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

Curriculum content descriptions

Examine the main components of common digital systems and how they may connect together to form networks to transmit data (ACTDIK014)

Elaborations
  • describing digital systems as having internal and external components that perform different functions, for example external components for inputting data including keyboard, microphone, stylus; internal processing components including the central processing unit; external output components including speakers, projector, screen; and data and information storage components including cloud and external devices
  • explaining how data may be transmitted between two digital systems in different ways, for example that wires or cables are used in wired networks to transfer data from one digital system to another, and radio waves are used to transmit data in wireless or mobile networks
  • investigating how the internal and external components of digital systems are coordinated to handle data, for example how a keyboard, central processing unit and screen work together to accept, manipulate and present data and information
  • investigating how emerging digital systems work, for example using an augmented reality app (or blended reality) and considering how images of real-world objects can be blended with computer-generated information to produce a virtual reality
General capabilities
  • Literacy Literacy
  • Critical and creative thinking Critical and creative thinking
  • ICT capability Information and Communication Technology (ICT) capability
ScOT terms

Software,  User interfaces,  Computers,  Internet

Video

How 'binary information' is communicated via the internet

Ever wondered how your photos, emails and messages get sent between devices? Watch as software engineer Tess Winlock explains what binary information is, and how it gets from one place to another. Can you explain what 'bits' are? How about 'bytes'? In the past, binary information was sent using physical systems like semaphore ...

Online

Connecting digital components

This is a unit for Year 6 from the Scope and sequence resources from the DT Hub. The topic of digital systems is organised into four key elements. Use this flow of activities to plan and assess students against the relevant achievement standards. Students learn about input and output devices and then use Makey Makey boards ...

Online

Collaborative project

This is a unit for Year 6 from the Scope and sequence resources from the DT Hub. The topic of collaboration and protocols is organised into four key elements. Use this flow of activities to plan and assess students against the relevant achievement standards. Using a relevant context such as disaster management, students ...

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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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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 Digital Systems assessment task: Staying fit, healthy and sun-safe: Teacher booklet

This document provides suggestions for using digital systems to encourage fit and healthy activity. It is the second in a series of four resources.

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Newsletter – July 2019

This newsletter from the Digital Technologies in Focus project includes information about an On Country staff development day with Leonara District High School, cybersecurity, the Australian Curriculum, and useful resources.

Audio

Mossman State School – Podcast

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

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Bethany Christian School – Timeline

This document presents the milestones in Bethany Christian School's participation in the Digital Technologies in Focus project.

Video

Green Hill Public School – Progress report 3

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 three.

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St Mary’s Primary School – Timeline

This document presents the milestones in St Mary's Primary School's participation in the Digital Technologies in Focus project.

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South Kalgoorlie Primary School – Final report

This report provides details of South Kalgoorlie Primary School's participation in the Digital Technologies in Focus project, including a Research question, criteria for success, data collection, resources, challenges, milestones and next steps.

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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.

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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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Kelley & Knowles review: STEM integration

This article explores ways of building integrated STEM programs so that students have opportunities to make connections to crosscutting concepts and real-world problems. This is proposed through the lens of a framework.

Video

Expert webinar video: Dr Karen Joyce: Map my school

Dr Karen Joyce from STEM education provider She Maps discusses geospatial mapping and methods for teaching underpinning concepts to primary, secondary and tertiary students. Her presentation provides opportunities to think about how we might teach digital systems, data collection and interpretation to our students in context.

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Classroom ideas F-10: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander connections to Digital Technologies

This resource provides examples of ways Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures can be integrated into Digital Technologies. Examples include 'classification and sorting data' and 'designing solutions'.

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Digital Technologies in the Australian Curriculum: overview and key links

This PDF gives an overview of the Australian Curriculum: Digital Technologies. It includes key points from the rationale and a step-by-step process for becoming familiar with the structure of the curriculum to assist planning. The document also provides links to key documents and sections of the Australian Curriculum as ...

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Australian Curriculum: Digital Technologies years 5-6 Digital Systems assessment task: Staying fit, healthy and sun-safe: student task portfolio

This PDF supports the assessment task, Staying fit, healthy and sun-safe. It is the third in a series of four resources.

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Easterbrook review: Systems thinking and Computational thinking

This article explores how the relationship between systems thinking and computational thinking would provide a conceptual basis for transformational change – change that considers the social and environmental impact of technology.