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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Create a new Federation
Explore why the authors of the Australian Constitution designed our Parliament to have both a House of Representatives – with representation based on population – and a Senate – with equal representation for the states. This activity invites students to think critically and creatively to write a new constitution.
Unpack democracy
What is democracy and how does it work in Australia? Explore questions around the key ideas of our democracy with these discussion-based activities.
Create your own electorate
Consider how communities around our country are represented in the Australian Parliament.
Create political parties
Investigate how the party system operates in Australia, and how government is formed in Parliament with this classroom activity. Explore the concepts of parliamentary majority, hung parliament, minority government and the balance of power in the Senate.
Explore decision-making
Explore various forms of decision-making in your classroom with this activity. Investigate majority rule, executive, consensus, autocracy, and the power of veto.
Explore the three levels of government
Explore the three levels of government – federal, state, and local – with this classroom activity. Investigate the responsibilities of each level by forming taskforces to respond to major events.
Run an election campaign
Experience a modern social media election campaign in your classroom with this classroom activity.
Hold a referendum
Investigate a potential change to the Constitution and then decide – as a nation – whether or not the change should be made.
Make speeches
Discover the different types of speeches senators and members make in Parliament by turning your class into a Parliament and doing it yourselves! Use these activities to further explore the work of the Parliament or to give context to oral presentations in any classroom.
Debate a Bill of Rights for Australia
Analyse arguments for and against having an Australian Bill of Rights, before debating the issue in a class parliament.
Negotiate a minority government
Role-play a high stakes parliamentary negotiation in order to learn how government is formed in Australia.
Start a petition
Get involved and have your say by starting a petition. This activity can be used to help your students have their voices heard in their school, local community, or in Parliament.
