What does it mean to have a Guaranteed and Viable Curriculum?
A Guaranteed and Viable Curriculum (GVC) ensures that all students have an equal opportunity to learn. Each student will have access to a highly effective teacher, and access to the same content, knowledge and skills in each class.
What is a Guaranteed Curriculum? Every student is provided the opportunity to learn a core curriculum which provides them with the probability of success in school.
What is a Viable Curriculum? Schools make sure that the necessary time is available and protected so students will be able to learn the guaranteed curriculum.
Creating a horizontal sequence of what needs to be learned across individual grade levels or courses as well as a vertical sequence from grade level to grade level or from course to course. Teachers align the curriculum with the Victorian Standards
Preparing a Guaranteed Curriculum requires that teachers have adequate time to prepare, instruct and assess, and that students have adequate time to receive, process, and retain new information. Viable Curriculum means that the Essential Learning Statements, pacing guide and daily instruction are all manageable and can be realistically taught to mastery levels in the year.
Essential Learning Statements Grade 4
English
Reading and Viewing
Identify features of online texts that enhance readability
Use knowledge of letter sound relationships and blending and segmenting to read more complex words
Describe literal meaning connecting ideas in different texts
Describe implied meaning and make connections with the text.
Explain how language features, images and vocabulary are used to engage the interests of audiences
Use the context of a sentence, paragraph, or whole text to determine the meaning of a word to support understanding
Understand that texts have different structures depending on the purpose and context.
Writing
They use accurate punctuation rereading and editing their work to improve meaning.
Use accurate spelling.
Use language features to create coherence to add detail to their text. They select vocabulary from a range of sources, rereading and editing to improve meaning.
Creates well structured, extended imaginative, informative and persuasive texts applying knowledge of text structures for a given audience. Key ideas are supported or extended upon using cohesive devices.
Demonstrate understanding of grammar, rereading and editing their work to improve meaning.
Fluently and legibly writes using consistently sized, joined lowercase letters in Victorian modern cursive.
Works through the stages (plan, draft, edit, revise, publish) to enhance content and structure.
Speaking and Listening
Contributes actively to class discussions and group discussions, varying language according to context.
Can collaborate, listen for key points in discussions and use the information to carry out tasks
Understands how to express an opinion based on information in a text.
Creates texts that show an understanding of how images and detail can be used to extend key ideas.
Can explain ideas for different audiences.
Mathematics
Number and Algebra
Continue number patterns with constant multiplication and division and continue number sequences of multiples of single digit numbers.
Solve simple purchasing problems with and without the use of digital technology. Students identify unknown quantities in number sentences.
Recall multiplication and division facts to 10 x 10. Choose appropriate strategies for calculations involving multiplication with and without the use of digital technologies and estimate answers accurately enough for the context. They use properties of odd and even numbers and describe patterns resulting in multiplication.
Locate familiar fractions on a number line, recognise common equivalent fractions in familiar context and make connections between fractions and decimal notations up to two decimal places. Students continue number sequences involving unit fractions.
Solve purchasing problems with and without the use of digital technology
Measurement and Geometry
Students compare areas of regular and irregular shapes, using informal units. They use scaled instruments to measure length, angle, area, mass, capacity, and temperature of shapes and objects.
Convert between units of time.
Classify angles in relation to a right angle.
Students create symmetrical simple and composite shapes and patterns with and without the use of digital technology.
Students interpret information contained in maps.
Statistics and probability
List the probabilities of everyday events and identify dependent and independent events.
Describe different methods for data collection and representation and evaluate their effectiveness. Construct data displays from given or collected data, with and without the use of digital technology.
