year 5- what is a democracy in australia and why is voting important?. web viewwhat is a democracy...

CIVICS AND CITIZENSHIP YEAR LEVEL 5 Semester 1

Unit Title: What is a democracy in Australia and why is voting in a democracy important?

Achievement Standard

By the end of Year 5, students identify the values that underpin Australia’s democracy and explain the importance of the electoral process. They describe the role of different people in Australia’s legal system. They identify various ways people can participate effectively in groups to achieve shared goals.

Students develop questions and use information from different sources to investigate the society in which they live. They identify possible solutions to an issue as part of a plan for action. Students develop and present civics and citizenship ideas and viewpoints, using civics and citizenship terms and concepts.

Civics and Citizenship Concepts

Content Descriptions Assessment (A)

Government and Democracy

Laws and CitizensCitizenship,

diversity and identity

Knowledge and UnderstandingsGovernment and Democracy

● The key values that underpin Australia’s democratic system of government (ACHCK022)

● The roles and responsibilities of electors and representatives in Australia’s democracy (ACHCK023)

● The key features of the Australian electoral process (ACHCK024)

SkillsACHCS028, ACHCS029, ACHCS030, ACHCS031 ACHCS033, ACHCS034

Assessment For LearningMind map (lesson 1)

Assessment As LearningReflections (throughout all lessons)

Assessment Of Learning- inquiry based (big question based on local issues)Students will create possible solutions and actions for.Students to present solutions (more than 1) to class (slideshow)Class vote on which solution is best.

Go through the process of submitting their solution to local council (letter, email).

Civics and Citizenship Bands

Skills Key Questions

Year 3 4 BandYear 5 6 Band

Questioning and ResearchAnalysis, Synthesis and InterpretationProblem Solving and Decision MakingCommunication and Reflections

What is democracy in Australia?Why is voting important?

What are laws and rules?Why are laws important?Who makes laws and rules?What is voting?Who are the key people in the voting process?

Learning Framework Community ContributorLeader and Collaborator

Active InvestigatorEffective Communicator

Designer and CreatorQuality Producer

Cross Curricula Priorities

Catholic EthosAboriginal and Torres Strait Islander

Histories and Cultures

Social Emotional LearningAsia and Australia’s Engagement with

Asia

Inclusive EducationSustainability Education

General Capabilities LiteracyCritical and Creative Thinking

NumeracyEthical Behaviour

Information and Communication Technology

Personal and Social Competence

Links to other LA’s History, English

Learning and Teaching StrategiesWeek 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Cross Curricular Priorities Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures

General Capabilities LiteracyCritical and creative thinkingPersonal and social capabilityEthical Understanding

Engage ⇒ Explore ⇒ Explain ⇒ Elaborate ⇒ Evaluate

Engage Resources

Lesson 1Introduction to unit: Students are to reflect on their prior knowledge by creating two (2) mind maps in their workbooks.Students are to record all their prior knowledge on democracy and voting. Both mind maps can be connected if their knowledge is related to both topics.

Goal of Lesson: Students will understand that there are different ways to vote and the voting system used in Australia .Have a discussion about the school/classroom rules. Why are they in place and who do they affect?Choose a common classroom rule to vote on e.g. Keep your hands and feet to yourself.Conduct an (open vote) with students on the rule either for or against by raising their hand.Discussion with class:

● How does an open vote feel?

Lesson 1Teacher:Mind map templateVoting paperBallot boxes (or similar)

Preferential Voting system: http://www.civicsandcitizenship.edu.au/verve/_resources/CCE_Voting_BLM5.pdf

Key features of the Voting system http://www.civicsandcitizenship.edu.au/verve/_resources/CCE_Voting_BLM4.pdf

● How does an open vote affect voting?● Did having no privacy influence your decision at all?● How does it make you feel when others know what you want and feel?

Assessment Reflection: In workbook/Google Doc students write about their vote.Why did I make this decision? Was this the best decision? What would happen if my decision was final?

As a class, share some children’s responses (pros and cons) from both points of view..What other ways can we vote that would change this e.g. private voting system on paper.Conduct a private vote and count the votes.

Assessment reflection: Students add to their reflection. Children reflect on both processes of voting and which process they believe is most effective and why? (Refer to ‘preferential poting system’ resource)

Discuss how voting is conducted in Australia - (refer to ‘key features of the voting system’ resource)

Lesson 2Goal: Students will have an understanding of democracy and the key values of democracy.Key Question: What is democracy?The teacher is to display the word ‘democracy’ on the IWB.Tell students to break the word up and find the meaning based on the Ancient Greek meaning, demo means ‘people’ and cracy means ‘rule of government’. As a class discuss and create a definition for the word ‘democracy’. (This will be altered and added to after the next activity)

Students will be given the cut up concept cards (Handout 1). In groups students will place the concepts under each of the headings that they think they relate too. When all cards have been placed under a heading ask students to identify and justify why they placed concepts where they did. The teacher will discuss each one after the students have justified and guide students into placing it in the correct position.Students are to then focus on the democratic concepts with teacher assistance to identify the values of democracy. Explain to students that the values are what a democracy creates.

Students:Handouts- as above (at teacher discretion)

Lesson 2Teachers:Expert groups- http://serc.carleton.edu/NAGTWorkshops/coursedesign/tutorial/jigsaw.html

Handout 1-http://www.aec.gov.au/Education/Democracy_Rules/files/Blackline_Masters/Topic1_BLM01.pdf

Students:Workbooks

The values are freedom, equality, fairness and justice.

Students can then add to the definition of democracy that they started by using the concepts that they put under the ‘democracy’ heading to make the definition more detailed.

Civics and Citizenship Metalanguage Assessment Opportunities

voting, democracy, law, freedom, fairness, justice, undemocratic, valuesCivics and Citizenship Metalanguage Link

Assessment for learning:Mind MapWhat do students already know about democracy?What do students already know about voting?

Assessment as learning:Reflections

Reflection

http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/humanities-and-social-sciences/civics-and-citizenship/Glossary

Week 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Cross Curricular Priorities Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures

General Capabilities LiteracyCritical and creative thinkingPersonal and social capabilityIntercultural understandingEthical Understanding


Explore Resources

Lesson 3 (possibly over 2 lesson depending on class and time allowances)Goal of Lesson: Students will understand that not all countries are democratic and that laws are important.

Question: What are laws?Discuss what laws are. Make list of laws that students have to abide by. Relate this to children’s background knowledge of laws they are familiar with and have to abide by as children.E.g. Children cannot drive a car until they are 15 and half years of age, children cannot consume alcohol until 18 year of stage.

Question: Why are laws important?Students view a YouTube clip (riots, uncivilized action, war, third world conditions, and unlawful communities) to demonstrate the difference between countries that are communist verse democratic.As students are watching the video they will tick off the concepts listed under the heading ‘undemocratic’ (activity in lesson 2) as they see them happening in the video. After the video, have a discussion about the different concepts that were shown in that video and compare it to a democratic society.

Lesson 3Teacher:Youtube clip (ADD LINKS TO CLIPS)

Handout 2- http://www1.curriculum.edu.au/ddunits/downloads/pdf/up2_hand7.pdf

Handout 3-http://www1.curriculum.edu.au/ddunits/downloads/pdf/up2_hand8.pdf

Students:Workbooks/Google DocHandouts (as above)

Question: So, who makes the laws?Discuss with class who originally made laws? (history)Distribute Handout 2.Ask students to look at the first cartoon on the sheet.Discuss and consider the following questions:

● Who do they represent? (governor, convicts, Aboriginal people)

In small groups, students will discuss and prepare a short spoken statement from the point of view of their given group of people (governor, convicts, Aboriginal people) and how the laws being brought to Australia might affect them.Statement start: The laws will affect me because…..

Discuss with students the way laws are made today.Teacher is to cut up Handout 3 into the different sections. Distribute the cut up handout to each student and ask them to put the handout back into order according to the way laws are made in todays society.Discuss in detail each section of the handout.

● In Australia today parliament, which is elected by the people, makes the laws. (Each of the states and territories has its own parliament and courts.)

● Courts decide whether someone has broken those laws or not.● Laws are handed down from the past and the courts decide how these laws should apply in the present. The

parliament can change these laws if it wishes to.● The police have the job of enforcing the law by bringing people they think have broken the law before the

courts. They have no say in the decision.● In courts, the decisions are made by judges, magistrates or a judge and jury.

'Ordinary people should have a say in what the laws are'. Point out to students that we have a say today because we elect the parliament, which makes the laws.

Assessment reflection:Students are to add to their reflection. Students are to critically think about the advantages of this system over a system of one-man rule.

Lesson 4Goal: To identify the rights and responsibilities of electors.

The teacher is to cut out and give each students a card on Handout 4 (make sure each student has a card). The teacher will then read out the information on Handout 5 asking students to stand in a line as their person is read out. After every section in the timeline tell the remaining students that are sitting that they would not have been able to vote in that time in history and therefore didn't have a voice in decisions that affected their daily lives.

Reflection assessment- Students will reflect in their books to answer the following questions:● How would have they felt about not being able to vote because of race, colour, gender or financial

status.● Was it fair?● Was it democratic?● Why do you think the right to vote has changed over time?

Have a short discussion about the following:● Who do you think is eligible to vote in Australia today?● Is the reasonable and democratic?● Who is not allowed to vote? Is this fair?

Make sure the teacher discusses the importance of having an Australian Birth Certificate, Passport or Australian Citizenship Certificate in order for a person to be able to vote.

Use magazines and newspapers, or digital media, students are to create a collage to demonstrate who can vote in Australia today. Students are to label the pictures eg. university student, teacher, parent.

Lesson 4Teachers:Handout 4-http://www.aec.gov.au/Education/Democracy_Rules/files/Blackline_Masters/Topic1_BLM03.pdf


Magazines



voting, democracy, law, freedom, fairness, justice, undemocratic, values, uncivilized, communities, governor, convicts, parliament, courts, enforce, decisions, responsibilities, citizen, citizenship

Assessment as learning:Reflection (critical thinking)

Civics and Citizenship Metalanguage Link

Reflection

Week 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Cross Curricular Priorities

General Capabilities LiteracyCritical and creative thinkingPersonal and social capabilityIntercultural understandingEthical Understanding


Explain Resources

Lesson 5 (possibly over 2 lessons)Part 1:Provide students with Handout 6. Discuss as a class the rights and responsibilities of voters. Discussion about the role of Australian Electoral Commission and their importance in voting.

Run an election in your classroom following the procedures outlined in the ‘Running an election in your school section’. (This might relate to leadership speeches and voting for year 5 and 6)

Before beginning election:

Lesson 5Teachers:Handout 6-http://www.aec.gov.au/Education/Democracy_Rules/files/Blackline_Masters/Topic1_BLM05.pdf

Running an election in your school section-http://www.aec.gov.au/Education/


Explain to students that they will be taking part in an election using the formalities and practices that are used in a federal election (AEC role Handout 6).Discuss the two types of voting (absolute majority and preferential voting) as referred to in ‘Running an election in your school section’.

Run the election based on one of the topics outlined in ‘Running an election in your school section’.

Assessment reflection: Reflect on the election process by answering the following questions:● Was it a fair and free election? Why or why not?● What processes and features were used?● Did the election follow AEC procedures?● What were the benefits and/or problems of this model of voting and election?

Part 2:Provide students with handout 8 and ask them to read it individually. Discuss the following questions by comparing the election described to the election the class just participated in:

● Were they similar?● How did they differ?● Which election reflected the democratic principles of a free and fair election?

Distribute Handout 9 and using the information from handout 7 and 8 ask students to complete a table classifying the fair and unfair images. Summarise the information by writing 2 statements:

1. A fair election is….2. An unfair election is…..

Please refer to election resources in teacher resources.

Lesson 6Goal: identifying the characteristics that would make for a ‘good’ representative.

Provide students with Handout 10. Work through the sheet asking students to identify who makes the decision

Democracy_Rules/files/Teacher_Guide_by_section/Runninganelection.pdf

Election resources- http://education.aec.gov.au/getvoting/



Ballot papers- http://www.aec.gov.au/Education/Democracy_Rules/ballot-templates.htm


Lesson 6Teachers:

on the items given in the handout.Question you might wish to ask could include:

● What decisions do you make personally, without help?● Are many decisions made through representation?● How do others know what we want?● How important is it for us to have good representation that makes the decisions on our behalf?● What would happen if they made the wrong decisions?

Make it clear that it is important to have people that make the right decisions and represent us well.Discuss with the class about who makes the decisions for Australia on our behalf.

Possible homework activity:Distribute or upload to Google Folder Handout 11. Students interview people to find out what qualities a good representative need.After completing the activity students are to discuss their answers and create a list of the 3 or 4 most important qualities.

Explain to students that representation relies on people in the community being willing to take on the responsibility to represent others. Our representative democracy could not function without people willing to stand as candidates. In Australia any person who is over 18 years of age (without a criminal record) is eligible to stand as a candidate in federal, state or local elections.

Discussion:● Why do you think people are willing to stand as candidates, considering motives and benefits?● Do all candidates seek election for the right reasons?● What other reasons could there be?● What are the benefits of being able to choose from a range of candidates?● How does choice of candidates improve our representation?● How important is it that we make informed decisions when choosing candidates?

Handout 10 -http://www.aec.gov.au/Education/Democracy_Rules/files/Blackline_Masters/Topic1_BLM08.pdf




free, fair, AEC, voting, democracy, law, freedom, fairness, justice, undemocratic, values, uncivilized, communities, governor, convicts, parliament, courts, enforce, decisions, responsibilities, citizen, citizenshipCivics and Citizenship Metalanguage Link

Assessment as learning:Reflection (critical thinking)

Reflection

Week 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10


General Capabilities


Elaborate Resources

Lesson 7Discuss and elaborate on the requirements of the Assessment Task.Part A:You will be placed into groups that will represent a volunteer group or organization. In that group you will conduct a vote to elect committee member. Once committee members are selected you will run your first meeting to create a constitution.

Part B:You will run another meeting in the correct format to discuss and create a program that your group or organization will use to provide a sustainable community by protecting human rights. You must present you program to the class in one of the following formats:

- PowerPoint


- Brochure

- Poster

Part C (individually):You will reflect on your group and program by answering the following questions:

What human right is the program targeting? What law protects the chosen human right? How is that human right important to sustainability of the community?

Who enforces the law of the human right that your program targets and what are their rights and responsibilities? How does this program maintain a sustainable community? How is this program going to affect the lives of citizens (positive and negatives)? Why do groups/organisations work together to achieve their aims and exercise influence to support the community?

Procedure:

1. During class time you will be put into groups.

2. You must choose an organization/group to represent.

3. Elect committee members.

4. Run a meeting to create a constitution.

5. Create a good copy of the constitution.

6. Run a meeting to decide on a program. Make sure the program is developing a sustainable community by protecting human rights.

7. Present the details of the program using one of the formats.

8. Share the program with the class.

9. Reflect on the program in relation to the key questions.

Lesson 8Assessment continued.


free, fair, AEC, voting, democracy, law, freedom, fairness, justice, undemocratic, values, uncivilized, communities, governor, convicts, parliament, courts, enforce, decisions, responsibilities, citizen, citizenshipCivics and Citizenship Metalanguage Link

Assessment Of Learning – Assessment Task and Criteria Sheet

Reflection

Week 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10


General Capabilities


Evaluate Resources

Lesson 9 Assessment Continued


free, fair, AEC, voting, democracy, law, freedom, fairness, justice, undemocratic, values, uncivilized, communities, governor, convicts, parliament, courts, enforce, decisions, responsibilities, citizen, citizenship


Civics and Citizenship Metalanguage Link

Reflection


Planning for Differently Abled Students

Student/s Different Ability Australian Curriculum Content Descriptions

being addressed

Learning and Teaching Strategies Assessment Strategies

Assessment Task

Student Name:

Year Level: 5

Name of Task: How do laws affect the lives of citizens?How and why do people participate in groups to achieve shared goals?

Teacher:

Learning Area/s: Civics and Citizenship

Assessed By:

Date Commenced: Date Due:

Type of Task: Oral Written Other

Task Conditions: Individual Pair Group Work

In Class Homework Other

Opportunity to Access: Books Notes Library Technology

Assessed By: Self Peer Other Teacher

Task Description This task is made up of 3 parts.

Part A:You will be placed into groups that will represent a volunteer group or organization. In that group you will conduct a vote to elect committee member. Once committee members are selected you will run your first meeting to create a constitution.

Part B:You will run another meeting in the correct format to discuss and create a program that your group or organization will use to provide a sustainable community by protecting human rights. You must present you program to the class in one of the following formats:

- PowerPoint

- Brochure

- Poster

Part C (individually):You will reflect on your group and program by answering the following questions:

What human right is the program targeting? What law protects the chosen human right? How is that human right important to sustainability of the community?

Who enforces the law of the human right that your program targets and what are their rights and responsibilities?

How does this program maintain a sustainable community?

How is this program going to affect the lives of citizens (positive and negatives)? Why do groups/organisations work together to achieve their aims and exercise influence to

support the community?

Procedure 10. During class time you will be put into groups.

11. You must choose an organization/group to represent.

12. Elect committee members.

13. Run a meeting to create a constitution.

14. Create a good copy of the constitution.

15. Run a meeting to decide on a program. Make sure the program is developing a sustainable community by protecting human rights.

16. Present the details of the program using one of the formats.

17. Share the program with the class.

18. Reflect on the program in relation to the key questions.

ResourcesClass notes

Meeting agenda, constitution structure

Folder to keep all documents together

Civics and Citizenship Criteria Sheet

A C EKnowledge and understanding

What are the roles and responsibilities of key personnel in law enforcement?

In the reflection, you have identified in extensive detail the key law enforcement people and listed many examples of their roles and responsibilities. You have given specific examples and referred to and reflected on you chosen group or organization.

In the reflection, you have identified the key law enforcement people and their roles and/or responsibilities. You have mentioned your chosen group/organization.

In the reflection, you have not identified the key law enforcement people in relation to your group/organization.

How do laws affect the lives of citizens?

In the reflection, you have identified in extensive detail the importance of human rights and how laws protect human rights. You have given specific examples and referred to and reflected on you chosen group or organization.

In the reflection, you have identified the importance of human rights and how laws protect human rights. You have mentioned your chosen group/organization.

In the reflection, you have not identified the importance of human rights and how laws protect human rights.

Why do people work in groups to achieve their aims and exercise influence?

You have demonstrated your understanding of volunteer groups by creating a well thought out constitution, running a meeting using the correct structure, creating a program that effectively targets a human right and supports a sustainable community. In your reflection you have identified in detail why people work in groups to achieve a goal. You have referred to and reflected on your own group/organization.

You have demonstrated your understanding of volunteer groups by creating a constitution, running a meeting, creating a program. In your reflection you have identified why people work in groups to achieve a goal.

You have demonstrated limited understanding of volunteer groups by attempting to creating a constitution, running a meeting, creating a program. In your reflection you have not identified why people work in groups to achieve a goal.

Skills Work in groups to identify issues and develop possible solutions and a plan for action using decision-making process.

You worked effectively in your group to identify a relevant human right issue and target that issue by conducting a meeting using the correct structure, voting using an effective and fair method and creating a program that supports a sustainable community.

You worked well in your group to identify a human right issue and target that issue by conducting a meeting, voting and creating a program.

You did not worked well in your group and found it difficult to identify a human right issue, conducting a meeting, vote and creating a program.

Present information, ideas and viewpoints using civics and citizenship terms and concepts.

Your presented your idea and reflection using a variety of different key terms and concepts.

You presented you idea and reflection using some of the key terms and concepts.

You presented your idea and reflection using everyday terms and concepts.

year 5- what is a democracy in australia and why is voting important?. web viewwhat is a democracy...

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