Digital technologies / Year 5 and 6 / Digital Technologies Knowledge and Understanding

Curriculum content descriptions

Examine how whole numbers are used to represent all data in digital systems (ACTDIK015)

Elaborations
  • recognising that digital systems represent all types of data using number codes that ultimately are patterns of 1s and 0s (called binary digits, which is why they are called digital systems)
  • explaining that binary represents numbers using 1s and 0s and these represent the on and off electrical states respectively in hardware and robotics
  • recognising that the numbers 0, 1, 2 and 3 could be represented by the patterns of two binary digits of 00, 01, 10 and 11
  • representing whole numbers in binary, for example counting in binary from zero to 15, or writing a friend’s age in binary
  • exploring how division by two can be used as a technique to determine the binary representation of any whole number by collecting remainder terms
  • representing the state of an object in a game as active or inactive using the respective binary values of 1 or 0
General capabilities
  • Numeracy Numeracy
  • Critical and creative thinking Critical and creative thinking
  • ICT capability Information and Communication Technology (ICT) capability
ScOT terms

Data representation,  Indices

Video

How computers compute

Watch as Jamie Teherani from MIT, demonstrates how a big, mechanical computer made from wood works. What does it have in common with the high-tech computers of today?

Video

What are pixels?

Meet Kevin Systrom and Piper Hanson as they explain how digital images work. What are pixels, those tiny dots of light, made from? How are colours created and represented? What does Kevin say about the way mathematical functions are used to create different image filters. What is the difference between image resolution ...

Video

BTN: Computer code

Are you interested in finding out about computer coding? Watch this clip to see why some famous faces are promoting the benefits of learning computer programming. See how some young students are learning to code and finding that it's not that hard after all!

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.

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Australian Curriculum: Digital Technologies Years 5–6 sample assessment task: How do digital systems represent data? Teacher PowerPoint

This PowerPoint supports the years 5-6 assessment task, How do digital systems represent data?

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Australian Curriculum: Digital Technologies key concepts mapping: years 5-6

This PDF uses colour coding to provide a line of sight between key concepts, content descriptions and achievement standards in the Digital Technologies subject in the Australian Curriculum.

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Australian Curriculum: Digital Technologies: years 5-6

This PDF provides a line of sight from content descriptions to achievement standards.

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Books for exploring Digital Technologies concepts

This PDF provides a list of suggested books or similar that identify and discuss key concepts, key ideas and related ways of thinking about Digital Technologies.

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ACARA sample assessment task: years 5-6: Representing data

This resource provides strategies for assessing aspects of the Digital Technologies subject in the Australian Curriculum that relate to the representation of data in binary code. The resource includes an assessment planner and rubric, as well as links to curriculum and learning resources.

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Years 5–6: Representing data in digital systems

This scope and sequence unit explores binary numbers through pixel-based image creation to help students understand the purpose and functionality of binary. It also covers data types as we explore how information is represented internally in digital systems and the operations that can be performed on it.

Downloadable

DT Challenge - 5/6 Blockly - Networking with Micro:Bit

Learn how to code the micro:bit to use the radio! In this DT Mini Challenge, you can create wireless networks to send pictures and messages around the room! You'll start by sending simple messages, but work up to making your own interactive games with your friends! Dive on in and you'll be sending secret messages in no time!

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Representing images using binary: totems

In this lesson, students will interpret a First Nations Australian artwork by representing an image they create as a binary image with accompanying code.

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.

Downloadable

DT Challenge - 5/6 Blockly - Intro to Micro:Bit

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.

Downloadable

DT Challenge - 5/6 Blockly - Chatbot

Write programs to solve problems with code and create word games! In this DT Challenge, you'll learn how to play Mad Libs, Questions, Taboo, and Word Chain, and even write your very own Pirate Chatbot! Can you fool your friends into thinking they're talking to a real person? Learn how to create a series of word games with ...

Downloadable

DT Challenge - 5/6 Blockly - Space Invaders

In this coding challenge, students learn about programming in Blockly, including data representation, decomposition, design, branching, iteration, functions, variables, animations, tracing and evaluation.

Downloadable

DT Challenge - 5/6 Blockly - Turtle

Control a turtle and draw amazing pictures with code. In this challenge you'll learn the fundamentals of programming by using instructions to position a turtle on the screen, drawing lines, patterns and shapes in the same way computers draw images. Computers use the input from users and the environment to give us feedback ...

Assessment

Pixels and binary digits

Students are given a bitmap image made up of coloured pixels. They explain how the image is made up of binary digits that represent each pixel. Students represent 8 colours using binary digits. Teachers assess the student’s demonstrated knowledge/skills using the checklist provided.

Assessment

Assessment resources

Browse assessment resources.