Civics & Citizenship · Year 10

Active learning ideas

Advocacy and Lobbying Skills

Active learning shifts students from passive observers to active participants in democracy. By designing campaigns, they move beyond theory to practice, experiencing firsthand how advocacy shapes decisions. This hands-on approach builds confidence, critical thinking, and civic agency.

• ACARA Content Descriptions
• AC9C10S04
• AC9C10S05

• 20–60 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 3 activities

Activity 01

• Inquiry Circle
• 60 min · Small Groups

Inquiry Circle: The Campaign Pitch

In small groups, students identify a local issue (e.g., more bike lanes, better youth mental health services). They must create a 'pitch' for a campaign, including a slogan, a target politician, and three specific actions they want people to take.

Explain effective strategies for influencing government decisions.

Facilitation Tip

During Collaborative Investigation: The Campaign Pitch, circulate to listen for students linking their issue to a specific decision-maker’s role, not just ‘the government.’

What to look for

Provide students with a short scenario describing a local council decision (e.g., building a new shopping center). Ask them to identify one specific elected representative they would contact and write two sentences explaining why that person is the appropriate target for their advocacy.

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Self-Management
• Self-Awareness

Activity 02

• Stations Rotation
• 50 min · Small Groups

Stations Rotation: The Campaign Toolkit

Set up stations for different campaign tools: 'The Petition' (writing clear demands), 'The Social Media Ad' (visual persuasion), and 'The Letter to the MP' (formal lobbying). Students rotate and create one element of their campaign at each station.

Design a compelling argument for a policy change.

Facilitation Tip

In Station Rotation: The Campaign Toolkit, model how to use the toolkit by selecting one tool (e.g., a template letter) and drafting a sample sentence aloud.

What to look for

Students draft a one-page written submission on a chosen policy issue. They then exchange submissions with a partner. Peer reviewers use a checklist to assess: Is the issue clearly stated? Is the proposed solution specific? Is the tone persuasive and respectful? Reviewers provide one specific suggestion for improvement.

• Remember
• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills

Activity 03

• Think-Pair-Share
• 20 min · Pairs

Think-Pair-Share: Who has the Power?

Students analyze their chosen issue and identify exactly who has the power to change it. Is it the Local Council, the State Government, or the Federal Government? They discuss why 'targeting' the right person is the most important step.

Evaluate the ethical considerations in advocacy and lobbying.

Facilitation Tip

For Think-Pair-Share: Who has the Power?, assign roles explicitly: one student identifies the target, one explains why, and one suggests a strategy for reaching them.

What to look for

Facilitate a class debate on the question: 'Is lobbying inherently undemocratic, or a vital part of a functioning representative system?' Encourage students to use examples of advocacy groups and their targets to support their arguments.

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Awareness
• Relationship Skills

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teachers should frame lobbying as a legitimate tool of democracy rather than a dirty word. Research shows students respond best when they see real-world examples of youth-led campaigns, so share case studies like school strike 4 climate or youth mental health initiatives. Avoid framing advocacy as purely oppositional; emphasize collaboration with decision-makers to create workable solutions.

Successful learning looks like students identifying a clear issue, mapping power structures, and designing a campaign with a targeted call to action. They should articulate why their approach is persuasive and who they need to influence. Collaboration and respectful debate are key indicators of engagement.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Collaborative Investigation: The Campaign Pitch, watch for students focusing only on social media as their primary tool.

  Redirect them to the power mapping section of their pitch template, asking them to identify a specific decision-maker and explain how their campaign will persuade them, not just raise awareness.

• During Think-Pair-Share: Who has the Power?, watch for students saying they can’t influence government because they’re too young.

  Ask them to review the case studies folder provided in the station rotation, where they’ll see examples of young people who successfully lobbied local councils or MPs on issues like climate or education.

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Methods used in this brief

• Inquiry Circle
• Stations Rotation
• Think-Pair-Share