Civics & Citizenship · Year 10

Active learning ideas

The Role of Political Parties

Active learning helps students grasp the complexities of lobbying by letting them experience firsthand how different groups try to shape policy. When students take on roles or analyze real tactics, they move beyond abstract definitions to understand the practical and ethical dimensions of political influence.

• ACARA Content Descriptions
• AC9C10K05

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

Activity 01

• Role Play
• 60 min · Small Groups

Role Play: The Policy Forum

Students represent different lobby groups (e.g., a mining company, an environmental NGO, a local farmers' union) and present their conflicting views on a proposed new land-use law to a panel of 'Government Ministers.'

Analyze how political parties influence policy development.

Facilitation Tip

During the Role Play, circulate and prompt students to stay in character, reminding them that their arguments must align with their group’s stated interests.

What to look for

Facilitate a class debate using the prompt: 'Are political parties more effective at representing diverse interests or at maintaining party unity?' Ask students to cite specific examples of parties and policies to support their arguments.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Social Awareness
• Self-Awareness

Activity 02

• Gallery Walk
• 40 min · Individual

Gallery Walk: Lobbying Tactics

Students analyze different campaign materials (ads, open letters, social media posts) from various interest groups. They identify the 'persuasive techniques' used and evaluate which are most likely to influence a politician.

Compare the ideologies and platforms of major Australian political parties.

Facilitation Tip

For the Gallery Walk, place the lobbying tactic cards at eye level and group similar tactics together to help students see patterns in how influence works.

What to look for

Provide students with a short news article about a recent policy announcement. Ask them to identify which major Australian political party is most likely to support or oppose the policy and explain their reasoning based on party ideology and platform.

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

Activity 03

• Think-Pair-Share
• 20 min · Pairs

Think-Pair-Share: Money and Influence

Students discuss the impact of political donations. They debate whether there should be a cap on how much money a group can spend to influence an election or a policy decision.

Evaluate the effectiveness of political parties in representing diverse interests.

Facilitation Tip

In the Think-Pair-Share, assign pairs strategically—mix students who grasp the concept quickly with those who need reinforcement to encourage peer learning.

What to look for

On an index card, have students write down one policy area (e.g., education, immigration, economy) and then list one way a major Australian political party influences policy development in that area. They should also name the party.

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

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teaching this topic effectively means balancing realism with critical thinking. Start with clear definitions of lobbying and advocacy, then use role-play to show how influence operates in practice. Avoid framing lobbying as inherently corrupt; instead, focus on transparency as the dividing line between legitimate and questionable behavior. Research shows students retain more when they analyze real-world cases, so incorporate recent Australian examples where possible.

By the end of these activities, students will confidently distinguish between legitimate advocacy and unethical influence. They will also be able to identify the strategies used by lobbyists and explain how access to power shapes policy outcomes in Australia.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During the Role Play activity, watch for students who assume any form of persuasion is corrupt.

  Use the role-play debrief to explicitly contrast advocacy with bribery, asking students to reflect on what makes persuasion legitimate or unethical based on the tactics used in their scenarios.

• During the Gallery Walk activity, watch for students who conclude only businesses lobby the government.

  Point students to the tactic cards labeled with union, charity, and community group examples, and ask them to identify which groups these tactics belong to during the walk.

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Methods used in this brief

• Role Play
• Gallery Walk
• Think-Pair-Share