Assessment pointers validate teachers’ professional judgement when reporting against a
five-point scale. The pointers:
JUDGING STANDARDS IN YEAR 4

are examples of evidence in relation to the achievement standard

should be used with the annotated student work samples

exemplify what students may demonstrate rather than a checklist of everything they
HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES
should do.
YEAR 4 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.
2015/50538v2 [PDF 2015/106059] Published: 15 April, 2016
YEAR 4 HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES ASSESSMENT POINTERS
A
B
C
D
E
Excellent achievement
High achievement
Satisfactory achievement
Limited achievement
Very low achievement
Humanities and Social Sciences skills
Questioning and
Researching
Analysing
Evaluating
Communicating and
Reflecting
Develops a range of detailed and
relevant questions to
investigate.
Develops a range of relevant
questions to investigate.
Develops questions to
investigate.
Poses simple questions.
Does not meet the requirements
of a D grade.
Records detailed and relevant
information and/or data using
different methods, some of
which may be scaffolded.
Records relevant information
and/or data using different
methods, some of which may be
scaffolded.
Records information and/or
data using different methods,
some of which may be
scaffolded.
Records some information
and/or data, which may be
irrelevant, using simple
methods.
Interprets information and/or
data to accurately and
comprehensively sequence
information, make connections
or identify patterns.
Interprets information and/or
data to accurately sequence
information, make connections
or identify patterns.
Interprets information and/or
data to sequence information,
make connections or identify
patterns.
Interprets information and/or
data, with some inaccuracies.
Describes, in detail, different
viewpoints contained in the
information and/or data.
Describes different viewpoints
contained in the information
and/or data.
Identifies different viewpoints
contained in the information
and/or data.
Identifies a viewpoint contained
in the information and/or data.
Draws a detailed conclusion,
supported by relevant
information and/or data.
Draws a conclusion, supported
by relevant information and/or
data.
Draws a simple conclusion,
supported by some information
and/or data.
Provides a statement.
Does not meet the requirements
of a D grade.
Presents findings, supported by
detailed researched facts, in a
range of forms, effectively using
relevant terms.
Presents findings, supported by
researched facts, in a range of
forms, using relevant terms.
Presents findings, supported by
facts, in a range of forms, using
some relevant terms.
Presents findings as listed facts
with some inaccuracies, using
simple, everyday language.
Does not meet the requirements
of a D grade.
Does not meet the requirements
of a D grade.
A
B
C
D
E
Excellent achievement
High achievement
Satisfactory achievement
Limited achievement
Very low achievement
Knowledge and understanding
Civics and Citizenship
Geography
History
Distinguishes between rules and
laws by describing in detail who
creates and enforces them and
comparing the severity of the
consequences for breaking
them.
Distinguishes between a rule
and a law by describing who
creates and/or enforces them
and the consequences for
breaking them.
Distinguishes between rules and
laws by identifying the different
consequences for breaking
them.
States some differences
between rules and laws.
Describes, in detail, the
importance of laws by providing
reasonable examples of the
potential outcomes if there
were no laws.
Describes the importance of
laws by providing general
examples of the potential
outcomes if there were no laws.
Identifies the importance of
laws by providing simple
examples of the potential
outcomes if there were no laws.
Generalises the importance of
laws and provides an
exaggerated or irrelevant
example of what would happen
if they did not exist.
Locates selected places on a
map and describes, in detail, the
main characteristics of the
natural environments of Africa
and Europe.
Locates selected places on a
map and describes the main
characteristics of the natural
environments of Africa and
Europe.
Locates some selected places on
a map and identifies the main
characteristics of the natural
environments of Africa and
Europe.
Attempts to locate selected
places, with some inaccuracies,
and lists some characteristics of
Africa and Europe.
Explains the interconnections
between places, people and
animals at a range of scales.
Describes, in detail, the
interconnections between
places, people and animals at a
range of scales.
Describes the interconnections
between places, people and
animals at the local and/or
global scale.
Makes a simple connection
between places, people and/or
animals.
Describes, in detail, different
views of how the environment
can be managed and protected.
Describes different views of how
the environment can be
managed and protected.
Identifies different views of how
the environment can be
managed and/or protected.
Provides a personal opinion on
how the environment is
managed or protected.
Describes, in detail, the impacts
of exploration and colonisation
upon different groups of people.
Describes the impacts of
exploration and colonisation
upon different groups of people.
Identifies the impacts of
exploration and colonisation
upon a group of people.
Provides a list of impacts of
exploration and colonisation,
which may be irrelevant.
Explains the significance of an
historical event and provides
relevant examples of change.
Describes the significance of an
historical event and provides
examples of change.
Identifies the significance of an
historical event and provides
simple examples of change.
Provides some facts about an
historical event.
Does not meet the requirements
of a D grade.
Does not meet the requirements
of a D grade.
Does not meet the requirements
of a D grade.
History
A
B
C
D
E
Excellent achievement
High achievement
Satisfactory achievement
Limited achievement
Very low achievement
Explains the experiences of an
individual and/or group in the
past.
Describes, in detail, the
experiences of an individual
and/or group in the past.
Describes the experiences of an
individual and/or group in the
past.
Identifies some facts about an
individual and/or group.
Does not meet the requirements
of a D grade.
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