Civics & Citizenship · Year 10

Active learning ideas

Designing a Civic Campaign

Active learning shifts students from passive note-taking to real-world problem solving, essential for civic campaign design. They test strategies, adapt messages, and experience firsthand why coalitions and evidence matter in policy change.

• ACARA Content Descriptions
• AC9C10S04
• AC9C10S05

• 35–50 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Carousel Brainstorm
• 35 min · Small Groups

Carousel Brainstorm: Issue Identification

Post chart paper around the room with prompts on local issues. In small groups, students spend 5 minutes per station adding ideas, evidence, and potential strategies, then rotate. Conclude with whole-class dot voting to select top issues for campaigns.

Design the most effective strategy to influence government decision-makers.

Facilitation Tip

During Carousel Brainstorm, set a 5-minute timer per station to keep energy high and prevent over-long discussions.

What to look for

Provide students with a brief scenario of a local community issue (e.g., lack of public transport to a new hospital). Ask them to identify three key stakeholders and one potential challenge in building a coalition for change. Review responses for understanding of stakeholder roles.

• Remember
• Understand
• Analyze
• Relationship Skills
• Social Awareness

Activity 02

• Jigsaw
• 45 min · Small Groups

Jigsaw: Coalition Building

Assign roles like community leader, politician, or activist. Expert groups research coalition tactics for 10 minutes, then reform into mixed groups to share and integrate strategies into campaign plans. Groups present one coalition idea.

Construct a plan to build a coalition for policy change.

Facilitation Tip

For Jigsaw Expert Groups, assign each student a distinct role (researcher, writer, presenter) to ensure balanced participation.

What to look for

Pose the question: 'When is direct action by citizens more effective than lobbying government officials?' Facilitate a class discussion, encouraging students to draw on examples from their research and consider the strengths and weaknesses of each approach.

• Understand
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Relationship Skills
• Self-Management

Activity 03

• Gallery Walk
• 40 min · Pairs

Gallery Walk: Strategy Feedback

Students create posters of their draft campaigns and post them. Peers circulate, leaving sticky-note feedback on strengths and improvements using success criteria. Revise plans based on input in pairs.

Evaluate the government's role in responding to grassroots movements.

Facilitation Tip

In the Gallery Walk, place feedback prompts directly on the walls so students physically move between stations and reflect on others' work.

What to look for

Students share their draft campaign slogans and key messages with a small group. Peers provide feedback using a simple rubric: Is the message clear? Is it persuasive? Does it target a specific audience? Students use this feedback to refine their work.

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Create
• Relationship Skills
• Social Awareness

Activity 04

• Project-Based Learning
• 50 min · Pairs

Pitch Practice: Mock Presentations

Pairs rehearse 3-minute pitches to 'decision-makers' (classmates in role). Audience scores on criteria like clarity and evidence. Debrief on what influences government.

Design the most effective strategy to influence government decision-makers.

Facilitation Tip

During Pitch Practice, provide a timer and a strict 3-minute limit to mimic real-world time constraints for persuasive presentations.

What to look for

Provide students with a brief scenario of a local community issue (e.g., lack of public transport to a new hospital). Ask them to identify three key stakeholders and one potential challenge in building a coalition for change. Review responses for understanding of stakeholder roles.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills
• Decision-Making

A few notes on teaching this unit

Start with concrete examples of successful campaigns before diving into theory, as research shows anchoring abstract concepts in real cases boosts retention. Avoid letting students default to social media alone, and instead push them to consider multiple tools. Debate and role-play are proven methods for building civic efficacy, so use them often.

Successful learning looks like students moving from vague ideas to structured plans with clear goals, stakeholder maps, and persuasive tactics. They should use feedback to refine their approaches and justify their choices with evidence.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Carousel Brainstorm, some students may assume campaigns rely only on social media for success.

  Use the issue stations to challenge this idea by requiring students to suggest at least two non-digital tactics (e.g., petitions, rallies) for each issue before moving on.

• During Jigsaw Expert Groups, students may believe grassroots movements rarely affect government policy.

  Have each group research a case study (e.g., 1967 referendum) and present how grassroots efforts led to policy change, using evidence from their findings.

• During Pitch Practice, students may think personal passion suffices without structured planning.

  Require each pitch to include a stakeholder map, timeline, and evidence of coalition support, so passion is paired with concrete steps.

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Methods used in this brief

• Carousel Brainstorm
• Jigsaw
• Gallery Walk
• Project-Based Learning