IRENE MCCORMACK CATHOLIC COLLEGE SOCIAL SCIENCE
YEAR 8 COURSE 1CIVICS & CITIZENSHIP PROGRAM TERM22018
OVERVIEW:
In Year 8, Humanities and Social Sciences consists of Civics and Citizenship, Economics and Business, Geography and History.
In Civics and Citizenship, students continue to build on their understanding of the concepts of the Westminstersystem,democracyand participation. They investigate the types of law in Australia and how they are made. They consider the responsibilities and freedoms of citizens, and how Australians can actively participate in theirdemocracy. Students explore the different perspectives of Australianidentity.
WEEK / WA CURRICULUM CONTENT DESCRIPTION / LESSON TOPICS / ASSESSMENT TASKS1 / The freedoms that enable active participation in Australia'sdemocracywithin the bounds of law, including freedom of speech, association, assembly, religion and movement (ACHCK061) / Students to identify and define democracy.
Students to identify main rights and freedoms protected in Australia’s democratic system.
Students toidentifyreasons for these rights and freedoms.
2 / How citizens can participate in Australia's democracy, including use of the electoral system, contact with their elected representatives, use of lobby groups and direct action (ACHCK062) / Students to identify and define how citizens can participate in Australia's democracy.
- Electoral diversity and boundaries
- Electoral representation and how they communicate with the public
- Voting
- Graphing Australian data
3 / How citizens can participate in Australia's democracy, including use of the electoral system, contact with their elected representatives, use of lobby groups and direct action (ACHCK062) / Students to identifyand define what the Constitution is and the role and purpose of Parliament.
- Explanation of the main features of Australian Constitution
- Representation in Parliament
- Roles of Houses of Parliament
4 / How laws are made in Australia through parliaments (statutory law) (ACHCK063) / Students toidentifyand define the process by which laws are made in Parliament.
- Introduce the rules and structures in Parliament
- The role of government as a law-making body
- The process of a Bill
5 / How citizens can participate in Australia's democracy, including use of the electoral system, contact with their elected representatives, use of lobby groups and direct action (ACHCK062)
How laws are made in Australia through parliaments (statutory law) (ACHCK063) / Students to work on Assessment task creating a lobby group to identifyan issue and designing a Bill to introduce for debate in Parliament.
Students to design a campaign to lobby for this issue. / ASSESSMENT TASK:
LOBBY GROUP CAMPAIGN
6 / How citizens can participate in Australia's democracy, including use of the electoral system, contact with their elected representatives, use of lobby groups and direct action (ACHCK062)
How laws are made in Australia through parliaments (statutory law) (ACHCK063) / Students to present Assessment task creating a lobby group over an issue and designing a Bill to introduce for debate in Parliament.
Students to design a campaign to lobby for this issue.
7 / How laws are made in Australia through the courts (common law) (ACHCK063)
The types of law in Australia, including criminal law, civil law and theplaceof Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islandercustomary law(ACHCK064) / Identification of Separation of Powers and role of Judiciary in making laws.
Definition and examples of common law.
Definition of civil law.
Explanation and examples of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander customary law.
8 / EXAM REVISION / EXAM REVISION
9 / SEMESTER ONE EXAMS / SEMESTER ONE EXAMS / ASSESSMENT: SEMESTER ONE EXAM
10 / Different perspectives about Australia's nationalidentity, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives and what it means to be Australian (ACHCK066) / Students to identify contributing factors and groups to Australian identity and how this has changed over time.