Technologies · Year 6

Active learning ideas

The Changing Landscape of Work

Active learning helps Year 6 students grasp the changing landscape of work by letting them experience real-world thinking. When students analyze job shifts and debate human skills, they connect abstract concepts to tangible examples, making complex ideas easier to hold onto.

• ACARA Content Descriptions
• AC9TDI6K04

• 30–50 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Expert Panel
• 30 min · Pairs

Pairs Brainstorm: Irreplaceable Human Skills

Pairs watch short videos of robots at work, then list and justify three human skills hardest to replicate, such as empathy or improvisation. Pairs share one skill with the class via sticky notes on a board. Facilitate a quick vote on the top skill.

Which human skills are hardest for a computer or robot to replicate?

Facilitation Tip

During Pairs Brainstorm, set a 3-minute timer to keep discussions focused on identifying irreplaceable human skills without drifting into job examples.

What to look for

Pose the question: 'Imagine you are designing a new job for the year 2040. What would it be called, what would the main tasks be, and what skills would someone need to do it?' Facilitate a class discussion where students share their ideas and justify their reasoning.

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills

Activity 02

• Expert Panel
• 45 min · Small Groups

Small Groups: Hypothesize New Jobs

Groups of four receive cards with AI advancements, like self-driving cars, and hypothesize three new jobs each would create. Groups sketch job descriptions and present to the class. Compile all ideas into a shared 'Future Jobs Wall'.

Hypothesize about new jobs that might be created as a result of advancements in AI.

Facilitation Tip

For Small Groups Hypothesize New Jobs, provide starter templates that ask students to name the job, describe tasks, and list required skills to guide their creativity.

What to look for

Ask students to write on a slip of paper: 'One human skill that is very hard for robots to copy is ______. This is important because ______.' Collect these to gauge understanding of human-centric skills.

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills

Activity 03

• Expert Panel
• 50 min · Whole Class

Whole Class Debate: Lifelong Learning

Divide class into two teams to debate 'Lifelong learning is essential due to tech change' versus a counter view. Provide evidence cards on job shifts. Conclude with student reflections on personal learning plans.

Evaluate the importance of lifelong learning in an era of rapid technological change.

Facilitation Tip

In the Whole Class Debate, assign roles like moderator, timer, and note-taker to keep the discussion structured and inclusive.

What to look for

Present students with three hypothetical job descriptions: 'Robot Repair Technician', 'AI Ethics Consultant', and 'Data Entry Clerk'. Ask them to quickly rank these jobs from most likely to be impacted by AI/robotics (high impact) to least likely (low impact), and briefly explain their top choice.

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills

Activity 04

• Expert Panel
• 35 min · Individual

Individual Timeline: My Skill Journey

Students create a personal timeline from Year 6 to age 30, noting skills to learn amid AI changes. Share in small groups for feedback. Display timelines to spark class discussion on common themes.

Which human skills are hardest for a computer or robot to replicate?

Facilitation Tip

Have students record their personal skill journey on a single A4 sheet split into past, present, and future sections to visually track their learning.

What to look for

Pose the question: 'Imagine you are designing a new job for the year 2040. What would it be called, what would the main tasks be, and what skills would someone need to do it?' Facilitate a class discussion where students share their ideas and justify their reasoning.

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teachers find success by framing this topic around student curiosity rather than fear. Avoid overwhelming students with dystopian scenarios; instead, use real examples like robot vacuum cleaners or AI chatbots they already know. Research shows students grasp complex systems better through iterative discussion and debate rather than isolated reading.

Successful learning looks like students confidently identifying human skills that machines can’t replace and articulating new job ideas with evidence. You’ll see them debating lifelong learning while considering both personal and societal impacts of technology.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Pairs Brainstorm: 'Robots and AI will eliminate all jobs.'

  After the brainstorm, have pairs categorize their listed skills into those easily automated and those that remain human-centric, using the class’s shared list to challenge the misconception with evidence.

• During Small Groups Hypothesize New Jobs: 'AI can perform any task as well as humans.'

  During the activity, ask each group to include a task in their job description that requires human empathy or creativity, then present why their job can’t be fully automated.

• During Individual Timeline: 'Current skills suffice for a lifetime career.'

  Have students research a job their parents or grandparents held and compare its skills to those needed today, using the timeline to visualize this shift.

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Methods used in this brief

• Expert Panel