Civics & Citizenship · Year 8

Active learning ideas

Influences on Law-Making

Active learning is key for this topic because law-making is more than just politicians voting. Students need to experience the push and pull of different influences to truly grasp how laws are shaped. Engaging with these dynamics firsthand helps solidify their understanding beyond textbook definitions.

• ACARA Content Descriptions
• AC9C8K02
• AC9C8S02

• 40–60 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 3 activities

Activity 01

• Case Study Analysis
• 60 min · Small Groups

Format Name: Interest Group Simulation

Divide students into groups representing different interest groups (e.g., environmental, business, consumer). Each group researches a current proposed law and prepares a persuasive presentation to a mock parliament, advocating for their group's position.

Analyze how community values and lobbying groups influence legislative decisions.

Facilitation Tip

During the Interest Group Simulation, ensure each group clearly articulates their goals and the specific arguments they will use to influence the 'lawmakers' within their simulation.

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Decision-Making
• Self-Management

Activity 02

• Case Study Analysis
• 45 min · Small Groups

Format Name: Media Influence Analysis

Provide students with various news articles, social media posts, and opinion pieces related to a specific law. Students analyze the tone, bias, and persuasive techniques used to gauge media influence on public opinion.

Differentiate between the impact of media and expert advice on law-making.

Facilitation Tip

When facilitating the Media Influence Analysis, guide students to look for specific examples of persuasive language, bias, and the framing of issues in the provided media sources.

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Decision-Making
• Self-Management

Activity 03

• Case Study Analysis
• 40 min · Pairs

Format Name: Public Opinion Poll Design

Students design a survey to gauge public opinion on a relevant social issue that could lead to new laws. They consider question wording, target audience, and potential biases in their survey design.

Assess the ethical considerations involved when special interest groups influence policy.

Facilitation Tip

For the Public Opinion Poll Design, encourage students to consider potential biases in their survey questions and sampling methods, reflecting on how these could skew results.

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Decision-Making
• Self-Management

A few notes on teaching this unit

This topic requires moving beyond a procedural overview of how laws are made. Teachers should actively facilitate discussions that explore the power dynamics and competing interests at play, using real-world examples to illustrate the complexity. Avoid presenting law-making as a purely rational or objective process; instead, emphasize the human and societal factors involved.

Successful learning means students can identify and explain multiple influences on law-making, such as public opinion and interest groups. They will demonstrate this by articulating how these forces interact and impact legislative outcomes, moving beyond a simplistic view of the process.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During the Interest Group Simulation, students might assume all simulated groups have equal power to influence the outcome.

  Redirect students by asking them to analyze which groups in the simulation had the strongest arguments or the most persuasive evidence presented, and how that might translate to real-world influence.

• In the Media Influence Analysis, students may believe all presented media sources are equally credible or represent the majority public opinion.

  Prompt students to compare and contrast the different media pieces, asking them to identify potential biases or the specific audiences each piece is trying to reach.

• During the Public Opinion Poll Design, students might create questions that unintentionally lead respondents to a particular answer.

  Guide students to review their survey questions, asking them to rephrase any that could be perceived as biased or that don't allow for a neutral response.

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Methods used in this brief

• Case Study Analysis