CIVICS AND CITIZENSHIP YEAR 6 TERM 3 & 4
Unit Title:
Achievement
Standard
Civics and Citizenship
Concepts
Government and
Democracy
Laws and Citizens
Citizenship,
diversity and identity
Australian Citizenship
By the end of Year 6, students explain the purpose of key institutions and levels of government in Australia’s democracy. They
describe the role of parliaments in creating law. Students explain what it means to be an Australian citizen and how people can
participate as global citizens.
When researching, students develop questions and gather and analyse information from different sources to investigate the
society in which they live. When planning for action, they identify different points of view and solutions to an issue. Students
develop and present their ideas and viewpoints using appropriate texts and civics and citizenship terms and concepts. They
identify the ways they can participate as citizens in the school.
Content Descriptions
Knowledge and Understandings
Citizenship, Diversity and Identity
Who can be an Australian citizen, the formal
rights and responsibilities, and shared values
of Australian citizenship (ACHCK038)
The obligations citizens may consider they
have beyond their own national borders as
active and informed global citizens
(ACHCK039)
Assessment (A)
Assessment For Learning
Australian Citizenship Pledge Activity
Assessment As Learning
Venn Diagram
Assessment Of Learning (options)
Planning of Australian Citizenship Event at school.
Oral/Visual Presentation
Speech
Civics and Citizenship
Bands
Year 3 4 Band
Year 5 6 Band
Learning Framework
Cross Curricula
Priorities
General Capabilities
Links to other LA’s
Skills
Questioning and Research
Analysis, Synthesis and Interpretation
Problem Solving and Decision Making
Communication and Reflections
Community Contributor
Leader and Collaborator
Catholic Ethos
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
Histories and Cultures
Literacy
Critical and Creative Thinking
Intercultural Understanding
Key Questions
How are Laws developed in Australia?
What does it mean to be an Australian citizen?
Active Investigator
Effective Communicator
Social Emotional Learning
Asia and Australia’s Engagement with
Asia
Numeracy
Ethical Understanding
Designer and Creator
Quality Producer
Inclusive Education
Sustainability Education
ICT
Personal and Social Capability
Learning and Teaching Strategies
Week
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Cross Curricular Priorities
General Capabilities
Engage ⇒
Ethical Understanding, Personal and Social Capability, Critical and Creative Thinking, Literacy
Explore ⇒
Explain ⇒
Elaborate ⇒
Engage
Evaluate
Resources
Lesson 1: Global citizenship: Values and attitudes
A1. Brainstorm concepts 1-5 in Defining global citizenship and create a logo or poster which captures the spirit of the definition of
global citizenship.
A2. Create a poster which shows Oxfam’s view of the values and attitudes that a global citizen has. Read what Oxfam has to say in the
Mission statement on their website.
A3. Think back on your behaviour during the past month and fill out the diagram Global citizenship values and attitudes listing
examples where you have demonstrated the values and attitudes.
PAPER & INTERACTIVE
RESOURCES:
http://www.immi.gov.a
u/event/auscitzday/Pag
es/Primarystudentgame
s.aspx
A4. Listen to tales of citizenship by different characters when you play Australian Voices (swf).
http://www.citizenship.gov.au/learn/schools/_flash/australian_voices/
http://www.citizenship.
gov.au/learn/schools/_fl
ash/citizenship_place/
Lesson 2: Making a commitment
This activity familiarises students with the Australian Citizenship Pledge and the Australian citizenship affirmation.
For resources visit link: http://australiancitizenshipday.govspace.gov.au/files/2013/01/primary_school_teaching_resource.pdf
A1: Ask your students to explore the online interactive Making a Commitment by visiting www.citizenship.gov.au
and following the link to resources. This could be done individually, in small groups, or as a class using an interactive whiteboard.
The activity explores the Australian Citizenship Pledge which new citizens must make, and the Australian Citizenship
Affirmation which all Australians can make. (A hardcopy alternative to this activity is available on Get informed 4.) The interactive
allows users to become familiar with these statements and understand the meanings of key terms.
A2. When students have completed the activity, distribute or display Get active 5. Students are asked to rewrite the Australian
Citizenship Pledge using their own words and then to design a certificate of Australian citizenship.
A3. Australian Citizenship Day : The Australian citizenship affirmation activity and Interactive
http://www.immi.gov.au/event/auscitzday/Documents/Activity%20Sheets/activities-secondary-1.pdf
Interactive: http://www.citizenship.gov.au/learn/schools/_flash/affirmation/
Australian Citizenship Day Australian Citizenship Day word search or Interactive Crossword
http://www.immi.gov.au/event/auscitzday/Documents/Activity%20Sheets/activities-secondary-Word%20Search.pdf
http://www.citizenship.gov.au/learn/schools/_flash/crossword/
Solutions to Pages:
http://www.immi.gov.au/event/auscitzday/Documents/Activity%20Sheets/activities-secondary-soln.pdf
Lesson 3: Australian citizenship. Why?
In this activity students explore why people have chosen to become Australian citizens and consider what citizenship means to people.
For resources for this lesson visit:
http://australiancitizenshipday.govspace.gov.au/files/2013/01/primary_school_teaching_resource.pdf
A1. Distribute or display Get informed 6. It presents three case studies of people who have chosen to become Australian citizens and
one of a person who has chosen to affirm their Australian citizenship. Ask your students to reflect on these before completing Get
active 7. In this activity, students identify the various reasons that motivated the four people to make their decision. Students
select one of the case studies and create an empathetic response in the form of a blog, email, diary entry or letter written by each
person on the day of their ceremony.
Optional:
A2. Look at some Personal Stories of Australian Citizenship - http://www.citizenship.gov.au/should_become/personal-stories/
(Becoming an Australian citizen is a personal choice. Some new Australian citizens share their stories and tell us what led to their
decision to become an Australian citizen)
Civics and Citizenship Metalanguage
Assessment
Opportunities
Civics and Citizenship Metalanguage Link
Reflection
Week
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Cross Curricular Priorities
Inclusive Education
General Capabilities
Ethical Understanding, Personal and Social Capability, Critical and Creative Thinking, Literacy
Engage ⇒
Explore ⇒
Explain ⇒
9
Elaborate ⇒
Explore
Lesson 4: Citizenship rights and responsibilities
Teacher information:
Human rights are also referred to as basic rights. In 1948, the United Nations outlined these basic rights in the Universal Declaration of
Human Rights which has been signed by all the United Nations member countries.
A1. In small groups, develop a list of what you believe should be ten basic rights for all people.
A good way to phrase each statement in your list would be:
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Evaluate
Resources
Everyone has the right to …
or
No one shall be subjected to …
Each group should nominate the following people.
Timekeeper/chairperson – to keep everyone on track and remind them how long they have to go complete the list of ten rights
Recorder – to write down the responses
Announcer – to read the list to the rest of the class
Advocate – to answer questions from the rest of the class once the Announcer has read them out.
A2. Compare your list of basic rights to those identified in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (simplified version). Have you left
any out? Use a venn diagram to demonstrate your comparison.
Quick reference
United Nations and Declaration of Human Rights fact sheet
A3. Australian citizenship true/false quiz or Interactive activities
http://www.immi.gov.au/event/auscitzday/Documents/Activity%20Sheets/activities-primaryAustralian%20citizenship%20true%20false.pdf
http://www.citizenship.gov.au/learn/schools/_flash/pinata/
http://www.citizenship.gov.au/learn/schools/_flash/beach-quiz/
Lesson 5: Citizenship: What’s it all about?
This activity introduces students to the privileges and responsibilities of Australian citizenship.
For resources visit:
http://australiancitizenshipday.govspace.gov.au/files/2013/01/primary_school_teaching_resource.pdf
Australian Citizenship (What’s it all about? Quiz) Interactive Resource: http://www.citizenship.gov.au/learn/schools/_flash/true-falseprimary/
A1: As a class, discuss the terms ‘privilege’ and ‘responsibility’. You may like to start with questions such as ‘What would I mean if I
said I was giving you responsibility for organising the athletic carnival?’ and ‘Imagine the Principal is giving someone a privilege. Would
this mean the person is getting something good or bad?’ Have your students suggest examples from their lives of responsibilities or
privileges. Explore how these can be applied at the personal and national level.
A2. Ask your students to complete the online interactive Citizenship Place available by visiting www.citizenship.gov.au
and following the link to resources. This can be done individually, in small groups, or as a class using an interactive whiteboard. (A hard
copy alternative is available using Get informed 1.) This activity takes students on a quest to discover the privileges, responsibilities
and democratic beliefs associated with Australian citizenship. When students have completed the activity, ask them to note down any
privileges and responsibilities that they discovered during their quest.
A3. Distribute or display Get informed 2. This sheet sets out in detail the privileges and responsibilities of Australian citizenship. Use it
as the basis for a PMI (plus, minus, interesting) activity. Model the PMI strategy for the class using one of the privileges. Ask
students to suggest positive aspects of the privilege and list these as pluses. Then list any negative aspects that may be associated with
the privilege and finally the things that students find interesting about this privilege. For example:
Privilege: Apply for an Australian passport
Plus
Minus
Interesting
You can travel
It can be stolen
They have an electronic chip in them for higher
security
They can be used as identification
They cost money to apply for
They have Australian designs on them
A4. Using Get active 3, students then work in groups to select another privilege and a responsibility and use the PMI strategy to
explore them more thoroughly. Share the results.
Civics and Citizenship Metalanguage
Civics and Citizenship Metalanguage Link
Assessment
Opportunities
Venn Diagram
Reflection
Week
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Cross Curricular Priorities
Inclusive Education
General Capabilities
Ethical Understanding, Personal and Social Capability, Critical and Creative Thinking, Literacy
Engage ⇒
Explore ⇒
Explain ⇒
9
Elaborate ⇒
Explain
Lesson 6 & 7: Global Citizenship obligations (human rights, environment & sustainability)
Teacher Information:
Oxfam is a non-government organisation (NGO) which aims to help reduce poverty and hunger in the world. In order to do this it
needs to raise people’s awareness of these important issues so that they will donate money that can be used to fight poverty.
A1. Read A word from Oxfam, an appeal for support in the fight against global poverty and hunger, and answer the questions below.
Comprehension questions
1. What are the issues that Oxfam raises in the article?
2. Who do you think the article is aimed at? What specific words or phrases in the article indicate this? Explain your reasons.
3. What particular writing technique does the author use in the second paragraph to get the point across? Is this an effective way
to do it? Why?
A2. Writing task
Choose an issue you feel strongly about. It can be a local issue, something that is happening in a part of Australia or in another part of
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Resources
the world. Write three paragraphs to show people who know nothing about this issue why it is important and why they should think
about it. You might need to discuss the issue with you class and visit the library to research it further before you start this task.
Hint: before you start consider the following.
1. Who is my target reader?
2. What am I trying to convince them of?
3. What writing techniques can I use to make my argument more powerful?
Civics and Citizenship Metalanguage
Assessment
Opportunities
Civics and Citizenship Metalanguage Link
Written Reflection
Reflection
Week
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Cross Curricular Priorities
Inclusive Education, Sustainability
General Capabilities
Ethical Understanding, Personal and Social Capability, Critical and Creative Thinking, Literacy
Engage ⇒
Explore ⇒
Explain ⇒
Elaborate ⇒
Elaborate
Lesson 8: Global Issues - responsibilities of Global Citizenship
Watch Link From BTN - Palm Oil/ Deforestation Implications and the Orangutans. http://www.abc.net.au/btn/story/s4014898.htm
9
10
Evaluate
Resources
and/or Watch link BTN - http://www.abc.net.au/btn/story/s2502368.htm
Discuss points of interest and concern? What is the problem? What is causing it? How can we help? What will the consequences of our
actions be? Positive and Negative outcomes? What are some sustainable options? Reflection: What is our responsibility as a Global
citizen?
Look further into Deforestation
http://kids.mongabay.com/lesson_plans/lisa_algee/deforestation.html
What is Deforestation?
Deforestation refers to the cutting, clearing, and removal of rainforest or related ecosystems into less bio-diverse ecosystems such as
pasture, cropland, or plantations (Kricher, 1997).
What are the consequences of deforestation? Environment & Social
What can we do to STOP or at least lessen the amount of deforestation and conserve our own use of natural resources such as wood,
oil and gas, electricity, minerals and elements, and water? Brainstorm...here's a start:
Read more at http://kids.mongabay.com/lesson_plans/lisa_algee/deforestation.html#UOGRUPKmEREZ4s2y.99
Questions/ Food for thought: ( This could be presented as a Google Form)
1. What does deforestation mean? (Hint: The prefix de- means to remove or reduce).
2. Why does deforestation happen? For what purpose(s)?
3. The largest rainforest in the world is located in:
a.) The Philippines
b.) The Congo Basin in Central Africa
c.) Peru
d.) The Amazon Basin of South America
4. If 2 U.S. football fields are destroyed every second, how many football fields are destroyed in 5 seconds?
5. If 50,000 species become extinct every year, how many will become extinct in half a year?
6. T or F: Rainforests contain over half of all plant and animal species in the world?
7. Fill in the blank: One environmental consequence of deforestation is __________. This occurs when heavy rains wash nutrients from the soil.
8. Name two things you can do as a global citizen to decrease deforestation.
9. Biodiversity refers to:
a.) The loss of animals and plants
b.) A variety, or many different kinds of living things
c.) When animals lose their living space or habitat
d.) An increase in the earth's temperature
10. Fill in the blank: Indigenous people _______ in the rainforest. They depend on the forest for their food, clothing, medicine, cooking and
building materials.
Read more at http://kids.mongabay.com/lesson_plans/lisa_algee/deforestation.html#UOGRUPKmEREZ4s2y.99
Civics and Citizenship Metalanguage
Assessment
Opportunities
Civics and Citizenship Metalanguage Link
Google Form
Reflection
Week
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Cross Curricular Priorities
Inclusive Education, Social Emotional Learning, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures
General Capabilities
Ethical Understanding, Personal and Social Capability, Critical and Creative Thinking, Literacy
Engage ⇒
Explore ⇒
Explain ⇒
Elaborate ⇒
Evaluate
Lesson 9 & 10: Assessment - Celebrating Australian citizenship
● Many Australian citizens have shaped our nation into what it is today. Students to identify Australian citizens
whom they feel have contributed significantly to our national identity. Students prepare a short oral or visual
presentation for the class about what their chosen person has contributed to Australia.
Evaluate
Resources
Online Resource
●
Conduct an Australian citizenship affirmation ceremony at your school on Australian Citizenship Day.
This activity develops students’ citizenship skills by involving them in planning a community event to celebrate and affirm Australian
citizenship. For resources visit:
http://australiancitizenshipday.govspace.gov.au/files/2013/01/primary_school_teaching_resource.pdf pages:
Assessment Goal:
In this activity students will plan an event that could be implemented to celebrate Australian citizenship at your school. While this can
be held on any day, you may like to consider Australian Citizenship Day which occurs on 17 September each year. One component of
the event will be an Australian citizenship affirmation ceremony that all participants, whether Australian citizens or not, are invited to
join.
To begin this activity, establish a date for the event and identify the extent of community involvement, and inform your students of
these details.
• Collect ideas about the planning of the event using Get active 9. This activity asks students to consider a menu, activities, speakers
and the program for the event. Share the students’ responses and, in a class discussion, finalise these details and allocate tasks.
• Having identified who will participate in the celebration (class, school, parents, wider community), discuss with students a range of
appropriate strategies for advertising the event to the target audience. Distribute or display Get active 10 which introduces students
to devices used in advertising and asks them to apply them. Students can work in pairs on this activity and create material that can be
used to promote the event.
• You may like to inform the media about your event and the importance of citizenship. Get active 11 facilitates the writing of a press
release. This activity familiarises students with this text type and helps them articulate the significance of citizenship to a wide
audience.
• A speech is an integral part of a citizenship celebration. Use Get active 12 to identify the aspects of an effective speech.
Ask students to create the speech that they would deliver if they were the speaker at an Australian citizenship celebration.
• Conduct a citizenship celebration event and enjoy!
Additional Ideas:
Other useful lesson ideas that can be integrated with other LA’s and Extension ideas:
http://www.immi.gov.au/event/auscitzday/Pages/lesson-ideas.aspx
ROLE-PLAYING AN AUSTRALIAN CITIZENSHIP CEREMONY GUIDELINES
http://www.immi.gov.au/event/auscitzday/Documents/Roleplaying%20an%20Australian%20citizenship%20ceremony.pdf
School awards
http://www.immi.gov.au/event/AusCitzDay/Pages/schools.aspx
Reward students who are active and responsible citizens within your local community.
Schools are encouraged to hold a school assembly on Australian Citizenship Day and present school merit awards to
students who exemplify good citizenship within the school or local community.
To receive an Australian Citizenship Day celebration pack, register your school event. The pack includes resources and
information to support your Australian Citizenship Day activities, including an Australian citizenship affirmation kit.
Find out more about how to celebrate Australian Citizenship Day at school.
Civics and Citizenship Metalanguage
Assessment
Opportunities
Assessment Task –
Citizenship Event
Civics and Citizenship Metalanguage Link
Oral /Visual
Presentation
Speech
Reflection
Planning for Differently Abled Students
Student/s
Different Ability
Australian Curriculum
Content Descriptions
being addressed
Learning and Teaching Strategies
Assessment Strategies