Close message Due to scheduled maintenance on Friday 19th April 2024 between 7:00PM and 9:00PM AEST, the Scootle website may face disruption in service. We apologise for any inconvenience caused.

Civics and citizenship / Year 10 / Civics and Citizenship Knowledge and Understanding / Laws and citizens

Curriculum content descriptions

The role of the High Court, including in interpreting the Constitution (ACHCK092)

Elaborations
  • examining the jurisdiction of the High Court
  • exploring an example of a High Court judgement in interpreting and applying Australian law, such as the Mabo decision or the construction of the Hindmarsh Island Bridge
General capabilities
  • Ethical understanding Ethical understanding
ScOT terms

Appeal,  Constitutional law,  Courts

Interactive

Discovering democracy: getting things done

Interact with a slideshow of images and text to explore how change can be bought about by people taking action and putting pressure on their elected representatives. The issue of the Franklin Dam in Tasmania is used as a case study. Complete a related task.

Text

The Conversation: the Australian Constitution

A series of explanatory articles about how the Australian constitution is interpreted and its impact on the legal system and legislature. The series includes practical examples of when and how it has been applied, constitutional challenges including the issues surrounding indigenous recognition. Articles are authored by ...

Text

Year 10: Justice at home and overseas

This collection of resource sheets support students to understand key features and values of Australia's system of government and the role of the High Court with a focus on the Western Australian legal system. The resources include a comparison between key features of the Australian and Indonesian systems of government. ...

Interactive

Discovering democracy: parties control parliament

Interact with a slideshow of images and text to explore the role political parties and independents have in Australia. Learn about some of fundamental principles underpinning the major parties. Complete a related task.

Online

Dhakiyarr Wirrpanda, 1932-34

This is a collection of primary and secondary sources about Dhakiyarr Wirrpanda, a Yolgnu elder from north-east Arnhem Land and the first Indigenous Australian whose case was considered by the High Court. The collection is introduced by the newspaper cuttings, seen here, which link to a richly documented account of the ...

Interactive

Discovering democracy: a democracy destroyed

Interact with a slideshow of images and text to explore, through the demise of democracy in Germany in 1933, how the justice system can be used for undemocratic purposes. Complete a related task.

Interactive

Discovering democracy: human rights

Interact with a slideshow of images and text to explore the historical development of human rights and how they are upheld in Australia. Complete a related task.

Interactive

Making a Nation: changing the Constitution

This interactive resource looks at the creation of the Australian Constitution and then explores the process used to change it - referendum. Information on several referendums is presented (1910, 1937, 1967, 1984) but, in a case study, students investigate the 1951 anti-communism referendum in more detail. The seven activities ...

Online

Australian reported crime victims since 2010 - dataset

This is a dataset that provides statistics about crimes reported by victims from 2010 to the latest year of available data. It is periodically updated by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). The dataset is in MS Excel format.

Video

In My Blood It Runs: First Nations education

While watching this clip, consider Article 14 of United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP): 1. Indigenous peoples have the right to establish and control their educational systems and institutions providing education in their own languages, in a manner appropriate to their cultural methods ...

Video

The Australian Dream: Resilience and reconciliation

This clip looks at casual racism in Australia, including some infamous incidents throughout Adam Goodes’s playing career that shook the nation. Adam showed a great deal of resilience and courage throughout this difficult time. Look at how many Australians stood with Adam, letting him know they valued his leadership and ...

Text

Separation of powers

The principle of the separation of powers distributes the power to govern between the Parliament, the Executive and the Judiciary. This fact sheet examines the role of each group and the related principle of responsible government.

Video

Rogue nation, 2009: NSW in 1819, convict gulag or place of opportunity?

This clip is an excerpt from the 2009 documentary 'Rites of passage', the second of a two-part series entitled 'Rogue nation'. The clip begins with historian Michael Cathcart providing contextual information about England in the early 1800s. He says that in the midst of the industrial revolution, millions of people were ...

Video

In My Blood It Runs: Right to self determination

After many decades of working with the colonial Commonwealth Government of Australia, Yolngu Elder and renowned leader Galarrwuy Yunupingu argued (as many First Peoples do) that it's in their best interest to establish independence, politically and economically, from the colonial state. "We, the united clans of east Arnhem ...

Video

In My Blood It Runs: Whose story of history?

People have different privileges and biases. While we may be born into certain privileges, we may also develop biases as we age and through the people we spend time with. The majority culture within a population has a certain privilege that comes from being part of the majority, and this often leads to "marginalisation" ...

Text

The Conversation: Australian Law

This resource contains a series of explanatory articles about Australian law, and how it interacts with a variety of subjects such as indigenous law, state vs federal, and the constitution. It can be used to develop a broad understanding of Australian law.

Text

Australian Constitution online

Browse the complete text of the Australian Constitution with this easy-to use website. It includes a detailed overview by the Australian Government Solicitor and a 2:26 min video snapshot about the Constitution and its role in the governance of the Australian nation.

Text

Government

This fact sheet explores the role and functions of the Australian Government, including who is in the government, how it is formed, minority government and the principle of responsible government.

Text

Gender equality analysis from The Conversation

This is a collection of 40+ articles about gender equality. It includes articles about women in corporate leadership, work-life balance for men and women, policy responses to domestic violence in South Africa, the implications of gender bias in higher education, role of childcare in promoting equality and others. The articles ...

Text

Refugee analysis from The Conversation

This is a collection of 200+ articles about refugees. It includes articles about the Australian government’s refugee policy over time, policies and approaches internationally, articles on the western Europe migrant crisis of 2015, “explainers” on why refugee intake number vary across Europe, and a long-read essay by Julian ...