Unit Title: Smart Systems and Ancient Protocols: Exploring Networks, and Ecosystems

●   Focus: Explore how communication systems have evolved to meet changing needs, compare ancient Aboriginal technologies with modern internet protocols, and understand how smart systems and wireless communication work. Students will also study local ecosystems using LiDAR scanning technology and create 3D models of natural objects using CAD software.

●   Duration: 10 Weeks

●   UN SDG: Goal 9 – Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure 🏗️ (Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization, and foster innovation.)

📌 Key Learning Outcomes:

Digital Technologies:

●   ACTDIP022: Investigate how digital systems transmit and receive data.

●   ACTDIP023: Design, create, and communicate digital solutions.

Biological Sciences Integration:

●   ACSSU043: Living things have structural features and adaptations that help them survive in their environment.

YEAR 6 ASSESSMENTS TERM 1

📊 Summative Assessments

1. Smart Networks: Bridging Digital and Natural Communication Systems

2. Eco-Friendly Housing Design Project

Sequence 1: What Are Digital Systems? (Weeks 1–2)

Focus Question: What makes up a digital system, and how do its components work together?
UN SDG: Goal 9 – Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure 🏗️

Learning Intentions:

●        Understand and identify the key components of a digital system (hardware, software, inputs, outputs).

●        Explore how inputs are processed into outputs by digital systems.

●        Use systems thinking to analyze how components interact within a system.

●        Compare digital systems with natural systems, focusing on input, process, and output cycles.

Key Learning Outcomes:

●        ACTDIK023: Investigate the components of digital systems and how they work together.

●        ACSSU043: Recognize natural systems that operate through inputs, processes, and outputs.

Activity 1: Dissecting a Digital System (Indoor Activity)

Objective: Identify the physical and logical components of a digital system and understand their roles.

●        Demonstration of an old device being disassembled an old digital device.

●        Smart Systems Slide Show & Powerpoint/Canva Presentation Journal: label hardware components (e.g., motherboard, RAM, processor) and discuss their functions.

• Create a 3D Model of a Digital System using Makers Empire Advanced

●        Explore how software instructions enable hardware components to work together.

Digital Tool:

●        Use PowerPoint/Canva/Blender to create a digital 3D labeled diagram of the disassembled device.

●        Label each component and explain its function.

Explicit Teaching Focus:

●        Teach the difference between hardware (physical components) and software (programs and instructions).

●        Discuss how inputs (keyboard, touch screen) are processed into outputs (sound, image, movement).

Reflection Questions:

●        What role does each hardware component play in the system?

●        How does software enable the hardware to function?

Activity 2: Exploring Input-Process-Output in Nature (Outdoor Activity)

Objective: Recognize how natural systems process inputs into outputs and compare them to digital systems.

●        Students will explore the school garden or nearby green space to identify a natural system with clear inputs, processes, and outputs (e.g., plants taking in sunlight and water to produce oxygen and grow).

●        Observe how environmental factors (sunlight, water, temperature) act as inputs.

●        Record observations in a nature journal, focusing on the sequence of input → process → output.

Outdoor Tool:

●        Use LiDAR scanners to digitally map the observed plant system and create a 3D visualization of the inputs and outputs.

Explicit Teaching Focus:

●        Teach how plants and ecosystems process inputs into meaningful outputs (e.g., oxygen, seeds).

●        Compare this with digital devices processing user inputs into outputs like images and sounds.

Reflection Questions:

●        How do plants use inputs like sunlight and water to produce outputs like oxygen?

●        In what ways is this process similar to how a digital device processes data?

Activity 3: Input-Process-Output Digital Model (Indoor Activity)

Objective: Represent a digital system and a natural system side-by-side using a flowchart.

●        Students will use Scratch 3.0 to create a simple animation showing the input-process-output stages of both a digital device and a natural system.

●        For the digital side: Represent a smartphone receiving an input (e.g., a button press), processing it (e.g., executing an app), and displaying an output (e.g., a notification).

●        For the natural side: Represent a plant absorbing sunlight (input), processing photosynthesis, and releasing oxygen (output).

Digital Tool:

●        Scratch 3.0 to create a dual animation showing digital and natural systems side by side.

Explicit Teaching Focus:

●        Reinforce the idea of input-process-output cycles as universal across both digital and natural systems.

●        Highlight similarities in efficiency and dependency on all stages working effectively.

Reflection Questions:

●        What happens if one stage of the system fails (e.g., no sunlight for the plant, no software for the hardware)?

●        How do both systems rely on feedback to function correctly?

Assessment Activity:

Task: Create a Comparison Poster showing the similarities and differences between a digital system (smartphone) and a natural system (plant lifecycle) in terms of input, process, and output.

Success Criteria:
✅ Identify and label key components of a digital system.
✅ Accurately map the input-process-output sequence of a natural system.
✅ Explain the similarities between digital and natural systems using diagrams and annotations.
✅ Use SketchUp or Scratch 3.0 to create digital representations of both systems.

Sequence 2: How Do Networks Work? (Weeks 3–4)

Focus Question: How do digital systems connect and share information across networks?
UN SDG: Goal 4 – Quality Education 📚 (Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.)

Learning Intentions:

●       Understand how digital systems communicate across networks to share and transmit data.

●       Explore how network protocols ensure data accuracy and security during transmission.

●       Recognize how natural communication systems (e.g., ant trails, bird calls) mirror digital network principles.

●       Develop systems thinking to map and analyze communication pathways.

Key Learning Outcomes:

●       ACTDIP022: Investigate how digital systems transmit and receive data across networks using agreed protocols.

●       ACSSU043: Identify communication patterns in ecosystems and their role in survival.

Activity 1: Human Data Network Simulation (Outdoor Activity)

Objective: Understand how data travels across networks and the role of protocols in communication.

●       Students will simulate a human data network, where each student represents a network node.

●       They will pass data packets (messages on cards) across the network following protocol rules (e.g., turn-taking, data verification).

●       Some students will act as error checkers to ensure data is transferred correctly.

Outdoor Tool:

●       Use colored task cards to represent different types of data (e.g., text, image, sound).

●       Create a visual map of the data flow paths after the activity.

Explicit Teaching Focus:

●       Teach the concept of network nodes, data packets, and protocols.

●       Explain how errors are detected and corrected in network communication.

Reflection Questions:

●       What happened when an error occurred in data transmission?

●       How do protocols help maintain efficient communication?

Activity 2: Wireless Communication Simulation (Indoor Activity)

Objective: Explore how wireless networks transmit data across devices.

●       Students will use Micro:bit devices to simulate wireless message transmission.

●       They will send short text messages across devices using pre-set protocols (e.g., acknowledgments for received data).

●       Analyze signal strength and reliability in different classroom locations.

Digital Tool:

●       Micro:bit devices for wireless communication.

●       Data log templates for recording signal behavior.

Explicit Teaching Focus:

●       Introduce how wireless signals carry data.

●       Discuss the importance of signal strength, interference, and acknowledgment protocols in wireless communication.

Reflection Questions:

●       How reliable was the wireless signal in different areas of the classroom?

●       What happens if an acknowledgment isn’t received?

Activity 3: Nature-Inspired Networks (Outdoor Activity)

Objective: Draw parallels between digital and natural communication networks.

●       Observe ant trails or bird communication patterns in the school garden or outdoor area.

●       Identify how ants use pheromone trails to send signals or how birds use sound patterns for communication.

●       Map observed communication pathways in nature journals.

Outdoor Tool:

●       Use Tello Drones to capture aerial footage of ant trails or bird activity.

●       Record findings using digital journals or Google Sheets.

Explicit Teaching Focus:

●       Highlight how pheromone trails (ants) and calls (birds) mirror digital network communication protocols.

●       Teach how natural systems manage communication efficiency and reduce errors.

Reflection Questions:

●       How do ants ensure their signals reach the intended destination?

●       What similarities exist between how ants or birds communicate and how digital systems share data?

Activity 4: Mapping Digital and Natural Networks (Indoor Activity)

Objective: Create a side-by-side comparison of digital and natural networks.

●       Students will create a network map diagram showing how data travels in a digital system (e.g., Wi-Fi network) and how signals travel in a natural system (e.g., ant pheromone trail).

●       Use Scratch 3.0 or CoSpaces Edu to animate data flow in both systems.

Digital Tool:

●       Scratch 3.0: Animated network map of digital and natural systems.

●       CoSpaces Edu: Create an interactive 3D network visualization.

Explicit Teaching Focus:

●       Emphasize similarities in data routing protocols and error management strategies in both systems.

●       Discuss the role of efficiency in communication networks for both technology and nature.

Reflection Questions:

●       How do digital and natural systems ensure efficient communication?

●       What happens in both systems when communication is disrupted?

Assessment Activity:

Task: Create a Network Flowchart and Comparison Poster showing how data flows across:

1. A digital network (e.g., Wi-Fi network).

2. A natural communication network (e.g., ant trail).

Success Criteria:
✅ Accurately map the flow of data in both digital and natural systems.
✅ Identify and explain key concepts such as nodes, protocols, and error correction.
✅ Highlight similarities and differences between digital and natural networks.
✅ Use Scratch 3.0 or CoSpaces Edu to create a dynamic representation of the networks.

Sequence 3: Systems Thinking in Action (Weeks 5–6)

Focus Question: How can we use systems thinking to understand and design better digital and natural solutions?
UN SDG: Goal 11 – Sustainable Cities and Communities 🏙️ (Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable.)

Learning Intentions:

●       Apply systems thinking to identify and solve problems in digital systems.

●       Understand how inputs, processes, and outputs interact within both digital and natural systems.

●       Explore feedback loops in digital systems and ecosystems.

●   Compare error correction in digital systems to self-regulation in natural systems.

Key Learning Outcomes:

●       ACTDIP023: Investigate how digital systems manage and process data using protocols and rules.

●   ACSSU043: Explore feedback mechanisms in natural systems and their role in maintaining balance.

Success Criteria:

✅ Accurately explain the role of systems thinking in both digital and natural systems.
✅ Identify and describe inputs, processes, and outputs in a digital and natural feedback loop.
✅ Apply debugging techniques to resolve errors in a digital system.
✅ Represent feedback loops in both systems using Scratch 3.0 or CoSpaces Edu.

🌿 Nature Connection:

●       Ecosystems use feedback loops to maintain balance (e.g., predator-prey cycles, plant responses to light).

●       Digital systems use error correction protocols to ensure data accuracy and system stability.

●   Big Idea: Both natural ecosystems and digital systems rely on feedback to adapt, correct errors, and maintain balance.

Activity 1: Debugging a Digital System (Indoor Activity)

Objective: Understand how errors are detected and corrected in digital systems.

●       Students will work in pairs to debug a pre-built digital messaging program in Scratch 3.0.

●       Errors in the program may include missing steps, incorrect logic, or failed loops.

●   Students will log each identified error, describe how they fixed it, and test the program's functionality.

Digital Tool:

●       Scratch 3.0 for debugging activities.

●   Reflection Log Template for documenting errors and fixes.

Explicit Teaching Focus:

●       Teach the steps of problem decomposition and debugging cycles.

●   Explain how iterative testing is essential for refining systems.

Reflection Questions:

●       What types of errors did you find in the system?

●       How did you identify and fix these errors?

●   How do feedback loops ensure systems remain reliable?

Activity 2: Observing Natural Feedback Loops (Outdoor Activity)

Objective: Identify and analyze feedback mechanisms in natural ecosystems.

●       Students will observe examples of natural feedback systems in the school environment.

○        Examples: Leaves closing in response to touch (e.g., mimosa plants), predator-prey interactions, or tree responses to sunlight.

●       Students will record their observations in field journals and create diagrams showing the input, process, and output stages of these feedback loops.

●   Groups will compare their findings with examples of digital feedback loops discussed in class.

Outdoor Tool:

●       Observation Logbooks for recording observations and sketching diagrams.

●   Tello Drones to capture aerial views of broader natural systems (e.g., tree canopy responses to light exposure).

Explicit Teaching Focus:

●       Teach how feedback mechanisms help maintain balance in ecosystems.

●   Discuss parallels between error correction in digital systems and self-regulation in natural systems.

Reflection Questions:

●       What feedback mechanisms did you observe in nature?

●       How does the natural system respond to external triggers?

●   What similarities do you notice between natural and digital feedback systems?

Activity 3: Digital-Natural Feedback Loop Map (Indoor Activity)

Objective: Create a comparative map showing digital and natural feedback loops.

●       Students will use Scratch 3.0 or CoSpaces Edu to create interactive diagrams of digital and natural feedback loops.

●       Digital Example: A thermostat adjusting temperature based on sensor inputs.

●       Natural Example: A plant adjusting its leaves based on sunlight exposure.

●       The project must include:

○        Inputs, processes, outputs

○        Feedback mechanisms

Digital Tool:

●       Scratch 3.0: Create animated digital feedback loops.

●   CoSpaces Edu: Develop a 3D interactive model of natural and digital systems.

Explicit Teaching Focus:

●       Highlight the cyclical nature of feedback loops in both systems.

●   Discuss the importance of systems thinking in designing reliable networks and maintaining ecological balance.

Reflection Questions:

●       How do digital systems use feedback to address errors?

●       How do natural systems self-regulate?

●   How can we design smarter systems by learning from nature?

Assessment Activity:

Task: Create a Feedback Loop Infographic and Interactive Model comparing a digital feedback loop and a natural feedback loop.

●       Digital Example: Error correction in a network.

●   Natural Example: Plant response to sunlight or animal behavioral patterns.

Success Criteria:
✅ Clearly identify and represent inputs, processes, and outputs in feedback systems.
✅ Provide examples of feedback loops in both digital and natural systems.
✅ Use Scratch 3.0 or CoSpaces Edu to create a functional interactive diagram.
✅ Explain the importance of feedback loops in maintaining system balance.