Good Representatives

Year Levels: 5-6

Subject: Humanities and Social Sciences (HASS) – Civics and Citizenship
Unit Title: Democracy in Australia (Lesson 7 of 14)
Lesson Title: Characteristics of a Good Representative
Duration: 45 Minutes
Class Size: 22 students

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Curriculum Links (Australian Curriculum v9.0)

Level: Years 5–6 (Upper Primary)
Strand: Civics and Citizenship
Content Description:

• ACHASSK115 (Year 5): The key values that underpin Australia’s democracy.
• ACHASSK144 (Year 6): The roles and responsibilities of elected representatives in Australia’s three levels of government.
• General Capabilities: Literacy, Ethical Understanding, Intercultural Understanding, Critical and Creative Thinking

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Learning Intentions

By the end of the lesson, students will be able to:

• Identify qualities and values of effective representatives in a democracy.
• Analyse the responsibilities of elected officials at local, state, and federal government levels.
• Apply their understanding to evaluate real-life representatives and debate ideal representative behaviour.

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Success Criteria

Students will: ✅ Participate in a group discussion on the characteristics of good representatives
✅ Match positive personal attributes with responsibilities in different government levels
✅ Justify which qualities are most important and why through a short persuasive activity

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Resources and Materials

• Printed “Representative Character Cards” (traits on cards, e.g. honest, empathetic, decisive)
• Three large folders or posters: Local Government, State Government, Federal Government
• Worksheet: “The Ideal Representative”
• Sticky notes
• Projector or Smartboard
• Whiteboard and markers

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Differentiation

• Support: Pair students requiring support with strong communicators during group tasks. Offer trait visual aids and prompt cards.
• Extension: Challenge early finishers to create a mini-campaign slogan based on selected traits.
• Inclusive: Ensure traits include diverse perspectives (e.g. cultural awareness, bilingual skills).

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Lesson Procedure

🕐 0–5 mins: Welcome & Hook

Activity – "What Makes a Great Leader?"
Ask students:

"Imagine you're voting in an election for your school representative – what would you look for in a candidate?"

• Write student suggestions on the whiteboard (aim for varied traits – fairness, leadership, honesty, etc.)
• Connect their ideas back into the levels of government structure they’ve already learned from previous lessons.

Transition:
"Great insights! Now let’s discover what makes a representative not just popular, but effective in real-world democracy."

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🕐 5–15 mins: Group Sorting Activity

Activity – “Trait Sort”
Break class into 6 mixed-ability groups (3–4 students each). Give each group 8–10 “Representative Character Cards” featuring traits (e.g. honesty, persuasive, organised, listens well, seeks fairness, confident, responsible, thinks critically).

Task:
Groups must sort the traits into three posters/folders labelled:

• Local Government
• State Government
• Federal Government

Discussion Points (facilitator guided):

• Which traits are useful at each level?
• Are some traits more essential than others depending on the responsibilities?

As students finish, invite them to briefly justify one choice aloud.

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🕐 15–30 mins: Deep Dive – Real Rep Roles

Mini-Lecture & Modelled Discussion (Projector/Smartboard)
Provide a brief and visual explanation of how representatives operate at each level in Australia:

➡️ Local – Mayors and councillors make decisions on facilities, parks, waste management
➡️ State – Members of Parliament manage education, hospitals, roads
➡️ Federal – MPs and Senators create laws, immigration policy, defence

Prompted Questions:

• "Which qualities matter most when making big decisions, like education or defence?"
• “Why would listening be more important at the local level than the federal level?”

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🕐 30–40 mins: Independent Activity – “Build a Rep!”

Worksheet: "The Ideal Representative"

Students design an “ideal representative” for one government level (choose one).
They must:

• Name their rep
• Select 4–5 key traits from the earlier activity
• Explain how these traits help carry out responsibilities
• Include a sketch or symbolic representation

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🕐 40–45 mins: Reflect & Exit Tickets

Sharing Circle
Invite 2–3 students to share their representative designs. Ask them to focus on how the selected qualities align with government responsibilities.

Exit Ticket Prompt (on sticky note):
Write one sentence answering:

Which quality do you think is MOST important for any representative to have, and why?

Place sticky notes on a “Great Leader Wall” as students leave for future reference.

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Assessment for Learning

• Observation during group activity
• Responses in “The Ideal Representative” worksheet
• Exit ticket analysis for individual understanding

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Teacher Reflection (Post-Lesson)

• Were students able to connect character traits with civic duties logically?
• Did the activity foster meaningful discussion and application?
• Were misconceptions or simplistic views (e.g. "popular = good leader") challenged effectively?

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Homework/Extension (Optional)

Mini Inquiry:
Students research their local council representative and list 3 traits this person has based on their work or interviews/articles. Bring findings to the next class for a "Know Your Rep" wall.

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Notes

This lesson is designed to weave values education with practical civics content. While approachable for Years 5–6, it builds toward higher-order thinking and debate skills the unit will revisit in later lessons on elections, voting, and representation.

✅ Ideally follows from Lesson 6: “Levels of Government in Australia”
➡️ Leads into Lesson 8: “How Elections Work”

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Prepared by: AI-powered Planning Assistant
For: Australian Upper Primary Classrooms
With alignment to: ACARA Humanities and Social Sciences (HASS)

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👉 Impress your peers – try adapting this activity digitally using Jamboard or Padlet to sort traits during hybrid or remote learning.