Week 2 Civics and Citizenship Education: Democracy

Welcome, Prep-Y parents/carers.

Your child expressed interest in this topic during the first weeks of school. Over five weeks we will undertake a unit aimed to prepare students for active participation in democratic life, through exploring values needed for an active and involved citizen, mainly fairness. 

Activate Prior Knowledge
We will brainstorm what we think the values mean and co-constructing simple class rules and discussing their importance. This establishes a democratic classroom culture (Gilbert & Hoepper, 2016). You can play games with simple rules with your child at home to reinforce this concept.

 Introduction
We will read and discuss stories, such as ‘It’s Mine’ (story below). You can support your child by reading books at home addressing fairness, prompting discussions. 

                                                 Video 1. It's Mine (Lionni, 1998)

We will explore, analyse and discuss fair/unfair situations in specific images and videos (examples below).

Figure 1. Unfair (Cvorovic, 2014)

Figure 2. Fair and Unfair (Schweizer, 2017)

Video 2. Fairness (BCBSQuazar, 2016)

 Classroom Learning
We will vote on school issues (e.g. type of canteen foods) to exercise deciding skills and experience democracy in-action. We will appoint daily classroom leaders to share responsibilities.

Using Our Knowledge
We will create a group play of fair/unfair situations (e.g. sharing a toy) to apply our new understandings (Brady & Kennedy, 2010). You can brainstorm situations with your child to base their role-play on. A play will provide students opportunity to think of visions for the future and realise actions make differences (Reynolds, 2012).

 After learning at a school level, we will explore this in the community and beyond (Reynolds, 2012). A Justice Department representative will come to school explaining fairness in simple terms. Then we can discuss and make opinions on local issues (e.g. is it fair for others to pick-up our litter?) and global issues (e.g. is it fair not all children get to go to school?). Learning our own school and community’s democracy and how to be active citizens builds sense of identity by finding how and where we belong and how we can influence communities (Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations [DEEWR], 2009). 

Through these learning experiences, questions will be posed, such as:

• why should we share?
• why is it fair/unfair?
• how could we make it fair? 

Why and What We Are Learning
These activities maximise effectiveness of Civics and Citizenship Education (CCE) because they are learnt with active participation and authentic issues (Geboers, Geijsel, Admiraal, & TenDam, 2013). We will learn and apply fairness in social situations, begin to understand fairness in the wider community and how it contributes to civic life (Tudball & Brett, 2014). In addition, learn valuable skills of deciding effectively, brainstorming, group discussions, collaboration and sharing.

Students are taught importance of active participation in communities and building identities through the Early Years Learning Framework (DEEWR, 2009).

Figure 3. Early Years Learning Framework Links

In early grades of the Australian Curriculum, CCE is about exploring responsibilities, respect, fairness, socialisation and decision-making (ACARA, 2019; Brett & Duff, 2019). Australian Curriculum links are detailed below.

Figure 4. Australian Curriculum Links

If you have any questions, please comment below.

Miss Young

References

Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority [ACARA]. (2019a). Humanities and 

Social Sciences. Retrieved from https://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/f-10curriculum/humanities-and-social-sciences/  

Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority [ACARA]. (2019b). English.
           Retrieved from https://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/f-10-curriculum/english/

Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority [ACARA]. (2019c). General  
          capabilities. Retrieved from https://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/f-10- 
          curriculum/general-capabilities/

BCBSQuazar. (2016). Build character build success: Fairness [Video]. Retrieved from
           https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AqPeMprcEDw&t=1s

Brady, L., & Kennedy, K. (2014). Curriculum construction (5th ed.). Frenchs Forest, NSW:

Pearson Australia. 

Brett, P. & Duff, K. (2019). The past in the present: History and Citizenship in early years setting.

Retrieved from  https://mylo.utas.edu.au/d2l/le/content/296741/viewContent/2962946/View

Cvorovic, V. (2014). It’ll end in tears [Image]. Retrieved from    

https://theconversation.com/its-not-fair-how-the-human-equality-condition-can-hold-some-people-back-32843

Department of Education Employment and Workplace Relations. (2009). The Early Years 
            Learning Framework: belonging, being and becoming. Retrieved from
            https://docs.education.gov.au/node/2632

Geboers, E., Geijsel, F., Admiraal, W., & TenDam, G. (2013). Review of the effects of
           citizenship education. Educational Research Review, 9, 158-173.

Gilbert, R & Hoepper, B. (2016). Teaching Humanities and Social Sciences: history, 

            geography, economics & citizenship in the Australian curriculum (6th ed.). Melbourne:
            Cengage Learning.

Lionni, L. (1996). It’s Mine. Great Britain, UK: Anderson Press Limited.

Reynolds, R. (2012). Teaching History, Geography and SOSE in the Primary School (2nd ed.).

Melbourne, Vic: Oxford University Press.

Schweizer, D. (2017). Fairness Character Education And Social Skills Activities [Image].
          Retrieved from https://quoteslifebook.com/browse/activities-to-teach-fairness.html

Tudball, L., & Brett, P. (2014). What matters and what's next for civics and citizenship education

in Australia?. The Social Educator, 32(2) 4-15.