Year 4
How people, places and environments interact, past and present
The Year 4 curriculum focuses on interactions between people, places and environments over time and space and the effects of these interactions. Students gain opportunities to expand their world knowledge and learn about the significance of environments, examining how people's need and want of resources over time has affected peoples, societies and environments. Specifically, students study European exploration and colonisation in Australia and elsewhere up to the early 1800s and life for Indigenous Australians pre- and post-contact. They examine the concept of sustainability, and its application to resource use and waste management, past and present, by different groups. The curriculum introduces the role of local government, laws and rules, and group belonging and how they meet people's needs. Themes of law and citizenship extend into their studies of diverse groups, the colonisation of Australia and other places, and how environmental sustainability is enacted.
The content provides opportunities for students to develop humanities and social sciences understanding through key concepts including significance; continuity and change; cause and effect; place and space; interconnections; roles, rights and responsibilities; and perspectives and action. These concepts may provide a focus for inquiries and be investigated across sub-strands or within a particular sub-strand context.
The content at this year level is organised into two strands: knowledge and understanding, and inquiry and skills. The knowledge and understanding strand draws from three sub-strands: history, geography and civics and citizenship. These strands (knowledge and understanding, and inquiry and skills) are interrelated and have been developed to be taught in an integrated way, which may include integrating with content from the sub-strands and from other learning areas, and in ways that are appropriate to specific local contexts. The order and detail in which they are taught are programming decisions.
Inquiry Questions
A framework for developing students' knowledge, understanding and skills is provided by inquiry questions. The following inquiry questions allow for connections to be made across the sub-strands and may be used or adapted to suit local contexts: inquiry questions are also provided for each sub-strand that may enable connections within the humanities and social sciences learning area or across other learning areas.
- How have laws affected the lives of people, past and present?
- What were the short- and long-term effects of European settlement on the local environment and Indigenous land and water management practices?
- What is the significance of the environment and what are different views on how it can be used and sustained, past and present?
(source: www.australiancurriculum.edu.au)
Achievement Standard
By the end of Year 4, students recognise the significance of events in bringing about change and the importance of the environment. They explain how and why life changed in the past and identify aspects of the past that have remained the same. They describe the experiences of an individual or group in the past. They describe and compare the diverse characteristics of different places at local to national scales. Students identify the interconnections between components of the environment and between people and the environment. They identify structures that support their local community and recognise the importance of laws in society. They describe factors that shape a person's identity and sense of belonging. They identify different views on how to respond to an issue or challenge.
Students develop questions to investigate. They locate and collect information and data from different sources, including observations to answer these questions. When examining information, they distinguish between facts and opinions and detect points of view. They interpret data and information to identify and describe distributions and simple patterns and draw conclusions. They share their points of view, respecting the views of others. Students sequence information about events and the lives of individuals in chronological order with reference to key dates. They sort, record and represent data in different formats, including large-scale maps using basic cartographic conventions. They reflect on their learning to propose action in response to an issue or challenge, and identify the possible effects of their proposed action. Students present ideas, findings and conclusions using discipline-specific terms in a range of communication forms.
(source: www.australiancurriculum.edu.au)
Achievement Standard
By the end of Year 4, students recognise the significance of events in bringing about change. They explain how and why life changed in the past and identify aspects of the past that have remained the same. They describe the experiences of an individual or group in the past.
Students sequence information about events and the lives of individuals in chronological order with reference to key dates. They develop questions about the past and locate, collect and sort information from different sources to answer these questions. They analyse sources to detect points of view. Students develop and present texts, including narrative recounts, using historical terms.
(source: www.australiancurriculum.edu.au)
Achievement Standard
By the end of Year 4, students describe the location of selected countries using compass direction. They describe and compare the characteristics of places in different locations at local to national scales. They identify the interconnections between components of the environment and between people and the environment. Students recognise the importance of the environment and identify different possible responses to a geographical challenge.
Students develop geographical questions to investigate and locate, collect and sort information and data from different sources to answer these questions. They record and represent data and the location of places and their characteristics in simple graphic forms, including large-scale maps that use the cartographic conventions of scale, legend, title and north point. They describe the location of places and their features using grid references and compass direction. Students interpret geographical data to identify spatial distributions and simple patterns and draw conclusions. They present findings using geographical terminology in a range of texts. They propose individual action in response to a local geographical challenge and identify some possible effects of their proposed action.
(source: www.australiancurriculum.edu.au)
Achievement Standard
By the end of Year 4, students identify structures and decisions that support their local community and recognise the importance of laws in society. They describe factors that shape a person's identity and sense of belonging.
Students develop questions about the society in which they live and locate and collect information from different sources to answer these questions. They examine information to distinguish between facts and opinions, identify points of view and to draw conclusions. They share their points of view, respecting the views of others, and identify the groups they belong to. Students present ideas and conclusions using discipline-specific terms in a range of communication forms.
(source: www.australiancurriculum.edu.au)
- Plus Plan
British Colonisation of Australia - Early Struggles in the New Colony Poster
A poster to display in the classroom when teaching about the British Colonisation of Australia.
- Plus Plan
Responsibilities Of Australian Local Governments - Posters
Explore the roles and responsibilities of Australian local governments with this set of classroom posters.
- Free Plan
Desert Word Wall Vocabulary
Spark discussion and build academic vocabulary with a desert related vocabulary word wall.
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South American Flags
Decorate your travel-themed classroom with a set of fourteen flags from South America.
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Reduce, Reuse, Recycle Flipbooks
Display different ways to conserve resources with a set of handy recycling–based foldable interactive notebook templates.
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How to Save Water Poster and Worksheet Pack
Teach your students ways to save water with a printable poster and worksheet pack.
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A World Without Water - Natural Resource Worksheet
Imagine and depict what a world without water would look like with a drawing prompt worksheet.
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How Do We Use Natural Resources? Concept Map Worksheet
Help your students uncover the ways that humans use natural resources with a concept map.
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Acclimatised Civilisations: Egypt – Workbook
Learn about the physical and human geography of Egypt and the Sahara Desert with this inquiry-based mapping activity.
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Renewable and Non-renewable Resources – Cut and Paste Worksheet
Sort renewable and non-renewable resources with this cut-and-paste worksheet.
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Why Teach About Aboriginal Astronomy? Poster
An educational poster providing a rationale for teaching Australian children about Aboriginal astronomy.
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Australian History Pop Quiz – Teaching Presentation
A teaching presentation that serves as a pop quiz to explore students' knowledge of Australian history and the culture we see today.
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The Story of Gulaga - Comprehension and Activity Worksheet
A comprehension and linked activity based on an Aboriginal Dreaming Story.
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First Fleet Word Wall
A vocabulary word wall to display and use in the classroom when learning about the First Fleet.
- Plus Plan
Timeline of the First Fleet's Journey to Australia - Banner
A four-page timeline of the history of the voyage of the First Fleet.
- Plus Plan
First Fleet - Inquiry Task
An inquiry-based assessment task for students to demonstrate their understanding of the people impacted by the First Fleet.
- Free Plan
My Ecological Footprint - Reference Sheet
Teach your students about the things we do that affect the Earth with an ecological footprint reference sheet.
- Plus Plan
Original Inhabitants PowerPoint
A 43 slide editable PowerPoint presentation to use when teaching students about the original inhabitants of Australia.
- Plus Plan
Timeline of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People 66 000 BCE to 1788 CE - Banner
A four-page timeline of the history of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people between 66 000 BCE and 1788 CE.
- Plus Plan
World Vegetation Zones - Mapping Template
Locate and explore different vegetation zones around the world with this mapping worksheet.
- Free Plan
Blank Map of South America - Template
Record and represent data about the location of significant places with this printable blank map of the continent of South America.
- Plus Plan
African Flags
Eight flags from Africa.
- Plus Plan
Chinese Lantern Craft - Year of the Snake
Celebrate the Year of the Snake with a printable Chinese lantern craft.
- Plus Plan
Tropical Rainforest PowerPoint
An 11 slide editable PowerPoint to use in the classroom when learning about tropical rainforests.
- Free Plan
Weathering and Erosion Poster
Learn how weathering and erosion can cause slow changes to Earth’s surface with this printable poster.
- Plus Plan
My Personal Timeline - Project Template
Apply knowledge of chronological order while students create a personal timeline highlighting important milestones.
- Plus Plan
Australian Local Government - Class Election Templates
Explore the roles and responsibilities of local governments in Australia with a mock local council election.
- Free Plan
National Tree Day Activity Pack
Celebrating National Tree Day with a pack of exciting activities!
- Plus Plan
What Can We Recycle? Cut and Paste Worksheet
Remember what to recycle with a cut-and-paste worksheet.
- Plus Plan
How Can We Help Our Planet Mini Book
Help your students learn about how to keep our planet clean with a printable Earth Day book.
- Plus Plan
Changes to the Environment – Worksheet
Learn about environmental changes and how they affect living things with this worksheet.
- Plus Plan
Natural Resources – Exit Tickets
Assess student understanding of natural resources with this set of exit tickets.