As students work towards the achievement of Level 1 standards in the Arts, they learn about a range of ways arts elements can be used in the Performing and Visual Arts to communicate experiences, observations and things imagined. They begin to select, arrange and make choices about ways of using arts elements, principles and/or conventions from individual arts disciplines as they investigate the use of skills, techniques, processes, media, materials, equipment and technologies relevant to the arts disciplines in which they are working. They explore and, with guidance, maintain a record of ways of creating arts works that use a range of contemporary and traditional arts forms, media, materials, equipment and technologies; for example, they plan and explore ideas in a visual diary or keep...
At Level 1, students create and present performing and visual arts works that show emerging arts knowledge and an ability to plan arts works that communicate ideas, concepts, observations feelings and/or experiences. They demonstrate an emerging ability to select, arrange and make choices about expressive ways of using arts elements, principles and/or conventions. They use skills, techniques, processes, media, materials, equipment and technologies in a range of arts forms. They identify, describe and discuss characteristics of their own and others’ arts works.
In the Arts, standards for the Exploring and responding dimension are introduced at Level 3.
As students work towards the achievement of Level 4 standards in Civics and Citizenship, they identify the range of groups to which they, their family members and their class belong. They begin to appreciate the similarities and differences between individuals and groups, including the language, cultural and religious groups which make up the Australian nation. They explore the roles, rights and responsibilities of various family and community members. They discover why groups and communities have rules, begin to question rules which they believe are unfair, and make suggestions about improving the rules within the community. They begin to appreciate the common values important to groups and individuals; for example, fairness, tolerance, understanding and respect.
Students begin to participate in a range of class and school activities such as recycling, taking responsibility for class resources, and marking local and national celebrations and commemorations. They explore the purpose and benefits of school, community and national events. Students investigate the ways individuals, families, groups and communities can work to improve their environment.
In Civics and Citizenship, standards for assessing and reporting on student achievement are introduced at Level 3. The learning focus statements for Foundation to Level 2 provide advice about learning experiences that will assist students to work towards the achievement of the standards at Level 4.
As students work towards the achievement of Level 6 standards in Communication, they practise the skills of being attentive listeners and viewers in pairs, small groups and as a whole class. They are encouraged to use questions to clarify meaning and to extend interaction. They experience, respond to and begin to interpret a variety of aural, written and visual texts, discussing alternative meanings and perspectives when they arise.
When communicating with others, students begin to distinguish between differing contexts, purposes and audiences and they learn to modify their communication accordingly; for example, when playing with friends in the playground and talking to classroom visitors.
Students regularly make short oral presentations to small groups or the whole class on specified topics across the curriculum and on personal experiences beyond school. With guidance, students develop an understanding of basic communication conventions and practise strategies for improving their presentations with a particular focus on making themselves understood; for example, by varying volume and pace and making eye contact with the audience.
In Communication, standards for assessing and reporting on student achievement are introduced at Level 5. The learning focus statements for Foundation to Level 4 provide advice about learning experiences that will assist students to work towards the achievement of the standards at Level 6.
As students work towards the achievement of Level 4 standards in Design, Creativity and Technology, they come to understand that people use creative, imaginative and inventive thinking to help them meet human needs and wants. They enquire about and question their world, offering ideas and suggestions based upon their experience of working with materials/ingredients and systems components. They investigate what products and systems can do, how they work, and why they are the way they are. They play with and manipulate materials/ingredients, think about, discuss and describe their characteristics and properties (using terms such as strong, hard, stretchy and sweet) and why they are suitable for use in products and systems.
In response to simple design briefs, students develop basic design id...
In Design, Creativity and Technology, standards for assessing and reporting on student achievement are introduced at Level 3. The learning focus statements for Levels 1 and 2 provide advice about learning experiences that will assist students to work towards the achievement of the standards at Level 4.
The English curriculum is built around the three interrelated strands of Language, Literature and Literacy. Teaching and learning programs should balance and integrate all three strands. Together...
By the end of Level 1, students understand the different purposes of texts. They make connections to personal experience when explaining characters and main events in short texts. They identify the language features, images and vocabulary used to describe characters and events. Students read aloud, with developing fluency and intonation, short texts with some unfamiliar vocabulary, simple and compound sentences and supportive images. When reading, they use knowledge of sounds and letters, high frequency words, sentence boundary punctuation and directionality to make meaning. They recall key ideas and recognise literal and implied meaning in texts.
When writing, students provide details about ideas or events. They accurately spell words with regular spelling patterns...
As students work towards the achievement of Level 2 standards in the Movement and physical activity dimension, they participate in a variety of physical activities in a range of environments (indoor, outdoor and aquatic). They explore different actions of the body and begin to understand how these actions affect movement efficiency. They practise basic motor skills such as running, hopping, jumping, skipping, catching, throwing, kicking, rolling, balancing, twisting and turning and are introduced to more complex skills such as leaping, dodging, the over-arm throw, dribbling and striking balls, cartwheeling and handstanding. They participate in and develop control over a range of locomotor activities that require a change of speed (such as fast and slow movements), direction (such as...
At Level 1, students are working toward the Level 2 standards.
In Health and Physical Education, standards for the Health knowledge and promotion dimension are introduced at Level 3.
Present and Past Family Life
The Level 1 curriculum provides a study of present and past family life within the context of the students’ own world. Students learn about similarities and differences in family life by comparing...
By the end of Level 1, students explain how some aspects of daily life have changed over recent time while others have remained the same. They describe personal and family events that have significance.
Students sequence events in order, using everyday terms about the passing of time. They pose questions about the past and examine sources (physical and visual) to suggest answers to these questions. Students relate stories about life in the past, using a range of texts.
As students work towards the achievement of Level 4 standards in the Humanities they develop their understanding of the local community.
Students develop their awareness of spatial concepts and use terms that demonstrate an understanding of absolute and relative locations. With guidance, they recognise and point to their street, town or city and state on an appropriate map. They recognise the globe as a model representation of Earth and can locate Australia and other places with which they have links. Students learn to identify and name physical features and distinguish them on the basis of variables, including size (scale/height/distribution) and colour. Through observation, they investigate and describe elements of the natural and built environments in their local area.
By observing...
In the Humanities, achievement standards for History are introduced from Foundation level. Standards for the other Humanities domains are introduced from level 4.
The curriculum (content descriptions and achievement standards) for HistoryAC Foundation to Level 4 is located here.
As students work towards the achievement of Level 2 standards in Information and Communications Technology (ICT), they use ICT to acquire new knowledge and skills in all areas of the curriculum and to create and present information in meaningful ways. For example, students access a website to participate in a food pyramid game, and then present their understanding of food groups in a slide show that contains an image of a lunchbox filled with the appropriate food items. When using multimedia resources, students begin to think critically about these resources and how they help learning.
In their learning of new material, students experiment with some simple ICT tools and techniques for visualising their thinking. They learn to organise and classify information and ideas, and present them...
At Level 1, students are working toward the Level 2 standards (see below).
As students work towards the achievement of Level 2 standards in Interpersonal Development, they interact with their peers, older and younger students and adults, in a range of contexts. With teacher support, students reflect on personal qualities which contribute to the development and maintenance of friendships. They begin to develop and exhibit appropriate behaviours for maintaining positive social relationships.
Through activities such as reading, discussion and role-play, students learn to recognise and describe the feelings and emotional responses of others. They compare these with their own emotional responses and adjust their behaviour in response.
Students learn to recognise that their actions have consequences for both themselves and others in social contexts. They begin to...
At Level 1, students are working toward the Level 2 standards.
As students work towards the achievement of standards in Languages at Pathway 1 Level 6, they learn about culture in context from stimulus materials. They learn that there are different ways of doing things and to identify what is familiar and what is different in their own and other cultures. In preparation for Level 6 standards, students need to develop the knowledge and skills described in the progression measures.
Students start to understand and use the language other than English in structured situations and activities related to their local environment: self, family, home, classroom and community. To develop comprehension they respond non-verbally or by using key words or short phrases. They begin to use sets of words and sentences that are encountered frequently in the classroom...
In Languages Pathway 1, standards for assessing and reporting achievement are introduced at Level 5. Schools that provide language programs prior to Level 4 should refer to the Languages phases of learning (formerly progression measures) which provide a typical sequence of second language development. The Foundation to Level 4 learning focus statements provide advice for teachers about learning experiences that will assist students to work towards the achievement of the standards at Level 6.
The proficiency strands Understanding, Fluency, Problem Solving and Reasoning are an integral part of mathematics content across the three content strands: Number and Algebra, Measurement and Geometry...
Number and Algebra
Students count to and from 100 and locate these numbers on a number line. They partition numbers using place value and carry out simple additions and subtractions, using counting strategies. Students recognise Australian coins according to their value. They identify representations of one half. Students describe number sequences resulting from skip counting by 2s, 5s and 10s. They continue simple patterns involving numbers and objects with and without the use of digital technology.
Measurement and Geometry
Students use informal units of measurement to order objects based on length and capacity. They tell time to the half-hour and explain time durations. Students describe two-dimensional shapes and three-dimensional objects. They use the language of distance and direction to move from place to place.
Statistics and Probability
Students describe data displays. They ask questions to collect data and draw simple data displays. Students classify outcomes of simple familiar events.
As students work towards the achievement of Level 4 standards in Personal Learning, they participate in a wide range of learning experiences which involve a variety of learning styles and approaches to learning. With teacher support, they reflect on those approaches which they believe help them learn most effectively. Students begin to record their feelings and understanding about their learning, responding to prompts which help them acknowledge their successes, noting where improvements could be made and reflecting on the effort they put into particular tasks.
Students develop strategies to use when they are feeling uncertain about their learning, such as seeking assistance from their teachers. They begin to recognise that learning from mistakes is an important attribute of being a...
In Personal Learning, standards for assessing and reporting on student achievement are introduced at Level 3. The learning focus statements for Foundation to Level 2 provide advice about learning experiences that will assist students to work towards the achievement of the standards at Level 4.
The Science Inquiry Skills and Science as a Human Endeavour strands are described across a two-level band. In their planning, schools and teachers refer to the expectations outlined in the Achievement...
At Level 1, the student is working towards the Level 2 standard.
As students work towards the achievement of Level 4 standards in Thinking Processes, they explore the community and environment around them, and increasingly consider contexts and information which lie beyond their immediate experience. Questions and wondering are encouraged, recorded and shared, and become the basis for further learning.
Students develop their skills in making accurate observations about people and events, and they begin to use a variety of means to record their observations. They develop their own explanations for the observations they make and learn to question the accuracy of other people’s explanations. They begin to understand that people are more likely to believe an explanation if evidence or reasons are provided. They develop their skills in using a range...
In Thinking Processes, standards for assessing and reporting on student achievement are introduced at Level 3. The learning focus statements for Levels 1 and 2 provide advice about learning experiences that will assist students to work towards the achievement of the standards at Level 4.
