Years 5 to 6
Technologies
ASTECTDEY56
Years 5 to 6 Design and Technologies Achievement Standard
5 statements aligned to content descriptors and elaborations
Achievement standard (as ACARA publishes it)
Achievement standard
Click any sentence to jump to its statement and linked content descriptors.
By the end of Year 6 students explain how people design products, services and environments to meet the needs of communities, including sustainability. For each of the 3 prescribed technologies contexts they explain how the features of technologies impact on design decisions and they create designed solutions. Students select and justify design ideas and solutions against design criteria that include sustainability. They communicate design ideas to an audience using technical terms and graphical representation techniques. Students develop project plans, including production processes, and select technologies and techniques to safely produce designed solutions.
The 5 achievement standard statements
Open a statement to see the content descriptors ACARA links to it, then open a descriptor's elaborations.
By the end of Year 6 students explain how people design products, services and environments to meet the needs of communities, including sustainability.
Content descriptorAC9TDE6K01 Knowledge and understanding
explain how people in design and technologies occupations consider competing factors including sustainability in the design of products, services and environments
Elaborations (6)
- Elaboration investigating how First Nations Australians have long considered competing factors especially those related to sustainability in the design of fish harvesting technologies, for example fish traps and fish poisons that allow for selective harvesting and release of bycatch, as compared with high-yield, non-selective harvesting practices such as trawling
- Elaboration describing the impact and sustainability implications of designed products, services or environments on local, regional and global communities, for example the emergence of small businesses that are recycling materials, such as plastic tags and bottle tops into prosthetics
- Elaboration explaining the importance of aesthetics, function and sustainability in product design, for example a textile product that gives ultraviolet protection and is appealing; an odour-fighting wool fabric that minimises washing; a motor that moves a vehicle and uses a sustainable power source; a modification to a home to reduce environmental impact; restoring a natural environment and enabling low-impact access for the public such as boardwalks in fragile wet heath or swamp ecosystems
- Elaboration identifying the components of a service that contribute to its success and assessing potential risk or failure, for example a community service announcement to communicate a message in the school or to a wide audience; a service that manages an aspect of the environment such as Clean Up Australia Day in different communities
- Elaboration considering how engineers resolve competing factors to produce innovative solutions, for example experimenting with novel ideas such as biomimicry to engineer a solution such as a soft robotic device
- Elaboration considering how Safety by Design principles have been used in the design of products, services or environments, for example considering how prevention, protection and proactive change can be used to improve safety of designed solutions
For each of the 3 prescribed technologies contexts they explain how the features of technologies impact on design decisions and they create designed solutions.
Content descriptorAC9TDE6K02 Knowledge and understanding
explain how electrical energy can be transformed into movement, sound or light in a product or system
Elaborations (5)
- Elaboration investigating how automated, labour-saving photovoltaic systems are expected to provide opportunities for First Nations Australians to expand their aquaculture industries in coastal regions of northern Australia
- Elaboration explaining how sun tracking of solar panels assists renewable energy production in communities classified as remote
- Elaboration describing the process needed to carefully plan and select components for a system to perform a specific task, for example planning the arrangement of switches, light globes and a power source in a lighting design
- Elaboration producing models using materials, tools and equipment to show how to control movement, sound or light, for example constructing an automation or lifting system including a pulley to raise a bucket or toy
- Elaboration deconstructing a product or system to discover how movement, sound or light can be controlled, for example taking apart a torch or buzzer, or exploring circuit design in a security system and investigating the properties of materials to solve problems including the amount of light reflected from different surfaces to control a sensor
Content descriptorAC9TDE6K03 Knowledge and understanding
explain how and why food and fibre are produced in managed environments
Elaborations (5)
- Elaboration exploring how before colonisation, First Nations Australians lived in discrete communities that cared for, protected and sustainably harvested food and fibre resources, some of which are now cultivated to meet domestic and international demand, for example bunya nuts, macadamia and finger limes
- Elaboration investigating and experimenting with different tools, equipment and methods of preparing soil and the effect on soil quality and sustainability including conserving and recycling nutrients, for example building a food composting system, including mulch when designing a sustainable school vegetable garden or cropping area
- Elaboration describing the relationship between plant types and animal breeds and their environmental suitability when selecting suitable plants or animals for an environment, for example growing tropical fruits in northern Australia due to higher temperature, and raising sheep in the cooler regions of Australia
- Elaboration sequencing the process of converting on-farm food or fibre products into a product suitable for retail sale, for example creating a digital flowchart to record a paddock-to-plate supply chain, or the fibre-to-garment life cycle (fibre, yarn, fabric, garment)
- Elaboration visiting a farm or participating in a virtual tour to ask questions about how and why food and fibre are produced in that environment
Content descriptorAC9TDE6K04 Knowledge and understanding
explain how the characteristics of foods influence selection and preparation for healthy eating
Elaborations (6)
- Elaboration investigating how First Nations Australians have long selected and prepared foods for healthy eating, for example based on their nutritional value, availability, spoilage, preparation and processing requirements
- Elaboration using the Australian Dietary Guidelines to determine the recommended number of serves for an individual, for example describing and planning a healthy meal or lunchbox for a particular individual with recommended serving sizes to inform choices and then explaining the characteristics of the selected foods
- Elaboration experimenting with tools, equipment, ingredients and techniques to design and make food products or meals for selected groups for healthy eating taking into consideration environmental impacts and nutritional benefits, for example experimenting with preserving techniques including pickling, fermentation, air drying or sun drying and presenting information on the benefits for an audience
- Elaboration exploring a variety of tastes and how they may influence the selection or preparation of food, for example the sour, salty, sweet, spicy and umami flavours of many foods from countries across Asia
- Elaboration developing strategies to communicate healthy choices based on the Australian Dietary Guidelines, for example designing a website with food preparation tips for healthy eating for pre-teens
- Elaboration exploring the food service options of a local restaurant, café, fast food or takeaway establishment and identifying the food preparation skills needed to prepare food for healthy eating
Content descriptorAC9TDE6K05 Knowledge and understanding
explain how characteristics and properties of materials, systems, components, tools and equipment affect their use when producing designed solutions
Elaborations (6)
- Elaboration investigating how First Nations Australians have long used material science knowledge to identify materials and preparation techniques to meet performance needs, for example twining techniques of string and rope fibres to ensure suitability for use in wet, dry, freshwater and saltwater applications
- Elaboration identifying and describing the properties of materials for the design and construction of a household product or system to improve household sustainability, for example a product for storing harvested water or reducing energy consumption
- Elaboration describing the materials and systems used in public places and facilities that benefit the way people live, for example a community exercise environment, arts facility, water treatment plant or garbage collection service
- Elaboration comparing and describing the tools, equipment and techniques used to manufacture products in factories with those used by local and regional enterprises including cost and impacts, for example clothing made in factories compared with local handmade garments
- Elaboration comparing the design and production of products, services or environments in Australia and a country in Asia, for example comparing the diversity, availability and properties of preferred materials and the design of public shelters and housing in Indonesia and Australia
- Elaboration investigating the properties of fibres and how these are used to create products, for example designing an experiment to test which fabrics are warmest and explaining how those properties influence what they are used for
Content descriptorAC9TDE6P01 Processes and production skills
investigate needs or opportunities for designing, and the materials, components, tools, equipment and processes needed to create designed solutions
Elaborations (6)
- Elaboration investigating First Nations Australians’ traditional fibre sources as potential commercial solutions for biodegradable string or rope, and researching the materials, systems, components, tools and equipment needed
- Elaboration surveying people in the school community about their needs in order to design an appropriate product, service or environment that addresses the need, for example planning the requirements for a community meal, creating more shade in the school by determining where trees could be planted or designing a security system for the community garden
- Elaboration investigating designed solutions from around the world to make suitable, quality decisions that meet needs or opportunities, for example locating information online about small-space gardening ideas from different countries and judging their suitability for the local environment
- Elaboration investigating the importance of complementary parts of working systems by deconstructing the components, structure and purpose of products, services or environments, for example labelling a diagram of a robotic weeder or vacuum cleaner and explaining the function of parts
- Elaboration testing a range of materials, components, tools and equipment to determine the appropriate technologies needed to make products, services or environments, for example the materials for a product such as a rubber-band-powered vehicle or item of protective clothing
- Elaboration investigating how to minimise material use and manage waste by comparing the environmental and social impacts of materials, components, tools and equipment, for example comparing the cost and environmental impact of repurposing an old item of clothing to create a carry bag with buying a new one, or using vegetable scraps to make a healthy soup versus buying takeaway soup
Students select and justify design ideas and solutions against design criteria that include sustainability.
Content descriptorAC9TDE6P04 Processes and production skills
negotiate design criteria including sustainability to evaluate design ideas, processes and solutions
Elaborations (5)
- Elaboration deciding on design criteria collaboratively for a designed solution, for example including an environmental sustainability criterion such as product should be recyclable
- Elaboration developing design criteria with others to evaluate the suitability of materials, tools and equipment for specific purposes, for example considering the most suitable fabric, tools and equipment needed to make beeswax wraps
- Elaboration iterating and modifying design ideas based on evaluation to improve solutions, for example modifying the sensitivity of sensors in the design of an automated light
- Elaboration evaluating their designed solutions including considering the benefits and costs of production processes and the environmental impact, for example for the production of an animal shelter
- Elaboration reflecting on designed solutions to evaluate and assess suitability and sustainability and determine how well they meet design criteria, for example gathering relevant data to make judgements about a school or community fundraising event in relation to waste reduction, attendance and funds raised, and considering how these aspects could be handled in future events
They communicate design ideas to an audience using technical terms and graphical representation techniques.
Content descriptorAC9TDE6P02 Processes and production skills
generate, iterate and communicate design ideas, decisions and processes using technical terms and graphical representation techniques, including using digital tools
Elaborations (6)
- Elaboration generating a range of design ideas for products, services or environments using prior knowledge, skills and research, for example a security system for a community garden, a product made from a repurposed item of clothing, a permaculture vegetable patch or a healthy meal for a family picnic
- Elaboration analysing, modifying and developing design ideas to enhance and improve the sustainability of the product, service, environment or system, for example analysing eco-friendly alternatives to non-recyclable decorations for a community event or replacing paper-based newsletters with online formats
- Elaboration representing and communicating design ideas using modelling and drawing standards including the use of digital tools, for example including scale, symbols and codes in plans and diagrams; using pictorial maps and aerial views; and using digital mapping applications or infographics to present research and ideas to others
- Elaboration developing and using models to iterate and improve design ideas, for example using modelling applications to design the layout and features of an enclosure for a chosen animal
- Elaboration experimenting with materials, tools and equipment to refine design decisions and processes, for example considering the selection of materials and joining techniques to suit the purpose of a product, such as a pop-up book, a fabric bag or an electric circuit
- Elaboration considering the social values and ethics of clients when designing an environment, for example interviewing users of a space or seeking permission to use designs or images created by others including respect of cultural and intellectual property
Students develop project plans, including production processes, and select technologies and techniques to safely produce designed solutions.
Content descriptorAC9TDE6P03 Processes and production skills
select and use suitable materials, components, tools, equipment and techniques to safely make designed solutions
Elaborations (4)
- Elaboration matching material and joining techniques to the design intention, for example accurately and safely cutting and sewing the fabric pieces to make a community banner or joining components to produce an electric circuit
- Elaboration using appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) required for the use of some tools and equipment, for example protective eyewear and working safely, responsibly and cooperatively to ensure safe work areas, for example the safe use of equipment when making a water-resistant, floating craft
- Elaboration choosing appropriate materials, tools, equipment and techniques for a specific purpose, for example when safely and hygienically preparing food, cultivating garden beds or constructing electronic products
- Elaboration identifying work practices that show an understanding of nutrition, environmental considerations, hygiene and food safety when designing and making a food product, for example washing fruit and vegetables carefully to remove residues, safe disposal of cooking oils to avoid environmental damage, refrigerated storage of highly perishable foods, being aware of food allergies
Content descriptorAC9TDE6P05 Processes and production skills
develop project plans that include consideration of resources to individually and collaboratively make designed solutions
Elaborations (3)
- Elaboration setting milestones for production processes and allocating roles to team members, for example using a cloud-based or server-based document or spreadsheet to list tasks, deadlines and roles for team members working on a project collaboratively, including setting document sharing permissions with selected people
- Elaboration identifying the human resources, materials, tools and equipment that will be needed to make the designed solution as part of the project plan and specifying when these will be needed, for example access to a wildlife expert at the planning stage and scheduling access to shared tools when building a habitat for local animals
- Elaboration planning production steps needed to produce a product, service or environment using digital tools, for example making a flowchart or using a digital planner to record the sequence of tasks and deadlines needed to complete a project
This achievement standard describes the expected learning for Years 5 to 6 Design and Technologies. Use it to plan teaching and assessment with the Australian Curriculum v9.
At a Glance
| Strand | Substrand | CDs | Elaborations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Knowledge and understanding | Technologies and society | 1 | 6 |
| Knowledge and understanding | Technologies context: Engineering principles and systems | 1 | 5 |
| Knowledge and understanding | Technologies context: Food and fibre production; Food specialisations | 2 | 11 |
| Knowledge and understanding | Technologies context: Materials and technologies specialisations | 1 | 6 |
| Processes and production skills | Investigating and defining | 1 | 6 |
| Processes and production skills | Generating and designing | 1 | 6 |
| Processes and production skills | Producing and implementing | 1 | 4 |
| Processes and production skills | Evaluating | 1 | 5 |
| Processes and production skills | Collaborating and managing | 1 | 3 |
| Total | 10 | 52 | |
Frequently Asked Questions
What should students know by the end of Years 5 to 6 Design and Technologies?
By the end of Year 6 students explain how people design products, services and environments to meet the needs of communities, including sustainability. Read the full standard
How many Content Descriptors support this standard?
10 Content Descriptors support this Achievement Standard (Knowledge and understanding: 5, Processes and production skills: 5).
How does this compare to Years 3 to 4?
The Years 3 to 4 Design and Technologies standard (ASTECTDEY34) covers the preceding curriculum level. Standards build progressively, with Years 5 to 6 expectations extending what was introduced in Years 3 to 4.
Is this from the latest Australian Curriculum?
Yes, this Achievement Standard is from the Australian Curriculum version 9.0 (AC v9), the most current version published by ACARA.