Essential Learning > Civics and Citizenship Domain
Civics and Citizenship
September upload 2009
In this upload there are two more current events for groups in your class to discuss, along with two Assessment Tasks. The first one is a FAQ Assessment task that covers the major areas of the Level 5 and Level 6 course and the second is a class activity that leads into an Assessment Task. Google News is an interesting ICT tool you could use well in Civics and Citizenship classes.
- Current Events – Technology, Driving, Responsibility, the Law [Word file]
- Current Events – Lobby Groups – it is your choice [Word file]
- Assessment Task – Levels 5 and 6 – FAQ [Word file]
- Assessment Task – Levels 5 and 6 – “Is it ever OK to break the law?” [Word file]
- Google News – what is it and how can I use it in my classroom? [Word file]
June upload 2009
These four activities look at leadership, rights and responsibilities and alternative sanctions for road traffic offences. The fourth activity on Moral Dilemmas covers a wide range of dilemmas that will raise many issues covered in the Civics and Citizenship course. Teachers are strongly advised to view the Dilemmas before using them with their classes.
- Leadership – using YouTube videos as the resource [word file]
- Hoon Legislation – rights and responsibilities and the role of the law makers [word file]
- Seize or fine? [word file]
- Moral dilemmas – what is your decision to the dilemma? [word file] This activity uses the Force Field analysis tool to help students make and justify their decisions for each moral dilemma.
Teachers are strongly advised to view the Moral Dilemma films before using them with their class
April Upload 2009
- Thanks to Bianca Crawford of Berwick Secondary College for this assessment activity on the State Parliament [word file]
- Rudd lets Japan off the hook [word file]
- Let the jury decide [word file]
- Can one person make a difference? [word file]
February upload 2009
Rights and Responsibilities: recent events in action
This upload includes classroom activities for Civics and Citizenship that get students thinking and talking about some of the issues including rights and responsibilities and roles and responsibilities of different levels of government. Areas explored include topical issues such as climate change, hybrid cars and the cricket.
Law Week in your classroom
As with last year’s Law Week poster competition, there are some great lesson ideas for your VELS classroom.
There are free lesson ideas to download. These interdisciplinary learning activities explore elements of our law and the justice system and guide students in the development of their poster. This is an ideal classroom activity for the start of the year: entries close 13 March 2009.
For information visit
- Law Week competition and free teacher notes - http://www.victorialaw.org.au/lawweek/
Compak supplement, Issue 1, 2009
- 'Speed dating': sample terms [Word] (156K, ECOCIT109_2.doc, Issue 1, February 2009, pages 61-62)
Human Rights: Mapping the Charter
A unit on Human Rights: The Victorian Charter of Rights and Responsibilities
Classroom August 2008
VELS Civics and Citizenship
Classroom July 2008
Values Education – Teaching and Learning Resources: Early Adolescence
The Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations has KLA-based lesson plans with a values focus (approximately 50 minutes in length). They are available for downloading as PDF files. Each lesson includes teaching and learning strategies with introductory activities to engage students, guided inquiry and culminating activities.
Topics include:
- renewable energy
- statistics and diversity of the Australian population
- the value of popular music
http://www.valueseducation.edu.au/values/default.asp?id=17824
Civics and Citizenship and Human Rights – spotlight on a great Australian on YouTube; ecological sustainability; virtual workplaces; putting the parking into Economics
You be the Judge
You be the Judge is a program offered by the Sentencing Advisory Council of Victoria to raise awareness of the aims, methods and complexities of sentencing.
The site has a teacher guide which covers both the VCE Legal Studies and VELS Level 6 material and accompanying case studies.
Case studies (PDF files) relate to:
- armed robbery
- culpable driving
- drug trafficking
- theft
- causing serious injury intentionally.
Visit http://www.sentencingcouncil.vic.gov.au and click on the publication link and scroll down to You be the Judge.
It’s more than a game – AFL VELS Resource
This link above contains student activities that have been produced for eight learning areas. Each activity is linked to curriculum outcomes. Click on your State or Territory link to access the relevant curriculum outcomes.
The resources are only available as PDF documents.
Classroom May 2008
This section of the site contains a range of teaching and learning activities in Civics and Citizenship Education. These activities both complement and extend the teaching and learning activities in the Discovering Democracy resources.
http://www.civicsandcitizenship.edu.au/cce/teaching_and_learning_activities,9023.html
2020 Youth Summit
VELS Civics and Citizenship - Level 5 and 6
This resource links all the relevant resources for you to help you develop an activity for your class.
2020 Youth Summit Resources - Click this link for a list of the resources you could use in this activity.
Indigenous Australians Multimedia Scrapbook
VELS Civics and Citizenship Levels 5 or 6
Go to - http://www.civicsandcitizenship.edu.au/cce/default.asp?id=10594
Indigenous Australians play a prominent role in political and community life. They have also contributed in similar ways in the past. The women and men you will meet through this activity come from different parts of and have different skills and interests. They have been and are still involved in a wide range of activities of importance to all Australians, as well as to Indigenous Australians.
You now have the opportunity to get to know some of these women and men by collecting a scrapbook of materials that introduce them to you and illustrate their achievements in political and community life.
Click this link for a list of five great Internet resources to help you and your students with their multimedia scrapbook.
Supplements to Compak Issue 1, February 2008
‘Government and Law’ sample course: worksheets (Word, 156K, ECOCIT108_1.doc, Issue 1, February 2008, pages 53-57)
Young people and the law: game board sheet and question cards (Word, 136K, ECOCIT108_2.doc, Issue 1, February 2008, pages 59-61)
Classroom February 2008
Values and Qualities of Leadership
This Civics and Citizenship Thinking Internet Activity for Year 9 and 10 gives students the opportunity to explore what it means to be a leader.
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Relevant VELS Standard or Learning Focus http://vels.vcaa.vic.edu.au/essential/personal/civics/level6.html |
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| Level 6 Learning focus | Students explore what it means to be a leader, considering different leadership styles and learn how they can lead by example. |
2008 Law Week VELS activities
The Victorian Law Foundation has published the Law Week 2008 program. There are three great VELS activities you can use with your students.
Activity 2 – Images of law and justice
This activity asks students to work in groups to analyse a range of images and to explore key ideas relating to law and justice. Students complete a personal reflection and examine the theme set for law as part of their planning for the Law Week poster. The annual school poster competition closes Thursday 13 March 2008.
Activity 3 – Survival – law and justice
Students take on the role of contestants in a new reality television show – Survival. Working in groups, students design a system of law and justice for their community. Students complete a personal reflection and examine the theme set for law as part of their planning for the Law Week poster.
Activity 4 – Defining law and justice
Using the Melbourne Legal Precinct map, students complete mind maps to identify the key elements of a system of law and justice. Copies of the Legal Precinct map can be downloaded from the Victorian Law Foundation’s website. Students complete a personal reflection and examine the theme set for law as part of their planning for the Law Week poster.
Visit the Law Week website or download the Law Week Poster Competition Teacher Notes.
VELS resources
Linking Civics and Citizenship with other VELS domains
At Comview in 2007 Anne-Marie Parry and Richard Armitage presented two VELS specific sessions:
• Linking VELS Civics and Citizenship with VELS Thinking. The resource rich webpage for this session is - http://www.springvalesc.vic.edu.au/velsthinking
• The second one was on linking VELS Civics and Citizenship with VELS ICT. The resource rich webpage for this session is - http://www.springvalesc.vic.edu.au/velsict
2006 - 2007 Classroom and Compak resources
Classroom September 2007
Court Hierarchy
In the Civics and Citizenship section you will find two great handout on the court hierarchy. Written by Louisa Hare, from Taylors College, these resources describe the role of each court and the reasons for a hierarchy.
Handout 1
Handout 2
Safety
Murray Fraser, from Shirley Intermediate School, New Zealand, has created a unit on Safety for Years 7 and 8 students. In a matrix format, it provides some excellent strategies that integrate the various Strands of VELS. It can be used as an introductory unit, covering the need for rules and laws in our society, the role of government in creating a safe community and the importance of safe road use. Select here
Supplements to Compak Issue 4 2007
Australian citizenship quiz and activities (ECOCIT407_3, issue 4, October 2007) Word or PDF
Classroom August 2007
Democracy
Justin Brayley, from Reddam House in Sydney, has completed an excellent resource using Ralph Pirozzio's Planning Matrix. This resource on Democracy covers Years 5 and 6 and provides some great ideas using the Thinking, Personal Learning and Communication Domains. You will find this resource by selecting here.
Classroom March 2007
Federation needs a fix
A “Thinking” Internet Activity from Richard Armitage. Select here
Police Powers
Classroom September 2006
Juvenile Crime
This contribution requires students to use the Internet to look into the area of youth crime. It provides a list of Internet websites that students can use to find information on the types of crimes that youths tend to commit and the way that they are handled by the legal system. The article requires students to consider the way the legal system and society deal with youth crime and whether it is appropriate.
Children's Court
Following on from the above resource, this worksheet requires the students to become familiar with the Children's Court and the role of the two sections of the court. Students are directed around the website and required to collect information. There is a great resource on this website titled: Just In Case You Visit the Court. It simplifies the entire process for teenagers, particularly where these topics are taught at Year 8 and 9.
Compak 2007 Supplements
Rights of young people and police powers: supplementary role-plays (PDF, 136K, EC107_3.pdf, Issue 1, February 2007, pages 62-64)
Compak Issue 3 2006
Graffiti Project: a Level 6 Civics and Citizenship unit
Alison McRae and Emma Young, Sacred Heart Girls' College, Oakleigh
This article provides an overview of a unit of work focusing on legal and civic aspects of graffiti and strategies to control it, including civic action. The unit addresses elements of the standards at Level 6 of the Civics and Citizenship domain. A student version of the unit is provided as a Compak supplement.
Compak Issue 4 2006
Approaches to teaching Civics and Citizenship (PDF, 372K, ES406_2.pdf, no. 4, October 2006)
Jules Aldous, Shelford Girls' Grammar
These materials were distributed at a VCTA professional development activity in July. They include some background information about the Civics and Citizenship domain, a list of useful websites relevant to this area, an overview of the VELS learning focus and standards for this domain, and a sample approach to teaching Civics and Citizenship based on the use of a new textbook written for the Humanities Economics and Civics and Citizenship domains. This new textbook, Money, Markets & Citizenship, has been published by Macmillan/VCTA Publishing.
Have your say! (PDF, 268K, ES406_4.pdf, no. 4, October 2006)
Helen Andersen, VCTA
This year's state election, to be held on 25 November, provides a timely opportunity to introduce students to the key features of Australian democracy. This topic is aligned with elements of the Levels 5 and 6 standards in the Civics and Citizenship domain within the Victorian Essential Learning Standards (VELS).