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Descriptors›Humanities and Social Sciences›Year 9›Knowledge and understanding›Government and democracy›AC9HC9K01
AC9HC9K01: Year 9 Humanities and Social Sciences Content Descriptor – Government and democracy
AC9HC9K01 Year 9 Humanities and Social Sciences

AC9HC9K01 – Year 9 Humanities and Social Sciences: Government and democracy

Strand
Knowledge and understanding
Substrand
Government and democracy

This Content Descriptor from Year 9 Humanities and Social Sciences provides the specific knowledge and skills students should learn. Use it to plan lessons, create learning sequences, and design assessments that align with the Australian Curriculum v9.

Content Descriptor

the role of the Australian Constitution in providing the basis for Australia’s federal system of government and democratic processes, including institutions, and the process for constitutional change through a referendum

Elaborations

  • • understanding the aims of the founding fathers prior to Federation in writing the Australian Constitution, including the need for compromise
  • • describing the process by which referendums to change the Australian Constitution are initiated and decided, including the role of the Australian Electoral Commission, and discussing the advantages and disadvantages of having a constitution that can only be amended by referendum
  • • investigating the extent to which the Constitution upholds and enables democratic institutions and processes, including a constitutional monarchy, a federal parliamentary system with elected legislatures, protection of states’ rights and individual rights, and representation of the interests of all Australians
  • •

    assessing the effectiveness of the process of constitutional change and the degree to which it supports popular sovereignty through examining selected referendum proposals; for example, the successful vote on the Constitution Alteration (Aboriginals) 1967 or the unsuccessful vote on the Constitution Alteration (Establishment of Republic) 1999

Achievement Standard This Supports

This Content Descriptor contributes to the following Achievement Standard:

Year 9 ASHASCIVY9
Year 9 Humanities and Social Sciences Achievement Standard
By the end of Year 9, students analyse the role of the Australian Constitution, the federal system of government, and the process and reasons for constitutional change. They explain policy development and legislative processes in Australia’s democracy. Students identify the key features and jurisdictions of Australia’s court system and explain the role and processes of courts and tribunals. Students identify the reasons individuals and groups participate in and contribute to civic life nationally and globally. They explain the influence of the media on reflections of identity and diversity. Students develop a range of questions and locate, select and compare information from sources to investigate political and legal systems, and contemporary civic issues. They analyse information to explain perspectives and challenges related to political, legal or civic issues. Students identify and evaluate the methods or strategies related to civic participation or action. Students use civics and citizenship knowledge, concepts and terms to develop descriptions, explanations and evidence-based arguments.