CCE Unit

Introduction.

It is that time of year again, election time! Not really but this term the year five and six students will be learning about elections in Australia and how they operate. Remember, ‘change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the change that we seek’ –Barack Obama (2008).

What are your children learning?

The Victorian Curriculum sets out a number of aims for children studying Civics and Citizenship, including: developing ‘the capacities and dispositions to participate in the civic life of their nation at a local, regional and global level’ (Victorian Curriculum Assessment and Authority [VCAA], 2016). In addition to the electoral process (VCCCG010), students will also learn about the three levels of government (local, state, federal) (VCCCG009), and the roles and responsibilities of voters and parliamentarians (VCCCG011). The unit will conclude with an incursion from the Victorian Electoral Commission (VEC). The incursion will engage students in roles at the voting centre, participate in a mock election and a count of the ballot papers (VEC 2015).   

Why are your children learning this?

All curriculum areas aim to impart some knowledge or skill to students and this is the same for Civics and Citizenship (CCE) however, one of the key differences for CCE is the idea of creating active and informed citizens. In Reynolds view, using a range of discipline-focused and multidisciplinary approaches to teaching CCE produces active and informed citizens (2012, p. 24). Additionally, the VCAA state that CCE ‘is essential in enabling students to become active and informed citizens who participate in and sustain Australia’s democracy (2016). These skills your children learn will support them throughout their life in becoming positive members of society.     

How are they learning this?

 ‘Broadly speaking, there are two forms of teaching – expository and inquiry’ (Whitton, Barker, Nosworthy, Sinclair & Nanlohy, p. 118). Expository teaching involves a lot of narration, explanation and discussion. Inquiry learning involves mostly experimentation, discovery and cooperative learning. The inquiry method is more suitable for learning CCE as the students can ask their own questions and find their own answers. CCE also requires hands on activities, which your children will have the opportunity to experience during the VEC incursion.  Generally speaking, the inquiry approach is a more student centred approach to teaching and learning. The teacher becomes more of a supplier of knowledge and provides appropriate learning experiences such as: activities, excursions/incursions and audio-visual sources. 

How can you support your child’s learning?

You support your child’s learning by talking regularly about what is happening during the lessons and the school more generally. Always listen to your child’s input and value their opinion. Help them to develop positive study habits. Also, if you like, you can watch the news or question time together. This will help you to get the civics/citizenship discussion going with your child. Lastly, remember to return the permission form for your child.