Years 3 - 4
Learning Intention:
Students will understand how people participate in their communities and how decisions can be made fairly and democratically. Through exploring stories of inclusion, leadership, and elections, students will learn about the importance of diversity, contributing to community life, and respecting democratic processes.
These three clips have been selected to introduce Years 3 – 4 students to the foundational concepts of Civics and Citizenship Education in Version 9 of the Australian Curriculum.
- In My Place – 1998: Mohammad, students see how a new arrival to Australia is welcomed into his school community, highlighting the importance of diversity and inclusion.
- In The InBESTigators – “The Case of the Copy Cat”, Ava steps into a leadership role through the Future Community Leader program, showing how young people can contribute ideas and participate in improving their communities.
- In Mortified – “Bigger Than Vegas”, students watch a class captain election unfold, giving them a practical example of how decisions can be made democratically.
Together, these clips create a narrative that moves from valuing diversity, to participating in community life, to understanding democratic decision-making. This sequence provides a strong foundation for developing students’ knowledge, skills, and values as active and informed citizens.
Clip 1: My Place Series 1 Episode 2 ‘1998 Mohammad’
Mohammad is a recently arrived immigrant to Australia from Iraq. He is struggling to fit into school and Australia. In this clip, he tries to try out for the school cricket team, but is excluded. Danielle, a girl from his school, is also excluded from playing cricket.
Reflect
Reflecting on the clip from My Place, students answer the following discussion questions:
- What sport did Mohammad want to play?
- What sport did Danielle want to play?
- Why was Danielle not allowed to play?
- How did Mohammad perform at his try-out?
- Do you think the try-out was fair? Why/ why not?
- In what ways do you think Danielle and Mohammad’s experience are the same? In what ways are they different?
In a personal reflection, write a diary entry sharing your own experiences:
- Have you ever been the new person at school, sport, or another group? How did it feel?
- Has someone ever helped you join in or feel welcome? What did they do?
- Have you ever helped a new person? How did you make them feel included?
- Why is it important to notice when someone is left out?
- What are some things we can all do to make sure everyone feels like they belong?
Explore
Think about your own community (school, sports team, neighbourhood).
- What different backgrounds, cultures, and languages are part of your community?
- Why is it important that people from all backgrounds feel welcome?
- In small groups, make a list of ways your class can show respect and inclusion for new students.
Create
Work together to design an “Everyone Belongs” Inclusion Play, featuring the characters from this episode of My Place.
- Act out a short scene where a new student arrives and feels left out.
- Show two versions: one where no one helps them, and another where classmates include them (like Danielle did for Mohammad).
- Use simple props (a ball, a desk, a bag) to make it feel real.
After each group performs, talk about which actions made the biggest difference in helping someone feel included.
Clip 2: The InBESTigators Series 2 Episode 2 ‘The Case of the Copy Cat'
Watch
Ava has been selected to represent the InBESTigators’ school as a Future Community Leader. This means she has been invited to do a special leadership program with the mayor and write a speech about how she would change the world. She’s very nervous, but she gets through it with the support of her friends.
Reflect
Reflecting on the clip from The InBESTigators, students answer the following discussion questions:
- What has Ava been selected for?
- How did Ava feel about giving her speech at first?
- Who helped Ava prepare and feel more confident?
- What was Ava’s speech about - what did she want to change in the world?
- How do you think Ava felt after she finished her speech?
In a circle time discussion, ask students to share their own experiences:
- Have you ever spoken in front of the class or shared your ideas with others? How did it feel?
- What’s something you care about that you’d like to change in your school or community?
- Who are the people in your life (family, teachers, friends) that help you feel more confident?
- Have you ever been part of a group that tried to solve a problem together? What happened?
- Why do you think it’s important for children to share their ideas about making the world better?
Explore
Talk in small groups about the different ways people can help their communities. Some examples might be:
- Helping at school events (sports day, fundraising).
- Joining a club (sports, music, environment).
- Volunteering to look after local spaces.
- Speaking up about a problem.
Make a class list of all the ways students already participate in their community. Which ones are most important to you?
Create
Work together to write a letter to a leader about a problem you would like to solve in your school or local community.
- First, brainstorm issues that matter to you (for example, rubbish in the playground, needing more sports equipment, caring for the environment, or making sure everyone feels included).
- Choose one issue and draft a letter explaining:
- What the problem is.
- Why it is important.
- Your idea for how to make it better.
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Address the letter to someone who could help (for example, the school principal, a local councillor, or the mayor).
When finished, share your letters with the class. As a group, decide whether some could be sent for real.
Clip 3: Mortified Series 1 Episode 2 ‘Bigger than Vegas’
Watch
In this episode of Mortified, Brittany and Taylor compete in the class captain election. This includes giving speeches and campaigning to convince their classmates to vote for them. Taylor opts to be authentic and genuine, while her competitor, Brittany, is all about the show and performance. The clip illustrates how young people can participate in decision-making and why elections are an important part of community life.
Reflect
Reflecting on the clip from Mortified, students answer the following discussion questions:
- What was happening at Taylor’s school in this episode?
- How did Brittany try to convince other students to vote for her?
- How did Taylor?
- Was there any part of the election that seemed unfair or not right?
- Why is it important that everyone in the class had a chance to vote?
In a circle time discussion, ask students to share their own experiences:
- Have you ever been part of a vote at school (for example, class jobs, sports teams, SRC)? What was it like?
- Have you ever wanted to be chosen as a leader? What did you do to show you were ready?
- How do you feel when you get a say in making a decision?
- Why do you think it’s important that we listen to different ideas before we decide?
- What would you like to change if you were elected class captain?
Explore
Talk in small groups about how decisions are made at school and in the community.
- Which decisions are made by teachers, and which are made by students?
- How are decisions made in your family, sports team, or community group?
- Compare these to the school election in the clip. When is voting used, and why?
Make a class chart of the different decision-making methods you use (for example, voting, turn-taking, leaders deciding, teachers deciding).
Create
Hold a Mock Class Election in your classroom.
- First, choose a simple issue to decide (for example, the next class reward, a new game for sport, or a charity to support).
- Nominate candidates or groups to make short speeches about their ideas.
- Run a secret ballot where everyone votes.
- Count the votes and announce the result.
Afterwards, reflect together: Was the process fair? Did everyone have a chance to be heard? How did it feel to make a decision through voting?
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Clip |
Curriculum Links (CCE – HASS v9) |
General Capabilities |
Cross-curriculum Priorities |
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My Place – 1998: Mohammad (Diversity) |
Why people participate in community groups and how they can participate. (AC9HS3K07) Diversity of cultural, religious and/or social groups to which they and others in the community belong, and their importance to identity (AC9HS4K09) Inquiry skills: Identify perspectives, reflect on own experiences.
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Intercultural Understanding: appreciating cultural diversity. Personal and Social Capability: empathy, inclusion. Ethical Understanding: fairness, respect. |
Asia and Australia’s Engagement with Asia: migration and cultural connections. |
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The InBESTigators – “The Case of the Copy Cat” (Community Participation) |
Why people participate in community groups and how they can participate. (AC9HS3K07) Inquiry skills: Pose questions, propose actions. |
Personal and Social Capability: confidence, leadership, teamwork. Critical and Creative Thinking: problem-solving, presenting ideas. Ethical Understanding: responsibilities of leadership. |
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Mortified – “Bigger Than Vegas” (Election Scene) (Democracy) |
The roles of local government and how members of the community use and contribute to local services (AC9HS4K08) Inquiry skills: Making decisions, reflecting on fairness. |
Personal and Social Capability: collaboration, decision-making. Ethical Understanding: fairness in processes, honesty. Critical and Creative Thinking: evaluating arguments, weighing choices. |
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