HASS · Year 1

Active learning ideas

Making Fair Decisions

Active learning helps young students grasp fairness because fairness is a lived experience, not an abstract idea. When children physically vote, negotiate roles, or sort options, they feel fairness as a process they control rather than a rule someone else imposes.

• ACARA Content Descriptions
• AC9HASS1K08

• 20–35 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Four Corners
• 30 min · Whole Class

Voting Booth: Class Pet Choice

Display pictures of three class pets. Each student draws or places a sticker vote next to their choice, then tally results on a chart. Discuss why the winner was fair and what to do if votes tie.

What makes a decision fair for everyone?

Facilitation Tip

Before the Voting Booth, post a clear chart showing the three pet choices with pictures so every candidate is equally visible.

What to look for

Present students with a scenario: 'The class wants to choose a book for story time. Sarah wants a funny book, and Tom wants an adventure book. How can the class make a fair decision?' Ask students to suggest two different ways the class could decide and explain why each way might be fair.

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

Activity 02

• Four Corners
• 25 min · Small Groups

Role-Play Circles: Playground Dilemma

In circles, present a scenario like two games wanted at recess. Students take turns sharing ideas, then vote or compromise to decide. Debrief on what made the process fair.

How can a group decide on something fairly when people have different ideas?

Facilitation Tip

During Role-Play Circles, give each student a colored card to hold up when they want to speak, ensuring quieter voices get equal turns.

What to look for

Show students pictures depicting different group activities (e.g., sharing toys, choosing a game). Ask students to point to the picture that shows a fair decision and explain one reason why it is fair, using vocabulary like 'fairness' or 'everyone had a say'.

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

Activity 03

• Four Corners
• 20 min · Pairs

Decision Sort: Pair Negotiations

Give pairs scenario cards, such as sharing crayons unequally. Pairs sort actions into fair or unfair piles and explain choices. Share one with the class.

Why is it important for everyone to have a say when making a group decision?

Facilitation Tip

In the Decision Sort, provide sentence starters on cards such as “I agree because…” to guide respectful negotiation.

What to look for

Give each student a slip of paper. Ask them to draw a simple picture of a group making a fair decision and write one word that describes why it is fair (e.g., 'fair', 'equal', 'share', 'listen').

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

Activity 04

• Four Corners
• 35 min · Small Groups

Fair Share Game: Resource Allocation

Provide limited playdough pieces. Groups discuss and divide by need or turn-taking, recording their method. Compare strategies class-wide.

What makes a decision fair for everyone?

Facilitation Tip

For the Fair Share Game, use real objects like counters so students see how quantity shifts when divided unevenly.

What to look for

Present students with a scenario: 'The class wants to choose a book for story time. Sarah wants a funny book, and Tom wants an adventure book. How can the class make a fair decision?' Ask students to suggest two different ways the class could decide and explain why each way might be fair.

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

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teaching fairness works best when routines become the lesson. Use consistent language like “show respect,” “ask questions,” and “take turns” across all activities so students internalize these habits as part of how the class functions. Avoid lengthy lectures on fairness; instead, embed the concept in short, repeated discussions after each activity. Research shows that young children learn fairness through concrete examples they experience firsthand, so keep abstract explanations minimal.

Students will show they understand fairness when they can explain their decisions using words like ‘listen,’ ‘share,’ or ‘take turns,’ and when they adjust their actions based on classmates’ needs during group work.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Voting Booth: Class Pet Choice, watch for students who believe the pet with the most votes always gets chosen without considering why others might need different support.

  Pause the vote after results and ask, ‘What if the class hamster needed quiet time during storytime? How could we adjust the rules so everyone feels cared for?’ Let students revise their votes based on these needs and record the reasons on a chart.

• During Role-Play Circles: Playground Dilemma, watch for students who let the loudest voice dominate the solution.

  Provide each student with a turn token. When a student speaks, they place their token in the middle. Once tokens are used, no one may speak again until everyone has had a turn, making quieter voices visibly included.

• During Decision Sort: Pair Negotiations, watch for students who assume the majority always gets what they want without listening to the minority.

  After sorting decisions, ask pairs to present both options and explain why each matters. Then, ask the pair to compromise and present one solution that incorporates aspects of both, modeling how minority views shape the final decision.

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Methods used in this brief

• Four Corners