Civics and citizenship / Year 9 / Civics and Citizenship Knowledge and Understanding / Government and democracy

Curriculum content descriptions

The role of political parties and independent representatives in Australia’s system of government, including the formation of governments (ACHCK075)

Elaborations
  • investigating how the contemporary party system operates in Australia’s liberal democracy and how governments are formed in parliament
  • discussing the meaning of key concepts such as parliamentary majority, the opposition, hung parliament, minority government
  • exploring the role of the Senate and state upper Houses, and the balance of power in these Houses
General capabilities
  • Ethical understanding Ethical understanding
ScOT terms

Legitimacy (Political power),  Political parties,  Balance of power

Video

Tour of NSW Government House

This resource is a YouTube playlist containing a series of videos taken as a group of senior high school students are given a guided tour of NSW Government House in 2010. The tour covers primary sources such as architecture, furniture and images significant to the history of Australia and NSW.

Interactive

Quizzes

Test your students with these quizzes about the Australian Parliament. Topics include the three levels of government, separation of powers and the Australian Constitution.

Video

NSW Governor Marie Bashir – 2010 speech to students

This resource is a YouTube playlist containing a series of videos from a speech the NSW Governor Marie Bashir gave to senior high school students at Government House in 2010. She speaks on a range of topics, including the Australian system of government, the history of Australia and NSW, and her life. She also answers ...

Interactive

Be the change

This is an interactive about becoming an effective agent of change through civic action in a local community. Users learn a number of practical ways to take democratic action on issues. The context is an abandoned block of land located in an area with a range of issues, such as youth unemployment and environment concerns. ...

Online

Australian Constitution

This fact sheet summarises the key features of the Australian Constitution— the set of rules by which Australia is run—and how it can be changed.