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  • VELS Curriculum Alignments

VELS Curriculum Alignments

This page lists the specific Victorian Essential Learning Standards (VELS) that align with each of the student activities devised for the Mirror of the World website. They are organised under the four major website sections or themes: Inspiration, Imagination, Exploration, Innovation.

Inspiration


Before there were Books - VELS 3 & 4
Middle & Upper Primary, ages 9-10

VELS 3 DCT

  • Students will identify common materials and explain the characteristics and properties that make them suitable for use in products.
  • Students use a list of steps and are able to choose appropriate tools, equipment and techniques.

VELS 3 English

  • Students read and respond to informative texts with some unfamiliar ideas.
  • They order information and sequence events using some detail and combine verbal and visual elements in the texts they produce.

VELS 4 DCT

  • Students take account of the views of users and produce step-by-step plans for making products. 
  • They describe how their intended product will function or be used.
  • They describe the impact products and technological systems have on people and the environment.

Before there were Books - VELS 5
Lower Secondary, ages 11 to 13 

VELS 5 History

  • Students will learn about key events in ancient civilisations and describe aspects of daily life and cultural expression. 
  • Analyse change and continuity over time and compare key aspects of past and present societies.
  • Use primary sources including visual sources that record features of the societies in their investigation.
  • Identify the content, origin, purpose and context of historical sources.

VELS 5 English

  • Students will read texts related to challenging topics, themes and issues and provide supporting evidence to justify their interpretations of these texts.
  • Students will produce texts for a variety of purposes, including speculating, hypothesising and reflecting.
  • Students will present arguments that state and justify a personal viewpoint.

The Book of Hours - VELS 5

Lower Secondary, ages 11 to 13

VELS 5 History

  • Students will be introduced to key medieval religious beliefs and practices, cultural expressions and aspects of daily life.
  • Students will analyse change and continuity over time and compare key aspects of past and present societies.
  • Students will use primary sources including visual sources that record features of the societies in their investigation.
  • Students will identify the content, origin, purpose and context of historical sources.

VELS 5 English

  • Students will read and view informative texts, identify ideas, themes and issues explored in these texts, and provide supporting evidence for their interpretations.
  • Students will infer meanings and messages in texts and analyse how social values are conveyed.
  • Students will also write personal reflections on texts presenting challenging themes or issues.

VELS 5 Art

  • Students will plan, design, interpret, make, refine and present art works that represent and communicate ideas and purpose.
  • Students will compare, analyse, evaluate, and interpret the content, meaning, and qualities in art works created in different social, cultural and historical contexts.

The Nuremberg Chronicle - VELS 5

Lower Secondary, ages 11-13

VELS 5 History

• Explain key features of medieval practices and cultural expressions.
• Analyse change and continuity over time and compare key aspects of past and present societies.
• Use primary sources, including visual sources that record features of the societies in their investigation.
• Identify the content, origin, purpose and context of historical sources.

VELS 5 English

  • Produce texts in print for a variety of purposes.
  • Read and view imaginative and informative texts related to challenging topics, themes and issues and analyse how social values are conveyed.
  • Develop confidence in identifying features of language including figurative language.

The Myrrour of the Worlde - VELS 5

Lower Secondary, ages 11-13

VELS 5 History

Explain key features of medieval practices and cultural expressions.
Analyse change and continuity over time and compare key aspects of past and present societies.
Use primary sources, including visual sources that record features of the societies in their investigation.
Identify the content, origin, purpose and context of historical sources.

VELS 5 English

  • Produce texts in print for a variety of purposes.
  • Read and view imaginative and informative texts related to challenging topics, themes and issues and analyse how social values are conveyed.
  • Develop confidence in identifying features of language including figurative language.

The Invention of Printing - VELS 5

Lower Secondary, ages 11 to 13

VELS 5 History

  • Explain key features of medieval practices and cultural expressions.
  • Analyse change and continuity over time and compare key aspects of past and present societies.
  • Use primary sources, including visual sources that record features of the societies in their investigation.
  • Identify the content, origin, purpose and context of historical sources.

VELS 5 English

  • Produce texts in print for a variety of purposes.
  • Read and view imaginative and informative texts related to challenging topics, themes and issues and analyse how social values are conveyed.
  • Develop confidence in identifying features of language including figurative language.

Imagination


Puss in Boots - VELS 3 & 4

Middle & Upper Primary, ages 8 to 10

VELS 3 English

  • Read and interpret main ideas of text.
  • Make inferences from imaginative text about plot, setting and characters’ qualities, motivates and actions.
  • Identify some simple symbolic meanings and stereotypes.
  • Combine verbal and visual elements in producing a text.

VELS 3 Art

  • Identify techniques and features of other people’s works that inform their own arts making.
  • Identify and describe key features of arts works from their own and other cultures.

VELS 4 English

  • Read, interpret and respond to a wide range of literary, everyday and media texts.
  • Analyse information, imagery, characterisation, dialogue, point of view, plot and setting.

VELS 4 Art

  • Describe content, structure and expressive qualities of their own and other people’s works.
  • Apply a range of skills, techniques and processes to plan, develop, refine, make and present art works.

Comics - VELS 3, 4 & 5

Middle & Upper Primary and Lower Secondary, ages 8 to 13

VELS 3 English

  • Write narratives including setting, character and plot.
  • Order information and sequence events.
  • Combine verbal and visual elements in the texts they produce.

VELS 3 Art

  • Identify techniques and features of other people’s art works that inform their own.

VELS 4 English

  • Students analyse information, imagery, characterisation, dialogue, point of view, plot and setting.
  • Students produce texts for different purposes using structures and features of language appropriate to purpose, audience and context.

VELS 4 Art

  • Interpret key features of art works made in a range of times, places, cultures. 
  • Identify and describe influences in their own works and discuss different historical and cultural contexts.

VELS 5 English

  • Students produce texts for a variety of purposes.
  • Develop confidence in identifying features of language, including figurative language.

VELS 5 Art

  • Generate and develop ideas that explore particular concepts, techniques and issues when making art works.

The Lost Thing - VELS 4

Middle Primary, ages 8 to 10

VELS 4 English

  • Read, interpret and respond to a wide range of literary, everyday and media texts.
  • Analyse information, imagery, characterisation, dialogue, point of view, plot and setting.

VELS 4 Art

  • Describe content, structure and expressive qualities of their own and other people’s works.
  • Apply a range of skills, techniques and processes to plan, develop, refine, make and present art works.

Innovation


The Changing Form of Books - Vels 5

Upper Primary and Lower Secondary, ages 11 to 13

VELS 5 English

  • Read and respond to texts related to challenging topics, themes and issues.
  • Write arguments that state and justify a personal viewpoint.

Book Craft - Vels 3, 4 & 5

Middle & Upper Primary and Lower Secondary, ages 10 to 13

VELS 4 Art

  • Students apply a range of skills, techniques and processes using a range of media and materials.
  • Students communicate ideas and understandings about themselves and others, incorporating influences from their own and other cultures and times.

VELS 4 English

  • Students describe how texts are constructed for particular purposes and audiences.

VELS 5 Art

  • Students independently and collaboratively, plan, design, improvise, interpret art works that represent and communicate ideas and purpose.
  • Students experiment with materials and media.

VELS 5 English

  • Compare the presentation of information and ideas in texts.

Exploration


Captain Cook’s Third Voyage - VELS 4

Middle Primary, ages 8 to 10

VELS 4 History

  • Explore significant events in Australian history.
  • Use primary and secondary sources to investigate the past.

VELS 4 Geography

  • Demonstrate knowledge of Australia and surrounding regions.
  • Use atlases to describe direction and location of places.
  • Identify features from maps.

Flinders’ Mapping of Australia - VELS 3 & 4

Middle & Upper Primary, ages 8 to 10

VELS 3 Humanities

  • Describe key events in Australian history and key aspects of histories of national cultural groups.
  • Describe how aspects of their local areas have changed over time.
  • Use simple maps and plans of familiar environments.

VELS 4 Geography

  • Demonstrate knowledge of Australia and surrounding regions.
  • Use atlases to describe direction and location of places.
  • Identify features from maps.

VELS 4 History

  • Explore significant events in Australian and Aboriginal history.
  • Use primary and secondary sources to investigate the past.

Natives of Australis - VELS 3 & 4

Middle & Upper Primary, ages 8 to 10

VELS 3 Science

  • Students identify and describe the structural features of living things, including plants and animals.
  • They identify how these features operate together to form systems which support living things to survive in their environments.

VELS 4 History

  • Students explore significant events in Australian and Aboriginal history.
  • Students use primary and secondary sources to investigate the past.

VELS 3-4 Art

  • Students identify features of other people’s art works that inform their own.

Mapping the World - VELS 5

Lower Secondary, ages 11 to 13

VELS 5 Geography

  • Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the characteristics of the regions of Australia and those surrounding it.  
  • Use appropriate geographical language.
  • Collect geographical information from electronic and print media and organise, process and communicate it using a range of written, oral, visual and graphic forms.
  • Use conventions of scale, legend, title and north point.

VELS 5 History

  • Analyse change and continuity over time and compare key aspects of past and present societies.

Temple of Flora - VELS 3 & 4

Middle to Upper Primary, ages 8 to 10

VELS 3 Art

  • Identify techniques and features of other people’s art works that inform their own.

VELS 4 Art

  • Interpret key features of art works made in a range of times, places, cultures. 
  • Identify and describe influences in their own works and discuss different historical and cultural contexts.