HASS · Foundation

Active learning ideas

The Australian Legal System: Courts and Laws

Active learning works for this topic because young students grasp abstract concepts like justice and fairness through concrete experiences. By role-playing and creating rules, students see how laws shape daily life in ways that protect and include everyone.

• ACARA Content Descriptions
• AC9HC7K03

• 15–30 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Mystery Object
• 30 min · Small Groups

Role-Play: Classroom Courtroom

Assign roles like judge, lawyers, and disputing friends over a shared toy. Groups act out a simple trial, presenting their sides before the judge decides. Debrief with what made it fair.

Explain the purpose of laws in Australian society and how they are made.

Facilitation Tip

During the Classroom Courtroom role-play, assign students clear roles like judge, witness, or jury to keep the scenario structured and focused on fairness.

What to look for

Show students pictures of different scenarios (e.g., a child sharing a toy, a child not sharing, a police officer helping someone). Ask students to point to the picture that shows a 'law' or 'fairness' and explain why.

• Understand
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Self-Management
• Social Awareness

Activity 02

• Mystery Object
• 25 min · Pairs

Rule-Making Workshop

In pairs, students brainstorm three class rules for playtime safety. Share and vote on them as a class, then display on a 'Parliament Wall'. Discuss why rules matter.

Describe the structure and function of the Australian court system.

Facilitation Tip

In the Rule-Making Workshop, provide sentence starters for students who struggle to articulate why a rule is needed, such as 'This rule helps us because...'.

What to look for

Ask students: 'What would happen if there were no rules in our classroom? How would that make you feel?' Guide the discussion to connect their feelings about classroom rules to the purpose of laws in Australia.

• Understand
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Self-Management
• Social Awareness

Activity 03

• Mystery Object
• 20 min · Small Groups

Fairness Sorting Game

Provide cards with scenarios like 'sharing turns' or 'taking without asking'. Students sort into 'fair' or 'unfair' piles in small groups, then justify choices whole class.

Analyze the concepts of justice and fairness within the Australian legal framework.

Facilitation Tip

For the Fairness Sorting Game, use real-life examples from the students’ experiences to make fairness tangible and relatable.

What to look for

Give each student a drawing paper. Ask them to draw one example of a rule that helps keep their family or classroom safe and fair. They can then verbally share their drawing with the teacher.

• Understand
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Self-Management
• Social Awareness

Activity 04

• Mystery Object
• 15 min · Individual

Court Structure Puzzle

Use printed images of courts from local to High Court. Individually or in pairs, sequence them by level and match roles like magistrate or judge.

Explain the purpose of laws in Australian society and how they are made.

Facilitation Tip

During the Court Structure Puzzle, have students work in pairs to discuss each piece before placing it to encourage collaborative problem-solving.

What to look for

Show students pictures of different scenarios (e.g., a child sharing a toy, a child not sharing, a police officer helping someone). Ask students to point to the picture that shows a 'law' or 'fairness' and explain why.

• Understand
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Self-Management
• Social Awareness

A few notes on teaching this unit

Young students learn best when legal concepts are introduced through familiar contexts, like classroom rules and playground scenarios. Avoid abstract explanations of the legal system; instead, use stories, role-plays, and visuals to make ideas concrete. Research suggests that children develop justice concepts through social interactions, so structured discussions and peer feedback are key to deepening understanding.

Students demonstrate understanding by explaining how laws keep communities safe, describing court roles accurately, and identifying fairness in scenarios. They connect their classroom rules to broader legal ideas during discussions and activities.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Role-Play: Classroom Courtroom, watch for students who assume the judge decides who is 'bad' without considering both sides.

  Use the role-play to highlight that the judge listens to both sides before deciding. Pause the scenario to ask, 'What did you hear from each person? How does the judge know what’s fair?' to redirect their thinking.

• During Rule-Making Workshop, watch for students who believe rules are only for when someone does something wrong.

  Guide the discussion by asking, 'How does this rule help us play nicely together?' Use examples like 'We have a rule to raise our hand so everyone gets a turn to speak.' to show rules prevent problems before they happen.

• During Fairness Sorting Game, watch for students who think fairness means everyone gets the same thing without considering needs.

  After sorting, ask students to explain their choices. Use prompts like, 'Is this fair for everyone? What if someone needs more?' to encourage critical thinking about individual needs.

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Methods used in this brief

• Mystery Object