Digital technologies / Year 5 and 6 / Digital Technologies Processes and Production Skills

Curriculum content descriptions

Implement digital solutions as simple visual programs involving branching, iteration (repetition), and user input (ACTDIP020)

Elaborations
  • experimenting with different options that involve repeat instructions, for example a continually repeating slideshow, a repeated movement in an animation, a repeated calculation in a spreadsheet
  • planning and implementing a solution using a visual programming language, for example designing and creating a simple computer game involving decisions and repetitions, suitable for younger children, that requires user input to make selections, taking into account user responses
  • designing and creating a solution that is interactive, using a visual programming language, for example designing a user interface for people with disability, taking into account visibility and size of icons; or creating a quiz that provides feedback on response and allows the user to try again
  • creating a quiz where questions are repeated until the correct response is given, for example questions and feedback on responses in a few slides in a slideshow
  • programming a robot to operate independently, for example to find its way out of a maze
  • experimenting with different ways of instructing to make choices and repeat instructions, for example using ‘IF’ statements to allow for making choices and iterations (repeat instructions) until a goal is achieved
General capabilities
  • Numeracy Numeracy
  • Critical and creative thinking Critical and creative thinking
  • ICT capability Information and Communication Technology (ICT) capability
ScOT terms

Decision making,  Computer programming

Video

Expert webinar video: Dr Michelle Ellis: Learning resources for using micro:bits

Dr Michelle Ellis gives a demonstration of the Edith Cowan University Makerspace visual and general-purpose programming environment. She also shows a range of materials to support the implementation of the Australian Curriculum: Digital Technologies. This includes teaching resources and lesson plans.

Video

Hour of Code: Saloni on the If/Else block

The Hour of Code is a one-hour introduction to computer science, designed to demystify code and show that anybody can learn the basics. In this video, Saloni explains what an If/Else statement is and looks at how If/Else blocks can be used to program the movement of a zombie character. This is the fifth of seven clips in ...

Video

Hour of Code: Bill Gates explains If statements

The Hour of Code is a one-hour introduction to computer science, designed to demystify code and show that anybody can learn the basics. In this video, Bill Gates, creator of Microsoft introduces the If statement. He explains that the If statement is a fundamental concept in computer programming. By demonstrating the use ...

Video

Unplugged Activity: Computational Thinking

This video introduces one of code.org's unplugged activities. It discusses a lesson on Computational Thinking, designed to show you how to take a big difficult problem and turn it into several simpler problems. The goal of the lesson is for a group of students to write a set of instructions for another group of students ...

Video

Unplugged Activity: Graph Paper Programming

This video introduces one of code.org's unplugged activities and provides an introduction to programming without the use of computers. One student takes on the role of "programmer", drawing arrows and scribbles on paper to guide the other student to re-create a particular picture. For more information on the activities ...

Video

Hour of Code: Saloni teaches If/Else statements with Scrat the Squirrel from Ice Age

The Hour of Code is a one-hour introduction to computer science, designed to demystify code and show that anybody can learn the basics. In this video, Saloni explains what an If/Else statement is. With the help of Scrat the Squirrel from Ice Age, she goes on to demonstrate how If/Else blocks can be used to program characters' ...

Online

Digital citizenship

Find out about Digital citizenship. Use this topic from the Digital Technologies Hub to learn more, get ideas about how to teach about it, find out what other schools are doing and use the applications and games in the classroom.

Online

Computational thinking

Find out about Computational thinking. Use this topic from the Digital Technologies Hub to learn more, get ideas about how to teach about it, find out what other schools are doing and use the applications and games in the classroom.

Online

Design thinking

Find out about Design thinking. Use this topic from the Digital Technologies Hub to learn more, get ideas about how to teach about it, find out what other schools are doing and use the applications and games in the classroom.

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Girls in tech

Find out about Girls in tech. Use this topic from the Digital Technologies Hub to learn more, get ideas about how to teach about it, find out what other schools are doing and use the applications and games in the classroom.

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Visual programming with Scratch: years 3-6

This comprises a collection of sample activities that incorporate visual programming (Scratch) into teaching and learning programs. They show the possibilities Scratch offers for integration. The projects are incomplete and are designed to be used as samples for inspiration or modification by teachers.

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Scratch 2.0 tutorial

This tutorial provides step-by-step instructions to support the learning of Scratch, a visual programming language. The tutorial is designed for educators who would like to learn how to use Scratch.

Online

Automated soil moisture sensor

The soil moisture sensor project integrates science understandings and computational thinking to solve a problem about sustainable watering practices. This lesson was devised by Trudy Ward, Clarendon Vale Primary School, Tasmania.

Online

Note the music

We can program a computer to play music. Conventionally this is done by hard coding, which is the process of coding all possible expected behaviours. Alternatively, we can train an artificial intelligence (AI) computer about what notes go well with others, so it can play a duet with a human musician. Students can make their ...

Online

Fun projects with language translation

Natural language processing is growing in importance. We often converse with automatic chatbots for customer service without even knowing. We also use online translation services or mobile apps. But how do these services work? Is there artificial intelligence (AI) in them? Three projects are offered to cater for student ...

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Classroom ideas: Choose your own adventure: years 3-6

This PDF provides a sequence of activities that allow students to view and create planning templates and algorithms when making 'Choose Your Own Adventure' stories. Older students can use the visual programming language Scratch to build their stories.