Civics & Citizenship · Year 10

Active learning ideas

Electoral Systems: Preferential Voting

Active learning works for this topic because students need to experience firsthand how media choices shape political outcomes. Simply explaining bias or algorithms leaves students passive, but hands-on activities let them test claims with real examples.

• ACARA Content Descriptions
• AC9C10K05

• 20–50 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 3 activities

Activity 01

• Inquiry Circle
• 50 min · Small Groups

Inquiry Circle: Media Bias Hunt

Groups are given the same news event (e.g., a new tax policy) and three different sources: a tabloid newspaper, a broadsheet, and a social media thread. They must identify differences in headlines, tone, and the 'experts' quoted.

Explain the mechanics of Australia's preferential voting system.

Facilitation Tip

During the Media Bias Hunt, provide at least three headline pairs from different outlets to ensure students compare concrete examples.

What to look for

Present students with a simplified ballot paper for a hypothetical election with five candidates. Ask them to number the candidates according to their preferences and then explain, in writing, how their vote would be counted if their first preference did not win an absolute majority.

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

Activity 02

• Simulation Game
• 40 min · Small Groups

Simulation Game: The Press Gallery

During a mock parliamentary session, a group of students acts as 'journalists.' They must write a 280-character 'live tweet' and a short news headline for each major speech, then present their 'news cycle' to the class.

Analyze how electoral systems influence political representation.

Facilitation Tip

In The Press Gallery simulation, assign clear roles (e.g., editor, reporter, fact-checker) and give each a rubric to guide their decisions.

What to look for

Facilitate a class debate on the proposition: 'Compulsory voting is essential for a healthy Australian democracy.' Encourage students to use evidence related to voter turnout and representation to support their arguments.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Social Awareness
• Decision-Making

Activity 03

• Think-Pair-Share
• 20 min · Pairs

Think-Pair-Share: The Algorithm

Students discuss how social media algorithms might affect what political news they see. They reflect on whether this makes them more or less informed as future voters.

Evaluate the importance of compulsory voting in a democracy.

Facilitation Tip

For The Algorithm activity, have students bring their own social media feed screenshots to analyze, making the task personally relevant.

What to look for

Ask students to write down one key difference between Australia's preferential voting system and a 'first past the post' system, and one reason why understanding how to fill out a ballot paper correctly is important.

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

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teachers should model how to read media critically by deconstructing a single news story together, highlighting word choices and omitted details. Avoid presenting media bias as intentional deception; instead, frame it as a structural feature of all communication. Research shows that when students create their own media artifacts in simulations, they better understand the pressures journalists face, which deepens their critical stance toward what they consume.

Successful learning looks like students identifying and justifying media bias in sources they find, applying algorithms to personal data, and discussing how these processes influence political agendas. Students should articulate how framing and echo chambers function, not just recognize them.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During the Media Bias Hunt, watch for students assuming that opinion pieces are the only biased sources.

  Use the hunt’s comparison chart to guide students to notice subtle framing in 'news' articles, such as loaded adjectives or selective quotes.

• During The Algorithm activity, watch for students believing that social media feeds are purely random.

  Have students trace the origin of five posts back to their source and note how algorithms prioritize engagement over credibility.

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Methods used in this brief

• Inquiry Circle
• Simulation Game
• Think-Pair-Share