Elaborations
Livingthingscanbegroupedonthebasisofobservable
featuresandcanbedistinguishedfromnonlivingthings
(ACSSU044)
l recognisingcharacteristicsoflivingthingssuchas
growing,moving,sensitivityandreproducing
l recognisingtherangeofdifferentlivingthings
l sortinglivingandnonlivingthingsbasedon
characteristics
l exploringdifferencesbetweenliving,oncelivingand
productsoflivingthings
Chemicalsciences Elaborations
Achangeofstatebetweensolidandliquidcanbecaused
byaddingorremovingheat(ACSSU046)

l investigatinghowliquidsandsolidsrespondto
changesintemperature,forexamplewaterchanging
toice,ormeltingchocolate
l exploringhowchangesfromsolidtoliquidandliquid
tosolidcanhelpusrecyclematerials
l predictingtheeffectofheatondifferentmaterials
Earthandspacesciences Elaborations
Earthsrotationonitsaxiscausesregularchanges,
includingnightandday(ACSSU048)
l recognisingthesunasasourceoflight
l constructingsundialsandinvestigatinghowthey
work
l describingtimescalesfortherotationoftheEarth
l modellingtherelativesizesandmovementofthe
sun,Earthandmoon
Physicalsciences Elaborations
Science

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Heatcanbeproducedinmanywaysandcanmovefrom
oneobjecttoanother(ACSSU049)
l describinghowheatcanbeproducedsuchas
throughfrictionormotion,electricityorchemically
(burning)
l identifyingchangesthatoccurineverydaysituations
duetoheatingandcooling
l exploringhowheatcanbetransferredthrough
conduction
l recognisingthatwecanfeelheatandmeasureits
effectsusingathermometer
ScienceasaHumanEndeavour
Natureanddevelopmentofscience Elaborations
Scienceinvolvesmakingpredictionsanddescribing
patternsandrelationships(ACSHE050)

l makingpredictionsaboutchangeandeventsinour
environment
l researchinghowknowledgeofastronomyhasbeen
usedbysomeAboriginalandTorresStraitIslander
people
l consideringhowposingquestionshelpsusplanfor
thefuture
Useandinfluenceofscience Elaborations
Scienceknowledgehelpspeopletounderstandtheeffect
oftheiractions(ACSHE051)

l consideringhowheatingaffectsmaterialsusedin
everydaylife
l investigatinghowsciencehelpspeoplesuchas
nurses,doctors,dentists,mechanicsandgardeners
l consideringhowmaterialsincludingsolidsand
liquidsaffecttheenvironmentindifferentways
l decidingwhatcharacteristicsmakeamateriala
pollutant
l researchingAboriginalandTorresStraitIslander
peoplesknowledgeofthelocalnaturalenvironment,
suchasthecharacteristicsofplantsandanimals
ScienceInquirySkills
Questioningandpredicting Elaborations
Withguidance,identifyquestionsinfamiliarcontextsthat
canbeinvestigatedscientificallyandpredictwhatmight
happenbasedonpriorknowledge(ACSIS053)
l choosingquestionstoinvestigatefromalistof
possibilities
l jointlyconstructingquestionsthatmayformthebasis
forinvestigation
l listingsharedexperiencesasawholeclassand
identifyingpossibleinvestigations
l workingingroupstodiscussthingsthatmight
happenduringaninvestigation
Planningandconducting Elaborations
Science

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Level3achievementstandard
AtLevel3,thestudentisworkingtowardstheLevel4standard.
Suggestwaystoplanandconductinvestigationstofind
answerstoquestions(ACSIS054)
l workingwithteacherguidancetoplaninvestigations
totestsimplecauseandeffectrelationships
l discussingasawholeclasswaystoinvestigate
questionsandevaluatingwhichwaysmightbemost
successful
Safelyuseappropriatematerials,toolsorequipmentto
makeandrecordobservations,usingformal
measurementsanddigitaltechnologiesasappropriate
(ACSIS055)
l recordingmeasurementsusingfamiliarformalunits
andappropriateabbreviations,suchasseconds(s),
grams(g),centimetres(cm)
l usingavarietyoftoolstomakeobservations,such
asdigitalcameras,thermometers,rulersandscales
l discussingsafetyrulesforequipmentand
procedures
Processingandanalysingdataandinformation Elaborations
Usearangeofmethodsincludingtablesandsimple
columngraphstorepresentdataandtoidentifypatterns
andtrends(ACSIS057)
l usingprovidedtablestoorganisematerialsand
objectsbasedonobservableproperties
l discussinghowtographdatapresentedinatable
l identifyinganddiscussingnumericalandvisual
patternsindatacollectedfromstudents'own
investigationsandfromsecondarysources
Compareresultswithpredictions,suggestingpossible
reasonsforfindings(ACSIS215)
l discussinghowwellpredictionsmatchedresults
fromaninvestigationandsharingideasaboutwhat
waslearnt
Evaluating Elaborations
Reflectontheinvestigation,includingwhetheratestwas
fairornot(ACSIS058)
l describingexperiencesofcarryingoutinvestigations
totheteacher,smallgrouporwholeclass
l discussingasawholeclasstheideaoffairnessin
testing
Communicating Elaborations
Representandcommunicateideasandfindingsina
varietyofwayssuchasdiagrams,physical
representationsandsimplereports(ACSIS060)
l communicatingwithotherstudentscarryingout
similarinvestigationstoshareexperiencesand
improveinvestigationskill
l exploringdifferentwaystoshowprocessesand
relationshipsthroughdiagrams,modelsandrole
play
l usingsimpleexplanationsandarguments,reports
orgraphicalrepresentationstocommunicateideas
tootherstudents
Science

VCAA | AusVELS Curriculum | Date PDF created: Wednesday, 29 May 2013 24
Level4
TheScienceInquirySkillsandScienceasaHumanEndeavourstrandsaredescribedacrossatwolevelband.Intheir
planning,schoolsandteachersrefertotheexpectationsoutlinedintheAchievementStandardandalsotothecontentof
theScienceUnderstandingstrandfortherelevantleveltoensurethatthesetwostrandsareaddressedoverthetwolevel
period.Thethreestrandsofthecurriculumareinterrelatedandtheircontentistaughtinanintegratedway.Theorderand
detailinwhichthecontentdescriptionsareorganisedintoteaching/learningprogramsaredecisionstobemadebythe
teacher.
OverLevels3to6,studentsdeveloptheirunderstandingofarangeofsystemsoperatingatdifferenttimeandgeographic
scales.InLevel4,studentsbroadentheirunderstandingofclassificationandformandfunctionthroughanexplorationof
thepropertiesofnaturalandprocessedmaterials.Theylearnthatforcesincludenoncontactforcesandbeginto
appreciatethatsomeinteractionsresultfromphenomenathatcantbeseenwiththenakedeye.Theybegintoappreciate
thatcurrentsystems,suchasEarthssurface,havecharacteristicsthathaveresultedfrompastchangesandthatliving
thingsformpartofsystems.Theyunderstandthatsomesystemschangeinpredictableways,suchasthroughcycles.
Theyapplytheirknowledgetomakepredictionsbasedoninteractionswithinsystems,includingthoseinvolvingthe
actionsofhumans.
ScienceUnderstanding
Biologicalsciences Elaborations
Livingthingshavelifecycles(ACSSU072)

l makingandrecordingobservationsoflivingthingsas
theydevelopthroughtheirlifecycles
l describingthestagesoflifecyclesofdifferentliving
thingssuchasinsects,birds,frogsandflowering
plants
l comparinglifecyclesofanimalsandplants
l recognisingthatenvironmentalfactorscanaffectlife
cyclessuchasfireandseedgermination
Livingthings,includingplantsandanimals,dependon
eachotherandtheenvironmenttosurvive(ACSSU073)

l investigatinghowplantsprovideshelterforanimals
l investigatingtherolesoflivingthingsinahabitat,for
instanceproducers,consumersordecomposers
l observinganddescribingpredatorpreyrelationships
l predictingtheeffectswhenlivingthingsinfeeding
relationshipsareremovedordieoutinanarea
l recognisingthatinteractionsbetweenlivingthingsmay
becompetitiveormutuallybeneficial
Chemicalsciences Elaborations
Science

VCAA | AusVELS Curriculum | Date PDF created: Wednesday, 29 May 2013 25
Naturalandprocessedmaterialshavearangeof
physicalpropertiesThesepropertiescaninfluence
theiruse(ACSSU074)

l describingarangeofcommonmaterials,suchas
metalsorplastics,andtheiruses
l investigatingaparticularpropertyacrossarangeof
materials
l selectingmaterialsforusesbasedontheirproperties
l consideringhowthepropertiesofmaterialsaffectthe
managementofwasteorcanleadtopollution
Earthandspacesciences Elaborations
Earthssurfacechangesovertimeasaresultofnatural
processesandhumanactivity(ACSSU075)

l collectingevidenceofchangefromlocallandforms,
rocksorfossils
l exploringalocalareathathaschangedasaresultof
naturalprocesses,suchasanerodedgully,sand
dunesorriverbanks
l investigatingthecharacteristicsofsoils
l consideringhowdifferenthumanactivitiescause
erosionoftheEarthssurface
l consideringtheeffectofeventssuchasfloodsand
extremeweatheronthelandscape,bothinAustralia
andintheAsiaregion
Physicalsciences Elaborations
Forcescanbeexertedbyoneobjectonanotherthrough
directcontactorfromadistance(ACSSU076)
l observingqualitativelyhowspeedisaffectedbythe
sizeofaforce
l exploringhownoncontactforcesaresimilartocontact
forcesintermsofobjectspushingandpullinganother
object
l comparingandcontrastingtheeffectoffrictionon
differentsurfaces,suchastyresandshoesonarange
ofsurfaces
l investigatingtheeffectofforcesonthebehaviourofan
objectthroughactionssuchasthrowing,dropping,
bouncingandrolling
l exploringtheforcesofattractionandrepulsion
betweenmagnets
ScienceasaHumanEndeavour
Natureanddevelopmentofscience Elaborations
Scienceinvolvesmakingpredictionsanddescribing
patternsandrelationships(ACSHE061)

l exploringwaysinwhichscientistsgatherevidencefor
theirideasanddevelopexplanations
l consideringhowscientificpracticessuchassorting,
classificationandestimationareusedbyAboriginal
andTorresStraitIslanderpeopleineverydaylife
Useandinfluenceofscience Elaborations
Science

VCAA | AusVELS Curriculum | Date PDF created: Wednesday, 29 May 2013 26
Scienceknowledgehelpspeopletounderstandthe
effectoftheiractions(ACSHE062)

l investigatinghowarangeofpeople,suchasclothing
designers,buildersorengineersusesciencetoselect
appropriatematerialsfortheirwork
l consideringmethodsofwastemanagementandhow
theycanaffecttheenvironment
l exploringhowsciencehascontributedtoadiscussion
aboutanissuesuchaslossofhabitatforlivingthings
orhowhumanactivityhaschangedthelocal
environment
l consideringhowtominimisetheeffectsoferosion
causedbyhumanactivity
ScienceInquirySkills
Questioningandpredicting Elaborations
Withguidance,identifyquestionsinfamiliarcontexts
thatcanbeinvestigatedscientificallyandpredictwhat
mighthappenbasedonpriorknowledge(ACSIS064)
l consideringfamiliarsituationsinordertothinkabout
possibleareasforinvestigation
l reflectingonfamiliarsituationstomakepredictions
withteacherguidance
l choosingquestionstoinvestigatefromalistof
possibilities
Planningandconducting Elaborations
Suggestwaystoplanandconductinvestigationstofind
answerstoquestions(ACSIS065)
l exploringdifferentwaystoconductinvestigationsand
connectingthesetothetypesofquestionsaskedwith
teacherguidance
l workingingroups,withteacherguidance,toplanways
toinvestigatequestions
Safelyuseappropriatematerials,toolsorequipmentto
makeandrecordobservations,usingformal
measurementsanddigitaltechnologiesasappropriate
(ACSIS066)
l discussingandrecordingsafetyrulesforequipment
asawholeclass
l makingandrecordingmeasurementsusingfamiliar
formalunitsandappropriateabbreviations,suchas
seconds(s),grams(g),centimetres(cm)and
millilitres(mL)
Processingandanalysingdataandinformation Elaborations
Usearangeofmethodsincludingtablesandsimple
columngraphstorepresentdataandtoidentifypatterns
andtrends(ACSIS068)
l identifyinganddiscussingnumericalandvisual
patternsindatacollectedfromstudents'investigations
andfromothersources
l usingprovidedgraphicorganiserstosortand
representinformation
l discussingwithteacherguidancewhichgraphic
organiserswillbemostusefulinsortingororganising
dataarisingfrominvestigations
Science

VCAA | AusVELS Curriculum | Date PDF created: Wednesday, 29 May 2013 27
Level4achievementstandard
BytheendofLevel4,studentsexplaintheeffectsofEarthsrotationonitsaxis.Theydistinguishbetweentemperatureand
heatanduseexamplestoillustratehowheatisproducedandtransferred.Theyexplainhowheatisinvolvedinchangesof
statebetweensolidandliquid.Theylinktheobservablepropertiesofmaterialstotheiruse.Theydiscusshownaturaland
humanprocessescausechangestoEarthssurface.Theyusecontactandnoncontactforcestodescribeinteractions
betweenobjects.Theydescribestructuralfeaturescommontolivingthingsanddescriberelationshipsthatassistthe
survivaloflivingthings.Theyexplainhowthekeystagesinthelifecycleofaplantoranimalrelatetogrowthandspecies
survival.Theydescribehowtheyusescienceinvestigationstoidentifypatternsandrespondtoquestions.Theydescribe
situationswherescienceunderstandingcaninfluencetheirownandothersactions.
Studentsfollowinstructionstoidentifyquestionsthattheycaninvestigateaboutfamiliarcontextsandpredictlikelyoutcomes
fromtheseinvestigations.Theydiscusswaystoconductinvestigationsandsuggestwhytheirmethodswerefairornot.They
safelyuseequipmenttomakeandrecordformalmeasurementsandobservations.Theyuseprovidedtablesandsimple
columngraphstoorganiseandidentifypatternsindata.Studentssuggestexplanationsforobservationsandcomparetheir
findingswiththeirpredictions.Theyusediagramsandcompletesimplereportstocommunicatetheirmethodsandfindings.
Compareresultswithpredictions,suggestingpossible
reasonsforfindings(ACSIS216)
l discussinghowwellpredictionsmatchedresultsfrom
aninvestigationandproposingreasonsforfindings
l comparing,insmallgroups,proposedreasonsfor
findingsandexplainingtheirreasoning
Evaluating Elaborations
Reflectontheinvestigationincludingwhetheratest
wasfairornot(ACSIS069)
l reflectingoninvestigations,identifyingwhatwentwell,
whatwasdifficultordidn'tworksowell,andhowwell
theinvestigationhelpedanswerthequestion
l discussingwhichaspectsoftheinvestigationhelped
improvefairness,andanyaspectsthatweren'tfair
Communicating Elaborations
Representandcommunicateideasandfindingsina
varietyofwayssuchasdiagrams,physical
representationsandsimplereports(ACSIS071)
l communicatingwithotherstudentscarryingoutsimilar
investigationstoshareexperiencesandimprove
investigationskills
l usingsimpleexplanationsandarguments,reportsor
graphicalrepresentationstocommunicateideasto
otherstudents
Science

VCAA | AusVELS Curriculum | Date PDF created: Wednesday, 29 May 2013 28
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 Elaborations
Livingthingshavestructuralfeaturesandadaptationsthat
helpthemtosurviveintheirenvironment(ACSSU043)

l explaininghowparticularadaptationshelp
survivalsuchasnocturnalbehaviour,silvery
colouredleavesofduneplants
l describingandlistingadaptationsoflivingthings
suitedforparticularAustralianenvironments
l exploringgeneraladaptationsforparticular
environmentssuchasadaptationsthataidwater
conservationindeserts
Chemicalsciences Elaborations
Solids,liquidsandgaseshavedifferentobservable
propertiesandbehaveindifferentways(ACSSU077)
l recognisingthatsubstancesexistindifferent
statesdependingonthetemperature
l observingthatgaseshavemassandtakeup
space,demonstratedbyusingballoonsor
bubbles
l exploringthewaysolids,liquidsandgases
changeunderdifferentsituationssuchasheating
andcooling
l recognisingthatnotallsubstancescanbeeasily
classifiedonthebasisoftheirobservable
properties
Earthandspacesciences Elaborations
Science

VCAA | AusVELS Curriculum | Date PDF created: Wednesday, 29 May 2013 29
TheEarthispartofasystemofplanetsorbitingaroundastar
(thesun)(ACSSU078)

l identifyingtheplanetsofthesolarsystemand
comparinghowlongtheytaketoorbitthesun
l modellingtherelativesizeofanddistance
betweenEarth,otherplanetsinthesolarsystem
andthesun
l recognisingtheroleofthesunasaproviderof
energyfortheEarth
Physicalsciences Elaborations
Lightfromasourceformsshadowsandcanbeabsorbed,
reflectedandrefracted(ACSSU080)
l drawingsimplelabelledraydiagramstoshowthe
pathsoflightfromasourcetooureyes
l comparingshadowsfrompointandextended
lightsourcessuchastorchesandfluorescent
tubes
l classifyingmaterialsastransparent,opaqueor
translucentbasedonwhetherlightpasses
throughthemorisabsorbed
l recognisingthatthecolourofanobjectdepends
onthepropertiesoftheobjectandthecolourof
thelightsource
l exploringtheuseofmirrorstodemonstratethe
reflectionoflight
l recognisingtherefractionoflightatthesurfaces
ofdifferenttransparentmaterials,suchaswhen
lighttravelsfromairtowaterorairtoglass
ScienceasaHumanEndeavour
Natureanddevelopmentofscience Elaborations
Scienceinvolvestestingpredictionsbygatheringdataand
usingevidencetodevelopexplanationsofeventsand
phenomena(ACSHE081)
l developinganunderstandingofthebehaviourof
lightbymakingobservationsofitseffects
l testingpredictionsrelatingtothebehaviourof
solids,liquidsandgasesbyconducting
observationalexperiments
l researchinghowscientistswereabletodevelop
ideasaboutthesolarsystemthroughthe
gatheringofevidencethroughspaceexploration
Importantcontributionstotheadvancementofsciencehave
beenmadebypeoplefromarangeofcultures(ACSHE082)

l describinghowscientistsfromarangeofcultures
haveimprovedourunderstandingofthesolar
system,suchasCopernicus,Khayymand
Galileo
l researchingthedifferenttypesofscientistswho
workinteamsinspaceexploration,and
Australiasinvolvementinspaceexploration
l learninghowAboriginalandTorresStraitIslander
peopleusedobservationofthenightskytoassist
withnavigation
Science

VCAA | AusVELS Curriculum | Date PDF created: Wednesday, 29 May 2013 30
Useandinfluenceofscience Elaborations
Scientificunderstandings,discoveriesandinventionsare
usedtosolveproblemsthatdirectlyaffectpeopleslives
(ACSHE083)
l investigatinghowthedevelopmentofmaterials
suchasplasticsandsyntheticfabricshaveledto
theproductionofusefulproducts
l describinghowtechnologiesdevelopedtoaid
spaceexplorationhavechangedthewaypeople
live,workandcommunicate
l exploringobjectsanddevicesthatincludeparts
thatinvolvethereflection,absorptionorrefraction
oflightsuchasmirrors,sunglassesandprisms
Scientificknowledgeisusedtoinformpersonaland
communitydecisions(ACSHE217)

l consideringhowbesttoensuregrowthofplants
l consideringhowdecisionsaremadetogrow
particularplantsandcropsdependingon
environmentalconditions
l comparingthebenefitsofusingsolid,liquidor
gaseousfuelstoheatahome
l describingthesafetyaspectsofusinggases
ScienceInquirySkills
Questioningandpredicting Elaborations
Withguidance,posequestionstoclarifypracticalproblems
orinformascientificinvestigation,andpredictwhatthe
findingsofaninvestigationmightbe(ACSIS231)
l exploringtherangeofquestionsthatcanbe
askedaboutaproblemorphenomenaandwith
guidance,identifyingthosequestionsthatcould
beinvestigated
l applyingexperiencefromsimilarsituationsinthe
pasttopredictwhatmighthappeninanew
situation
Planningandconducting Elaborations
Withguidance,planappropriateinvestigationmethodsto
answerquestionsorsolveproblems(ACSIS086)
l experiencingarangeofwaysofinvestigating
questions,includingexperimentaltesting,internet
research,fieldobservationsandexploring
simulations
l discussingtheadvantagesofcertaintypesof
investigationforansweringcertaintypesof
questions
l consideringdifferentwaystoapproachproblem
solving,includingresearching,usingtrialand
error,experimentaltestingandcreatingmodels
Science

VCAA | AusVELS Curriculum | Date PDF created: Wednesday, 29 May 2013 31
Level5achievementstandard
AtLevel5,thestudentisworkingtowardstheLevel6standard.
Decidewhichvariableshouldbechangedandmeasuredin
fairtestsandaccuratelyobserve,measureandrecorddata,
usingdigitaltechnologiesasappropriate(ACSIS087)
l discussingingroupshowinvestigationscanbe
madeasfairaspossible
l usingtoolstoaccuratelymeasureobjectsand
eventsininvestigationandexploringwhichtools
providethemostaccuratemeasurements
l usingfamiliarunitssuchasgrams,secondsand
metersanddevelopingtheuseofstandard
multiplierssuchaskilometresandmillimetres
l recordingdataintablesanddiagramsor
electronicallyasdigitalimagesandspreadsheets
Useequipmentandmaterialssafely,identifyingpotential
risks(ACSIS088)
l explainingrulesforsafeprocessesanduseof
equipment
Processingandanalysingdataandinformation Elaborations
Constructandusearangeofrepresentations,including
tablesandgraphs,torepresentanddescribeobservations,
patternsorrelationshipsindatausingdigitaltechnologies
asappropriate(ACSIS090)
l constructingtables,graphsandothergraphic
organiserstoshowtrendsindata
l identifyingpatternsindataanddeveloping
explanationsthatfitthesepatterns
l identifyingsimilaritiesanddifferencesin
qualitativedatainordertogroupitemsor
materials
Comparedatawithpredictionsanduseasevidencein
developingexplanations(ACSIS218)
l sharingideasastowhetherobservationsmatch
predictions,anddiscussingpossiblereasonsfor
predictionsbeingincorrect
Evaluating Elaborations
Suggestimprovementstothemethodsusedtoinvestigatea
questionorsolveaproblem(ACSIS091)
l workingcollaborativelytoidentifywheremethods
couldbeimproved,includingwheretestingwas
notfairandpracticescouldbeimproved
Communicating Elaborations
Communicateideas,explanationsandprocessesina
varietyofways,includingmultimodaltexts(ACSIS093)
l discussinghowmodelsrepresentscientificideas
andconstructingphysicalmodelstodemonstrate
anaspectofscientificunderstanding
l constructingmultimodaltextstocommunicate
scienceideas
l usinglabelleddiagrams,includingcross
sectionalrepresentations,tocommunicateideas
Science

VCAA | AusVELS Curriculum | Date PDF created: Wednesday, 29 May 2013 32
Level6
TheScienceInquirySkillsandScienceasaHumanEndeavourstrandsaredescribedacrossatwolevelband.Intheir
planning,schoolsandteachersrefertotheexpectationsoutlinedintheAchievementStandardandalsotothecontentof
theScienceUnderstandingstrandfortherelevantleveltoensurethatthesetwostrandsareaddressedoverthetwolevel
period.Thethreestrandsofthecurriculumareinterrelatedandtheircontentistaughtinanintegratedway.Theorderand
detailinwhichthecontentdescriptionsareorganisedintoteaching/learningprogramsaredecisionstobemadebythe
teacher.
OverLevels3to6,studentsdeveloptheirunderstandingofarangeofsystemsoperatingatdifferenttimeandgeographic
scales.InLevel6,studentsexplorehowchangescanbeclassifiedindifferentways.Theylearnabouttransferand
transformationsofelectricity,andcontinuetodevelopanunderstandingofenergyflowsthroughsystems.Theylinktheir
experiencesofelectriccircuitsasasystematonescale,togenerationofelectricityfromavarietyofsourcesatanother
scaleandbegintoseelinksbetweenthesesystems.TheydevelopaviewofEarthasadynamicsystem,inwhich
changesinoneaspectofthesystemimpactonotheraspectssimilarlytheyseethatthegrowthandsurvivalofliving
thingsaredependentonmatterandenergyflowswithinalargersystem.Studentsbegintoseetheroleofvariablesin
measuringchangesandlearnhowlookforpatternsandrelationshipsbetweenvariables.Theydevelopexplanationsfor
thepatternstheyobserve,drawingonevidence.
ScienceUnderstanding
Biologicalsciences Elaborations
Thegrowthandsurvivaloflivingthingsareaffectedby
thephysicalconditionsoftheirenvironment
(ACSSU094)

l investigatinghowchangingthephysicalconditionsfor
plantsimpactsontheirgrowthandsurvivalsuchas
saltwater,useoffertilizersandsoiltypes
l observingthegrowthoffungisuchasyeastandbread
mouldindifferentconditions
l researchingorganismsthatliveinextreme
environmentssuchasAntarcticaoradesert
l consideringtheeffectsofphysicalconditionscausing
migrationandhibernation
Chemicalsciences Elaborations
Changestomaterialscanbereversible,suchas
melting,freezing,evaporatingorirreversible,suchas
burningandrusting(ACSSU095)

l describingwhathappenswhenmaterialsaremixed
l investigatingthesolubilityofcommonmaterialsin
water
l investigatingthechangeinstatecausedbyheating
andcoolingofafamiliarsubstance
l investigatingirreversiblechangessuchasrusting,
burningandcooking
l exploringhowreversiblechangescanbeusedto
recyclematerials
Earthandspacesciences Elaborations
Science

VCAA | AusVELS Curriculum | Date PDF created: Wednesday, 29 May 2013 33
Suddengeologicalchangesorextremeweather
conditionscanaffectEarthssurface(ACSSU096)

l investigatingmajorgeologicaleventssuchas
earthquakes,volcaniceruptionsandtsunamisin
Australia,theAsiaregionandthroughouttheworld
l recognisingthatearthquakescancausetsunamis
l describinghowpeoplemeasuresignificantgeological
events
l exploringwaysthatscientificunderstandingcanassist
innaturaldisastermanagementtominimiseboth
longandshorttermeffects
l consideringtheeffectofdroughtonlivingandnon
livingaspectsoftheenvironment
Physicalsciences Elaborations
Electricalcircuitsprovideameansoftransferringand
transformingelectricity(ACSSU097)
l recognisingtheneedforacompletecircuittoallowthe
flowofelectricity
l investigatingdifferentelectricalconductorsand
insulators
l exploringthefeaturesofelectricaldevicessuchas
switchesandlightglobes
Energyfromavarietyofsourcescanbeusedto
generateelectricity(ACSSU219)

l investigatinghowmovingairandwatercanturn
turbinestogenerateelectricity
l investigatingtheuseofsolarpanels
l consideringwhetheranenergysourceissustainable
ScienceasaHumanEndeavour
Natureanddevelopmentofscience Elaborations
Scienceinvolvestestingpredictionsbygatheringdata
andusingevidencetodevelopexplanationsofevents
andphenomena(ACSHE098)

l investigatinghowknowledgeabouttheeffectsofusing
theEarthsresourceshaschangedovertime
l describinghowunderstandingofthecausesand
effectsofmajornaturaleventshaschangedasnew
evidencehasbecomeavailable
l investigatingtheuseofelectricity,includingpredicting
theeffectsofchangestoelectriccircuits
l consideringhowgatheringevidencehelpsscientiststo
predicttheeffectofmajorgeologicalorclimaticevents
Science

VCAA | AusVELS Curriculum | Date PDF created: Wednesday, 29 May 2013 34
Importantcontributionstotheadvancementofscience
havebeenmadebypeoplefromarangeofcultures
(ACSHE099)

l investigatinghowpeoplefromdifferentcultureshave
usedsustainablesourcesofenergy,forexamplewater
andsolarpower
l exploringinstitutionsandlocationswhere
contemporaryAustralianscientistsconductresearch
oncatastrophicnaturalevents
l learninghowAboriginalandTorresStraitIslander
knowledge,suchasthemedicinalandnutritional
propertiesofAustralianplants,isbeingusedaspartof
theevidencebaseforscientificadvances
l investigatingthedevelopmentofearthquake
measurementsfromtheChineseinventionofthe
seismographinthesecondcentury
Useandinfluenceofscience Elaborations
Scientificunderstandings,discoveriesandinventions
areusedtosolveproblemsthatdirectlyaffectpeoples
lives(ACSHE100)

l researchingthescientificworkinvolvedinglobal
disasteralertsandcommunication,suchascyclone,
earthquakeandtsunamialerts
l investigatinghowelectricalenergyisgeneratedin
Australiaandaroundtheworld
l researchingtheuseofmethanegeneratorsin
Indonesia
l consideringhowelectricityandelectricalappliances
havechangedthewaysomepeoplelive
Scientificknowledgeisusedtoinformpersonaland
communitydecisions(ACSHE220)

l consideringhowpersonalandcommunitychoices
influenceouruseofsustainablesourcesofenergy
l investigatinghowunderstandingofcatastrophic
naturaleventshelpsinplanningfortheirearlydetection
andminimisingtheirimpact
l recognisingthatsciencecaninformchoicesabout
wherepeopleliveandhowtheymanagenatural
disasters
l consideringhowguidelineshelptoensurethesafe
useofelectricaldevices
l discussingtheuseofelectricityandtheconservationof
sourcesofenergy
ScienceInquirySkills
Questioningandpredicting Elaborations
Withguidance,posequestionstoclarifypractical
problemsorinformascientificinvestigation,andpredict
whatthefindingsofaninvestigationmightbe
(ACSIS232)
l refiningquestionstoenablescientificinvestigation
l askingquestionstounderstandthescopeornatureof
aproblem
l applyingexperiencefrompreviousinvestigationsto
predicttheoutcomesofinvestigationsinnewcontexts
Planningandconducting Elaborations
Science

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Withguidance,planappropriateinvestigationmethods
toanswerquestionsorsolveproblems(ACSIS103)
l followingaproceduretodesignanexperimentalor
fieldinvestigation
l discussingmethodschosenwithotherstudents,and
refiningmethodsaccordingly
l consideringwhichinvestigationmethodsaremost
suitedtoansweraparticularquestionorsolvea
problem
Decidewhichvariableshouldbechangedand
measuredinfairtestsandaccuratelyobserve,measure
andrecorddata,usingdigitaltechnologiesas
appropriate(ACSIS104)
l usingfamiliarunitssuchasgrams,secondsand
metresanddevelopingtheuseofstandardmultipliers
suchaskilometresandmillimetres
l usingtheideaofanindependentvariable(note:this
terminologydoesnotneedtobeusedatthisstage)as
somethingthatisbeinginvestigatedbychangingitand
measuringtheeffectofthischange
l usingdigitaltechnologiestomakeaccurate
measurementsandtorecorddata
Useequipmentandmaterialssafely,identifying
potentialrisks(ACSIS105)
l discussingpossiblehazardsinvolvedinconducting
investigations,andhowtheseriskscanbereduced
Processingandanalysingdataandinformation Elaborations
Constructandusearangeofrepresentations,including
tablesandgraphs,torepresentanddescribe
observations,patternsorrelationshipsindatausing
digitaltechnologiesasappropriate(ACSIS107)
l exploringhowdifferentrepresentationscanbeusedto
showdifferentaspectsofrelationships,processesor
trends
l usingdigitaltechnologiestoconstructrepresentations,
includingdynamicrepresentations
Comparedatawithpredictionsanduseasevidencein
developingexplanations(ACSIS221)
l sharingideasastowhetherobservationsmatch
predictions,anddiscussingpossiblereasonsfor
predictionsbeingincorrect
l discussingthedifferencebetweendataandevidence
l referringtoevidencewhenexplainingtheoutcomesof
aninvestigation
Evaluating Elaborations
Suggestimprovementstothemethodsusedto
investigateaquestionorsolveaproblem(ACSIS108)
l discussingimprovementstothemethodsused,and
howthesemethodswouldimprovethequalityofthe
dataobtained
Communicating Elaborations
Science

VCAA | AusVELS Curriculum | Date PDF created: Wednesday, 29 May 2013 36
Level6achievementstandard
BytheendofLevel6,studentscomparethepropertiesandbehavioursofsolids,liquidsandgases.Theycompare
observablechangestomaterialsandclassifythesechangesasreversibleorirreversible.Theyexplaineverydayphenomena
associatedwiththeabsorption,reflection,refractionanddispersionoflight.Theycomparedifferentwaysinwhichenergycan
betransformedfromoneformtoanothertogenerateelectricityandevaluatetheirsuitabilityforparticularpurposes.They
constructelectricalcircuitsanddistinguishbetweenopenandclosedcircuits.Theyexplainhownaturaleventscauserapid
changetoEarthssurfaceanddescribethekeyfeaturesofoursolarsystem.Theyanalysehowstructuralandbehavioural
adaptationsoflivingthingsenhancetheirsurvival,andpredictanddescribetheeffectofenvironmentalchangesonindividual
livingthings.Studentsexplainhowscientificknowledgedevelopsfrommanypeoplescontributionsandhowscientific
understandings,discoveriesandinventionsaffectpeopleslives.
Studentsfollowprocedurestodevelopquestionsthattheycaninvestigateanddesigninvestigationsintosimplecauseand
effectrelationships.Whenplanningexperimentalmethods,theyidentifyvariablestobechangedandmeasuredinfairtests.
Theymakepredictionsbasedongeneralrulesorpreviousexperiences.Theyidentifyandmanagepotentialsafetyrisks.
Theymakeandrecordaccurateobservationsastables,diagramsordescriptions.Theyorganisedataintotablesandgraphs
toidentifyandanalysepatternsandrelationships.Theysuggestwhereimprovementstotheirexperimentalmethodsor
researchcouldimprovethequalityoftheirdata.Theyrefertodatawhentheyreportfindingsandcommunicatetheirideas,
methodsandfindingsusingarangeoftexttypes.
Communicateideas,explanationsandprocessesina
varietyofways,includingmultimodaltexts(ACSIS110)
l discussingthebestwaytocommunicatescience
ideasandwhatshouldbeconsideredwhenplanninga
text
l usingavarietyofcommunicationmodes,suchas
reports,explanations,arguments,debatesand
proceduralaccounts,tocommunicatescienceideas
l usinglabelleddiagrams,includingcrosssectional
representations,tocommunicateideasandprocesses
withinmultimodaltexts
Science

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TableofContents
Overview
Introduction
Domainstructure
Stagesoflearning
CurriculumF10
Foundationlevel
Level1
Level2
Level3
Level4
Level5
Level6
2
2
2
3
7
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
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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
Learningfocusstatementsarewrittenforeachlevel.Theseoutlinethelearningthatstudentsneedtofocusoniftheyareto
progressinthedomainandachievethestandardsatthelevelswheretheyapply.Theysuggestappropriatelearning
experiencesfromwhichteacherscandrawtodeveloprelevantteachingandlearningactivities.
Standards
Standardsdefinewhatstudentsshouldknowandbeabletodoatdifferentlevelsandarewrittenforeachdimension.In
ThinkingProcesses,standardsforassessingandreportingonstudentachievementapplyfromLevel3.
Dimensions
StandardsintheThinkingProcessesdomainareorganisedinthreedimensions:
l Reasoning,processingandinquiry
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l Creativity
l 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
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Foundationlevel
LearningFocus
AsstudentsworktowardstheachievementofLevel4standardsinThinkingProcesses,theyexploreawidevarietyof
familiarcontexts.Withencouragementandsupport,theywonder,questionandbecomeadventurousintheirthinking
aboutthesecontexts.Studentspractiseusingalloftheirsensestodevelopskillsinmakingobservationswhichthey
shareandrecord.
Studentsbegintolookforsimplepatternsintheirobservationsbyclassifyingfamiliaritemsandbylookingforsimilarities
anddifferences.Inintegratinginformationfromtheirownobservations,informationfrompeers,teachersandother
adults,andinformationfromprintandnonprinttexts,theybegintodevelopsimpleexplanationsforthephenomenathey
observe.Theseexplanationsnotnecessarilycompletearethestartingpointforfurtherquestionsandexploration.
Whenstudentsconsidertheexplanationsofothers,theybegintoask,Howdoyouknow?andWhatmakesyouthink
that?andconsiderarangeofpossibleresponses.
Studentsusearangeofsimplethinkingtoolstogatherandprocessinformation.Theyreflectontheirthinking(for
example,whytheythinkwhattheythinkaboutatext)andtaketimetoconsiderbeforeresponding.
Standards
InThinkingProcesses,standardsforassessingandreportingonstudentachievementareintroducedatLevel3.The
learningfocusstatementsforLevels1and2provideadviceaboutlearningexperiencesthatwillassiststudentstowork
towardstheachievementofthestandardsatLevel4.
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Level1
LearningFocus
AsstudentsworktowardstheachievementofLevel4standardsinThinkingProcesses,theyexplorethecommunityand
environmentaroundthem,andincreasinglyconsidercontextsandinformationwhichliebeyondtheirimmediate
experience.Questionsandwonderingareencouraged,recordedandshared,andbecomethebasisforfurtherlearning.
Studentsdeveloptheirskillsinmakingaccurateobservationsaboutpeopleandevents,andtheybegintouseavarietyof
meanstorecordtheirobservations.Theydeveloptheirownexplanationsfortheobservationstheymakeandlearnto
questiontheaccuracyofotherpeoplesexplanations.Theybegintounderstandthatpeoplearemorelikelytobelievean
explanationifevidenceorreasonsareprovided.Theydeveloptheirskillsinusingarangeofsourcesofinformationwhen
investigatingselectedquestions.
Studentspractiseorderingandsequencingtheirideas.Theybegintoclassifyconcepts,objectsandideasusinggiven
criteriaanddescribe,compareandcontrasttheseclassifications.Theyuseavarietyofthinkingtoolstoassistwith
recognisingpatternsinsurroundingeventsandobjects.
Whenpresentedwithsimpleproblems,studentsworkwithpeerstodeveloparangeofcreativesolutionsandtesttheir
effectivenessagainstgivencriteria.Promptedbyquestions,theybegintoreflectontheirthinkingprocesses.
Standards
InThinkingProcesses,standardsforassessingandreportingonstudentachievementareintroducedatLevel3.The
learningfocusstatementsforLevels1and2provideadviceaboutlearningexperiencesthatwillassiststudentstowork
towardstheachievementofthestandardsatLevel4.
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Level2
LearningFocus
AsstudentsworktowardstheachievementofLevel4standardsinThinkingProcesses,theyexplorethecommunityand
environmentaroundthem,andincreasinglyconsidercontextsandinformationwhichliebeyondtheirimmediate
experience.Questionsandwonderingareencouraged,recordedandshared,andbecomethebasisforfurtherlearning.
Studentsdeveloptheirskillsinmakingaccurateobservationsaboutpeopleandevents,andtheybegintouseavarietyof
meanstorecordtheirobservations.Theydeveloptheirownexplanationsfortheobservationstheymakeandlearnto
questiontheaccuracyofotherpeoplesexplanations.Theybegintounderstandthatpeoplearemorelikelytobelievean
explanationifevidenceorreasonsareprovided.Theydeveloptheirskillsinusingarangeofsourcesofinformationwhen
investigatingselectedquestions.
Studentspractiseorderingandsequencingtheirideas.Theybegintoclassifyconcepts,objectsandideasusinggiven
criteriaanddescribe,compareandcontrasttheseclassifications.Theyuseavarietyofthinkingtoolstoassistwith
recognisingpatternsinsurroundingeventsandobjects.
Whenpresentedwithsimpleproblems,studentsworkwithpeerstodeveloparangeofcreativesolutionsandtesttheir
effectivenessagainstgivencriteria.Promptedbyquestions,theybegintoreflectontheirthinkingprocesses.
Standards
InThinkingProcesses,standardsforassessingandreportingonstudentachievementareintroducedatLevel3.The
learningfocusstatementsforLevels1and2provideadviceaboutlearningexperiencesthatwillassiststudentstowork
towardstheachievementofthestandardsatLevel4.
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Level3
LearningFocus
AsstudentsworktowardstheachievementofLevel4standardsinThinkingProcesses,theyexploreaspectsoftheir
natural,constructedandsocialworld,wonderinganddevelopingquestionsaboutit.Theyusearangeofsourcesof
informationincludingobservationsandfindingsfromtheirowninvestigationstoanswerthesequestions.Students
developstrategiesfororganisingandsummarisinginformationandreflectingontheirthinking.Theybegintocategorise
knowledgeandideas,identifypatterns,andformgeneralisations.Theylearntomakeconnectionsbetweenbothnewand
establishedideasandtheirownknowledge.
Withthinkingtoolstoassistthem,studentsbegintoaskmorefocusedandclarifyingquestions.Theydevelopskillsin
collectingandorganisingideasfromarangeofsourcestoconstructknowledge.Theylearntoquestionthevalidityof
sources,communicateandrecordtheirquestions,responsesandthoughts,andgivereasonsforconclusions.
Studentsparticipateinavarietyofinvestigationsandactivitiesinvolvingproblemsolvingthatencouragethemto
experimentwitharangeofcreativesolutions.Theybegintoreflectontheapproachestheyusetoassistthemtoform
theirsolutions.Theyexploreideascreativelyforexample,byengagingwithnewideasandotherperspectives.
Studentsgivereasonsforchangesthatmayoccurintheirthinking.Theybegintorecognisethatothersmayhavedifferent
opinionsandunderstandthatreasoningcanbeinfluencedbystrongfeelings.Theybegintoquestionarguments
presentedtothemforexample,thosebasedontheassertionthateverybodyknowsorIjustknow.
Studentsdeveloplanguagetodescribespecificthinkingprocessesand,withsupport,usethinkingtoolstoassistthemto
completeagiventask.Theycontinuetoreflectregularlyontheirthinking,learningtodescribetheirthinkingprocesses
verbally.
Standards
AtLevel3,studentsareworkingtowardtheLevel4standards.
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Level4
LearningFocus
AsstudentsworktowardstheachievementofLevel4standardsinThinkingProcesses,theyexploreaspectsoftheir
natural,constructedandsocialworld,wonderinganddevelopingquestionsaboutit.Theyusearangeofsourcesof
informationincludingobservationsandfindingsfromtheirowninvestigationstoanswerthesequestions.Students
developstrategiesfororganisingandsummarisinginformationandreflectingontheirthinking.Theybegintocategorise
knowledgeandideas,identifypatterns,andformgeneralisations.Theylearntomakeconnectionsbetweenbothnewand
establishedideasandtheirownknowledge.
Withthinkingtoolstoassistthem,studentsbegintoaskmorefocusedandclarifyingquestions.Theydevelopskillsin
collectingandorganisingideasfromarangeofsourcestoconstructknowledge.Theylearntoquestionthevalidityof
sources,communicateandrecordtheirquestions,responsesandthoughts,andgivereasonsforconclusions.
Studentsparticipateinavarietyofinvestigationsandactivitiesinvolvingproblemsolvingthatencouragethemto
experimentwitharangeofcreativesolutions.Theybegintoreflectontheapproachestheyusetoassistthemtoform
theirsolutions.Theyexploreideascreativelyforexample,byengagingwithnewideasandotherperspectives.
Studentsgivereasonsforchangesthatmayoccurintheirthinking.Theybegintorecognisethatothersmayhavedifferent
opinionsandunderstandthatreasoningcanbeinfluencedbystrongfeelings.Theybegintoquestionarguments
presentedtothemforexample,thosebasedontheassertionthateverybodyknowsorIjustknow.
Studentsdeveloplanguagetodescribespecificthinkingprocessesand,withsupport,usethinkingtoolstoassistthemto
completeagiventask.Theycontinuetoreflectregularlyontheirthinking,learningtodescribetheirthinkingprocesses
verbally.
Standards
Reasoning,processingandinquiry
AtLevel4,studentscollectinformationfromarangeofsourcestoanswertheirownandothersquestions.Theyquestion
thevalidityofsourceswhenappropriate.Theyapplythinkingstrategiestoorganiseinformationandconceptsinavariety
ofcontexts,includingproblemsolvingactivities.Theyprovidereasonsfortheirconclusions.
Creativity
AtLevel4,studentsapplycreativeideasinpracticalwaysandtestthepossibilitiesofideastheygenerate.Theyuse
openendedquestioningandintegrateavailableinformationtoexploreideas.
Reflection,evaluationandmetacognition
AtLevel4,studentsidentifystrategiestheyusetoorganisetheirideas,anduseappropriatelanguagetoexplaintheir
thinking.Theyidentifyandprovidereasonsfortheirpointofview,andjustifychangesintheirthinking.
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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.
Standards
AtLevel5,studentsareworkingtowardtheLevel6standards.
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Level6
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.
Standards
Reasoning,processingandinquiry
AtLevel6,studentsdeveloptheirownquestionsforinvestigation,collectrelevantinformationfromarangeofsources
andmakejudgmentsaboutitsworth.Theydistinguishbetweenfactandopinion.Theyusetheinformationtheycollectto
developconcepts,solveproblemsorinformdecisionmaking.Theydevelopreasonedargumentsusingsupporting
evidence.
Creativity
AtLevel6,studentsusecreativethinkingstrategiestogenerateimaginativesolutionswhensolvingproblems.They
demonstratecreativityintheirthinkinginarangeofcontextsandtestthepossibilitiesofconcreteandabstractideas
generatedbythemselvesandothers.
Reflection,evaluationandmetacognition
AtLevel6,studentsuseabroadrangeofthinkingprocessesandtools,andreflectonandevaluatetheireffectiveness.
Theyarticulatetheirthinkingprocesses.Theydocumentchangesintheirideasandbeliefsovertime.
Thinking Processes

VCAA | AusVELS Curriculum | Date PDF created: Wednesday, 29 May 2013 13