Bringing democracy to life in HSIE

Year 9 Commerce students gained a practical understanding of Australia’s democratic system and the importance of active citizenship. By participating in a simulated election, students experienced the processes of voting, counting preferences and analysing election outcomes, helping them develop a deeper appreciation of how governments are elected and how citizens can influence decision-making in society. This experiential learning technique is particularly valuable because it moves beyond theory, allowing students to actively engage with democratic processes and develop critical thinking, decision-making and citizenship skills in an authentic context. Thank you to Vikki Cummins for this engaging student lesson which enhanced students’ understanding of political participation while fostering confidence, engagement and a sense of responsibility as future voters and informed members of the community.

Ms Brigida Zagora
Head of HISE (Humanities and Social Sciences)

Teacher Reflection

In order to learn how the preferential voting system works in Australia we conducted a class election where students actively participated by forming a single-issue political party, presenting persuasive arguments to the class to vote for their party. Students cast their votes and the ballots were counted. Students were engaged in this authentic learning experience, demonstrating both the first-past-the-post and preferential voting system.

Ms Vikki Cummins
HSIE Teacher

Student Reflections

From today’s class election, I better understand the Australian democratic process, and how different voting systems work. It was fun seeing how the votes were counted. This made the lesson interesting.
Verona Di Santo
Year 9

I really enjoyed this hands-on political activity because it helped me understand how voting works, practise teamwork and public speaking, and experience how to vote, which made learning about Australia’s democracy interesting.
Soumaya Raad
Year 9