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

Curriculum content descriptions

Define problems in terms of data and functional requirements drawing on previously solved problems (ACTDIP017)

Elaborations
  • checking existing solutions to identify features that are transferable to new but similar digital solutions, for example identifying if there are any similarities (such as user age and special requirements) between an existing game and a new game to be created – in terms of the types of data and the needs of the users
  • investigating characteristics of user interfaces that are common for particular types of problems, for example, touch screens – many people respond more intuitively than when using a keyboard or stylus; and the consistent placement of symbols helps with performing actions that require speed, for example in games
  • using and interpreting data, establishing the root cause of a problem, for example using an annotated diagram to identify omissions, duplications or mismatches of data
  • describing in simple terms the nature of a problem and what a solution needs to achieve, for example what need the problem is associated with, who the solution is needed for, what data are needed and what features the solution would need to include
General capabilities
  • Literacy Literacy
  • Numeracy Numeracy
  • Critical and creative thinking Critical and creative thinking
  • ICT capability Information and Communication Technology (ICT) capability
ScOT terms

Problem solving,  Functionality

Online

Sydney Metro – a 3D design focused inquiry – Stage 3

This inquiry-based unit of work was created, trialled and peer reviewed as part of a professional learning program in inquiry-based learning for school teachers. The professional learning courses were part of a pilot partnership between the NSW Government’s Sydney Metro transport agency and Western Sydney University.

Video

What skills are important for programming robots?

Listen as David McKinnon from UNSW describes some of the skills that are useful to have if you want to program robots. David explains an activity that exercises problem solving skills. Why don't you try doing it? Look at a map and find some towns that are close to yours. Use the scale on the map to work out the distances ...

Video

Telling robots what to do

If you were programming a robot to play a competitive game of soccer, what are some of the things you would consider? Think about some of the most basic functions of a robot, like walking, stopping and turning, to more complicated functions like recognising objects and reacting to them in a specific way.

Online

Home energy use

Reducing carbon dioxide emissions and sustainable energy use and are two of the major issues facing the world today. This project explores energy use in homes, and compares individual energy use with the class average and calculate and graph CO2 emissions.

Online

Data and information

This is a unit for Year 5 from the Scope and sequence resources from the DT Hub. The topic of data collection and presentation is organised into four key elements. Use this flow of activities to plan and assess students against the relevant achievement standards. Students collect their own data and analyse the resulting ...

Video

Data knowledge and skills tutorial: part 3 - structuring data in a spreadsheet

This video demonstrates ways in which data can be structured in spreadsheets. It is the third in a series of four.

Audio

Casino West Public School reflects on learning during the DTiF project

In this audio file teachers from Casino West PS share their experiences in developing a Digital Technologies program in the school, They chose to focus on creative and critical thinking.

Text

South Kalgoorlie Primary School – PL ecosystem

This document illustrates the network of people and resources that make up South Kalgoorlie Primary School's Professional Learning ecosystem.

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St Mary’s Primary School – PL ecosystem

This document illustrates the network of people and resources that make up St Mary's Primary School's Professional Learning ecosystem.

Video

Wodonga South Primary School – Progress report 1

This video explains the progress that Wodonga South Primary School has made in the Digital Technologies in Focus project. It is the first in a series of four.

Audio

Wodonga South Primary School – Podcast

This podcast includes information about the aims, challenges, insights and accomplishments of Wodonga South Primary School's participation in the Digital Technologies in Focus project.

Online

Beeswax wrap project

This project creates opportunities for students to design, create, market and sell a plastic wrap alternative, and to work with a local business or community group that supplies some materials. This lesson was devised by Trudy Ward, Clarendon Vale Primary School, Tasmania.

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Bethany Christian School

Bethany Christian School is an independent school just north of Adelaide located in Paralowie, South Australia on the Traditional Lands of the Kaurna People. It is an F-6 school, with 543 students, and of those, approximately 48% are EAL/D. Steve Grant is the curriculum officer who works with the school to support implementation ...

Audio

Green Hill Public School – Podcast

This podcast includes information about the aims, challenges, insights and accomplishments of Green Hill Public School's participation in the Digital Technologies in Focus project.

Video

South Kalgoorlie Primary School – Progress report 4

This video explains the progress that South Kalgoorlie Primary School has made in the Digital Technologies in Focus project. It is the last in a series of four.

Video

St Mary’s Primary School – Progress report 4

This video explains the progress that Bethany Christian School has made in the Digital Technologies in Focus project. It is the last in a series of four.

Online

Home automation with AI

Home automation is all the rage. You talk to your mobile phone to control the lights, the fan, the air conditioner, or your pool pump. But how does it work? In this lesson, we explore the AI that could power a home automation system.

Online

Can a computer recognise your sentiment?

This lesson plan enables students to explore how Natural Language Processing (NLP), a subset of Artificial Intelligence (AI), is used to assess and categorise a user’s online comments. (AI is the ability of machines to mimic human capabilities in a way that we would consider 'smart'.)

Assessment

BBC micro:bit project

The teacher assesses the student’s knowledge and skills using the student’s project log, self-reflection and think aloud.

Downloadable

DT Challenge - 5/6 Blockly - Smart Garden

Learn how to program a BBC micro:bit using Blockly — no experience required. Learn the basics of programming in Blockly with our full BBC micro:bit simulator. Create a Smart Garden device to monitor the health of your plants, measuring temperature and wiring up a simple soil moisture sensor.