Classroom activities
Explore the ideas that underpin Australia's democracy and create a parliament in your classroom with these fun and engaging activities. Each activity includes a lesson plan and a toolkit with the resources you’ll need to teach key functions of and concepts relating to the Australian Parliament.
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Unpack democracy
What is democracy and how does it work in Australia? Use these discussion starters to kick start your classroom conversation.
Create your own electorate
Explore the role of members of parliament and how they represent communities around Australia.
Fair rules
Explore why it is important for rules to be clear and fair with this drawing activity.
Create political parties
Investigate how the party system operates in Australia by creating your own political parties.
Explore decision-making
How do our representatives make decisions? Find out by exploring different forms of decision-making in this classroom activity.
Rules and laws
Discover the difference between rules and laws with this sorting activity.
Run an election campaign
Experience an election campaign in your classroom by analysing political advertisements and then developing your own campaigns! This activity can also be completed as an extension to the Create political parties activity.
Make a law: House of Representatives
Discover how bills ─ proposed laws – are introduced, debated and voted on in the House of Representatives by turning your class into a Parliament and doing it yourselves.
Make speeches
Discover the different types of speeches given by senators and members by writing your own. Use this activity to further explore the work of the Parliament or to give context to oral presentations in any classroom.
Make a law: Senate
Discover how bills – proposed laws – are introduced, debated and voted on in the Senate by turning your class into a Parliament and doing it yourselves!
Negotiate a minority government
Role-play a high stakes parliamentary negotiation in order to learn how government is formed in a hung parliament.
Federation - A federal story?
Explore the reasons why the authors of the Australian Constitution designed our Parliament to have both a House of Representatives and a Senate.
