7 Things You May Not Know About Government in Australia

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Are you thinking about teaching Australian Government in your classroom? Did you know these facts about the Australian political system and Australian political history?

1. Australians Do Not Directly Elect the Prime Minister

Unlike the United State of America, Australians do not make a direct vote for the political leader of the country. Instead they vote for local representatives who are usually members of political parties. The political party with the most representatives chooses one of the representatives to be Prime Minister.

2. This Can Lead to Sudden Changes . . . 

Political parties can choose to change the Prime Minister without a public election - this often happens when they disagree with the leader or they think a new leader will do better. In 2010 there was a sudden change when the representatives of the Labor Party decided that Julia Gillard should replace Kevin Rudd. In 2013 they went back to Kevin Rudd. In 2015 the Liberal Party decided to change from Tony Abbott to Malcolm Turnbull.

3. The Prime Minister is Not the Head of State of Australia

The head of state of Australia is Queen Elizabeth II. She has representatives in Australia - the Governor-General and the Governors. In 1999 there was a referendum vote to decide if Australia should become a republic with an Australian head of state. However, the Australian people voted to remain a monarchy and the Queen remains as the head of state.

4. Australia has Compulsory Voting

All Australian citizens over the age of 18 are required to register and vote - it's considered one of the responsibilities of citizenship.

5. Australians Usually Use a Pencil and Paper to Vote

All voters in Australia are given paper ballots and all voting booths provide pencils. Australia started using pencils because they were quicker to use than ink pens, but they continue to use them because they are easy to prepare, store and maintain. You can bring your own pen to voting if you wish.

6. Australians Vote on Saturday - and Eat Sausages!

Voting in Australia is held on Saturdays when most Australians are available to vote (although you can vote earlier if you need to). Voting is usually held at schools and churches and they often hold sales to raise money. The most popular sale is a sausage sizzle - barbecued sausage on bread with sauce. At recent elections voters have compared the best sausage sizzles and shared photos of their sausages on social media! Check out the #democracysausage tag on Instagram!

7. An Australian Prime Minister Once Went Missing

In December 1967, Prime Minister Harold Holt went swimming and never came back. Although it is presumed that he was drowned, his body was never recovered. After his death, a swimming pool complex was named in his honour.


Now you know more about Australian political systems and history, you're all set to teach it in the classroom. If you're looking for extra resources, you can find them at the Galarious Goods TeachersPayTeachers store - from Poster Sets to Research Tasks to a 'Run Your Own Preferential Election' kit. You can also get the Australian Government Basics and Elections in Australia Bundles - both with great savings.

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A Little Blog Housekeeping . . .

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A little housekeeping going on around here! As you can see above, you can easily follow this blog on bloglovin. You can also follow me at instagram now!

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What are Math Investigations?

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When we teach mathematics it can be very easy to get caught in the nuts and bolts - the mathematical processes and ensuring that students get the 'right' answers.

It's important, though, to extend past the basic rules and processes, to get our students understanding how they can be combined and where they might have real-world applications.

Maths (or math) investigation allow students to apply their maths understanding in various situations. They usually start with a 'real world' mathematical question - big or small:

Students then formulate plans to answer the questions, collect data, use multiple processes to solve the problem, communicate the answer and reflect on their learning.

The joy of maths investigations lie in their flexibility. You can ask students to solve a large question which might take a few weeks to solve, or give them a smaller, more focused question to solve in one lesson. You can provide measurements or partial answers, or require students to collect them themselves. You can combine them with science or engineering or history or the arts. And you can cover a wide range of maths standards.

Have you used maths investigations? Have you got any good maths questions to share?

Head to TeachersPayTeachers to find a Halloween Maths Investigation!

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Teaching the Government of Other Countries - Why and How?

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Teaching about the government of your own country can get complicated enough (preferential voting, anyone?!) without bringing other countries into it. But, learning about governments around the world can be incredibly valuable to students and it's definitely worth adding to your classroom.

Why should you teach about the political systems of other countries?

• We live in a global world - what happens in one country can influence the events in other countries. Understanding the domestic political systems of other countries can help students gain a better understanding of treaties, interactions between leaders and the actions of international organisations.

• Learning about other countries allows students to make comparisons. Making comparisons is an important skill for students to develop - especially when they understand why there are differences and similarities in different systems. The better they understand different systems, the more nuanced their comparisons can be.

• Investigating the political systems of other countries fosters an interest in the world. The political systems are usually influenced by the history of a country and changes usually reflect the people. Learning about these elements allow students to develop a world view.

How can you teach about the political systems of other countries?

• Pick one country to look at in-depth. Examine what the elected positions are, how people vote for them, how the electoral systems have changed over time. Look at what outside influences have altered the political systems of the country.

• Pick one country to look at side by side with your own country. Create timelines of major electoral events. Examine the responsibilities of different elected roles. Look at who can vote and when different groups of people received the right to vote.

• Pick one element - like elections - and examine a range of countries. You might like to create a 'day in the life' of the political leaders or write instructions for first time voters in each country.

• Break students into smaller groups to examine different elements or different countries. Bring students together to share their learning or create a display for students, other classes and their families to explore.

Whether you look at other countries for one or two lessons or you create larger comparative units, including other countries in your government and civics lessons can create students who have a more inclusive understanding of how politics works around the world.

Interested in introducing your students to the Australian Electoral System? Check out the Australian Election Bundle - with a mini unit, 2 word wall resources, research tasks, a poster set and a Run Your Own Preferential Election kit.

Want a quicker look at Australian Government? The Australian Government Basics Bundle gives a quick look at the different elements of the Australian political system.

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Elections in the Classroom - 7 Tips for Real Learning with Minimum Controversy

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Learning about real life elections in the classroom sounds a little like a disaster waiting to happen - but there definitely are ways to talk about political situations in the classroom without attracting controversy.

1. Don't Avoid It

Elections happen and they're important. Students are future voters and they deserve to understand how elections work. Avoiding the topic might keep things from becoming controversial, but it can also be a disservice to our students who should be educated about the electoral system.

2. Keep Your Feelings Out of It

You might have really strong opinions about a particular candidate, but work to keep a neutral approach in the classroom. Students don't need to know about how you might be inclined to vote - it's ok to talk about how voters often prefer to keep their votes to themselves. It can also be an opportunity to talk about the use of secret ballots in elections and why they are used.

3. Set the Ground Rules for the Students

Discussions about elections can get heated, especially if students or their parents hold strong opinions. Establish some strict ground rules early, ensuring students participate in lessons in a respectful, considerate manner.

4. Use 'Primary' Sources

If you want to investigate to political positions of the candidates or how they use language in speeches turn to the words of the candidates themselves. Look for speeches on similar topics or speeches from similar events (like campaign launches or party conventions). Comparing the words of the candidates side by side allows students to see both sides of the political arguments and can also serve as a informational reading lesson.

Different principles of Australian democracy

5. Take a Technical Approach

It's possible to talk about elections without focusing too much attention on candidates or political parties. Look at how elections work, what people need to do to vote, how votes are counted. Look at the levels of government and what the different electable positions are. You can even take a look into how the government works. The technical approach allows students to look more critically at the political process and how they can be involved in it.

6. Take a Historical Approach

Instead of focusing on a current or more recent election, take a look into the past. What was the first election like? How have political parties changed over the years? What are the notable or interesting elections of the past? So much of history shapes the events of today - learning about the past can allow students to understand how we got to current political situations.

7. Take an International Approach

Lots of countries have democratic systems and elections, but they all have their own ways of voting and forming governments. Take your students on a look back at Ancient Athenian Democracy or take a peek into elections within other democratic countries. Compare and contrast the electoral systems and their principles with the electoral systems of your own country. Taking a wider view of elections can allow your students to have a better understanding of the electoral systems of their own country - and a global understanding of political events.


A controversial election can make the idea of teaching government seem scary. But with some firm ground rules and interesting side journeys, you can make the most of election season while avoiding controversy.


Interested in introducing your students to the Australian Electoral System? Check out the Australian Election Bundle - with a mini unit, 2 word wall resources, research tasks, a poster set and a Run Your Own Preferential Election kit.

Taking a general look at elections and democracy through a study of a graphic novel. The Babymouse for President Government Book Study looks at how candidates approach elections - whether it's for major political positions or for student council president.

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Five Quick Alternatives to Holiday Busywork

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With lots of holidays approaching, you might have made the decision to step away from holiday busywork. But planning integrated learning activities can take time - especially when they begin to grow and get overwhelmingly complex. And time for teachers is always a precious thing!

With that in mind, here's five easier ways to bring great holiday learning into the classroom.

1. Creative Writing Prompts

If you've been covering creative writing in your English classes, this is a perfect way to combine holidays and lessons. You can share one prompt for the whole class to respond to, give students a choice of four or five prompts or allocate a different prompt for each student.

Take it Further

• Challenge students to try a different creative format like poetry or a fictional memoir
• Ask students to work in groups or pairs - collaborative writing can create some interesting results
• Students can publish their work to create a class book or website

2. Persuasive Arguments

While persuasive arguments are often about big important subjects, students can also develop persuasive writing skills with smaller holiday related topics. 

Think about elements of the holidays which could be (or have been) changed. For example, students could write a persuasive essay arguing that trick-or-treating should involve non-food items only.

Take it Further

• Persuasive arguments can be essays, letters to the editor, advertisements or debates. Students can engage with them as part of a wider project - like creating a holiday podcast or a holiday newsletter or news website
• You can mix up presentation - students can turn their arguments into posters, blog posts, displays, newspaper articles or podcasts

3. Read About It

Picture books, short stories or text excerpts can be a great way of exploring a holiday through literature. As well as reading the story, students can discuss how the holiday is portrayed, if it feels realistic or connected to their own experiences and if the author has done a good job of portraying the holiday. They can also explore holidays in different parts of the world.

Take it Further

• Reading holidays texts can be done as a whole class or different groups can discuss different texts. Students can come together to compare different texts, creating images to show how they're different and alike.
• Students can create reviews or advertisements of the texts - turning them into images, videos, short articles or audio files.

4. Maths Investigations

Maths (or math) Investigations can easily be condensed or simplified if you're short on time. To do this, pick an element of your holiday - eg. valentines for Valentines Day. Then brainstorm some mathematical questions:

Any one of these investigations can be presented over one or two lessons. Or, if you have more time you can combine and expand them!

Take it Further

• Ask students to create their own mathematical investigations
• Brainstorm several investigations and set up maths centres. Or create a choice board allowing students to explore the maths investigations in their own time.

5.  Create a Maths Question

A lot of the time we give students maths problems and ask them to find the answers. But what if we turned that upside down and gave them the answer - then asked the students to develop a range of problems to match it?

This gives students an alternative way to look at mathematical processes and can help them understand how word problems or multi-step problems work.

It's easy to give answers a holiday feel. For example - the answer could be 720 Christmas Lights. Students can then create simple and complex word problems which match the answer.

Take it Further

• Students can share their questions with classmates, other classes or the wider community
• Challenge students to match their questions with what they're learning in class. Can they make an area problem? A chance and data problem? A problem involving fractions?

Although combining learning with the holidays can seem daunting - especially when you need to fit it around parties, parades, events and the excitement of a class of students - these quick alternatives can give you a great way to celebrate and learn.

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No More Holiday Busywork - Creating Thoughtful Holiday Lessons

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There are pumpkins everywhere you look, costume plans are being discussed on social media, and the shops are filled with holiday goodies. In the classroom, students are ready - more than ready - for Halloween. They are certain to be engaged in anything to do with ghosts, horror houses, black cats or chocolate!

Do you bring Halloween - or other holidays and celebrations - into your classroom or not? You could say no, stick with regular lessons, insist that holidays are an 'out of classroom' thing. Or you could fall into a Pinterest spiral and plan All The Activities.

However, when it comes to holidays and celebrations, it can be really easy to fall into 'busywork' - worksheets with vague connections to the holiday or the work being covered in the classroom or craft activities which look fabulous, but don't really offer a lot of learning for middle grade students.

Photo by picjumbo.com

Busywork can provide links between holidays and the classroom, and they can keep students engaged and . . . well, busy. But are they the best way to mix celebrations and learning? Can teachers find better ways to mix holidays and curriculum?

One alternative option is Integrated Learning - searching for the deeper learning possibilities when connecting holidays with different learning areas. Sitting down with a pen and paper (or laptop or tablet!) to brainstorm connections, can leave you with some surprising - and fantastic - learning opportunities.

For example - here's a Halloween brainstorm:

These activities all offer opportunities for engaging, thoughtful learning - perfect for making any celebration memorable in your classroom.


Tips for Integrated Learning Planning

• You don't need to use all your ideas at the same time. Store some for later, share them with colleagues. Too much can be overwhelming for both you and your students.
• Try brainstorming in a team - bouncing ideas off each other can lead you in all sorts of interesting directions.
• Keep any required standards on hand.  These can feel limiting, but the challenge of working with them can also be motivating - who doesn't like a challenge.
• Enjoy the celebrations!

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