Activity Five

The Federal Parliament

Year Level: 6

Time: 40

Curriculum Area:
Civics and
Citizenship

Curriculum Links:
Civics and Citizenship
Knowledge and Understanding:
How state/territory and
federal laws are initiated and
passed through parliament
(ACHCK037)
Civics and Citizenship Skills:
Interact with others with
respect, identify different
points of view and share
personal perspectives and
Activity Objectives:
By the end of this lesson,
students will have an
opportunity to demonstrate
their ability to:

Understand how federal laws

are initiated and passed
through parliament.
Interact with other students
within a role play, identifying
different point of views and
share personal perspectives
and opinions.

Teacher Background
Knowledge:
Throughout this unit, the students
have been exploring features
evident within the federal, state and
local government system. This
particular activity occurs towards
the end of the federal section of the
unit. Before participating within this
activity, students would have
completed a number of activities. In
particular, the class would have
focused on the following:

The role of the federal

government
The different sections of
federal government (the
House of Representatives,
Learning Intentions:

As a class, we will understand

the steps required for federal
law to be initiated and passed
through the parliament.
Within the role play, we will
interact respectfully,
identifying different point of
views and share personal
perspectives and opinions.

CocC
Activity:
Class does a role play on what its like to be in the House of Representatives.
Students try and pass a law (which would be a new classroom rule, based off
an issue evident within the classroom. Students will form two sides, one side
will be arguing for and the other against, and this will also represent the two
major parties in. Students will argue whether the new rule will be initiated and
ultimately passed in class. To conclude the learning experience, the students
are to create a new journal entry, using ICTs, talking about their experience
within the role play, highlighting the features how law is actually initiated and
Adaptations for Individual
Differences:
For students who are not
confident presenting in front of
the class, they can write their
argument, whether it would be
for or against, in their journal
article- still allowing them to have
Assessment of, for, and as
Learning:
Assessment as learning:
Assessment of learning assists
teachers in using evidence of
student learning to assess
achievement against outcomes
and standards (The Board of
Studies NSW, 2015). For this
piece, the teacher is to assess the
students on the way the student
has built their understanding of
how federal parliament introduces
and passes federal laws. The
debate should demonstrate this
through students using the
specific language within the role
play and throughout their journal
entries. This piece also allows the

General Capabilities:
Literacy: This activity connects
to the general capability of
literacy through:

Understand learning area

vocabulary

Ethical Understanding: This

activity connects to the general
capability of literacy through:

Explore rights and

responsibilities

ICT: This activity connects the

general capability of ICT through:

use ICT effectively to record

ideas, represent thinking
and plan solution
Creative and Critical Thinking:
This activity connects the general
capability of Critical and creative
thinking through: