Australian Curriculum Overview
English
In Year 6, students communicate with peers and teachers from other classes and schools, community members, and individuals and groups, in a range of face-to-face and online/virtual environments. Students engage with a variety of texts for enjoyment. They listen to, read, view, interpret and evaluate spoken, written and multimodal texts in which the primary purpose is aesthetic, as well as texts designed to inform and persuade. These include various types of media texts including newspapers, film and digital texts, junior and early adolescent novels, poetry, non-fiction and dramatic performances. Students develop their understanding of how texts, including media texts, are influenced by context, purpose and audience.
Mathematics
Understanding includes describing properties of different sets of numbers, using fractions and decimals to describe probabilities, representing fractions and decimals in various ways and describing connections between them, and making reasonable estimations. Fluency includes representing integers on a number line, calculating simple percentages, using brackets appropriately, converting between fractions and decimals, using operations with fractions, decimals and percentages, measuring using metric units and interpreting timetables Problem Solving includes formulating and solving authentic problems using fractions, decimals, percentages and measurements, interpreting secondary data displays and finding the size of unknown angles Reasoning includes explaining mental strategies for performing calculations, describing results for continuing number sequences, explaining the transformation of one shape into another and explaining why the actual results of chance experiments may differ from expected results.
Science
In Year 6, students explore how changes can be classified in different ways. They learn about transfer and transformations of electricity, and continue to develop an understanding of energy flows through systems. They link their experiences of electric circuits as a system at one scale to generation of electricity from a variety of sources at another scale and begin to see links between these systems. They develop a view of Earth as a dynamic system, in which changes in one aspect of the system impact on other aspects; similarly, they see that the growth and survival of living things are dependent on matter and energy flows within a larger system. Students begin to see the role of variables in measuring changes and the value of accuracy in these measurements. They learn how to look for patterns and to use these to identify and explain relationships by drawing on evidence.
HASS
The Year 6 curriculum focuses on the social, economic and political development of Australia as a nation, particularly after 1900, and Australia's role within a diverse and interconnected world today. Students explore the events and developments that shaped Australia as a democratic nation and stable economy, and the experiences of the diverse groups who have contributed to and are/were affected by these events and developments, past and present. Students investigate the importance of rights and responsibilities and informed decision-making, at the personal level of consumption and civic participation, and at the national level through studies of economic, ecological and government processes and systems. In particular, students examine Asia's natural, demographic and cultural diversity, with opportunities to understand their connections to Asian environments. These studies enable students to understand how they are interconnected with diverse people and places across the globe.
Health and Physical Education
The Year 5 and 6 curriculum supports students to develop knowledge, understanding and skills to create opportunities and take action to enhance their own and others' health, wellbeing, safety and physical activity participation. Students develop skills to manage their emotions, understand the physical and social changes that are occurring for them and examine how the nature of their relationships changes over time.
The content provides opportunities for students to contribute to building a positive school environment that supports healthy, safe and active choices for everyone. Students also explore a range of factors and behaviours that can influence health, safety and wellbeing.
Technologies (Design)
In Years 5 and 6, students critically examine technologies − materials, systems, components, tools and equipment − that are used regularly in the home and in local, national, regional or global communities, with consideration of society, ethics and social and environmental sustainability factors. Students consider why and for whom technologies were developed.
Students engage with ideas beyond the familiar, exploring how design and technologies and the people working in a range of technologies contexts contribute to society. They seek to explore innovation and establish their own design capabilities. Students are given new opportunities for clarifying their thinking, creativity, analysis, problem-solving and decision-making. They explore trends and data to imagine what the future will be like and suggest design decisions that contribute positively to preferred futures.
Using a range of technologies including a variety of graphical representation techniques to communicate, students represent objects and ideas in a variety of forms such as thumbnail sketches, models, drawings, diagrams and storyboards to illustrate the development of designed solutions. They use a range of techniques such as labelling and annotating sequenced sketches and diagrams to illustrate how products function; and recognise and use a range of drawing symbols in context to give meaning and direction.
Music
In Years 5 and 6, students learning Music further their understanding, explore and use of rhythm, pitch, dynamics and expression, form and structure, timbre and texture in music. They extend their understanding and use of aural skills as they sing and play independent parts against contrasting parts and recognise instrumental, vocal and digitally generated sounds. Students explore meaning and interpretation, forms and elements of music as they make and respond to music.
Dance
In Years 5 and 6, students develop their understanding and use of performance or technical skills to communicate intention for different audiences. They identify a variety of audiences for different arts experiences as they engage with more diverse artworks as artists and audiences.
In Dance, students extend their awareness of the body as they combine movements that use body parts and actions with those involving body zones and bases. They extend their understanding and use of space, time, dynamics and relationships including performing in groups of varying sizes.
Students extend their use of various combinations of fundamental movement skills and technical skills, developing competence, body control and accuracy. They explore meaning and interpretation, forms and elements of dance, including the use of space and energy in dances as they make and respond to dance.
Media Arts
In Years 5 and 6, students develop their understanding and use of performance or technical skills to communicate intention for different audiences. They identify a variety of audiences for different arts experiences as they engage with more diverse artworks as artists and audiences.
In Media Arts, students develop their use of structure, intent, character and settings by incorporating points of view and genre conventions in their compositions. They extend their understanding and use of time, space, sound, movement, lighting and technologies.
Students identify the variety of audiences for which media artworks are made and explain the purpose and processes for producing media artworks. They explore meaning and interpretation, and forms and elements including structure, intent, character and settings as they make and respond to media artworks. Students consider the ethical behaviour and role of communities and organisations in regulating access to media artworks.
Languages
In Years 5 & 6, students use Japanese with peers and the teacher for a widening range of purposes: asking and responding to questions, exchanging information, expressing ideas and feelings, performing, responding to learning experiences, and interacting with Japanese language resources. They are developing greater fluency and accuracy in communication. As they draw on a growing range of vocabulary resources and grammatical structures, their pronunciation, intonation and phrasing improve. They begin to use Japanese more spontaneously when interacting with one another, and use an increasing range of body language and gestures. Shared tasks provide a context for purposeful language experience and experimentation. Focused attention on language structures, literacy skills development and exploration of cultural elements of communication are conducted at least in part in Japanese. Learners use digital media to support their learning in increasingly independent ways, such as exchanging resources and information with other Japanese speakers. In doing this, they may access music and media resources.