Civics & Citizenship · Year 6 · The Pillars of Democracy · Term 1

Government's Main Jobs: Making Decisions

Students identify the main jobs of different parts of government (e.g., making laws, running services, making decisions) in a simplified way.

• ACARA Content Descriptions
• AC9HASS6K01

About This Topic

In Year 6 Civics and Citizenship, students identify the main jobs of Australian government parts: parliament makes laws, the executive runs services like schools and hospitals, and all levels make decisions that shape community life. This simplified view matches AC9HASS6K01 and helps students differentiate law-making from service provision, while linking decisions to everyday impacts such as road safety rules or park maintenance.

Students explore how decisions flow from ideas in parliament, through executive action, to real-world effects on citizens. They construct simple diagrams to show this process, building skills in civic literacy and systems thinking. These concepts connect to broader democracy pillars, preparing students to analyze government roles in units like voting or rights.

Active learning suits this topic well. Role-plays of decision-making let students experience debates and compromises firsthand. Collaborative diagram-building reveals process gaps through peer discussion. Sorting real services into government categories makes abstract roles tangible, boosting retention and critical thinking.

Key Questions

1. Differentiate the primary functions of government, such as law-making and service provision.
2. Explain how government decisions impact daily life for citizens.
3. Construct a simple diagram illustrating the flow of decision-making in government.

Learning Objectives

• Identify the core functions of the Australian government: law-making, service provision, and decision-making.
• Explain how specific government decisions, such as funding for local parks or traffic light placement, affect the daily lives of citizens.
• Construct a simple flow diagram illustrating how a government decision moves from proposal to implementation.
• Compare the roles of parliament and the executive government in the decision-making process.

Before You Start

Levels of Government in Australia

Why: Students need a basic understanding of the different levels of government (federal, state, local) to comprehend where specific jobs and decisions originate.

What is Government?

Why: A foundational understanding of the purpose of government and its role in society is necessary before exploring its specific functions.

Key Vocabulary

Law-making	The process by which the government, primarily Parliament, creates and passes formal rules that all citizens must follow.
Service Provision	The government's role in delivering essential services to the community, such as schools, hospitals, and public transport.
Decision-making	The process by which government representatives consider information and choose a course of action on behalf of the community.
Executive Government	The part of government responsible for implementing laws and managing the day-to-day running of services.

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

Common Misconception

Government is run by one leader who decides everything.

What to Teach Instead

Government divides jobs across parliament for laws, executive for services, and shared decisions. Role-play simulations let students act out separations, debate contributions, and see why checks prevent one-person rule.

Common Misconception

Services like parks and roads come from private companies, not government.

What to Teach Instead

Many public services are government responsibilities funded by taxes. Sorting activities help students match examples to roles, discuss funding sources, and correct ideas through group consensus and evidence sharing.

Common Misconception

Laws are made instantly by the Prime Minister.

What to Teach Instead

Laws need parliament debate and votes before executive action. Flowchart builds with peers reveal step-by-step processes, allowing students to test and revise their sequences collaboratively.

Active Learning Ideas

Role-Play: Law-Making Debate

Divide class into parliament members, executive reps, and citizens. Present a scenario like a new school uniform rule. Groups debate, vote on the law, then act out implementation steps. Debrief on roles with a shared class chart.

35 min·Small Groups

Flowchart Construction: Decision Path

Pairs receive cards with decision steps from idea to service delivery. They sequence cards into a flowchart, adding examples like building a playground. Pairs present to class for feedback and refinements.

25 min·Pairs

Service Sort Stations: Government Jobs

Set up stations with photos of services like rubbish collection or traffic lights. Small groups sort into law-making, running services, or decisions piles, then justify choices. Rotate stations and vote on class master list.

30 min·Small Groups

Impact Mapping: Daily Life Links

Whole class brainstorms government decisions on a board. Students in pairs draw mind maps connecting one decision to their routines, like bus services to school attendance. Share and connect maps into a class web.

20 min·Pairs

Real-World Connections

• The local council's decision to build a new playground in a suburb directly impacts families by providing a safe recreational space for children.
• Parliamentary debates about funding for new hospital wings influence the availability of healthcare services for citizens across the country.
• The decision to install new traffic lights at a busy intersection by the state transport department aims to improve road safety and manage traffic flow for commuters.

Assessment Ideas

Quick Check

Present students with three scenarios: a new law being proposed, a new school being built, and a decision about park maintenance. Ask students to label each scenario as 'law-making', 'service provision', or 'decision-making' and briefly explain their choice.

Exit Ticket

Ask students to write down one government decision they have noticed impacting their own lives this week. Then, have them identify which part of government (e.g., federal, state, local) might have made that decision and why.

Discussion Prompt

Facilitate a class discussion using the prompt: 'Imagine the government needs to decide whether to build a new library or upgrade the local sports oval. What are some things they would need to consider, and how might this decision affect different people in our community?'

Frequently Asked Questions

How to explain government roles to Year 6 students simply?

Use everyday examples: parliament makes rules like no running in hallways, executive runs lunch services, decisions fix playground issues. Build a three-column chart with class input, then link to real news stories. Visuals and stories keep it concrete and relevant to their world, aligning with AC9HASS6K01.

What activities show decision-making flow in government?

Try flowchart construction where pairs sequence steps from bill proposal to law enforcement, adding local examples. Role-plays extend this by enacting flows. These build visual and procedural understanding, with debriefs reinforcing connections to Australian democracy.

How can active learning help students grasp government's main jobs?

Active approaches like role-plays and sorting stations immerse students in roles, making abstract functions experiential. Debates simulate real decisions, while group diagrams clarify flows through trial and error. This engagement corrects misconceptions faster than lectures, fosters ownership, and links concepts to daily life for deeper retention.

How do government decisions impact students' daily lives?

Decisions fund school buses, set safety laws for bikes, and maintain public spaces. Mapping activities connect these to routines, showing citizens' role in feedback. This builds awareness of shared responsibilities in democracy, encouraging informed participation.