HASS · Year 7

Active learning ideas

Political Parties and Elections

Active learning turns abstract ideas about political parties and elections into tangible experiences. When students role-play elections or parliamentary sessions, they grasp how preferences redistribute or how scrutiny functions, not just hear about them. This hands-on approach builds lasting civic understanding through doing, not just listening.

• ACARA Content Descriptions
• AC9C7K02

• 35–50 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Simulation Game
• 50 min · Small Groups

Simulation Game: Mock Preferential Election

Divide class into parties that draft three policies each. Students campaign briefly, then vote by ranking candidates on ballots. Tally votes step-by-step, redistributing preferences until a winner emerges; discuss outcomes.

Analyze how political parties represent different interests within society.

Facilitation Tip

For the Mock Preferential Election, prepare pre-labeled ballot papers with clear instructions and practice the redistribution process step-by-step before students begin.

What to look for

Provide students with a short list of policy issues (e.g., climate change, healthcare funding, education reform). Ask them to write one sentence for each issue explaining how two different political parties might approach it, reflecting their likely platforms.

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

Activity 02

• Formal Debate
• 40 min · Pairs

Formal Debate: Policy Clash Rounds

Assign pairs to represent major parties defending policies on key issues. Opposing pairs question and rebut. Rotate roles; class votes on most convincing arguments with justifications.

Explain the process of preferential voting in Australian federal elections.

Facilitation Tip

In Policy Clash Rounds, assign roles to ensure balanced debate and provide a simple scoring rubric for teams to self-assess their arguments.

What to look for

Pose the question: 'Imagine you are a voter whose first choice candidate is eliminated in a federal election. How does preferential voting ensure your vote still counts towards electing a representative?' Facilitate a class discussion where students explain the redistribution of preferences.

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

Activity 03

• Role Play
• 45 min · Whole Class

Role Play: Question Time in Parliament

Select students as PM, opposition leader, and backbenchers. Whole class observes as opposition questions government policies. Switch roles; debrief on accountability and decorum.

Compare the roles of the government and the opposition in Parliament.

Facilitation Tip

During Question Time in Parliament, give students structured prompts for questions and answers to keep the simulation focused and purposeful.

What to look for

On an index card, have students define 'Government' and 'Opposition' in their own words and list one specific responsibility for each role in the Australian Parliament.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Social Awareness
• Self-Awareness

Activity 04

• Gallery Walk
• 35 min · Small Groups

Gallery Walk: Party Platform Analysis

Post summaries of real party policies around room. Groups visit stations, note alignments with interests, then share comparisons in plenary.

Analyze how political parties represent different interests within society.

Facilitation Tip

At the Gallery Walk: Party Platform Analysis, place posters around the room and provide a guided worksheet to direct students to compare party stances on key issues.

What to look for

Provide students with a short list of policy issues (e.g., climate change, healthcare funding, education reform). Ask them to write one sentence for each issue explaining how two different political parties might approach it, reflecting their likely platforms.

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Create
• Relationship Skills
• Social Awareness

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teachers should anchor lessons in concrete experiences before moving to abstract concepts. Research shows simulations and role-plays build civic understanding more effectively than lectures for this age group. Avoid rushing through the mechanics of preferential voting or parliamentary processes. Let students struggle slightly in the simulations—this is where deeper understanding forms. Always connect the activity back to real-world outcomes, such as how these processes affect policy decisions.

By the end of these activities, students will explain why no candidate wins with just first preferences, analyze party platforms for ideological differences, and distinguish the roles of government and opposition. They will use evidence from simulations and debates to support their reasoning.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During the Mock Preferential Election, watch for students who assume the candidate with the most first-preference votes wins. Redirect by having them recount the ballots and redistribute preferences step-by-step until a candidate reaches 50 percent.

  During the Mock Preferential Election, when students observe preferences redistributing, pause the count to ask, ‘Why did this candidate’s votes increase? What does this tell us about the importance of lower preferences?’ Use the ballot papers as evidence to correct the misconception directly.

• During Policy Clash Rounds, watch for students who claim all members of a party hold identical views. Redirect by prompting teams to debate internal party disagreements during their rounds, such as differing approaches to funding education.

  During Policy Clash Rounds, after the debate, ask each team to share one internal disagreement they faced while crafting their policy. Use these reflections to highlight that parties balance diverse views within shared goals.

• During Question Time in Parliament, watch for students who describe the opposition as only negative or obstructive. Redirect by having them identify constructive critiques or alternative policy suggestions raised during the simulation.

  During Question Time in Parliament, after the role-play, facilitate a debrief where students categorize opposition questions as either blocking or proposing alternatives. Use this to clarify the opposition’s dual role in scrutiny and policy development.

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Methods used in this brief

• Simulation Game
• Formal Debate
• Role Play
• Gallery Walk