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Humanities and social sciences / Year 4 / Inquiry and skills / Questioning

Curriculum content descriptions

Pose questions to investigate people, events, places and issues (ACHASSI073)

Elaborations
  • asking questions before, during and after an investigation using tools such as a KWL chart (what they know, what they want to know and what they have learned) and five W’s + H (who, what, when, where, how and why)
  • developing ‘How do we know?’ questions for evidence, ‘What could be done?’ questions about alternatives, and ‘Is that right or fair?’ questions about decisions past and present
  • generating a range of questions (for example, evaluation questions, reflecting questions) about contemporary issues reported in the media
  • discussing how an investigation about the past (for example, a shipwreck explored through a museum display, video or interactive website) is guided by questions at different stages, including ‘Why is that important now?’
General capabilities
  • Literacy Literacy
  • Critical and creative thinking Critical and creative thinking
ScOT terms

Research questions,  Human settlements,  Geographic location,  Citizenship

Assessment

Year 4 history assessment - First contacts: A First Fleet story

This is an assessment package that uses the Year 4 Australian Curriculum history achievement standard to gather evidence about how well students have demonstrated what they know, what they understand and what they can do in relation to the topic 'First Contacts'. Students use historical sources to research the life of an ...

Video

The Navigators: Race of the navigators

Discover why two explorers during the early 1800s raced each other to the other side of the world. This clip explains why explorers Nicolas Baudin and Matthew Flinders raced across the world to investigate 'New Holland', now known as Australia.

Downloadable

School water use audit (Year 4)

In this activity, students identify the water use areas in the school and the water use items found in those areas. On the ‘Water walk’, students also identify any leaking water use items. They assess how water savings can be made in each of these areas.

Interactive

MoneySmart: helping out

This is an activity about making choices to raise money for imaginary animals called gumbutangs. Their habitat is being eradicated and something must be done to save them. The user's first choice is between two websites, one a trusted one, the other a scam site. Then they are given choices about how to raise money for the ...

Online

Everyone Everyday Program

This resource is a disability awareness program that focuses on the concept of inclusion. The aim of the program is to equip students with the knowledge, skills and confidence to take action to enhance the inclusion of people with disability, especially children, in everyday life. It includes an overview, teacher background ...

Online

IP in everyday life

This is an interactive resource about products that exist in everyday life that have protected intellectual property. The resource is presented as a timeline of one day, beginning at breakfast in the morning through until night. Interactive images appear as the mouse scrolls across the timeline. These images are linked ...

Video

The Flip Side of Bike Helmets

It's illegal to ride a bike without a helmet in Australia. Sue Abbott and Dr Jake Olivier differ on this issue. This video is designed for students presents both points of view as a stimulus for students to reach their own conclusions. The video discusses how laws are made and explores different points of view on whether ...

Video

Through our eyes: series 1

This series of 18 short videos provides insights into the land management practices and social, spiritual and cultural knowledge of the Ngemba, Kamilaroi and Euahlayi Aboriginal language groups in north-western NSW. The videos are presented by the Aboriginal Elders and knowledge-holders and cover a range of topics including ...

Online

Commemorating Anzac through engaging learning

This resource supports quality teaching and learning through specific curriculum learning opportunities to engage students, as well as enhancing whole school and community interactions and events commemorating Anzac. Part of the Bringing communities together series in response to the NSW State Anzac Centenary.

Video

Farms and people’s connections to them: producer video

This is a video about the operation of the Outback Pride project and the value of the Australian native food produced in conjunction with Aboriginal peoples. To a visual background of the nursery at Reedy Creek in South Australia and some of 25 Aboriginal communities involved in the project in SA and Northern Territory, ...

Interactive

Thermal comfort – sustainability action process (Years 3–6)

This thermal comfort learning resource will guide students through an extended school based investigation. Students will develop and implement a chosen sustainability action and then evaluate and reflect on their success and their learning.

Online

Get Voting

This website provides a step-by-step guide to running an school elections such as student leadership positions. The five-step process provides practical advice on preparation and a variety of downloadable resources. The forms can be customised and include nomination forms, ballot papers, how to vote cards and tally sheets ...

Text

State, territory and Australian parliaments

This website is about the parliaments of the states and territories of Australia, as well as the Australian Parliament. It describes the different origins of the colonies and their movement to self-government during the 19th century, and subsequent federation into one nation in 1901. The resource describes the structures, ...

Image

Places we protect

This is a rich, multilayered resource about 35 protected Bush Heritage reserves throughout Australia. The resource includes a map of Australia that displays the locations of the 35 reserves. Each location is linked to important information and images including: quick facts; visiting information; the animals, plants and ...

Video

Outback House: Aboriginal bush foods

Imagine leaving your home and travelling back over 150 years to live and work on an outback farm. Sixteen Australians take part in a reality TV show about life on Oxley Downs, a sheep station built to look and work like an 1860s station. Witness the excitement as two visitors from the local Wiradjuri nation arrive at the ...

Text

Aboriginal science tools: the morah stone

This is an article about morah stones, incised grinding stones from the tropical rainforests of northern Queensland, and how they were used by the local Aboriginal peoples to process toxic starchy seeds and kernels. Written by Kudjala/Kalkadoon Elder from Queensland Letitia Murgha and intended mainly for teachers, it describes ...

Interactive

Sites2See: HM Bark Endeavour

A resource page about the HM Bark Endeavour, the ship used by Captain James Cook in his first voyage of discovery. The page includes selected links to information about the scientific, political and cultural impact of the Endeavour's journey. Suitable for teachers and students.

Interactive

Old Government House Parramatta virtual tour

This resource is about exploring Governor Macquarie’s preferred residence while learning more about the early colony through this virtual tour of Old Government House at Parramatta.

Text

Wild backyards: digital stories transcript

This is a transcript of a series of three short digital stories produced by the Queensland Museum, entitled 'Wild backyards', in which experts explain how they attract wildlife to their backyards located in Brisbane, Roma and Innisfail. The transcript includes accompanying photographs taken from the digital stories and ...

Image

Ngan'gi seasons calendar

This is a seasonal calendar developed by the Ngan’gi people of the Northern Territory in collaboboration with CSIRO. The resource contains an introduction, a richly illustrated calendar and related links. The introduction includes information about the people’s wish to document traditional knowledge of their Daly River ...