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School programs by year group

We have designed specific education programs linked to the Australian Curriculum in civics and citizenship for different year groups. All programs include an interactive PowerPoint presentation and culminate in a mock election and vote counting exercise. Sessions run for forty-five minutes for up to sixty students at a time.

These programs can be delivered in your classroom, at Parliament House as part of a wider civics excursion, or in our office in Darwin. If your school is not located in Darwin, and we are unable to visit, you are able to download resources directly from this website. You can then run the program yourself with assistance from us via Skype if requested. There is also a specific program for Aboriginal students at remote schools.

Information on specific year groups

Curriculum Knowledge and Understanding content covered:

  • The importance of making decisions democratically.
  • The role of local government and the decisions it makes on behalf of the community.

Resources

Mock election theme: Choose your favourite fruit.

Curriculum Knowledge and Understanding content covered:

  • The key values that underpin Australia's democracy.
  • The key features of the electoral process in Australia.
  • The roles and responsibilities of Australia's three levels of government.
  • Responsibilities of electors and representatives in Australia's democracy.

Resources

Mock election theme: How would you improve your school?

Curriculum Knowledge and Understanding content covered: The process for constitutional change through a referendum.

Resources

Mock referendum theme: A proposed law to allow the personal use of fireworks on special days.

Curriculum Knowledge and Understanding content covered:

  • The freedoms that enable active participation in Australia's democracy.
  • How citizens can participate in Australia's democracy.
  • How citizens' political choices are shaped at election times.
  • Key principles of Australia's court system (brief, when defining democracy).

Resources

Mock election theme: Characteristics of a good representative.

Students in Years 10 to 12 are at an age where they can legally enrol (16 years) and will soon be voting. This talk is designed to re-fresh their civics knowledge and prepare them as future voters; including the completion of an enrolment form on the spot! The discussion includes information about how to enrol, how to vote, different voting systems, and concludes with a mock election. The presentation and election is one hour long.

Resources

This program is ideally suited to legal studies students, but it is available to any school or adult group. The following content is covered:

  • Democratic structures in Australia: Separation of powers, the Constitution, representative government, responsible government and how these exist in the Northern Territory.
  • Democratic elections: free, fair, open, contested elections that are held regularly.
  • Systems of voting in Australia: first past the post, full preferential and proportional representation.

Resources

Preferential voting

Proportional representation

  • Instructions - reading proportional representation results (PDF, 221KB)
  • Results sheet - proportional representation (PDF, 144KB)
Last updated: 02 November 2023
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