4 Activities for Exploring Democratic Decision Making in the Classroom

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Democratic decision making is one of the early concepts students come across as they learn about civics and citizenship. It’s an important concept - one which is used in government and community organisations and even to make playground decisions - so here’s some different and fun ways you can bring it alive in your classroom.

 
4 Activities for Exploring Democratic Decision Making in the Classroom. A blog post with 4 learning activities for teaching civics and citizenship in the classroom
 

What is Democratic Decision Making?

Democratic decision making happens when a group of people work together to ensure everyone has a say on the decisions being made. This means everyone gets an equal change to share their opinions and ideas and any votes are held in a fair manner. Democratic decision making may be written into a set of rules or may just happen when decisions are being made.

Exploring Democratic Decision Making in the Classroom

1. What Game Will We Play?

This is a great introductory activity to try when you know you are able to take students outside for a game. 

Bring this activity to the students by letting them know that they’re going to have some free time to play a game outside - but only if they can decide which game the class will play in a fair way. At this point, some classes may be fine to engage in discussion and negotiations and to work out the fairest (and most democratic) way to make a decision. Other classes may need scaffolding around what fair looks like, or help brainstorming ways they can make a fair decision.

When students have chosen the game, ask them to explain why they made a fair decision. Then you can take them out to play!

Follow up activity: Revisit the activity and the steps they took to make a fair decision. You may like to ask students to think of any other strategies they could have used. Ask students to create ‘Fair Decision’ posters to help other students to make decisions together.

2. Compare Fair and Unfair Ways of Voting

Most students engaging with civics will have had some experience of voting - either as part of classroom activities or for data collection in maths. If students haven’t experienced voting, or they’re unsure of the concept, you may like to organise a quick vote to demonstrate.

Present students with a range of scenarios showing fair and unfair ways of holding a vote. Unfair votes could include only some people being allowed to vote; certain people having to complete tasks before they can vote (like running around the oval 10 times or standing on one leg to vote); or some people getting more than one vote. Fair voting scenarios might include everyone getting one vote; voting questions being clear and easy to understand or votes being secret. Ask students to organise the different scenarios into fair and unfair ways of voting and ask them to explain their decisions - this could be a great small group or whole class activity. 

When students have organised the scenarios, they may like to discuss why voting should be fair - what the benefits of a fair vote are.

Follow up activity: Ask students to write rules for a fair vote. When students have written rules, they might like to try out some - either within the class, with another class in the year level or with a buddy class.

 
Democratic decision making happens when a group of people work together to ensure everyone has a say on the decisions being made. 4 Activities for Exploring Democratic Decision Making in the Classroom. A blog post with 4 learning activities for teac…
 

3. Invite a Guest Speaker to Talk About Democratic Decision Making

Inviting guest speakers into the classroom is a great way to engage with a topic. Many people in community organisations engage in democratic decision making and can explain the different ways they do that to the class.

If your school has a parents association - a P and C or P and F, this may be a great place to start. The President of the P and C would be able to explain how they became president and the way that decisions are made when they’re at a meeting. Similarly, members of community groups such as the Lions or Rotary may be able to discuss the decision making processes at their meetings. 

Alternatively, you might like to invite one of the local elected representatives - especially if you can work with different classes within the school so they can talk on a range of topics. Elected representatives are elected on a vote and participate regularly in voting. They also have different methods to make sure all the representatives have a say as well as the people who they represent.

Follow up activity: Ask students to investigate ways of running a meeting and to develop their own rules for running a meeting. 

4. Encourage Students to Have a Say

When my daughter was in kindergarten, her class was very concerned about litter in the local park. Their teacher helped them to express their concerns in drawings and paintings and they worked together to write a letter to the local council. A local councillor then came to visit them and to talk about little and what the council and individuals could do to help. This was a fabulous exercise in even the youngest students getting to have a say about an issue which concerned them.

Ask your students what they are concerned about and discuss who they could talk to about it. Brainstorm and reflect on the best ways to have a say - whether it’s attending a local meeting or writing a letter to a local representative (or even the Principal if it’s a school concern). Let students know that having a say doesn’t always mean something will be done about it, but it does let people who hold positions of power know that it is something which is important within their community.

Follow up activity: Investigate different notable people around the world who have had a say about things which are important to them.


Have you explored democratic decision making with your students? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

 
 
 
 

Why You Should Teach Civics and Citizenship

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We have limited time in the school day and limited time in the school year. We are told to prioritise reading, writing and mathematics, along with science and technology if we want students to succeed in the ‘real’ world. And teachers are often told to teach an endless array of other subjects to fix the problems of the world we have now.

So why is it important to teach civics and citizenship to our students? How will an understanding of how government and government institutions work fit into their lives after they leave school? And why is civics education vital in the ‘real’ world?

 
Why you should teach civics and citizenship. A blog post exploring the reasons why learning about government in the classroom is so important and what our students take away from these lessons.
 

Teaching civics and citizenship is important because our students need to know how things work

When we talk about teaching how government works, it can be easy to think we’re only referring to the work of big, central or federal governments - the things which happen at Parliament House in Canberra or the Capitol Building in Washington D.C. But understanding how civic institutions work applies to so many more levels, from local community organisations through to those big central institutions.

Choosing leaders, making decisions on laws and regulations, setting goals as a community, a state or a country, enforcing laws, engaging in actions which challenge the decisions made, being involved in community, gaining citizenship - these are all elements which make up government. And they all work in different ways.

When students know how decisions are made or how leaders are chosen, it makes it easier for them to trust or engage in civic institutions and processes. They are able to bring a higher level of background knowledge to reading or discussions about government issues and will take away a better understanding of the impacts of government decisions on their own lives and the lives of other people in their community.

Increased civic understanding means that students have a better understanding of how someone becomes a leader - and helps them reflect on whether there can be better ways of choosing leaders. It means they understand how laws are passed, how laws might be enforced in a community and why laws might need to be changed or updated. It allows them to explore their role as a citizen of a country and how people can participate as members of a community. 

It shows them how civics are present in so many parts of their life - and the lives of people around them.

Takeaways:

  • Learning how government works increases trust or engagement in civic institutions and processes

  • Learning how government works allows for better informed reading and discussion

  • Learning how government works allows students to understand the past and think about their role in the future

Teaching civics and citizenship is important because students should know they can have a role in their government

So often teachers are asked ‘when am I going to need this when I leave school?’ Good civics education allows students to see where government is part of their life everyday . . . and how they can be part of civic institutions and processes.

From the smaller regulations around where you can park cars or walk your dog, to systems like roads and public transport, to big decisions about taxes we pay or how to respond to a natural disaster, governments are constantly making decisions which impact people. By learning more about how these decisions are made, students learn how they can be part of the decision making process - either now or in the future.

Voting is an important part of this and civics education is definitely vital for understanding voting systems better. But voting is not the only way for people to be involved in decision-making processes. Students can learn about communicating with elected decision makers, through letters, emails or phone calls. They can learn about protest movements and leaders and the impacts they have made, both in the past and in the present. And they can learn about how they can engage in local community groups and the decisions which can be made at a local community level.

Learning the ways you can be connected and participate at local - or higher - levels allows students to create better community engagement. This is something they can take with them long after they finish school.

Takeaways:

  • Students should understand how the decisions of governments impact so many parts of their lives

  • Students should understand that they can engage with decision makers in a range of different ways

  • Students should understand that they can participate in community groups and local decisions

 
Learning how government works allows students to understand the past and think about their role in the future. Why you should teach civics and citizenship. A blog post exploring the reasons why learning about government in the classroom is so import…
 

Teaching civics and citizenship is important because students should reflect on what it means to be a citizen

Civics and citizenship in the classroom is about so much more than facts about how laws are made or how many elected representatives there are. Citizenship is being a participant in a community or country and there are so many aspects of this for students to explore.

Becoming a citizen of a country, the responsibilities of citizenship and the promises new citizens make are all essential things to learn and understand. Many of these subjects involve what a country stands for - what its core values are. This allows students to reflect on what the values of their country should be and whether they - as citizens or residents of the country - can reflect those values.

The many different ways citizens can be involved in democratic decision making is another element of citizenship in democratic countries. In some countries, such as Australia, this participation is a responsibility of citizenship - with almost all citizens over the age of 18 required to vote in different elections. In other countries, voting and other means of participation in decision making are rights. Learning about what rights they have as citizens allows students to understand when their rights or the rights of others are challenged and what they can do about it.

Citizenship might also mean being involved in local communities - including the communities we create inside our schools. It could mean participating in school clubs or activities, engaging in volunteer work or opportunities or simply understanding the different ways people can play a role in the community they live and work in.

Takeaways:

  • Learning about citizenship allows students to explore the core values of a country

  • Learning about citizenship allows students to examine the rights and responsibilities of being a citizen

  • Learning about citizenship allows students to reflect on how people can participate in their local communities

 
Learning the ways you can be connected and participate at local - or higher - levels allows students to create better community engagement.. Why you should teach civics and citizenship. A blog post exploring the reasons why learning about government…
 


Teaching civics and citizenship is important because it helps students understand history better

So much of history revolves around what decisions were made and what were the consequences of those decisions. Sometimes we look at who made the decisions or why they made the decisions, but we don’t always look at the structures which informed their decisions.

When we teach government to our students, we help them get a better understanding of those structures. Students can look at how different political systems developed different leaders (and lead to different conflicts) in ancient civilisations. They can learn how the Magna Carta influenced other political movements and the belief that no one was above the rule of law. They can better understand political systems which were being protested by so many people working to get the right to vote.

By learning that there’s often a deeper background or issues to learn about, students begin to understand that history is complex, that sometimes we need to look at it closer to understand the different perspectives. Students also can examine the different ways that people have worked together in the past and explore how they can apply that knowledge to civic experiences now and into the future.

Takeaways:

  • When they learn about government, including civic processes and institution, students gain a better understanding of history 

  • When they learn about government, students gain a better understanding of the complexity of history and the different systems which can influence decision making

  • When they learn about government, students gain a better understanding of how they can apply organisational systems of the past into present or future situations

 
 
 
 

5 Things to Teach About Democracy in the Classroom

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Democracy is such an important topic to teach in the classroom - but what should we be covering when we teach democracy? Here’s five things which will help students gain a better understanding of democracy - and where we find it in the world around us.

 
5 Things to Teach About Democracy in the Classroom. A social studies blog post exploring democracy and government in the classroom. A Galarious Goods blog post
 

1. What is Democracy?

Before students can gain a deeper understanding of democracy, they need to understand what it is. They might like to start with breaking the word down - democracy is a Greek word meaning rule or strength by the people.

In our modern world, we understand democracy is a type of government where citizens get an equal say in how things are run - usually through voting.

This is a good opportunity to explore what voting looks like. Students may have accompanied adults as they vote and they can talk about what they see. You can also share photos of voting around the world - whether it’s Australians voting at an Antarctic station, a primary caucus in Iowa or voting in space!

Students can also talk about other places they see voting - whether it’s voting in the classroom or voting for a reality television show. 

2. Where Does Democracy Come From?

If you’re digging deeper into democracy, it’s good to know where it comes from - and how modern democracy is different. 

Democracy started in ancient Athens around 508-507 BCE. It was a change from ‘aristocracy’ - rule by the elite - with the idea that ‘the people’ of Athens should have a say in how the city state was run. The ‘people’ - those who got to vote and were involved in decision making - was quite restricted though - women, slaves and non-citizens were all excluded.

Students might like to reflect on how the development of democracy would have changed the life of Athenians who were able to vote. They might also like to research some of the features of democracy in Athens like ostracism and the red rope!

 
5 Things to Teach About Democracy in the Classroom. A social studies blog post exploring democracy and government in the classroom. A Galarious Goods blog post
 

3. Common Features of Democracy

What features usually accompany democracy? From elections, to majority vote to the right to protest against the government, there are a range of features which people usually associate with democracy. These can change from country to country - not every country has free speech, for example - but the philosophy of everyone having the right to participate in decision making is usually behind these features.

Students might like to create a list of the features of democracy they know about and discuss why those features exist. They might also like to examine what can make democracy fairer and look at how some countries have worked to create fairer systems. To extend this, students might like to argue to a change to their own democratic system - from how the senate is created, to how votes are cast, to a change in who is allowed to vote.

4. Types of Democracy

There are two main kinds of democracy - representative democracy and direct democracy. In direct democracy, voters vote for all the decisions. In a representative democracy, voters vote for representatives who serve to make laws and decisions.

Many countries have a mixture of direct and representative democracy. In many countries, almost all laws are created by representatives. However, when the law is particularly big, or there’s a lot of conflict about passing it, laws might be referred to the public to be voted on. This is called a referendum.

Students might like to look at the benefits and drawbacks of both kinds of democracy and write a persuasive argument about which one they believe is better. They can also research notable referendum and talk about the different arguments people might put forward when they convince people to vote for laws.

5. Where Do We See Democracy?

It can be tempting for people to dismiss democracy as not important, but it’s essential for students to see the impacts of democracy all around us. From politicians belonging to different political parties, to newspapers being allowed to disagree with the government, to people being allowed to sign online petitions to ask the government to change something, democracy influences our lives more than we might realise.

Students can talk about the places they see democracy - or the influences of democracy - in their life and talk about how things might be different if only some people were allowed to vote. They can discuss how voting rights have changed over time and whether there are still changes required. They can also look at how different countries celebrate democracy - from democracy sausages in Australia, to I voted stickers, to election night parties.

How do you explore democracy in your classroom? Let me know in the comments below.

 
 
 
 

Why We Need to Teach Australian Elections - and Resources to Help You

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With all the noise around politicians, elections, campaigns and promises, it can be tempting to tune it all out. However, in the classroom it is our job to teach about elections to ensure we have informed voters in the future.

 
Why We Need to Teach Australian Elections - and a Wide Range of Resources to Help You. This Blog post looks at why to teach Australian elections and offers a range of blog posts, websites and resources you can use to teach them effectively. A Galari…
 

Voting is Part of the Curriculum

The Civics and Citizenship strand of HASS in the Australian Curriculum includes a number of outcomes connected to elections and voting. From learning about the role of voting in a democracy to learning how voting works in Australia, students are expected to gain a wide understanding of voting and elections through their lessons in the classroom.

It Helps to Prepare Informed Citizens

Australia has compulsory voting which means most of your students will be required to vote one day. As well as understanding the way campaigning works and the responsibilities of voters and elected officials, students need to understand the mechanics of how voting works and how votes are counted. The more informed students are about voting, the more likely they are to be informed voters as adults.

 
Why We Need to Teach Australian Elections - and a Wide Range of Resources to Help You. This Blog post looks at why to teach Australian elections and offers a range of blog posts, websites and resources you can use to teach them effectively. A Galari…
 

Blog Posts, Websites and Resources to Help You Teach Elections

Blog Posts

Elections in the Classroom - 7 Tips for Real Learning with Minimum Controversy
Teachers should always take care to teach government and elections without bias, but this is particularly important around election time - the last thing you want is to appear on the front page of a newspaper because a student or parent took objection to your views. This blog post offers a range of ways you can teach elections in an interesting and factual manner without inviting controversy

7 Things You May Not Know About Government in Australia
This post is a collection of facts about government in Australia and is a great starting point for students exploring Australian government and Australian elections.

Australian Election Myths (And Teaching Ideas for a Better Understanding of Elections)
Unfortunately there is a growing collection of myths about voting in Australia - it’s so bad that the Australian Electoral Commission is having to run advertising to warn people about misinformation. This post explores a number of commonly held myths and provides teaching ideas and further links for teachers and students to explore.

Why We Should Explore Compulsory Voting in Our Classrooms
Many people know that we have compulsory voting in Australia, but do they know about the history of compulsory voting and the senator who introduced it? This post contains some of that history as well as other teaching ideas to explore in the classroom. This is perfect for students exploring the features of Australian democracy.

What are Political Parties, Why Do They Matter and How Can We Teach Them?
When we look at election campaigns, we are usually dealing with political parties. This post offers information about political parties and how you can teach more about them in the classroom.

What are Election Policies? (And how can we teach students about them?)
As well as political parties, many students will come across election policies and campaign promises from candidates. This blog post takes a closer look at policies and how we can better understand them.

Websites

Resources

The Elections in Australia resources are the most comprehensive look at Australian elections. These resources include a mini unit which looks at different elements of voting and elections in Australia, posters, word wall cards and research tasks.

You can also use the Run Your Own Preferential Election resources to get a better understanding of preferential voting in Australia and how preferential votes are counted. Word Wall cards are also available for this topic.

There is a duo of resources for Year 6 students looking at the responsibilities of voters and the responsibilities of elected representatives. This is an excellent way to look at what is expected of voters and the people we elect to lead us.

Australian Electoral Process and Running an Australian Election takes Year 5 students through the elements of Australian elections including secret ballot and compulsory voting.

If I Was Prime Minister is a fabulous book by Beck and Robin Feiner. There are two available book studies for this book: one for Year 2, 3 and 4 students and another for Year 5 and 6 students.

Finally, students can explore their own feelings about compulsory voting with a persuasive writing task asking students to take a position for or against it.

 
 
 
 

What are Election Policies? (And how can we teach students about them?)

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In the first part of this blog post, I explored what political parties are, why they are important and how we can explore the differences between different parties and their values.

In this post I’m going to take a closer look at election policies - or what different political parties are promising - as well as some ideas for exploring election policies in the classroom.

 
What are election policies? (and how can we teach students about them?) A government and civics themed blog post exploring election policies, how they're made and how we can read them. A Galarious Goods blog post.
 

What are Party Policies?

Every political party creates a set of policies - goals for different areas of government which are shaped by the values of the party. These policies might be very general - we are aiming to promote penguins - or very specific - we are aiming to use government money to build statues of penguins around Australia.The parties who have a better chance of winning seats in an election are more likely to have specific policies - because the voters will expect them to turn the policies into laws if they win the election.

During an election campaign, political parties may release, discuss and promote these policies. They might talk about how these policies are different from the other parties, talk about how they are going to pay for these policies or talk about how these policies will create a better country or state.

The party policies combine to make the party platform - the goals the political party will aim to achieve if they win government.

Lesson idea: Students can brainstorm some general policies for their school and then see if they can make them more specific. So ‘air-conditioning the classrooms’ may become ‘work with the P and C to come up with fundraising ideas so we can air-condition at least three of the classrooms next year’. Students can then discuss whether general or specific policies are more helpful for voters.

How are Party Policies Made?

There are a number of ways policies are made. Sometimes party leaders might make up policies as they go. More commonly, though, policies involve political parties identifying issues which people care about or problems which need to be solved, then working through a process to develop a policy which would solve the problem or address the issue.

The process often asks political parties to think about any potential issues which would come up if the policy was turned into laws. For example, a policy to promote penguins might sound great in theory, but additional tourists travelling to visit penguins might put penguin habitats in danger and it would definitely mean more traffic on the roads. Political parties have to work through all these potential problems in their policies to create the best policy possible.

Lesson idea: Provide students with a list of possible school policies and ask them to consider the implications of these policies. They might like to create PMI charts or other ways of exploring the policies.

 
What are election policies? (and how can we teach students about them?) A government and civics themed blog post exploring election policies, how they're made and how we can read them. A Galarious Goods blog post.
 

How Can Regular Citizens Understand Election Policies?

This is possibly the hardest part! Political parties often release a lot of policies before elections. They want to use these to convince voters to vote for them. So many times they are written in a way which is very persuasive and this can sometimes be a bit confusing.

Some political parties might use their policies to be negative about other parties. Other political parties might use their policies to show that they are very serious - which means they include so much detail it can be hard to understand what the policies are. And some policies are just down-right confusing if you don’t understand complex tax systems!

There are a few ways we can get through to the nitty-gritty of policies though:

1. Try to rewrite them in your own words.

Your own words will include less of the persuasive language used before elections. By writing out some of the policies from different parties in your own words you can get a better idea of what those policies are and how they compare with other policies.

Students can easily explore this in the classroom. By rewriting the policies and removing persuasive language, they can explore how persuasive language is used in election campaigns. They can use this knowledge to create their own persuasive statements.

2. Compare policies with the values of the political party

The political party will have a set of values which they follow. Usually policies are created in alignment with the values of the political party. If they don’t seem to align, it’s worth exploring why that is the case. It’s possible that the policy is more complex than it first seems!

Students can work on these comparisons in groups. They can also try to match policies to different political parties, or create their own political parties with different values and decide what kind of policies would suit each set of values.

3. Compare policies with speeches

It’s always good to explore primary source material. In many cases politicians give speeches which look at what they believe and why they believe it’s important. They might also give speeches which give more information about different policies - these are a good way to take a closer look at policies and how they align with what the politicians are saying.

Then how do I work out who has the BEST policies?

Honestly, that really depends on what you think is most important. The best way is to spend a little time reflecting on what is most important to you - jobs, education, penguins?

When you have determined what is most important to you, you should look for whichever political party has policies which best match with what you believe. It’s unlikely that you’ll get an exact match, so you might need to determine which is the closest on the most important and be more flexible with less important beliefs.

Lesson Idea - Students can be provided with different aspects of school life and school decision making (like types of lessons taught, school events, uniform decisions, food in the tuckshop) and determine which one is most important to them. Students can use this information to write the kind of policies they’d like to see at school.

Read Part One of this post - exploring political parties - here

 
 
 
 

What are Political Parties, Why Do They Matter and How Can We Teach Them?

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A few weeks ago when I crowdsourced some election myths for this post, I was asked an interesting question by a Year 5 student: How do you know the difference between different political parties and what they are promising?

It turned out to be such a good question that I’m going to devote two blog posts to it! Today, I’ll be exploring political parties themselves.

 
What are Political Parties, Why Do They Matter and How Can We Teach Them? A look at political parties in Australia and how we can create effective lessons to teach this sometimes complex topic. A Galarious Goods blog post
 

What are political parties?

Political parties are groups of people who believe in a set of values and ideals. They group together with the aim of winning elected positions at federal, state or local elections.

Members of political parties help to shape policies, vote to choose candidates for elections, help campaign for their political party and celebrate (or commiserate) after elections. Many Australians don’t belong to political parties, but might generally support one or another of them.

While the people in political parties share similar values, they don’t all agree all of the time. Party members, including MPs and Senators, might have strong disagreements about different party policies or ideas. However, these disagreements are usually worked out in party meetings and often aren’t argued in public. Australian political parties are known for having this ‘tight discipline’ which means that MPs and Senators from a certain party usually vote for that party in the House of Representatives and the Senate.

Sometimes political parties with some similar values work together in a Coalition. Meanwhile, MPs or Senators who don’t belong to a political party are called independents.

Lesson idea: Students can develop their own political party. They should think about what kind of values are important to them, then create an advertisement convincing people to join their party.

Why are political parties important?

Political parties are important because they help groups of people work together to get people elected and to create laws and policy which promote their values. But there are other reasons why political parties are important.

In Australian federal politics, the political party (or coalition) which has the most elected MPs becomes the Government. This means they can choose ministers, develop policies, implement laws and run government departments. They also choose the Prime Minister.

Because the political party chooses the Prime Minister (and not the people of Australia), the ruling political party can change the Prime Minister anytime they want to (as we have seen a lot in recent years). This means any elected member of the ruling political party might become Prime Minister . . . This might be another reason for voters to choose a particular political party.

Lesson idea: Students explore how Prime Ministers are chosen - and discuss what qualities a good Prime Minister should have. Students can turn this discussion into a ‘job application’ to find an excellent Prime Minister.

 
What are Political Parties, Why Do They Matter and How Can We Teach Them? A look at political parties in Australia and how we can create effective lessons to teach this sometimes complex topic. A Galarious Goods blog post
 

A Quick History of Australia’s Political Parties

In the early 1900s, Australia had three main political parties. The Protectionist Party wanted tariffs and taxes on imports into Australia to protect Australian products and jobs. The Free Trade Party wanted to get rid of taxes and tariffs to allow everyone to share in the wealth of the country. And the Australian Labor Party represented workers groups (or unions) to make sure that workers had fair pay and safe working conditions.

Over time, many political parties have come and gone in Australia. Some of them held positions of power in the Australian parliament, while others may have had a few elected members (or none) before dissolving. The Australian Labor Party is the only surviving party from the original big three.

Lesson idea: Students explore which Prime Ministers represented which party in the early 1900s. They can look a little closer at what policies they promoted and what kinds of laws were put in place.

Today’s Political Parties

Today there are still three main political parties who form government - but they’re a little different from the 1900s.

The Australian Labor Party still aims to represent workers and unions. They also describe themselves as a social-democratic party, which means they think the government should step in to promote social justice through social or economic means.

The Nationals Party is the second oldest party in Australia, founded in 1920. It aims to represent farmers, as well as people who live outside the big cities in Australia. The Nationals often work to make sure that people outside the cities have the same access to services as the people in the cities. They work in a coalition with the Liberal Party of Australia and share some - though not all - of the same values.

The Liberal Party of Australia was formed in 1944 after a meeting of organisations which opposed the Australian Labor Party. Their goal was to form a party based on individual freedom and personal choice. As part of this, they supported (and continue to support) free business - believing that business is the best way to create national and individual growth and wealth. They work in coalition with the National Party.

There are also a number of minor parties (or smaller parties) in Australia. At the moment, the biggest of those is the Australian Greens, a party which grew out of the environmental movement, but now works to develop policies around the environment and integrity, fairness and decency.

There are a number of other smaller parties who run in elections and have one or two elected members. These often change as their popularity grows or falls.

You can get a better understanding of different parties by exploring their values - what ideas they think are most important.

Lesson: Students can create a diagram showing the different political parties in Australia. They might like to research to discover what the core values of the parties are and if they’ve changed since the parties were first formed. Students can use these diagrams to highlight the differences between different parties.

In part 2, I’m going to take a little look at what political policies are, how to examine them, and how to tell the difference between them. Click here to read more now.

Want to read more? Try . . .

 
 
 
 

Australian Election Myths (And Teaching Ideas for a Better Understanding of Elections)

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As elections approach in Australia, people begin to talk about voting. And while this talk is sometimes about policies and personalities (and sometimes about democracy sausages), sometimes misinformation creeps into the conversation.

How does this impact us as teachers? Well, teaching civics is part of the Australian curriculum. And teachers are in a unique position to arm their students with accurate information - the kind of information which will make our students more informed when the time comes for them to vote - and less likely to fall for misinformation when it comes up.

 
Australian Election Myths and Teaching Ideas for a Better Understanding. Mythbusting misconceptions about Australian elections and voting in Australia and teaching ideas to help students be better informed. A Galarious Goods blog post
 

Myth: A blank vote is a vote for the government
Reality: A blank vote is regarded as an informal vote and counts for no candidate

Myth: If you don’t like anyone, you can cross them all out and write that you don’t want them. A new election will be held if a majority of people vote like this
Reality: Crossing out candidates and writing on the paper will make the vote informal and it will count for no candidate . . . but it also won’t trigger a new election.

The myths which lead people to informal voting are probably the most dangerous (and the most likely to be promoted by groups looking to interfere with elections in Australia). An informal vote happens when a ballot paper is not filled in correctly. This might mean that the voter has ticked or crossed instead of numbering, written their name on the ballot, not filled in the ballot at all or hasn’t completed the vote under the requirements of the election.

In the 2016 Federal Election, about 5% of House of Representative votes were informal, with about 1.25% of voters leaving them blank, 1.25% of voters numbering incorrectly and about 1% writing slogans or protests on the ballots. While these votes do not count for any candidate (and do not trigger a new election), these votes are totally legal. Compulsory voting requires voters to have their names checked off and to put their ballot paper in the box - but secret ballot means there are no ways to check - and no punishment - if the voter deliberately submits an informal vote.

So why should we correct this myth? People trying to make a protest vote might not understand that preferential voting is designed so the majority of voters get the candidate they dislike the least. By voting correctly, you have a much better chance of getting the candidate you dislike least. It’s a protest against the ones you dislike the most!

Teaching about informal votes: Informal voting is more likely to happen if there are a lot of candidates running. You can work with your students to discuss why this might be the case - and to create a campaign of strategies to help people vote correctly when there are a lot of candidates. Students can create posters or leaflets with their strategies.

Myth: A donkey vote doesn’t count as a vote
Reality: A donkey vote is a perfectly valid way to vote - and why candidates want their name on the top of the ballot paper!

A donkey vote happens when someone votes ‘down the ballot’ without thinking about it - they number the first box ‘1’, the second box ‘2’ and so on. Because every box is numbered it counts as a valid vote. The first candidate on the paper gets the first preference, the second candidate the second preference (if required) and so on.

People might donkey vote if they don’t care who wins, if they don’t understand how the voting system works or if they’re lodging a protest vote. However, a voter might look like a donkey voter - but honestly be voting the way they want to vote! (Especially when there’s only a couple of candidates)

The electoral commissions in Australia work really, really hard to put the candidates names randomly on the papers. There is a double blind draw (they draw once to decide the order the draw will go in and then draw again to work out where the candidates go on the paper). The person drawing the ballot is - indeed - blindfolded (leading to some interesting and not terribly flattering photos of ballot draws!)

Teaching about donkey votes: Investigate the ballot draw system with your students - you might even be able to find video of a draw online. Ask students to create diagrams to explain the system. Or ask them to create their own better system of creating a ballot draw. Students can also explore why we don’t use other systems for the ballot like alphabetically or in the order candidates are registered.

 
Australian Election Myths and Teaching Ideas for a Better Understanding. Mythbusting misconceptions about Australian elections and voting in Australia and teaching ideas to help students be better informed. A Galarious Goods blog post
 

Myth: How to Vote Cards must be followed
Reality: How to Vote Cards are just guides

Myth: Preferences aren’t Important
Reality: Preferences can matter a lot

Whenever an election approaches, there’s a lot of discussion about How to Vote Cards. These are the cards which volunteers hand out as you walk into the voting booth. Candidates create them to try to convince people to vote for them - then for the people they like the most (or dislike the least).

But, even if you like a particular party or candidate, you can definitely preference your vote (vote 2, 3, 4 etc) any way you like. The how-to-vote cards are just guides. The surprising thing is that a lot of voters have no idea how they will vote until they turn up - so those cards can be influential!

Preferences are important though. Preferential voting can be difficult to understand - and it’s a whole blog post of its own! - but preferences can change the results of elections. It’s a system which allows the majority of voters to elect the people they dislike the least. It’s a little strange, but the preferences allow us to have a greater say about who represents us and which party is - or isn’t - in charge.

Teaching preferential voting in the classroom - You can find a resource with a closer look at preferential voting at the Galarious Goods store and the Australian Electoral Commission also have a video about preferential voting. Students can create diagrams or their own videos which explain preferential voting.

Myth: It’s not worth voting in my seat, the same person always wins
Reality: While some seats are ‘safe seats’ there are still benefits to voting.

It can be a real pain to get all excited to vote, only to see the same person - who you don’t like - get elected each time. It’s enough to make you wonder why you bother to vote when you live in a ‘safe’ seat.

A ‘safe’ seat is a seat which is likely to be won by the current candidate (or the same political party). However, there are examples of safe seats going to other candidates. Sometimes this might be because local people are tired of being a ‘safe’ seat and seek their own candidate (like in Indi in 2013); and sometimes a change in boundaries and population, as well as political changes can be enough to change the seat (like when the Prime Minister, John Howard, lost his own seat in 2007). When this happens, the votes are usually pretty close, so it’s definitely worth voting.

Voting also influences political funding. When a candidate gets more than a certain percentage of first preference votes, they are eligible for election funding. This can be especially helpful to smaller parties.

In almost all state and federal elections (Queensland is an exception), you’re voting for an upper house as well as a local representative. These votes are often closer, and a small number of votes can make a real difference, so these votes can help make changes, even when you’re in a safe seat.

Voting is also one of the responsibilities of being an Australian citizen. It’s a chance to become better informed, to have a say . . . and to get yourself a democracy sausage or two.

Teaching about voting in the classroom: Explore the campaign in Indi for independent representatives. It’s a fascinating story about voters having a say. You can also explore more about the responsibilities of voters with this resource from Galarious Goods.

Have you heard any myths about voting in Australia? Make sure you leave them in the comments below.

Find more information about voting at the Australian Electoral Commission website

A huge thanks to Mel, Heidi, Skyler and Kate for their help in uncovering election myths!

 
 
 
 

7 Things You May Not Know About Government in Australia

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Are you thinking about teaching Australian Government in your classroom? Did you know these facts about the Australian political system and Australian political history?

 
7 Things You May Not Know About Government in Australia. A sneak peek into the government systems of Australia - perfect for social studies and government classes around the world. A Galarious Goods blog post
 

1. Australians Do Not Directly Elect the Prime Minister

Unlike the United State of America, Australians do not make a direct vote for the political leader of the country. Instead they vote for local representatives who are usually members of political parties. The political party with the most representatives chooses one of the representatives to be Prime Minister.

2. This Can Lead to Sudden Changes . . . 

Political parties can choose to change the Prime Minister without a public election - this often happens when they disagree with the leader or they think a new leader will do better. In 2010 there was a sudden change when the representatives of the Labor Party decided that Julia Gillard should replace Kevin Rudd. In 2013 they went back to Kevin Rudd. In 2015 the Liberal Party decided to change from Tony Abbott to Malcolm Turnbull, then in 2018 they swapped from Malcolm Turnbull to Scott Morrison. The main two political parties in Australia have made changes to stop this happening in the future - but it is totally legal and acceptable under the Australian constitution.

3. The Prime Minister is Not the Head of State of Australia

The head of state of Australia is Queen Elizabeth II. She has representatives in Australia - the Governor-General and the Governors. In 1999 there was a referendum vote to decide if Australia should become a republic with an Australian head of state. However, the Australian people voted to remain a monarchy and the Queen remains as the head of state.

4. Australia has Compulsory Voting

All Australian citizens over the age of 18 are required to register and vote - it's considered one of the responsibilities of citizenship.

5. Australians Usually Use a Pencil and Paper to Vote

All voters in Australia are given paper ballots and all voting booths provide pencils. Australia started using pencils because they were quicker to use than ink pens, but they continue to use them because they are easy to prepare, store and maintain. You can bring your own pen to voting if you wish.

6. Australians Vote on Saturday - and Eat Sausages!

Voting in Australia is held on Saturdays when most Australians are available to vote (although you can vote earlier if you need to). Voting is usually held at schools and churches and they often hold sales to raise money. The most popular sale is a sausage sizzle - barbecued sausage on bread with sauce. At recent elections voters have compared the best sausage sizzles and shared photos of their sausages on social media! Check out the #democracysausage tag on Instagram!

7. An Australian Prime Minister Once Went Missing

In December 1967, Prime Minister Harold Holt went swimming and never came back. Although it is presumed that he was drowned, his body was never recovered. After his death, a swimming pool complex was named in his honour.

 
 
 
 

Elections in the Classroom - 7 Tips for Real Learning with Minimum Controversy

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Learning about real life elections in the classroom sounds a lot like a disaster waiting to happen - especially in heightened political situations. However, there are definitely ways we can talk about political situations in the classroom so our students are informed and we don't attract controversy.

 
Elections in the Classroom - 7 Tips for Real Learning with Minimal Controversy. An insight into how to teach elections effectively in the classroom and to make sure you don't have a classful of parent complaints the next day. A thoughtful look at st…
 

1. Don't Avoid Talking About Elections

Elections happen and they're important topics to cover in the classroom. Students are future voters and they deserve to have a good understanding of how elections work so one day they will be informed voters. Avoiding the topic in front of students might keep things from becoming controversial, but it can also be a disservice to our students who should be educated about the electoral system.

2. Keep Your Feelings Out of It

You might have really strong opinions about a particular candidate or a particular political party, but it's best to work to keep a neutral approach when you're talking about politics in the classroom. Students don't need to know about how you might be inclined to vote - it's ok to talk about how voters often prefer to keep their votes to themselves. It can also be an opportunity to talk about the use of secret ballots in elections and why they are used.

3. Set the Ground Rules for the Students

Classroom discussions about elections can get heated, especially if students or their parents hold strong opinions. Establish some strict ground rules early, ensuring students participate in lessons in a respectful, considerate manner. Make the rules explicit, write them down and refer back to them if required.

4. Use 'Primary' Sources

If you want your students to investigate to political positions of the candidates or how they use language in speeches turn to the words of the candidates themselves. Look for speeches on similar topics or speeches from similar events (like campaign launches or party conventions). Comparing the words of the candidates side by side allows students to see both sides of the political arguments and can also serve as a informational reading lesson.

 
Elections in the Classroom - 7 Tips for Real Learning with Minimal Controversy. An insight into how to teach elections effectively in the classroom and to make sure you don't have a classful of parent complaints the next day. A thoughtful look at st…
 

5. Take a Technical Approach

It's possible to talk about elections in the classroom without focusing too much attention on candidates or political parties. Your students can look at how elections work, what people need to do to vote, how votes are counted. Look at the levels of government and what the different electable positions are. You can even take a look into how the government works. Taking a technical approach allows students to look more critically at the political process and how they can be involved in it.

6. Take a Historical Approach

Instead of focusing on a current or more recent election in the classroom, take a look into the past. What were earlier elections like? How have political parties changed over the years? What are the notable or interesting elections of the past? So much of history shapes the events of today - learning about the past can allow students to understand how we got to current political situations.

7. Take an International Approach

Lots of countries have democratic systems and elections, but they all have their own ways of voting and forming governments. Take your students on a look back at Ancient Athenian Democracy or take a peek into elections within other democratic countries. Compare and contrast the electoral systems and their principles with the electoral systems of your own country. Taking a wider view of elections can allow your students to have a better understanding of the electoral systems of their own country - and a global understanding of political events.

A controversial election can make the idea of teaching government in the classroom seem scary. But with some firm ground rules and interesting side journeys, you can make the most of election season while avoiding controversy.