Civics and citizenship / Year 8 / Civics and Citizenship Knowledge and Understanding / Government and democracy

View on Australian Curriculum website Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority
Curriculum content descriptions

The freedoms that enable active participation in Australia’s democracy within the bounds of law, including freedom of speech, association, assembly, religion and movement (ACHCK061)

Elaborations
  • explaining how each freedom supports active participation in Australia’s democracy
  • discussing how and why ‘the bounds of law’ can limit these freedoms
  • considering the circumstances that can lead to dissent in a democracy
  • debating how to manage situations when rights and freedoms are in conflict (for example, whether it should be a matter for parliaments or judges to resolve)
General capabilities
  • Personal and social capability Personal and social capability
  • Ethical understanding Ethical understanding
ScOT terms

Active citizenship,  Political eligibility,  Freedom of association,  Freedom of speech

Online

Magna Carta: The story of our freedom

This is a resource about the Magna Carta (Great Charter) agreed between King John and his rebellious barons in 1215 and its influence on the development of human rights and democratic freedoms to the present day. The resource consists of: an animated infographic ‘Tell the story’ with hyperlinks to further information; an ...

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. ...

Video

Get involved

Explore the ways ordinary Australians can get involved in the work of Parliament with this short video (6:25 min). Find out how you can get informed about the work of the Parliament, the role of petitioning and ways to participate in parliamentary inquiries.

Online

Evaluating strategies for change - unit of work

This is a unit of work of about four hours' duration that deals with the strategies employed by eight Australians who have been or are involved in political parties or social movements to bring about change. Four of the eight are from the 19th or 20th centuries and the other four are from the present day or relatively recent ...

Online

Examining the lives of historical figures to help us effect change - unit of work

This is a short unit of work about significant historical figures from Australia's past, the contributions they made and how their actions have affected Australia today. Intended for lower secondary students, the unit is organised around two activities. The first involves a study of Edith Cowan. It serves as a model for ...

Online

What are my values? - unit of work

This is a unit consisting of two extended lessons about those values that young people feel strongly about and how they can and have been translated into action. The teaching and learning strategies centre on values identification, firstly by reading biographies of three Australians and secondly by students examining their ...

Online

The 1967 referendum

This resource (an ‘education pack’) is a sequenced series of teaching/learning activities about the 1967 referendum to amend or repeal sections of the Australian Constitution that discriminated against Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Intended for teachers, the 13-page pdf resource focuses mainly on the 40th ...

Video

The Flip Side of Bike Helmets

It's illegal to ride a bike without a helmet in Australia. Sue Abbott and Dr Jake Olivier differ on this issue. This video is designed for students presents both points of view as a stimulus for students to reach their own conclusions. The video discusses how laws are made and explores different points of view on whether ...

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 ...

Downloadable

Aboriginal change makers

Aboriginal history, self-determination and identity are examined in this teaching and learning eBook. The book draws on the lived experience of First Nations peoples drawing on historical record, cultural protocols and community connections to explore perspectives on traditional culture and leadership in the face of colonisation. ...

Online

Australian Civics and Citizenship Curriculum Year 8 unit of work

The activities and assessments in the unit will help develop students’ understanding of how citizens can participate in a democratic society and the different types of law.

Online

Giving it: resources for secondary schools

This series of resources explores the concept of philanthropy and considers why and how active citizens participate in communities. Student worksheets examine the concept of civic responsibility and explore the values underpinning the act of giving. Research activities encourage students to explore different community groups ...