Civics & Citizenship · Year 6

Active learning ideas

Parliament: Where Laws Are Made

Active learning works for this topic because students need to experience the give-and-take of lawmaking to understand representation and process. Hands-on simulations and visual tools help them grasp how ideas become laws through structured debate and review.

ACARA Content DescriptionsAC9HASS6K02

30–50 minPairs → Whole Class4 activities

Activity 01

Simulation Game50 min · Small Groups

Simulation Game: Mock Parliament Debate

Divide class into House of Representatives and Senate groups. Introduce a sample bill on school uniforms. Groups debate, vote on amendments, and track progress through readings. Conclude with royal assent vote.

Explain the basic structure and function of the Australian Parliament.

Facilitation TipDuring the Mock Parliament Debate, assign roles clearly and provide a simplified bill text so students focus on argument structure rather than policy details.

What to look forPresent students with a flowchart template of the law-making process with key steps missing. Ask them to fill in the blanks using the terms 'Bill', 'House of Representatives', 'Senate', and 'Royal Assent' in the correct sequence.

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Activity 02

Simulation Game30 min · Pairs

Flowchart: Bill to Law

Provide blank flowcharts. Students sequence steps from bill introduction to assent using cards with key events. Pairs discuss and justify order, then share with class.

Analyze the steps involved in a bill becoming a law in Australia.

Facilitation TipWhen creating the Bill to Law flowchart, give students a partially completed template to scaffold the sequencing of steps.

What to look forPose the question: 'Why is it important for a bill to be debated in both the House of Representatives and the Senate?' Guide students to discuss how different perspectives and scrutiny improve laws, referencing the roles of each house.

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Activity 03

Stations Rotation45 min · Small Groups

Stations Rotation: Parliament Roles

Set stations for Prime Minister speech, committee review, Senate scrutiny, and Governor-General assent. Groups rotate, role-playing each and noting influences on law-making.

Justify the importance of parliamentary debate in the law-making process.

Facilitation TipAt the Parliament Roles station, include role cards with concrete responsibilities so students can practice acting out their parts with confidence.

What to look forAsk students to write down the names of the three main parts of the Australian Parliament and one specific function for each part. For example, 'House of Representatives: Represents the people'.

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Activity 04

Timeline Challenge40 min · Pairs

Timeline Challenge: Real Bill Journey

Select a recent Australian bill. Students research and create timelines in pairs, marking key dates and debates. Present to class, highlighting debate's role.

Explain the basic structure and function of the Australian Parliament.

Facilitation TipDuring the Timeline activity, limit the bill journey to 5-7 key events to avoid overwhelming students with excessive detail.

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A few notes on teaching this unit

Start with concrete examples, like familiar school rules, to introduce the idea of collective decision-making. Avoid over-simplifying by showing how checks and balances slow down lawmaking to ensure careful review. Research suggests role-play builds empathy for different perspectives, so design debates with clear roles that force students to consider multiple viewpoints.

Successful learning looks like students explaining how bills move through Parliament, identifying the roles of each house, and using debate to refine ideas. They should connect these processes to democratic values like fairness and shared power.

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

During the Mock Parliament Debate, watch for students who believe the Prime Minister can pass laws alone.
Use the debating roles to show that the PM introduces a bill but must convince the House and Senate, including your students acting as MPs and Senators, to pass it.
During the Station Rotation: Parliament Roles, watch for students who think the Senate has little influence.
Have students map a bill’s path through both houses on their station cards, marking where the Senate reviews, amends, or rejects proposals.
During the Mock Parliament Debate, watch for students who see debate as pointless arguing.
Use the debate rubric to highlight how persuasion, compromise, and evidence shape the final bill, linking this to real democratic outcomes.

Methods used in this brief

More in Making and Breaking Laws

From Idea to Rule: School Rule Creation

Students simulate the process of identifying a need for a new school rule, discussing it, and getting it approved.

2 methodologies

Debating Rules: Different Opinions

Students participate in a simplified discussion and voting process to decide on a class or school rule, understanding that different opinions exist.

2 methodologies

Reviewing and Changing Rules

Students consider how rules are reviewed and changed if they are not working well or if circumstances change.

2 methodologies

Official Rules: The Approval Process

Students learn that for a rule to be official, it needs final approval from the right person or group (e.g., principal, school council).

2 methodologies

Why Laws Evolve: Societal Changes

Students explore simple examples of how rules or laws have changed because society's needs or ideas have changed (e.g., safety rules, environmental rules).

2 methodologies