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Digital technologies / Year 3 and 4 / Digital Technologies Processes and Production Skills

Curriculum content descriptions

Define simple problems, and describe and follow a sequence of steps and decisions (algorithms) needed to solve them (ACTDIP010)

Elaborations
  • explaining what the problem is and some features of the problem, such as what need is associated with the problem, who has the problem and why
  • describing, using drawings, pictures and text, the sequence of steps and decisions in a solution, for example to show the order of events in a game and the decisions that a player must make
  • experimenting with different ways of describing a set of instructions, for example writing two versions of the same simple set of instructions for a programmable robotic device
  • explaining to others how to follow technical instructions, for example how to capture and download images from a mobile device
  • defining and describing the sequence of steps needed to incorporate multiple types of data in a solution, for example sequencing the steps in selecting and downloading images and audio to create a book trailer
General capabilities
  • Literacy Literacy
  • Numeracy Numeracy
  • Critical and creative thinking Critical and creative thinking
  • ICT capability Information and Communication Technology (ICT) capability
ScOT terms

Algorithms

Downloadable

DT Challenge - 3/4 Blockly - Wombot

Wombot is hungry and wants a carrot! With simple code, help Wombot through mazes, and learn to draw lines and shapes with code. In this challenge you'll learn the fundamentals of programming by using instructions to position Wombot on the screen. You'll help Wombot move and turn, and along the way learn to draw lines, patterns ...

Online

Computer Science Fundamentals

This curriculum provides a teacher guidebook for implementing lessons, with learning and teaching activities, content, printable worksheets and some assessment lessons.

Online

Water Water everywhere!

In this lesson, students are presented with the challenging problem of measuring a volume of water using containers that are not the exact measurement size. Students will decompose a complex problem into discrete steps, design an algorithm for solving the problem, and evaluate solution efficiencies and optimization in a ...

Online

Ciphering a sentence

A cipher is a message that has been written in such a way (encoded) that it is unreadable by others. In this lesson, students will use mapping to encode a sentence. Students will work with a partner to create an algorithm that describes the encryption process. They will also examine encoded and decoded messages to recognize ...

Online

Take a LEGO building challenge

In pairs, explore giving and following a sequence of steps and decisions to build a LEGO® toy.

Assessment

Assessment resources

Browse assessment resources.

Online

Schoolyard biodiversity detectives

Collect data on the biodiversity in garden beds around your school to measure the biodiversity (that is the different types of plants and animals). Explore ways to represent and present data. This lesson was devised by Linda McIver, Australian Data Science Education Institute.

Online

Plan a 'choose your own adventure' story

Students create a storyboard to plan a ‘choose your own adventure' story, where the reader is provided with a number of decisions that lead to alternative endings.

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

Can AI guess your emotion?

Discuss emotions as a class, and introduce the idea of artificial intelligence (AI). This lesson can also be used to introduce image classification – a key application of AI. Developed in collaboration with Digital Technologies Institute.

Online

Create a language learning program

Create a computer program to learn a traditional Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander language.

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 ...

Online

Have fun with flowcharts

Create a flowchart to represent a sequence of (branching) steps and decisions needed to solve a mathematical problem.

Online

Create a board game that uses an Ozobot

Create a game board where the player is provided with a number of decisions. Using Scratch and Makey Makey, students add multimodal elements to the story. These elements are activated using an Ozobot.

Online

Sphero and the chocolate factory

This activity allows students to use the visual programming software Lightning Lab to control Sphero to act out the role of a fictional character. This activity uses Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl as an example. This lesson idea was created by Steven Payne.

Online

Ozobot Maze Challenge

Students are introduced to Ozoblockly and basic programming concepts. Using Ozoblockly, students program Ozobot to follow a path and travel through a maze that they have created. This lesson idea was created by Steven Payne.

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

Scratch Creative Computing Guide

There is also a series of units comprising learning activities, paired with assessment activities and templates that can be used to support use of the Scratch (MIT) platform. The Scratch Creative Computing Guide supports assessment activities with visual programming environments.

Online

The wizard of Ozo

Using OzoBots students move an Ozobot about a map with coordinates. This lesson idea was created by Ben Jucius.

Online

Bee Bot Balloon Pop

During this lesson, students will be required to consider the functions of the Bee-Bot and how a user can interact with this device. Students are asked to design a course challenge for another user which will result in the Bee-Bot, with a pin attached, reversing into a balloon to pop it. This lesson idea was created by ...

Online

Introducing algorithms

In this sequence of lessons, students design a sequence of steps for others to follow. They convey their instructions to peers and evaluate the work of others to determine if the outcome was successful.

Online

Maker spaces

Find out about Maker spaces. 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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Computational thinking poster

This infographic provides an overview overview of the concepts related to computational thinking.

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ACARA sample assessment task: years 3-4: Classifying living or non-living things

This resource provides strategies for assessing aspects of the Digital Technologies subject in the Australian Curriculum that relate to data using contexts from other learning areas and General Capabilities, including Science, Mathematics, Numeracy and Literacy. The resource includes an assessment planner and rubric, as ...

Online

Algorithms

Find out about algorithms. 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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Australian Curriculum: Digital Technologies Years F-6 achievement standards and aligned content descriptions on a page

This PDF presents content descriptions and achievement standards for the Digital Technologies subject in the Australian Curriculum

Video

Hour of Code: Mark Zuckerberg teaches Repeat Loops

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 instructional video, Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg explains what a Repeat Loop is and how to use the repeat block. This is the second of seven clips in the Hour of Code tutorial. To ...

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

MathXplosion, Ep 46: Can you solve the Three Cups Problem?

Find three cups, place them in a line and turn one cup facing down. Can you get all three cups facing down after making exactly three moves? The one rule is: for every move, two cups must be flipped simultaneously. Since the goal is to get all three cups facing down (an odd number) and you start with one cup facing down ...

Video

Hour of Code: Introduction

The Hour of Code is a one-hour introduction to computer science, designed to demystify code and show that anybody can learn the basics.  This video explains what computer science is and what a computer programmer does. This is the first of seven clips in the Hour of Code tutorial. To try your hand at coding visit learn.code.org

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Unplugged Activity: What is computer science?

Do you know what a computer programmer does? Watch as some experts in the field explain. For more information on the activities introduced in this video, visit http://learn.code.org/s/1/level/1

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

Hour of Code: Chris Bosh teaches Repeat Until 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, basketball star Chris Bosh explains the difference between a Repeat Until command and a Repeat Loop command. This is the third of seven clips in the Hour of Code tutorial. ...

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Makey Makey interactive poster: years 3-4

This PDF provides instructions for students to create an interactive poster using a Makey Makey and the visual programming language Scratch. A Makey Makey is an electronic circuit board, which, when connected to a computer, allows everyday objects to function as keyboards.

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Australian Curriculum: Digital Technologies Years 3–4 assessment task: Living and non-living things booklet

This PDF is a booklet that accompanies the years 3-4 assessment task, Classifying living and non-living things.

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Scratch 3.0 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.

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Mossman State School

Mossman State School is a government school located in Mossman, Queensland, on the Traditional Lands of the Kuku Yalanji Peoples. Beth Claydon is the curriculum officer who works directly with the school to support the implementation of the Australian Curriculum: Digital Technologies. Teachers at the school have chosen ...

Video

Expert webinar video: Nathan Alison, Digital Learning and Teaching Victoria (DLTV): Focus on systems thinking. How do we teach it well?

Nathan Alison from Digital Learning and Teaching Victoria (DLTV) explains what systems thinking is and how it is used in the context of Digital Technologies. Nathan explains what we need to consider when teaching digital systems, covering topics such as networks, hardware and software protocols, people and processes.

Online

Game-based learning

Find out about Game-based learning. 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

Robotics

Find out about robotics. 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.

Interactive

Design thinking across the curriculum

This cross-curriculum resource is designed to introduce Stage 2, 3 and 4 students to the design thinking process through a series of videos and interactive activities. This resource is also downloadable as a SCORM file: the downloaded version will only work if you upload it to a webserver, such as Moodle or Canvas.

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' ...

Video

MathXplosion, Ep 48: The most important thing when solving word problems

It's very important to read problems carefully so you can determine the important facts and understand the questions you are being asked to solve. You may find an answer using pictures and numbers, but if you didn’t answer the right question, what seems right can actually be wrong.

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Intro to programming

This is a unit for Year 3 from the Scope and sequence resources from the DT Hub. The topic of algorithms and programming is organised into four key elements. Use this flow of activities to plan and assess students against the relevant achievement standards. Students follow the problem solving process to design and create ...

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Programming projects

This is a unit for Year 4 from the Scope and sequence resources from the DT Hub. The topic of programming is organised into four key elements. Use this flow of activities to plan and assess students against the relevant achievement standards. Students develop an understanding of computer programming as a series of instructions.

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Communicate ideas and information

This is a unit for Year 3 from the Scope and sequence resources from the DT Hub. The topic of managing a project and communicating online is organised into four key elements. Use this flow of activities to plan and assess students against the relevant achievement standards. Students manage a project and follow the problem ...

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Visual programming

Find out about Visual programming. 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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Australian Curriculum: Digital Technologies: years 3-4

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

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Collecting data about litter in the community: years 3-4

This PDF provides activities for collecting, analysing and representing data about litter in the local community. It prompts students to consider the implications of rubbish in the local environment, and suggests actions students can take in order to reduce litter.

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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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Teaching and supporting project management in the F-6 classroom

This PDF gives educators an overview of what project management is and ideas on how they can implement project management skills in the F-6 classroom.

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Voskoglou & Buckley review: Problem solving and computational thinking

This article explores the relationship between computational and critical thinking as it applies to solving technological problems. Research evidence derived from classroom experiments strongly suggests that using computers to solve problems enhances students’ abilities in solving real-world problems involving mathematical ...

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Australian Curriculum: Digital Technologies key concepts mapping: years 3-4

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 3-4 Digital Systems sample assessment task: Cooling the school

This document provides a scaffold to teach and assess students’ understanding of how digital systems can be used to monitor and collect information used for mapping and making judgements about the environment. Students record information using digital systems to investigate a school need, then design solutions to improve ...

Video

Expert webinar video: In conversation with Paul Mead from She Maps: A wide-ranging discussion from women in Technology and unconscious bias to digital systems and the ethical and safety considerations of using drone technologies

Paul Mead, from STEM education provider She Maps, discusses unconscious bias in young students and how She Maps is spreading the word about women who work with technologies in the field. He discusses digital systems and explains how geospatial systems and geographical information systems are used to collect, analyse and ...

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Mossman State School – Project proposal

This PDF outlines Mossman State School's proposal to participate in the Digital Technologies in Focus project.

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Activities that promote Digital Technologies concepts and incorporate Numeracy: part 3: Compass rose

This video provides suggestions for ways in which Digital Technologies can be used to develop students' learning in the Numeracy Learning Progression.

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Expert webinar video: Andrew Harris - Lead Teacher, Agricultural Education, Hagley Farm Primary School

Andrew Harris from the Hagley Farm School in Tasmania shares ways in which the school is teaching Digital Technologies and its meaningful use in agriculture . For example, Andrew provides examples of ways students learn about digital systems and data collection.

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Robots, data and computational thinking: years 2-4

This PDF comprises four worksheets that allow students to observe, investigate, manipulate and program simple line-following robots (Ozobots), engaging in the computational thinking process while working with data.

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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.

Video

Computational thinking in the Australian Curriculum: Digital Technologies

This video provides an overview of computational thinking and how it can be taught in the context of other learning areas.

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Classroom ideas: exploring digital technologies through shopping: years 3-6

This PDF demonstrates how using concepts derived from age-appropriate content, combined with multiple points of entry to and exit from a shopping-related task might remove barriers to learning. Students engage in purposeful and authentic open-ended explorations that require critical and creative thinking and incorporate ...

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Expert webinar video: Professor Tim Bell – Computational thinking

In this video, Professor Tim Bell discusses helpful ways of understanding and teaching computational thinking, a key idea of the Australian Curriculum: Technologies.

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Computational thinking cut out cards

This set of printable cards provides definitions of six aspects of computational thinking.

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Kim review: Systems thinking

This article explores the types of systems in our world, their characteristics and how our behaviour can initiate and respond to changes in their performance. The author differentiates between systems thinking and a system and elaborates on those factors that contribute to systemic behaviour.

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Expert webinar video: Russell Scott - Vortals: Augmented reality, virtual reality, 2D, 3D and game design lessons

Russell Scott, Co-Founder of multimedia design company Vortals, demonstrates some of the ways he teaches students about augmented reality, virtual reality, 2D, 3D and game design.

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Curzon & Bell et al. review: Computational thinking

This article explores the concept of computational thinking within computer science learning and in relation to other learning areas. The authors assert that because of its focus on analysis, computational thinking is not only suitable for computation but also the development of systems-based on computation.