Year 4

Computing systems and networks – The Internet

Learners will apply their knowledge and understanding of networks, to appreciate the internet as a network of networks which need to be kept secure. They will learn that the World Wide Web is part of the internet, and will be given opportunities to explore the World Wide Web for themselves in order to learn about who owns content and what they can access, add, and create. Finally, they will evaluate online content to decide how honest, accurate, or reliable it is, and understand the consequences of false information.

Creating media - Audio production

Learners will identify the input device (microphone) and output devices (speaker or headphones) required to work with sound digitally. Learners will discuss the ownership of digital audio and the copyright implications of duplicating the work of others. In order to record audio themselves, learners will use Audacity to produce a podcast, which will include editing their work, adding multiple tracks, and opening and saving the audio files. Finally, learners will evaluate their work and give feedback to their peers.

Programming A – Repetition in shapes

Learners will create programs by planning, modifying, and testing commands to create shapes and patterns. They will use Logo, a text-based programming language.

This unit is the first of the two programming units in Year 4, and looks at repetition and loops within programming

Data and information – Data logging

In this unit, learners will consider how and why data is collected over time. Learners will consider the senses that humans use to experience the environment and how computers can use special input devices called sensors to monitor the environment. Learners will collect data as well as access data captured over long periods of time. They will look at data points, data sets, and logging intervals. Learners will spend time using a computer to review and analyse data. Towards the end of the unit, learners will pose questions and then use data loggers to automatically collect the data needed to answer those questions.

Programming B – Repetition in games

Learners will explore the concept of repetition in programming using the Scratch environment. The unit begins with a Scratch activity similar to that carried out in Logo in Programming unit A, where learners can discover similarities between two environments. Learners look at the difference between count-controlled and infinite loops, and use their knowledge to modify existing animations and games using repetition. Their final project is to design and create a game which uses repetition, applying stages of programming design throughout.