Write a new constitution
What would you include in a new Constitution? Analyse the Australian Constitution and decide what to keep and what to change in this classroom activity.
What will I learn?
- The key features of the Australian Constitution
- To analyse the different features of a constitution
- To consider why a constitution may wish to be changed
A
Z
Glossary words
bicameral, constitution, Executive and executive government, head of state, monarch
Resource links
Getting started
- Revise the features of the Australian Constitution using the Power sharing in the Constitution worksheet:
- Divide the class into 6 groups. Each group will research its power-sharing arrangement and present its findings to the class.
- Students should note down 2-3 points from each group to help them understand the key features of the Australian Constitution.
Activity (30 minutes)
- Organise the class into pairs or small groups. Ask the students to imagine that they are writing a constitution for a new federation.
- Using the New constitution scaffold ask students to design a constitution for a new federation. They can select from the options provided or come up with their own suggestions for each feature of the constitution.
- Combine the pairs into larger groups of 6-8. Ask each group to discuss the merits of each new constitution and to vote on their preferred one.
- Then discuss why each group chose a particular constitution and how they believe it will benefit the people of the new nation.
Discussion questions
- How does the Australian Constitution compare to the constitution you wrote for your new federation?
- What features of the constitution did you change and what did you keep the same?
- How and why did you make these decisions?
Extension
Ask students to decide on ONE change they would like to see made to the Australian Constitution. They should research what the Constitution currently says on this topic, consider what changes they would make and explain why they think this would be a good change for Australia.