Art
Darul Ulum College recognises the need to engage, inspire and enrich all students while encouraging them to reach their full artistic potential. The Arts department provides opportunities for students to learn how to create, design, represent, communicate and share their ideas, emotions, observations and experiences. Our aim is for students to develop a positive disposition towards learning and creating. This is done through many interactive experiences including incursions and student interest-based learning activities. Students also have exposure to many different forms of cultural art, including Islamic Art, they also explore the contributions of Our First Nations People.
English
The English curriculum comprises three strands: Language, Literature and Literacy, which should be balanced and integrated in teaching and learning programs. The strands aim to develop students' skills in listening, reading, viewing, speaking, writing, and creating.
Year 1 students are introduced to the purposes of different texts and how their organisation reflects their purpose. They also learn to explain characters and main events in short texts by connecting them to personal experiences and describe them in various types of literature. Students improve their reading fluency by reading aloud short texts with simple and compound sentences, unfamiliar vocabulary and supportive images. They use their knowledge of letter-sound relationships, high-frequency words, punctuation and directionality to comprehend texts, recall key ideas and recognise implied meanings. Additionally, they learn how to participate in conversations appropriately using language features and interaction skills.
Humanities
The study of History and Geography falls under the umbrella of Humanities.
- History is a disciplined process of inquiry into the past that develops students' curiosity and imagination. It promotes the understanding of societies, events, movements and developments that have shaped humanity from earliest times. Year 1 students learn about similarities and differences in family life by comparing the present with the past. They begin to explore the links, and the changes that occur, over time.
- Geography is a structured way of exploring, analysing and understanding the characteristics of the places that make up our world, using the concepts of place, space, environment, interconnection, sustainability, scale and change. Year 1 students identify and describe the features of places at a local scale and recognise that people describe the features of places differently. They recognise that spaces can be arranged for different purposes. Students describe how to care for places.
Mathematics
Year 1 students develop mathematical concepts such as number sense, quantity, pattern, attributes of objects, position, movement, direction, and data presentation, which form the foundation for subsequent algebraic, statistical and numerical thinking. These concepts also enable them to pose basic mathematical questions and use simple strategies to investigate solutions to problems.
Students identify representations of one half, recognize Australian coins by their value, and explain time durations. They describe two-dimensional shapes and three-dimensional objects, and data displays. They count to and from 100, carry out simple additions and subtractions using counting strategies, and partition numbers using place value. They continue simple patterns involving numbers and objects, order objects based on lengths and capacities using informal units, and tell time to the half hour. They also use language to describe direction, classify outcomes of simple events, collect data, and draw simple data displays.
Science
In Year 1, students infer simple cause-and-effect relationships from their observations and experiences and begin to link events and phenomena with observable effects. They observe changes that can be large or small and happen quickly or slowly. They explore the properties of familiar objects and phenomena, identifying similarities and differences. Students begin to value counting as a means of comparing observations and are introduced to ways of organising their observations.
In Year 1, students describe objects and events that they encounter in their everyday lives, and the effects of interacting with materials and objects. They identify a range of habitats. They describe changes to things in their local environment and suggest how science helps people care for the environment. Students make predictions and investigate everyday phenomena. They follow instructions to record and sort their observations and share their observations with others.
Tarbiyah
The Year 1 Tarbiyah program is rooted in the guidance from the Quran and Sunnah, with the main focus on developing a relationship and knowledge of Allah swt and Prophet Muhammad PBUH. Students are introduced to Islamic culture and taught the importance of upholding an Islamic identity in Western society. They also gain a basic understanding of the divine purpose of life and death, and explore the all-encompassing nature of Islam, including the five pillars and the complex topics of paradise and hell. Prophetic stories are included in every term to instill moral values and a distinction between right and wrong. Through the inclusion of prophetic stories in every term, students are prepared to integrate a moralistic outlook on life. Students learn the importance of cleanliness through the practice of ablution and the significance of the five daily prayers. The curriculum also emphasises the development of a beneficial character that aligns with the Prophetic Model.
The Year 1 curriculum is sequenced to align with age-appropriate knowledge, including an in-depth study of Tawhid, study of the articles of faith, Islamic mannerism, Cleanliness in terms of Islamic etiquettes of using the toilet and performing ablution (wudu), Significance of five daily prayers, the teaching of salah methodically as a step-by-step guide, Prophetic stories and their life as a model for believers. The sequence of curriculum follows a logical approach in summarising the worldview of Islam grounded in the unity and love of Allah swt.
Health and Physical Education
Health and Physical Education empowers students to positively influence their own and their community’s health and well-being. In today’s complex and sedentary world, it is crucial for young Australians to develop the ability to respond to new health issues and changing physical activity options. The acquisition and application of movement skills, concepts, and strategies across various physical activity contexts are integral to this education. Students become confident and competent in movement, which is a potent medium for learning personal, social, and cognitive skills. Learning in movement contexts equips students with skills, understanding, and dispositions that support lifelong physical activity participation and enhance movement performance.
Health and Physical Education is presented in 2-year band levels from Year 1 to Year 10, with Foundation presented as a single year level. Content in Health and Physical Education is organised under two interrelated strands that support each other:
- Personal, social and community health
- Movement and physical activity
Incursions and Excursions
Our school provides for the Year 1 students incursion every term regarding what topic we learn about in that term. They can-do hands-on activities with extra people which keeps them excited and engaged.
