Democracy

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You've got the charisma, but I've got
The Class


Hello again! This week, we'll be continuing our learning about Civics & Citizenship by looking at democracy.


So, what will the class learn about democracy?

The class will be learning about democracy, the history of Australia's democratic system and the responsibilities of both voters and representatives (see Figure 1). We'll dive into how Australia's democratic system works, including the preferential voting system. Then we'll put that into practice as we elect a school-wide Community Project Team. I'll tell you more about that soon.




Figure 1: Content Descriptors 
(ACHASSK143 & ACHASSK145, Australian Curriculum, Assessment & Reporting Authority [ACARA], 2018)


The Community Project Team will provide opportunities for elected students to exercise their responsibilities as citizens of their local community (see Figure 2).



Figure 2: Content Descriptor (ACHASSK147, ACARA, 2018)



Why does my child need to know about democracy? They can't even vote yet!

I'm sure we can all reel off a list of things that we want to improve about society. Here's the thing though: improvement requires democracy (Kahne & Westheimer, 2003). Teaching our children about democracy will encourage them to take their future roles as voters seriously and effect real change. This will ensure that our future will be shaped by the majority, not the interests of the rich minority.

Okay, but how will they learn about this?

We'll start by discussing how we make decisions as individuals, as families, as a class and as a school. The purpose will be getting students thinking about how Australia makes decisions.

Students will then watch this video about the history of democracy in Australia:


(Behind the News, 2016)

We'll continue learning about Australia's history of voting by watching and discussing this animation. The class will then hold a mock election as they nominate and elect their favourite superheroes by completing a ballot. I'll count the votes in front of the students and explain how the preferential voting system works as we go.

Next, the real fun starts. All the Year 5 and 6 classes will hold a student election to form a Community Project Team. This team will look at how they can effect change within their wider community, rather than just inside the school. This will align with the citizenship theme that students have been learning about. 

The election will follow the preferential voting system that students will have learned about. During the election, voting students will need to carefully consider the characteristics of a 'good' candidate, and representatives will need to be clear about their goals how they will represent the student body.

I'll assess students' progress in this unit by having them complete a reflection on their learning, detailing why they voted the way they did, or reflecting on how they acted as a representative.


How can I support my child's learning at home?

Talk about it at home! In a mature manner, discuss the qualities of Australia's politicians. What makes them a good representative? Check out this video about characteristics of good leaders to get started. If you're happy to, perhaps explain how and why you vote for particular representatives in local elections. Happy discussing!




Word count: 500 words


References

 Australian Curriculum, Assessment & Reporting Authority [ACARA]. (2018). Australian Curriculum: HASS Year 6 (version 8.4). Retrieved from https://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/f-10-curriculum/humanities-and-social-sciences/hass

Australian Electoral Commission. (2019). Democracy rules: History of voting [Video file]. Retrieved from https://education.aec.gov.au/democracy-rules/interactives/history-of-voting/

Behind the News. (2016, May 17). What is democracy? [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.abc.net.au/btn/classroom/what-is-democracy/10524786

Kahne, J., & Westheimer, J. (2003). Teaching democracy: What schools need to do. The Phi Delta Kappan, 85(1), 34-66.

SoulPancake. (2016, December 8). Kid President asks: "What makes an awesome leader?" [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KdL4o7wU0CQ

Comments

  1. Miss TargettMarch 31, 2019 at 5:56 PM

    Hi Marcus,
    Another fantastic blog post with a great layout. I also like how you have highlighted key words for parents. I like your clear reasoning for why this topic is important for students.
    I admire how you have succintly walked the parents through the learning journey that students will take. I think it is great to link the video on history as parents may need a bit of educating in that area to be able to discuss with their children!
    I cannot fault this blog at this stage - I think it is fantastic! You have maintained a friendly conversational tone for parents and clearly informed the learning process.
    Great work!
    Kelsey

    ReplyDelete
  2. Pearl Gartside 439987April 1, 2019 at 5:44 AM

    Great job Marcus! The video is a wonderful engaging way to educate students on what democracy is and where it came from, as well as the different types of democracy throughout history. Your well informed blog makes it very easy for parents to understand exactly what will be occurring in your class, and parents will feel confident in leaving their children in your care in relation to being active citizens. I really like how there will be a student election for a Community Project Team, as this will increase students' empathy. Love your work!

    Pearl

    ReplyDelete
  3. Sarah NobleApril 4, 2019 at 9:04 PM

    Hi Marcus,
    I like that you have said that improvement requires democracy and related that to how students can bring about the changes they wish to see. Making this authentic with the Community Project Team is a cool way to get students out into the community and practicing what they are learning about change. What sort of things will students get to do? How involved will they be?
    It's a great idea to explain preferential voting as you count up real votes - a very authentic learning opportunity for students. I also love the Kid President video - engaging, hilarious and thought-provoking!
    Nice work! Sarah

    ReplyDelete

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