Australia · ACARA Content Descriptions
Year 6 Technologies
Students explore the inner workings of digital systems and develop complex problem solving skills through coding and data analysis. This course emphasizes computational thinking to design sustainable and user centered digital solutions for real world challenges.
Logic and Loops: Advanced Programming
Students master visual or general purpose programming languages to create interactive projects. They focus on branching, iteration, and user input to build responsive software.
Understanding how 'if-then-else' statements allow programs to make choices based on conditions.
Using loops and repetition to make code more concise and reduce manual effort.
Designing interfaces and interactions that consider the needs and limitations of the end user.
Data Detectives: Analysis and Visualization
Students investigate how data is collected, stored, and interpreted to solve problems. They learn to transform raw numbers into meaningful visual stories.
Exploring methods for gathering accurate data and the importance of checking for errors.
Using digital tools to create charts and infographics that reveal hidden trends.
Understanding how computers use binary to represent text, images, and sound.
Connected Worlds: Networks and Security
This unit covers the physical and logical components of computer networks. Students learn how data travels across the globe and how to keep it secure.
Tracing the path of data packets from a local device through routers to a global server.
Identifying threats to digital information and implementing strategies to protect personal data.
Comparing the hardware and performance of different networking technologies.
Impacts of Innovation
Students evaluate the social, ethical, and environmental impact of existing and emerging technologies. They consider their responsibilities as global digital citizens.
Analyzing the lifecycle of digital devices from raw material extraction to e-waste.
Discussing how robotics and AI are changing jobs and daily life.
Ensuring technology is designed to be accessible and fair for everyone in society.
Systems Thinking and Modeling
Students use computational thinking to model real world systems and predict outcomes. They explore how components interact within a larger structure.
Breaking down large challenges into smaller, manageable parts that can be solved individually.
Removing unnecessary details to focus on the core mechanics of a system.
Building simple models to test hypotheses and observe system behavior.
The Design Challenge: Solutions for Tomorrow
A capstone project where students apply their full range of skills to define, design, and evaluate a digital solution for a community problem.
Researching a real world issue and identifying how technology could provide a solution.
Creating low fidelity and high fidelity versions of a solution to test with users.
Presenting the final product and reflecting on the design process and final outcome.