Digital technologies / Year 3 and 4 / Digital Technologies Knowledge and Understanding

Curriculum content descriptions

Identify and explore a range of digital systems with peripheral devices for different purposes, and transmit different types of data (ACTDIK007)

Elaborations
  • using different peripheral devices to display information to others, for example using a mobile device, interactive whiteboard or a data projector to present information
  • using specific peripheral devices to capture different types of data, for example using a digital microscope to capture images of living and non-living things
  • experimenting with different types of digital system components and peripheral devices to perform input, output and storage functions, for example a keyboard, stylus, touch screen, switch scan device or joystick to input instructions; a monitor, printer or tablet to display information; a USB flash drive and external hard drive as storage peripheral devices
  • recognising that images and music can be transferred from a mobile device to a computer, for example using a cable to connect a camera and computer to upload images for a photo story
General capabilities
  • Numeracy Numeracy
  • Critical and creative thinking Critical and creative thinking
  • ICT capability Information and Communication Technology (ICT) capability
ScOT terms

Software,  User interfaces,  Computers

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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 ...

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How to Use Scratch: Making a Sprite say something

You don't want a silent Sprite! Get your Sprite to talk by using the 'say' block.

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Supporting implementation of Digital Technologies and the ICT Capability: part 3

This video explains ways in which the Digital Technologies curriculum and the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) General Capability can be implemented in schools. This video is the last in a series of three.

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Expert webinar video: Martin Richards: AI, AR and VR F–10 and links to the Australian Curriculum: Digital Technologies

Martin Richards manages the Digital Technologies Hub. He discusses the relationship between artificial intelligence and the Australian Curriculum: Digital Technologies. Martin also shows some useful resources for teachers.

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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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DTiF in conversation with Kevin Bradley and Cassandra Arkinstall from Save the Bilby Fund – Using Digital Technologies to help save bilbies

Kevin Bradley, CEO of Save the Bilby Fund, and Cassandra Arkinstall, a researcher and volunteer at Save the Bilby Fund explain how important digital technologies are in the campaign to save the bilby from extinction. The video explains how digital systems are used to collect and visualise data and help eradicate threats ...

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DTiF Classroom Exploring AI in the Classroom: Activity discussion

Digital Technologies in Focus curriculum officers discuss a lesson about Artificial Intelligence with Simon Collier and a student.

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Books for exploring digital technologies concepts

This PDF provides a list of books that are useful for exploring key concepts and ideas in Digital Technologies.

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A–Z Digital Technologies vocabulary F–6

This PDF assists teachers in thinking about when and how to introduce Digital Technologies discipline-specific vocabulary.

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Digital Technologies resource types and resource mapping template

This three-page document gives suggestions for selecting and organising Digital Technologies resources, including physical equipment, unplugged activities and online links. It includes a simple template that may be helpful in documenting these.

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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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Understanding digital systems

This PDF provides suggestions for teaching digital systems in the classroom. The resource includes useful links to websites that provide information about digital systems as well as relevant teaching and learning material.

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Effective DTiF strategies

This PDF lists eight ways in which Digital Technologies in Focus (DTiF) supported the implementation of Digital Technologies in disadvantaged schools.

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Supporting Implementation of Digital Technologies: Progress report – Focus on curriculum and pedagogy and learning outcomes (2019)

This PDF is an extensive report on the success of the Digital Technologies in Focus (DTiF) project, with a focus on curriculum and pedagogy and learning outcomes. The evaluation gathered qualitative data to create rich case study accounts of six schools' engagement in the project and its impacts and outcomes.

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Literature reviews: what, why and how

This PowerPoint explains the benefits and techniques of literature reviews.

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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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Work sample Years 3 and 4 Digital Technologies: Digital project: Rescuing Rapunzel

This work sample demonstrates evidence of student learning in relation to aspects of the achievement standards for Years 3 and 4 Digital Technologies. The primary purpose for the work sample is to demonstrate the standard, so the focus is on what is evident in the sample not how it was created. The sample is an authentic ...

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Years 3–4: Digital systems, safety and security

This scope and sequence unit explores peripherals of common digital systems and their function. Students investigate behaviours and protocols to stay safe online.

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

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 ...