Queensland |
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Kalkadoon High School |
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Discovering Democracy Workshop
Consultant: Sandra Kenman, Edserve/Afssse kenman@ozemail.com.au
| Major Resource used in
this module: Discovering Democracy kit. |
SOSE Outcomes | Suggested Activities |
| Theme: Should the People
Rule? 1. Who rules us? 2. What are the main types of government? 3 What has the government got to do with you? What does it mean to be a citizen in Australia? Theme: A Democracy Destroyed (minimal coverage) |
TCC6.1 Students investigate, using their own research focus and mostly autonomous inquiry processes, changes or continuities drawn from cultural, media, gender roles, civics and citizenship and/or globalisation issues. TCC6.2 Students create accounts of the past and compare them with others, to demonstrate how all accounts of the past reflect the society and culture from which they were written. |
Pages 10 to 17 – Lower
Secondary book. (Engage student interest and link to SOSE: Changes drawn from culture, changes or continuities drawn from civics and citizenship, investigate using own research…inquiry.) Add newspaper items on current issues eg Media analysis of Albanian/Serbian conflict- human rights; rights and responsibilities of Aborigines – Noel Pearson’s statements. Pages 17 to 24 DD (Lower Secondary) Expand on the very first section ‘What has the government got to do with you?’ What are students interested in …jobs…freedoms…rights… How can young people have a voice?
Bring in ‘global issues’ through internet ‘chats’ or ‘discussion groups’. Select activities from A Democracy Destroyed to build some links with Senior Curriculum and add interest. Check suitability of films American History X and Life is Beautiful |
Topic |
Task |
Teacher Comment |
|
| Who Rules Us? What are the
main types of government?
What has the government got to do with me? What does it mean to have citizen’s rights and responsibilities?
|
Activities 1 and 2 DD (Lower Secondary pp10,11). Read page 13 and view/ read/ discuss current issues. Assessment Task 1 Poster Assessment Task 2 Talk – use a multi-media approach Assessment Task 3 Notes Read Pages 21 – 24 FF (LS) Activity 1 Crossword Activity 2 Contrast Table.
Complete the activities on Citizenship in the Jacaranda SOSE books. Book 1 pages 50 51, Investigate and make notes for group discussion on what it is like to be a citizen in another country or state (eg Kosovo). Complete the activities on different types of citizens in the Jacaranda SOSE Book 4. Choose either the section on Australian’s Indigenous/ Aboriginal Citizens, Chinese born citizens, Vietnam born citizens, Italy born citizens. Use e-mail or a discussion group on the internet to communicate with different citizens in two countries other than Australia. Write a paragraph which contrasts rights and responsibilities of citizens in different countries/states. Watch the videos, films or use the CD ROM material as directed by your teacher. |
| DD as the major resource | SOSE core learning outcomes | Activities/planning |
| 4. How do the people rule in Australia? | TCC6.3 Students participate in cooperative group research processes to identify changes in institutions and environments, and the values attached to them in Australia. SRP5.1 Students investigate using reflective inquiry, government in Australia, to make judgments about its basic operation, citizen access and involvement, and the appropriateness of government policies. |
Use a current/ controversial
debate eg about the Constitution’s Preamble. Need material suitable and of interest to students. Eg use the article attached ‘God knows we Aussies are great mate’ in small sections to compare John Howard’s and Tom Keneally’s versions of the preamble. (SOSE ‘changes in institutions…values). Activities in DD (LS) pages 26 to 35 provide background content
Assessment Task 1 could be used in the next module and could be linked to Activity 1 in Middle School booklet section ‘Parties Control Parliament’ – interviews, opinion poll. |
| Topic | Task | Teacher Comment | |
| How do government decisions
reflect the values of being an Australian citizen? Population and democracy.
People Power
|
Read the articles on ‘God knows we Aussies are great mate’ and the two versions of the Preamble. Construct your own Preamble so that values you believe are appropriate for Australian citizens are included.
DD (Lower Secondary): Activity 1 pages 26, 27 Activity 2 page 28. Your group wants to change the laws on euthanasia. Prepare a short talk on how your group might do this using the information on page 29 DD.
Complete the activity on preferential voting on the Parliament at Work CDROM. Read pages 31 to 33 DD (Lower Secondary) and complete Activity 4. Complete the ‘Should the People Rule’ activity on the Stories of Democracy CDROM.
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| DD the major resource | SOSE core learning outcomes | |
Parties Control Parliament
|
TCC6.4 Students communicate using the conventions of referencing and corroboration of evidence, expositions which integrate aspects of developed concepts, including democracy, ideology, environments, work, gender roles, media and/or globalisation. TCC6.5 Students reflect on key values to make judgments, based on clear criteria, about the merits of past and current government policies and their impact on various groups, and suggest alternatives. CI5.2 Students create and implement strategies designed to promote or sustain values or practices which are important to a community CI5.3 Students participate in a forum to explore how factors such as race, ethnicity, economy or sense of place can interrelate to influence shared attitudes and values and therefore the construction of personal identities. SRP5.1 Students investigate using reflective inquiry, government in Australia, to make judgments about its basic operation, citizen access and involvement, and the appropriateness of government policies. |
Link interview at end of Should
the People Rule (DD Lower Secondary pages 35 and 355
with opinion poll at beginning of Parties Control
Parliament, middle secondary PAGES 11 TO 13).
EITHER Complete the readings and activities in DD Middle Secondary pages 14 to 21. OR Run an election campaign? Vote? Declare winners? Use the activities in DD to clarify terms and procedures prior to running the election. Note Kenman’s booklet Introduction to the Australian Legal System: Stories of the past, present and future.. Activities in DD build skills in media analysis, and forming policies.
Collect some more topical, Queensland cartoons to act as stimulus material. |
Topic |
Task |
Teacher Comment |
|
| Do parties control
Parliament?
What happens in a government election? |
DD – Lower Secondary pages 34 and 35 Assessment Task 1: Interview DD – Middle Secondary pages 11 – 13 Preparing an opinion poll, Activity 1 Conducting the poll – Activity 2 EITHER Complete the readings and Activities in DD Middle Secondary pages 14 to 21: Discussion – Activity 1 Interpreting election results – Activity 2 Understanding terms – Activity 3 Understanding how governments determine policies – Activities 4, 5 and 6. Use the section on ‘Pass the Bill’ on the CDROM Parliament at Work. Design the pamphlet described in the Assessment Task page 21 OR Run an election at your school. You will need to form parties and have some independent candidates, write campaign speeches, act as media reporters, vote, determine results. |