Civics & Citizenship · Year 6

Active learning ideas

Problem Solving: Different Approaches

Active learning helps students grasp abstract legal concepts by letting them experience roles firsthand. This topic is complex for Year 6 students, so moving beyond lectures to mock trials and role-plays builds genuine understanding through engagement.

• ACARA Content Descriptions
• AC9HASS6K03

• 20–90 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 3 activities

Activity 01

• Mock Trial
• 90 min · Whole Class

Mock Trial: The Case of the Missing Lunch

Students conduct a simplified trial for a fictional school-based 'crime.' They take on roles as lawyers, witnesses, and jurors, following the rules of evidence and the adversarial format.

Differentiate between interpersonal disputes and violations of serious rules.

Facilitation Tip

During the Mock Trial, assign clear roles to every student, including witnesses and court staff, so all participants feel responsible for the outcome.

What to look for

Provide students with three scenarios: 1. Two friends arguing over who gets to use the computer. 2. Someone taking a classmate's lunch money. 3. A disagreement about the rules of a board game. Ask students to write 'Interpersonal Dispute' or 'Violation of Serious Rules' next to each scenario and briefly explain their choice for scenario 2.

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

Activity 02

• Think-Pair-Share
• 20 min · Pairs

Think-Pair-Share: Innocent Until Proven Guilty

Students discuss why it is the prosecution's job to prove the crime, rather than the defendant's job to prove they didn't do it. They share how this protects people from unfair accusations.

Analyze the suitability of various conflict resolution strategies for different types of problems.

Facilitation Tip

For Think-Pair-Share, provide sentence starters like 'I think the defense’s argument is weak because...' to scaffold student thinking before sharing with the class.

What to look for

Present a scenario where a student broke a classroom rule by talking during a test. Ask: 'Is this an interpersonal dispute or a violation of a serious rule? What would be an appropriate way to solve this problem? What would be an inappropriate way, and why?'

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

Activity 03

• Stations Rotation
• 45 min · Small Groups

Stations Rotation: Courtroom Roles

Students move through stations where they learn the specific duties of the Judge, the Jury, and the Lawyers. At each station, they complete a short task, like writing a 'jury instruction' or a 'witness question.'

Predict the outcomes of applying an inappropriate solution to a given problem.

Facilitation Tip

At each Station Rotation, post a simple diagram of courtroom roles to help students quickly identify their responsibilities before rotating.

What to look for

Show students a picture of a playground with children playing. Ask them to imagine one child takes another's toy. Then, show a picture of a courtroom. Ask: 'Which picture relates to solving the toy problem? Which picture relates to solving a problem like stealing? Explain why.'

• Remember
• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teachers should model neutrality when guiding mock trials, emphasizing that the judge’s role is to keep the process fair, not to solve the problem. Avoid letting students blur the lines between the adversarial system and everyday conflict resolution. Research shows that students learn best when they see the adversarial system as a structured game with clear rules, not a moral judgment.

Students will show they understand the adversarial system by explaining the role of the judge, prosecution, and defense in their own words. They will also justify their decisions in scenarios using evidence from the mock trial or discussions.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During the Mock Trial, watch for students who believe the judge should actively search for evidence or question witnesses to solve the problem.

  During the Mock Trial, pause after opening statements to ask, 'Who is responsible for presenting the evidence?' Guide students to notice that the lawyers ask questions while the judge only rules on objections or procedure.

• During the Think-Pair-Share, listen for students who say the accused must prove they are innocent if they are charged with a crime.

  During the Think-Pair-Share, hand out index cards with the phrase 'burden of proof' at the top. Ask students to write the name of the party that holds this burden before discussing the concept in pairs.

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Methods used in this brief

• Mock Trial
• Think-Pair-Share
• Stations Rotation