Great Leaders Qualities

Overview

Unit Title: Democracy in Action
Lesson Number: 13 of 14
Lesson Title: Characteristics of a Good Representative
Year Level: 5–6
Lesson Duration: 45 minutes
Class Size: 22 students
Curriculum Area: Humanities and Social Sciences (HASS)
Australian Curriculum Reference:

• ACHASSK093 (Yr 5): The key features of the electoral process in Australia
• ACHASSK094 (Yr 5): Why people work in groups to achieve common goals and how they can influence one another
• ACHASSK144 (Yr 6): The responsibilities of electors and representatives in Australia's democracy

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Learning Intentions

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

• Identify and describe key characteristics of effective political representatives in Australia.
• Evaluate which qualities are most important and justify their opinions.
• Reflect on the leadership values important in local and national government settings.

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Success Criteria

Students will:

• Contribute to a class-wide "leadership brainstorm".
• Participate in small group discussion, listing characteristics of good representatives.
• Role-play and evaluate performance using a checklist of representative qualities.
• Justify their selection of the most important leadership attribute.

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Resources Needed

• Whiteboard and markers
• Printed "Leadership Qualities Cards"
• Role-play scenario prompt cards (prepared in advance)
• Reflection worksheet: “What Makes a Good Representative?”
• Projector or large screen for visual prompts
• Butcher’s paper and markers for each small group
• A small ballot box or container and voting slips

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Lesson Sequence

1. Warm-Up (5 mins)

Activity: Lightning Brainstorm
Teacher writes on the board: "What makes a good representative in government?"
Students contribute one-word answers which the teacher records. Words are grouped into categories (e.g., Personal Traits, Responsibilities, Skills).

Prompting Questions:

• What do we admire in good leaders?
• What should a politician always do?

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2. Group Activity: Qualities Carousel (10 mins)

Structure: Small group rotation (5 groups of 4–5 students)
Task: Each group receives a large sheet of butcher’s paper with one of the following headings:

• Honesty & Integrity
• Communication Skills
• Fairness & Equity
• Community Engagement
• Decision-Making Ability

Groups brainstorm examples or situations that demonstrate this quality in political life. After 2 minutes, groups rotate to a new heading. Rotate until each group has contributed to each sheet.

Creative Twist: Introduce a “red flag” and “gold star” sticky note system for students to tag ideas they feel are most risky or ideal in real political life.

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3. Role Play: The Candidate’s Forum (15 mins)

Scenario: Students pretend they are candidates for their local council and must convince voters they are the best choice. Each group selects a spokesperson to role-play a representative.

Instructions:

• Groups select 3–5 qualities from the brainstorm wall they think make a “perfect politician”.
• Use these to create a 1-minute campaign speech.
• Deliver speech to the class.
• Audience (rest of class) uses a checklist to award points based on the speech’s alignment with key values (communication, honesty, community focus, etc.)

Differentiation: Offer support cards for students who need sentence stems or visual aids for public speaking.

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4. Class Discussion & Vote (5 mins)

Each student anonymously votes for the candidate that best embodied the “qualities of a good representative”. Use a ballot box.

Facilitate a short class discussion:

• Did you vote for someone who shared your values?
• What made their message effective?

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5. Individual Reflection (10 mins)

Worksheet: “What Makes a Good Representative?”
Students complete a short reflection answering:

• What is the most important quality for a leader in Australia? Why?
• If you were elected, what would you promise to do to be a good representative?

Encourage them to illustrate themselves as MPs or councillors with two speech bubbles displaying what they would say to their community.

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Assessment Opportunities

• Informal: Observation during group discussions and role-playing
• Formal: Reflection worksheet and checklist evaluation during speeches

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Extension Activities (for early finishers)

• Design a badge or poster promoting one leadership trait (e.g., “Vote for Vision!”, “Honesty Always!”).
• Write a short speech from the perspective of a well-known local, state, or national representative.

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Teacher Reflection Prompt

• Did students show an understanding of how leadership values link to democratic representation?
• Were students able to differentiate between personal characteristics and civic responsibilities?
• Which activity was most engaging and why?

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Cross-Curricular Links

• English: Oral presentations, persuasive language, listening and responding
• The Arts: Visual design of campaign posters or political badges
• Civics & Citizenship: Deeper understanding of participatory democracy

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Homework / Follow-Up

Ask students to interview a family member or neighbour about the top leadership quality they value in representatives. Bring responses to the final lesson (Lesson 14: Democracy in Action Showcase).

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Additional Notes

This lesson places strong emphasis on real-life application, empathy, and values-based thinking. Unlike traditional lectures, the role-play component empowers students to “step into the shoes” of a leader, directly enhancing their civic identity. Feel free to film speeches for a class digital project!