Year 8

This sequence of learning covers the knowledge and understanding content descriptions for the Year 8 Civics and Citizenship learning area in the Australian Curriculum V9.0.


Topic Focus Duration AC V9.0
1. Keeping informed about democracy

How the media inform and influence citizens.

 2h 40min AC9HC8K01
2. Participating in democracy

Having your say.

 1h 20min AC9HC8K01
AC9HC8K05
3. Political parties and elections

What roles do political parties and independent representatives play in elections and forming government?

 2h 50min AC9HC8K01
AC9HC8K02
4. Laws

The characteristics and different types of law in Australia.

 3 h AC9HC8K03
AC9HC8K04
5. National identity and citizenship

What shapes how people experience identity and citizenship in Australia?

 3 h

AC9HC8K05
AC9HC8K06

 

Topic 1: Keeping informed about democracy (2h 40min)

Curriculum alignment
AC9HC8K01

Getting started (15 min)

Australians who want to have their say to Parliament can start by becoming informed about the work of Parliament.

As a class, brainstorm some reasons why staying informed is important for the Australian community. What might happen if people don’t stay informed?

The meetings of the Senate and the House of Representatives are always open for the public to watch in-person or online, as is much of the work of committees. The media also plays an important role in helping to keep Australians informed about our democracy.

Media and democracy (10 min)

Facilitate a class discussion about the role of the media in a democracy. How does it inform, influence and interact with citizens and institutions?

The press gallery (15 min)

Use the fact sheet Press Gallery to describe the role the media plays in informing Australians about democracy.

The news (2 h)

Complete the ABC Education News diet challenge over several days with your class to help students understand what media they’re exposed to and the influence it has on their opinions. Complete the ABC Education World without news activity to consider the importance of the media. As a class, play the ABC Education Facts vs opinion vs analysis interactive. The facts vs opinion vs analysis teacher guide will provide a scaffold for this activity.

Going further: Political cartoons

Political news isn’t all long articles and deep analysis. Political cartoons have been a part of the political news landscape for hundreds of years. Use the Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House’s Political Cartoons in the Classroom resources to explore and analyse political cartoons.

Topic 2: Participating in democracy (1h 20min)

Curriculum alignment
AC9HC8K01
AC9HC8K05

Getting started (15 min)

Explain to students that Australians have many ways to participate in our democracy. Find out what the students already know by creating a mind map of ideas.

As a class, watch the video Get involved (6 min). Students should take notes on the different ways Australians can participate. 

How to get involved group activity (50 min)

Read the fact sheet Getting involved in Parliament with students. Divide students into five groups, with each group focusing on one topic from the fact sheet to read and discuss together:

  • elections
  • contacting members of parliament
  • petitions
  • committees
  • public meetings, protests and awareness campaigns.

Students work in their groups (using notes from the video and the fact sheet) to prepare a one-paragraph summary explaining the topic.

Students form new groups with at least one member from each original topic group. Taking turns, students share their summaries so all students learn about all 5 ways to participate.

Check student understanding by completing the Getting involved quiz.

Diversity and getting involved (15 min)

Australia is home to people from many cultural and religious traditions, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and migrant communities. In what ways might this diversity affect how individuals and groups get involved in democratic processes?

Topic 3: Political parties and elections (2h 50min)

Curriculum alignment
AC9HC8K01
AC9HC8K02

Getting started (30 min)

As a class, read the Political parties fact sheet and compile a list of characteristics and examples.  

Then, read the Independents fact sheet and discuss the role independents have in Parliament.

To consolidate student understanding, watch the video Political Parties - Behind The News (4min 3s).

Political parties and the formation of government (20 min)

The Australian Government is formed in the House of Representatives. After a federal election, the party (or coalition of parties) that has the support of more than half the members (at least 76) in the House, demonstrates to the Governor-General that they have the numbers to form government. Usually, this is done by one party or coalition winning 76 or more seats themselves at the general election.

Watch The House Representatives video (3min 51s) and then explore breakdown of the House of Representatives current numbers as a class. Use the Forming the Australian Government interactive poster to investigate this process further.

There are also members of the government in the Senate. The government may or may not hold the majority (more than half - at least 39) of seats in the Senate. Watch The Senate video (3min 17s) and then explore breakdown of the Senate current numbers as a class.

Usually, a single party or coalition of parties is voted in with a majority of members, which is known as a majority government. If, after a federal election, no political party or coalition of parties achieves a majority in the House, it is called a hung parliament. It is still possible for a government to be formed if a party can reach majority support through agreement with independent and/or minor party members. This type of government is known as a minority government.

Researching political parties (1 h)

Create a list of the current political parties in the Senate and House of Representatives. Break the class into small groups and assign each group an Australian political party to research. Before they begin, ask students to brainstorm and record a minimum of 5 research questions about the party they have been assigned. To help with their brainstorming, encourage students to think of questions that could fall into the following broad categories:

  • people
  • values
  • policies
  • history.

Direct groups to explore the party’s official website as a starting point for their research. Ask a representative from each group to share the key points they have learnt about the party they researched.

Discussion (30 min)

  • Had you already heard of the party you were assigned to research?
  • Did you have any pre-existing opinion about them and where do you think this opinion came from? Did your research prove or disprove what you already thought about the party?
  • Do the parties in the Australian Parliament fully represent Australian society? Do you think there is a particular group or perspective that is not currently represented by a parliamentary party?
  • When you are old enough to vote, what do you think will be more important to you when selecting a representative: a candidate’s personal qualities or the political party they belong to?
  • Would you join a political party in the future? If you were to start your own party, who would it represent and what would it stand for?

Create political parties (30 min)

Complete the Create political parties classroom activity to explore how political parties are formed by groups of people with shared values and goals.

Going further: Run an election campaign

In this task students will work in the same groups they were in for the Create political parties classroom activity. Inform the teams a federal election - which occurs approximately every 3 years in Australia - is coming up.

Complete the Run an election campaign classroom activity, with students using their policy platforms from the Create political parties classroom activity.

Topic 4: Laws (3 h)

Curriculum alignment
AC9HC8K03
AC9HC8K04

Characteristics of laws (30 min)

As a class, explore the following four characteristics of laws in Australia. Use the guiding questions and hints to help your discussion.

1. Reflecting society’s values

  • What are some key Australian values? (For example, fairness, equality, freedom, respect for the law)
  • Can you think of a law that shows these values?
  • How might laws be different in another country with different values? Would they have the same laws?

2. Being enforceable

  • What does it mean for a law to be enforceable?
  • Who enforces Australian law? (For example, police, courts, regulatory bodies)
  • What would happen if a law couldn’t be enforced?

3. Being known, clear and understood

  • How do people find out about new laws? (Hint: news reports and media, government websites, public awareness campaigns).
  • Why is it important for laws to be clear?
  • What problems could happen if laws were confusing?

4. Being relatively stable

  • Why shouldn’t laws change too often?
  • Can you think of a law that has stayed the same for a long time?
  • When might it be necessary to change a law?

Different types of laws and how they are made (1h 30min)

Use the Sources of law fact sheet to introduce the different ways laws are made in Australia – statute, delegated, and common law. By understanding where laws come from and how they are made, citizens can contribute to law-making processes. 

Check student understanding by playing the Sources of law quiz or Sources of law Kahoot!

Students can investigate statute law further by exploring the following resources:

Students can investigate delegated law further by exploring the Delegated law fact sheet. You could ask students to highlight key ideas on the fact sheet and summarise the information in their workbooks. For a recent example of delegated law, explore the Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Act 2024 history milestone. Have students complete the Event planning worksheet to provide a practical experience of delegation.

Students can investigate common law further by exploring the How laws are made – Courts video (8min 31s) – State Library of NSW. 

Criminal and Civil Law (30 min)

View Gwyneth Paltrow’s Lawsuit Explained (BTN) video (5min 55s) to introduce the idea of criminal and civil law. 

Read the information about Criminal and Civil Law from State Library NSW. Students should record a definition of each in their own words. 

Provide students with the following list of scenarios to sort into two categories, civil or criminal:

  • A person steals a mobile phone from a shop. (CRIMINAL)
  • A driver runs a red light and causes an accident. (CRIMINAL)
  • A company fails to deliver goods after receiving payment. (CIVIL)
  • Someone is charged with assault after a fight in a park. (CRIMINAL)
  • A homeowner sues a builder for poor workmanship. (CIVIL)
  • A person is caught selling illegal drugs. (CRIMINAL)
  • A celebrity sues a magazine for defamation. (CIVIL)
  • A person is accused of vandalising public property. (CRIMINAL)
  • Two neighbours dispute the boundary of their properties. (CIVIL)
  • A person is charged with fraud for using a fake identity. (CRIMINAL)
  • A landlord sues a tenant for unpaid rent. (CIVIL)
  • A person is prosecuted for drink-driving. (CRIMINAL)
  • A customer sues a restaurant after getting food poisoning. (CIVIL)
  • A person is accused of burglary. (CRIMINAL)

Review the answers as a class and encourage students to justify their answer with a clear reason. 

Customary Law (30 min)

As a class, read the two sources provided about customary law and its recognition in Australia.

Answer the following questions:

  • In your own words, what is customary law?
  • Identify ways customary law is recognised in Australia today.
  • Why is the concept of terra nullius important in the history of Australian law?

Going Further: Research bills

Ask students to research bills the Australian parliament is currently considering or has considered – visit the Australian Parliament House website for a full list of current and past bills. Students should develop and refine inquiry questions to guide their research. Small groups could each research different bills, and present to the class their summary of the purpose of the proposed law.

Going Further: Role play the passage of a bill

Explain to students they will now become members of parliament and will take a bill – proposed law – through the House of Representatives and Senate. 

Use the resources and instructions on the following classroom activity pages:

Topic 5: National identity and citizenship (3 h)

Curriculum alignment
AC9HC8K05
AC9HC8K06 

Introduction (30 min)

Using the Australian Citizenship: Our Common Bond document, create a class mind map for these concepts:

  • National identity (pages 8–20)
  • Citizenship (pages 2–5, 20–22).

Students should work with a partner to read one of the above concepts to identify key ideas. Discuss key ideas as a class to build a complete picture of each concept, represented as a mind map. 

Perspectives (1 h)

Give students time to research the questions below using reliable sources before bringing the class together for a discussion on different perspectives of national identity and citizenship. Encourage students to look for examples, quotes and historical context to support their ideas.

National Identity:

  • What symbols, traditions, or events are commonly associated with Australian national identity?
  • How might Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples view these symbols differently? Why?
  • How have historical events (e.g. colonisation, migration waves) shaped national identity?
  • What role does language, culture and heritage play in shaping identity for migrant communities?
  • Can national identity mean different things to different people? Give examples.

Australian Citizenship:

  • What rights and responsibilities come with Australian citizenship?
  • How might these rights and responsibilities feel different for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, given their status as Traditional Owners?
  • Why might Australian citizenship be attractive to migrants?
  • What challenges or debates exist around citizenship for different communities?
  • How do cultural values influence how people participate as citizens (for example, voting, volunteering, advocacy)?

Citizenship (30 min)

Individually or in pairs, students can take the Department of Home Affairs Australian citizenship practice test. Students can share their results and discuss:

  • Is the Australian citizenship test a fair assessment of Australian citizenship?
  • In your opinion, do the questions reflect our national identity?

Australian communities and identity (1 h)

Explain to students that freedom of religion (including the freedom to practise a religion or to choose no religion) is protected in the Australian Constitution. This makes it one of the few explicit rights written directly into this founding document.

From The Australian Constitution section of the PEO website, show students section 116. This section ensures that government decisions are not based on religious beliefs and that individuals are free to make their own choices about what they believe.

Australia is home to a wide variety of religious communities, including Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, Judaism and many others, as well as people who identify as non-religious.

People in Australia form and belong to many different types of communities, such as sporting club, social groups, service groups and special interest communities. These communities help people connect with others, develop a sense of belonging and contribute positively to society.

In small groups, students discuss and complete the Australian identities worksheet and use the National symbols fact sheet to complete the fourth column.

After students have finished the worksheet, consider the following reflection prompts.  This could be done as a journal reflection or a class discussion.

  • Looking at the worksheet, what do all 4 communities (your 3 groups and Australia) have in common?
  • How does having a clear purpose help each community’s members feel connected or included?
  • Many of the communities you listed have special language, songs, or symbols. How do these features help people feel part of a community, even if the communities are very different?
  • When you compare Australia to the other communities, what similarities and differences do you notice?
  • Based on your worksheet, explain how people can belong to Australia, while also belonging to many other communities at the same time.
  • What does this comparison suggest about Australian identity?
 

Teacher toolkit