Australian Government: Three Levels

Students learn best when they connect abstract ideas to real places and roles they recognize. By sorting services, acting out decisions, and walking through their neighborhood, students see how government levels shape their daily lives in concrete ways.

• Foundation
• HASS
• 4 activities
• 30 min–45 min

Learning Objectives

1. Identify the primary services provided by Federal, State/Territory, and Local governments.
2. Compare the responsibilities of each level of government using a Venn diagram.
3. Explain one way a decision made by each level of government affects their local community.
4. Classify examples of government services according to the correct level of government.

Concept Mapping

⏱ 30 min·Small Groups

Sorting Activity: Government Services

Prepare cards listing services like 'builds schools' or 'collects rubbish.' In small groups, students sort cards into three columns labeled federal, state/territory, and local. Groups share one example per level with the class.

Prepare & details

Differentiate between the roles and responsibilities of Federal, State/Territory, and Local governments in Australia.

Facilitation Tip: For the Sorting Activity, give each group a large sheet with three clear sections labeled ‘Federal’, ‘State/Territory’, and ‘Local’ to categorize picture cards of services.

Setup: Tables with large paper, or wall space

Materials: Concept cards or sticky notes, Large paper, Markers, Example concept map

• Understand
• Analyze
• Create
• Self-Awareness
• Self-Management

Concept Mapping

⏱ 45 min·Small Groups

Role-Play: Local Council Meeting

Assign roles like mayor, councillor, and resident. Groups discuss and vote on a community issue, such as adding playground equipment. Debrief on how local decisions differ from state or federal ones.

Prepare & details

Explain how the Australian Constitution outlines the powers of the different levels of government.

Facilitation Tip: In the Role-Play, assign roles with role cards that include real responsibilities and constraints to guide authentic discussions.

Setup: Tables with large paper, or wall space

Materials: Concept cards or sticky notes, Large paper, Markers, Example concept map

• Understand
• Analyze
• Create
• Self-Awareness
• Self-Management

Concept Mapping

⏱ 40 min·Pairs

Community Walk: Spot the Services

Take students on a short schoolyard or neighborhood walk. They note features like bins or signs and discuss which government level provides them. Back in class, draw and label a simple map.

Prepare & details

Analyze the impact of decisions made at each level of government on Australian citizens.

Facilitation Tip: During the Community Walk, provide a simple checklist with icons so students record services without writing lengthy notes.

Setup: Tables with large paper, or wall space

Materials: Concept cards or sticky notes, Large paper, Markers, Example concept map

• Understand
• Analyze
• Create
• Self-Awareness
• Self-Management

Concept Mapping

⏱ 35 min·Pairs

Poster Creation: My Government's Job

Each student draws pictures of services from one level of government. Pairs combine posters and present, explaining responsibilities to the class.

Prepare & details

Differentiate between the roles and responsibilities of Federal, State/Territory, and Local governments in Australia.

Facilitation Tip: For the Poster Creation, supply labeled sections for each government level and pre-cut images of services to help students focus on placement rather than drawing.

Setup: Tables with large paper, or wall space

Materials: Concept cards or sticky notes, Large paper, Markers, Example concept map

• Understand
• Analyze
• Create
• Self-Awareness
• Self-Management

Teaching This Topic

Teachers often start with what students already see, like rubbish bins or playgrounds, then connect these to government actions. Avoid overwhelming students with too many services at once; focus on a few clear examples per level. Research suggests that when students physically sort, act out, or walk through examples, their understanding of abstract systems becomes more stable and transferable to new situations.

What to Expect

Students confidently name the three government levels and match services to each level with clear reasoning. They discuss how levels work together and explain decisions in role-plays and community observations.

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

Common Misconception

During Sorting Activity, watch for students who group all services under one government level.

What to Teach Instead

Pause the sorting and ask each group to share one service they placed under each level, prompting them to justify their choices and check for consistency across groups.

Common Misconception

During Role-Play: Local Council Meeting, listen for students who argue that the local council should decide national matters like defense.

What to Teach Instead

Have students refer to their role cards that show scope of authority, then ask them to explain why defense is not a local responsibility using those constraints.

Common Misconception

During Community Walk: Spot the Services, observe students who assume all public spaces are run by the same level of government.

What to Teach Instead

Point to a park bench and ask students to recall from the Sorting Activity which level manages parks, then challenge them to find another example on the walk that shows a different level’s responsibility.

Assessment Ideas

Exit Ticket

After Sorting Activity, provide students with three cards labeled ‘Federal’, ‘State/Territory’, or ‘Local’ and show pictures of a police car, a park bench, and a $10 note. Students place the card that represents the correct government level for each service.

Discussion Prompt

After Role-Play: Local Council Meeting, ask students: ‘Imagine our town needs a new playground. Which level of government do you think would be most responsible for this, and why?’ Guide them to connect the service to the correct level and explain their reasoning based on the roles they explored in the role-play.

Quick Check

During Poster Creation: My Government's Job, draw three large circles on the board labeled ‘Federal’, ‘State/Territory’, and ‘Local’. Call out different government responsibilities like ‘collecting rubbish’, ‘managing airports’, and ‘running hospitals’. Have students point to the correct circle on the board to show understanding.

Extensions & Scaffolding

• Challenge students to find a news article about a government decision and identify which level made it and why.
• Scaffolding: Provide a word bank on cards for students to match to services during the Sorting Activity.
• Deeper exploration: Have students research a local issue and prepare a short presentation on which levels of government could help and how they might work together.

Key Vocabulary

Federal Government	The national government responsible for laws and services that apply to all Australians, such as defense and currency.
State/Territory Government	The government responsible for laws and services within a specific state or territory, like schools and hospitals.
Local Government	The council responsible for services in a local area, such as parks, libraries, and rubbish collection.
Responsibility	A duty or task that someone is in charge of, like collecting rubbish or managing roads.