Year 4 Achievement Standards

English+

Year 4 Achievement Standard

Handwriting behaviours are not described in the year level achievement standard or the writing assessment pointers. Instead, the Authority has developed the Handwriting Continuum to support Western Australian teachers in the teaching and monitoring of student handwriting for Pre-primary through to Year 10. The Handwriting Continuum can be found under the Teaching menu in the K-10 section of this website. Teachers will need to log in to the Extranet to access this resource.

Reading and Viewing

At Standard, students understand that texts have different text structures depending on purpose and context. They explain how language features, images and vocabulary are used to engage the interest of audiences. They describe literal and implied meaning connecting ideas in different texts. They express preferences for particular types of texts, and respond to others’ viewpoints. They fluently read texts that include varied sentence structures and unfamiliar vocabulary, including multisyllabic words.

Writing and Creating

Students use language features to create coherence and add detail to their texts. They understand how to express an opinion based on information in a text. They create texts that show understanding of how images and detail can be used to extend key ideas. Students create structured texts to explain ideas for different audiences. They demonstrate understanding of grammar, select vocabulary from a range of resources and use accurate spelling and punctuation, editing their work to improve meaning.

Speaking and Listening

Students listen for and share key points in discussions. They use language features to create coherence and add detail to their texts. Students understand how to express an opinion based on information in a text. They create texts that show understanding of how images and detail can be used to extend key ideas. Students create structured texts to explain ideas for different audiences. They make presentations and contribute actively to class and group discussions, varying language according to context.

Health and Physical Education+

Achievement standard

Health Education

At Standard, students identify personal behaviours that promote health, safety and wellbeing in unsafe or uncomfortable situations. They know where to go or who to speak with to get help in a variety of different environments, including at home and at school.

Students explain behaviours which convey respect and empathy and contribute to positive relationships. They interpret health information and messages, and discuss ways these can influence health decisions and behaviours.

Physical Education

At Standard, students perform a variety of fundamental movement skills, including locomotor and object control skills, and combine them with simple tactics when participating in physical activities and minor games to solve movement challenges. They improve their performance in a variety of contexts through the application of previously learned skills.

Students describe the benefits of participating in regular physical activity, including improved sleep and social contact. In physical activities and minor games, they apply strategies for working cooperatively and follow basic rules to ensure safety and fairness for all.

Humanities and Social Sciences+

Achievement standard

At Standard, students develop questions, locate and collect information and/or data from a variety of sources. They record their information and/or data in a range of formats and use some protocols when referring to the work of others. Students use given criteria to select relevant information, and they interpret information and/or data by sequencing events and identifying different points of view. They translate information and/or data into different formats. Students use given decision-making processes to draw simple conclusions and provide explanations based on information and/or data. They present findings using a range of communication forms appropriate to audience and purpose, using relevant terms. Students develop texts supported by researched information, and reflect on findings to propose an action.

Students identify the role of local government in the community, and recognise that people’s identity can be shaped through participation in a community group. They distinguish between rules and laws and identify that rights and responsibilities are important in maintaining social cohesion.

Students identify the location of Africa and Europe, and their major countries, in relation to Australia. They identify the main characteristics of their natural environments and describe the importance of the interconnections between people, plants and animals at the local to global scale. Students recognise that people have different views on the sustainable use of natural resources and describe how they can be managed and protected.

Students describe the connection that Australia’s First Peoples have to Country/Place and identify the impact of contact on Indigenous peoples in Australia, and around the world, as a result of exploration and colonisation. They identify the significance of past events in bringing about change and describe the experiences of an individual or a group over time. Students explain how and why life changed in the past and identify aspects of the past that have remained the same.

Mathematics+

Year 4 Achievement Standard

Number and Algebra

At Standard, students use the properties of odd and even numbers. They recall multiplication facts to 10 x 10 and related division facts. Students continue number sequences involving multiples of single-digit numbers. They choose appropriate strategies for calculations involving multiplication and division. Students locate familiar fractions on a number line. They recognise common equivalent fractions in familiar contexts and make connections between fraction and decimal notations up to two decimal places. Students solve simple purchasing problems. They describe number patterns resulting from multiplication. Students identify and explain strategies for finding unknown quantities in number sentences.

Measurement and Geometry

Students use scaled instruments to measure temperatures, lengths, shapes and objects. They compare areas of regular and irregular shapes using informal units. Students solve problems involving time duration. They convert between units of time. Students interpret information contained in maps. They create symmetrical shapes and patterns. They classify angles in relation to a right angle.

Statistics and Probability

Students list the probabilities of everyday events. They identify dependent and independent events. Students describe different methods for data collection and representation and evaluate their effectiveness. They construct data displays from given or collected data.

Science+

Year 4 Achievement Standard

Science Understanding

At Standard, students describe how materials can be used and relate this to their observable properties. They describe how contact and non-contact forces affect interactions between objects. Students discuss how natural processes and human activity cause changes to Earth’s surface. They describe relationships that assist the survival of living things and sequence key stages in the life cycle of a plant or animal.

Science as a Human Endeavour

Students identify that science is used to understand the world around them.

Science Inquiry Skills

Students follow instructions to identify investigable questions about familiar contexts and make predictions based on prior knowledge. They describe ways to conduct investigations and safely use equipment to make and record observations. Students use provided tables and construct column graphs to organise data and identify patterns. They suggest explanations for observations and compare their findings with their predictions. Students suggest reasons why a test was fair or not. They use formal and informal ways to communicate their observations and findings.

Languages

Chinese+

Achievement standard

At standard, students interact and socialise in Chinese with their teacher and each other through class experiences, activities and transactions to exchange information about aspects of their personal worlds, their daily routines at home and school, such as 星期日我打网球. They use with guidance, familiar modelled questions and responses, to provide information, ask for/give permission and request assistance, such as 老师,我不懂. They write simple correspondence using formulaic language, Chinese characters and Pinyin with some guidance. Students identify and convey some factual information from spoken and visual texts related to their personal and social worlds. They locate some key words, familiar characters and factual information in written texts and convey information with guidance, using learnt words, phrases and characters. Students create and present their own representations of familiar imaginative texts. They create short written imaginative texts using simple characters and modelled, short sentences with guidance. Students translate some familiar, high-frequency words and use dictionaries and word lists, with guidance, to translate simple familiar texts. Students identify ways in which identity is reflected through cultural practices and norms.

Students become familiar with the systems of the Chinese language, identifying some of the components and the consonant and vowel/vowels combination of familiar Pinyin, and writing Pinyin with a satisfactory level of accuracy. They identify the components and structures of some familiar Chinese characters. Students recognise and use, both orally and in writing, a range of vocabulary. They recognise and use elements of grammar in simple sentences to record observations, with a satisfactory level of accuracy. Students understand that Chinese sentences have a particular word order. They explore basic sentence structure in Chinese, consisting of subject-verb-object and compare similar sentences constructed in English and Chinese. Students recognise and use some familiar verbs for daily routine, such as 读书/看书、看电视. They talk about how the Chinese language works using some Chinese terms, with guidance, and identify some language features and textual conventions in familiar Chinese texts. Students list ways that language use varies according to context and participants’ age, gender and relationship, and usually act accordingly. They identify some Chinese vocabulary that reflect influences from other languages, and the languages and cultures represented in the classroom.

Japanese+

Achievement standard

At standard, students interact and socialise in Japanese with their teacher and each other through class experiences, activities and transactions, to exchange information about aspects of their personal worlds, daily routines at home and school and their interests. They use simple descriptive or expressive modelled language, with guidance, to provide information, ask questions and make statements, such asサッカー を しますか。いつ しますか。土よう日 に サッカー を します。Students locate, process and convey some factual information and simple statements from familiar texts related to their personal and social worlds. They view a range of imaginative texts, identifying most key words and some familiar phrases, cultural expressions and behaviours. They create and perform short imaginative texts, using familiar expressions, simple statements and modelled language. Students explain some features of Japanese language protocols such as the use of formulaic expressions, counter classifiers and the indication of politeness by using です. They use dictionaries with guidance, word lists and pictures to translate simple familiar texts. Students make some comments about how language reflects cultural practices and norms.

Students become familiar with the systems of the Japanese language, explaining that hiragana symbols can be combined to represent words and that vowel length can differentiate words in Japanese. Students commence writing, with a satisfactory level of accuracy, their own words, structures and phrases in hiragana with visual supports. They write some frequently-used kanji and read and write words using hiragana with a satisfactory level of accuracy. Students use vocabulary and expressions, and apply elements of grammar, with a satisfactory level of accuracy, in simple spoken and written texts. They use verbs in the past tense ~ました/ませんでした and indicate time and frequency using expressions such as まいにち、ときどき. Students tell the time using ~じ/~じはん です なんじ ですか and use words and expressions indicating direction or means of transportation. They begin to describe how the Japanese language works, using terms similar to those used in English. Students make some simple comparisons between features of familiar texts and explain, with guidance, how particular features of such texts help to achieve their purpose. Students show how language use varies according to the participant, relationships and the context of use. They state, with guidance, that Japanese is a standardised language with regional dialects and lists its connections with several other languages. Students make some connections between language and culture use by identifying vocabulary and expressions that reflect different cultural values, traditions or practices.

German+

Achievement standard

At standard, students interact with the teacher and others in classroom situations to exchange information related to aspects of their personal worlds, daily routines at home and school, and their interests. They use simple descriptive or expressive modelled language with guidance, to provide information, make statements and answer a variety of questions such as Wie spät ist es?, Was ist dein Lieblingsfach? and Ich finde Sport interessant, und du? Students select familiar vocabulary from a range of texts and convey factual information about their personal worlds with simple statements, short descriptions and modelled texts. They participate in and respond to a range of imaginative texts, with occasional guidance, and create, rehearse and perform presentations or short imaginative texts, using simple modelled language, including some coordinating conjunctions, such as und, aber and oder. Students translate words, phrases and expressions, and attempt to use dictionaries. They compare meanings, and at times, share understandings about aspects of language and culture. Students make some comments on how language reflects cultural practices and norms.

Students differentiate statements, questions, imperatives and exclamations according to intonation, sentence structure and punctuation. They identify the purpose of the Eszett and show how the Umlaut alter the pronunciation of particular vowels such as ä, ö and ü. They identify single letters, some consonant clusters and vowel combinations such as au, ei, eu and ie. They recognise and use vocabulary and apply elements of grammar in simple spoken and written texts with a satisfactory level of accuracy, using use some forms of common regular verbs in the present tense such as heißen and wohnen, some irregular verb forms, such as bin, ist, hast and hat, limited forms of modal verbs such as mag and möchte, and the accusative case. Students respond to and use question words and some ja/nein questions. They refer to time and place using familiar words and phrases such as morgen and im Wald. Students begin to describe how the German language works, using terms similar to those used in English. with guidance. They make some simple comparisons between features of familiar texts and explain with guidance, how particular features of such texts help to achieve their purpose. Students describe how different ways of using German language reflect different regions and countries, different relationships and different ways of making meaning. Students recognise that German is an important European and global language and begin to identify connections between culture and language use.

Italian+

Achievement standard

At standard, students interact and socialise in Italian using simple descriptive, or expressive modelled language with guidance, to participate in tasks or activities, to ask questions, make statements and to exchange information about aspects of their personal worlds, daily routines at home and school and their interests, such as Il sabato gioco a pallacanestro and Giochi domani? Students locate, process and convey some factual information and simple statements from texts. They respond to imaginative texts, discussing messages, using modelled language to make statements in Italian. They use familiar expressions, simple statements and modelled language to make statements and express opinions, sometimes in Italian, about characters or themes and to create and perform short imaginative texts. Students share meanings and some simple understandings about aspects of Italian language and culture by translating, with some accuracy, familiar words, phrases and simple expressions. They use dictionaries, with guidance, and word lists to translate simple familiar texts and make some observations in English about how language reflects cultural practices and norms.

Students pronounce and write familiar words accurately most of the time and experiment with pronunciation of words containing letter combinations, such as sc, sch, sci, gne and gl, with a satisfactory level of accuracy. They apply some of the rules of spelling and punctuation, such as capitalisation, with some consistency. They use familiar vocabulary and expressions, and apply elements of grammar in simple spoken and written texts, with a satisfactory level of accuracy. They use, in modelled texts, the singular forms of common regular, reflexive and high-frequency irregular verbs in the present tenses, such as Anna va al parco, and the past tense, such as Mi alzo alle sette. Students express preferences and reasons for preferences, tell the time, give the day, date and ages. They use simple prepositions to indicate location and direction. Students talk about language using some Italian terms with guidance. They make some simple comparisons between features of familiar texts and explain, with guidance, how particular features help to achieve a particular purpose. They list ways that language use may vary due to context and participants, and they list places where Italian is spoken around the world. They identify some vocabulary and expressions that reflect different cultural values and make some connections between culture and language use.

Indonesian+

Achievement standard

At standard, students interact and socialise in Indonesian with the teacher and each other through class experiences, activities and transactions, to exchange information about aspects of their personal worlds, daily routines at home and school and their interests. They use simple descriptive or expressive modelled language, with guidance, to provide information, ask questions and make statements, such as Saya pergi ke sekolah pada jam delapan. Students locate, process and convey some factual information and simple statements from familiar texts related to their personal and social worlds. They respond to a range of imaginative texts, discussing messages, mostly in English, and using modelled language, to make statements and express opinions about characters or themes. They create and perform short imaginative texts, using familiar expressions, simple statements and modelled language. Students share meanings and attempt to interpret aspects of Indonesian language and culture by translating familiar words, phrases and simple expressions in simple texts. They use dictionaries, with guidance, word lists and pictures to translate simple familiar texts. Students make some comments about how language reflects cultural practices and norms.

Students recognise and mostly respond to and use different intonation for questions, statements and commands. They use vocabulary and apply elements of grammar in simple spoken and written texts with a satisfactory level of accuracy. Students describe objects using concrete nouns and simple adjectives and specify location using prepositions. Students seek information using questions and link ideas using conjunctions. They locate events in time, telling the time on the hour and using the days of the week. Students apply the rules for subject-verb-object sentence construction and possessive word order. They apply some of the same rules of punctuation as they are applied as in English, such as using capital letters, full stops and question marks for sentences. Students begin to describe how the Indonesian language works, using terms similar to those used in English. They make some simple comparisons between features of familiar texts and explain, with guidance, how particular features of such texts help to achieve their purpose. They describe how different ways of using Indonesian language reflect different regions, different relationships and different ways of making meaning. They state that Indonesian is a standardised language and discuss that it borrows from and influences other languages. Students make some connections between language and culture use by identifying vocabulary and expressions that reflect different cultural values, traditions or practices.

French+

Achievement standard

At standard, students interact and socialise in French with their teacher and each other through class experiences, activities and transactions, to exchange information about aspects of their personal worlds, daily routines at home and school, and their interests. They use simple descriptive or expressive modelled language with guidance, to provide information, ask questions and make statements, such as Le samedi, je fais du cheval et le dimanche, je joue au netball. Students locate, process and convey some factual information and simple statements from familiar texts related to their personal and social worlds. They respond to a range of imaginative texts, discussing messages, mostly in English and using modelled language, to make statements and express opinions about characters or theme. They create and perform short imaginative texts, using familiar expressions, simple statements and modelled language. Students share meanings and attempt to interpret aspects of French language and culture by translating familiar words, phrases and simple expressions in simple texts to share understandings about aspects of French language and culture that are different from English. They use dictionaries with guidance, word lists and pictures to translate simple familiar texts. Students make some comments about how language reflects cultural practices and norms.

Students become familiar with the systems of the French language, reproducing vowel sounds, word endings shared with English, such as –tion and –ent and intonation patterns with a satisfactory level of accuracy. They use vocabulary and apply elements of grammar in simple spoken and written texts with a satisfactory level of accuracy. They observe the relationship between subject pronouns and verb endings, using je/tu/il/elle/on + present tense of verbs associated with familiar actions and environments, such as Je vais à l’ecole à huit heures. They express negation in simple sentence structures and colloquial expressions. They use an increasing range of adjectives including additional gender forms, and use some adverbs to elaborate on simple verb statements. Students begin to describe how the French language works, using terms similar to those used in English with guidance. They make some simple comparisons between features of familiar texts and explain with guidance, how particular features of such texts help to achieve their purpose. Students describe how different ways of using French language reflect different places, relationships and ways of making meaning. They state that French is an important global language and list connections with several other languages. Students make some connections between language and culture use by identifying vocabulary and expressions that reflect different cultural values, traditions or practices.

Technologies

Design and Technologies+

Achievement standard

At Standard, students identify roles people in design and technologies occupations have in the community and ways that products, services and environments are designed and produced to meet community needs, considering sustainability. In Engineering principles and systems, students recognise ways forces and properties of materials, affect the behaviour of a product or system. In Food and fibre production, students identify consumer needs and how technology is used in food and natural fibre production or processing. In Materials and technologies specialisations, students implement safe practices and select suitable materials, systems and components for a range of purposes.

With all Design and Technology contexts, students use sequenced steps to design a solution for a given task. They identify and choose the appropriate resources from a given set. Students develop and communicate design ideas and decisions, using annotated drawings and appropriate technical terms. They select and safely use appropriate components and equipment to make solutions. Students use criteria to evaluate and justify simple design processes and solutions for a given task. They work independently, or collaboratively, to plan, safely create and communicate ideas and information for solutions.

Digital Technologies+

Achievement standard

At Standard, students identify different purposes for digital systems and peripheral devices, recognising they can store and transmit a variety of data. They use simple visual programming, including a sequence of steps (algorithms) and branching, students represent data in a range of ways. They create and communicate ideas and information and use software to collect and represent different types of data, using agreed protocols (netiquette).

In Digital Technologies, students use algorithms (sequenced steps) to design a solution for a given digital task. They identify and choose the appropriate resources from a given set. Students develop and communicate design ideas and decisions, using annotated drawings and appropriate technical terms. They select and safely use appropriate components and equipment to make solutions. Students use criteria to evaluate and justify simple design processes and solutions for a given digital task. They work independently, or collaboratively, to plan, safely create and communicate ideas and information for solutions.

The Arts

Media Arts+

Achievement standard

At Standard, students plan, create and present media work for a specific purpose, using codes and conventions for some audience engagement. They identify how narrative structures tell stories or convey messages with a beginning, middle and end. Students consider narrative structure when sequencing and editing. They use appropriate audio and edit text to convey a narrative. Students use familiar places to represent fictional settings, and use some props and costumes in their media work. They follow some simple media protocols when required.

Students respond respectfully to a variety of media work from different social, cultural and/or historical contexts. They identify and reflect on the meaning and purpose of their own and others’ media work, using some media terminology.

Drama+

Achievement standard

At Standard, students explore, through improvisation, dramatic action to present drama to an audience. They use voice, movement and role to create drama in devised or improvised drama to create dramatic narratives. Students use rehearsal processes in different groups to explore transitions and address audience engagement. They demonstrate focus and control to engage an audience in drama.

Students identify and reflect on the meaning and purpose of their own drama and the drama of others. They identify ideas in drama from different cultures. Students use some drama terminology.

Dance+

Achievement standard

At Standard, students explore, select and combine mostly familiar movements to express an idea or message in dances they choreograph. They use the elements of dance (BEST) and choreographic devices (repetition and contrast) to create variation when structuring dances. Students demonstrate some control and coordination of combinations of fundamental movement skills in dance sequences. They demonstrate, on occasion, performance skills using some appropriate facial expression and audience acknowledgement when performing dance.

Students outline, using some dance terminology, how the elements of dance (BEST) are used to communicate meaning in their own and others’ dance. They identify some purposes of dance from different cultures.

Music+

Achievement standard

At Standard, students improvise and organise rhythm patterns in simple time signatures, with some errors. They usually recognise the difference between duple and triple time, and recognise some changes in time signatures and tempos. Students improvise and sing and play pentatonic and simple melodic patterns, with some inconsistencies. They use graphic and/or standard rhythmic and pitch notation, with some inconsistencies. Students identify and incorporate tempo and some dynamics and expressive devices, using some appropriate symbols or terminology, when composing and performing. They identify and describe some instruments and methods of sound production to inform their choices when listening or composing. Students identify some forms and sections within a form. They sing and play with some inconsistencies in tuning, timing and technique, incorporating some dynamics and expression. Students use some teacher feedback to adapt their ideas when rehearsing and performing.

Students listen and respond to music, and identify instrument families or groups, and some individual instruments. Students provide a link between the use of some elements of music to the composer’s purpose, or a particular culture, event or occasion.

Visual Arts+

Achievement standard

At Standard, students apply their ideas, skills and techniques to making artwork. Their ideas replicate aspects of other styles. Students apply their ideas by selecting and manipulating relevant materials to create artwork. They enhance their artwork by manipulating shapes, using a variety of lines, colours and textures, organising space and exploring value. Students create artwork, using a range of techniques in selected art forms.

Students acknowledge artwork from different social, cultural and historical contexts. With scaffolding, they make observations about an artist’s purpose or meaning, using some visual art terminology.

Year 4 Curriculum