Civics & Citizenship · Year 3

Active learning ideas

Changing Rules: A Democratic Process

Active learning works because students grasp how rules shape daily life by experiencing the process firsthand. When they role-play proposing changes or analyze real surveys, abstract concepts like fairness and participation become concrete and meaningful.

• ACARA Content Descriptions
• AC9HASS3K03
• AC9HASS3S02

• 30–45 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Morning Circle
• 45 min · Small Groups

Role-Play: Rule Change Assembly

Divide class into proposal teams, council members, and observers. Teams identify a school rule issue, prepare 2-minute pitches with reasons and solutions. Council questions and votes; observers note fair process elements. End with whole-class reflection on what worked.

Evaluate when a rule or law needs to be changed.

Facilitation Tip

During Role-Play: Rule Change Assembly, assign clear roles so every student contributes to the process, ensuring no one remains passive.

What to look for

Present students with a hypothetical school rule, for example, 'No running in the corridors.' Ask: 'Is this rule fair? Why or why not? What could happen if students felt this rule was unfair? How could they suggest changing it?'

• Remember
• Understand
• Self-Awareness
• Social Awareness
• Relationship Skills

Activity 02

• Morning Circle
• 30 min · Pairs

Flowchart: Proposal Process Design

In pairs, students brainstorm steps to change a rule, from idea to vote. Draw flowcharts showing who is involved and decisions needed. Pairs present to class for feedback and class votes on best design.

Design a process for proposing a change to a school rule.

Facilitation Tip

While creating Flowchart: Proposal Process Design, model one step on the board before letting groups work to build confidence in their own designs.

What to look for

Provide students with a template for a 'Change Proposal.' Ask them to fill in the 'Problem with the Rule' section for a chosen school rule and list two ways they could gather support from classmates for their proposed change.

• Remember
• Understand
• Self-Awareness
• Social Awareness
• Relationship Skills

Activity 03

• Morning Circle
• 40 min · Whole Class

Survey and Analyze: Rule Fairness Check

Create a class survey on current rules using yes/no and open questions. Tally results as a group, discuss findings, and propose one change based on data. Display results on a chart for ongoing reference.

Explain how community members can participate in changing local laws.

Facilitation Tip

When running Survey and Analyze: Rule Fairness Check, circulate to clarify criteria and prevent vague survey questions.

What to look for

On a small card, ask students to write one sentence explaining how a community member might influence a local law, and one word describing why changing unfair rules is important.

• Remember
• Understand
• Self-Awareness
• Social Awareness
• Relationship Skills

Activity 04

• Morning Circle
• 35 min · Small Groups

Debate Stations: Real Civic Examples

Set up stations with cases like a changed local law. Small groups read, debate if change was needed and how it happened, then rotate. Synthesize key participation methods in plenary.

Evaluate when a rule or law needs to be changed.

Facilitation Tip

At Debate Stations: Real Civic Examples, provide sentence stems to scaffold arguments and keep discussions focused on the task.

What to look for

Present students with a hypothetical school rule, for example, 'No running in the corridors.' Ask: 'Is this rule fair? Why or why not? What could happen if students felt this rule was unfair? How could they suggest changing it?'

• Remember
• Understand
• Self-Awareness
• Social Awareness
• Relationship Skills

A few notes on teaching this unit

Start with familiar rules to build confidence, then introduce complexity gradually. Teachers should avoid giving answers too quickly, instead guiding students to discover criteria and processes themselves. Research shows that when students create artifacts like flowcharts, they internalize procedural knowledge more deeply than through direct instruction alone.

Students will demonstrate understanding by explaining how rules evolve through community input and by designing clear steps for proposing changes. Evidence includes timelines, flowcharts, survey results, and debate reasoning.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Role-Play: Rule Change Assembly, watch for students assuming rules never change.

  After the role-play, have students add to their timelines examples of rules that have evolved in their school or community, highlighting changes over time.

• During Debate Stations: Real Civic Examples, watch for students claiming only adults can propose changes.

  Use peer feedback sheets during the debate to collect examples of youth-led changes, which students then share in a class discussion to correct this idea.

• During Flowchart: Proposal Process Design, watch for students thinking rule changes happen instantly.

  After completing their flowcharts, have groups compare their multi-step processes to quick fixes, then reflect on why deliberation takes time in a democracy.

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Methods used in this brief

• Morning Circle