Policy Shapes Health

Overview

Students investigate how political decisions influence healthy and safe behaviours in Australia. They examine laws, policies, funding, regulation and public health campaigns, then evaluate whether a political response is effective and suitable for individuals and communities.

Learning intentions

Students will:

• identify political factors that influence health and safety behaviours
• explain how laws, policies, funding and regulation can shape choices and access
• evaluate the effectiveness and suitability of a health or safety response
• propose a practical improvement that could enhance community wellbeing and participation

Success criteria

• I can identify a political factor in a health issue.
• I can explain how that factor may influence individual and community behaviour.
• I can use evidence and criteria to judge whether a response is effective and suitable.
• I can suggest a realistic improvement and justify it.

Curriculum links

• Evaluating the effectiveness and suitability of health information, products and support services to improve individual and community safety, health and wellbeing.
• Designing and evaluating actions that enhance safety, health and participation in lifelong physical activity.
• Enhancing wellbeing through healthy lifestyles and managing risk.
• Thinking critically about influences on health and wellbeing.

Lesson structure (50 minutes)

1. 0–5 min · Hook and prior knowledge. Teacher displays the question “Who decides what makes a healthy choice easier?” and presents contrasting images of a cycleway, a vaping restriction sign and a health campaign using the hook and contrasting health policy images. Students complete a quick think-pair-share, identifying one political decision that may affect health or safety.

2. 5–13 min · Direct teaching: political influences. Teacher explains that political factors include laws, government policies, funding decisions, regulation, public health campaigns and decisions about services or environments; the teacher models the example of vaping regulation without presenting party-political opinions. Students record definitions and distinguish between a personal choice and a decision that shapes the choices available to many people.

3. 13–25 min · Case-study investigation. Teacher distributes the political factors case-study worksheet and assigns pairs one case study: vaping and e-cigarette regulation, road safety and speed limits, sun protection in schools, or active transport and safe cycling infrastructure. Using the information on the worksheet and the evidence prompts on the case-study investigation instructions, students identify the political factor, intended behaviour change, affected groups and possible benefits or limitations.

4. 25–35 min · Evaluate effectiveness and suitability. Teacher introduces four evaluation questions on the evaluation criteria slide: Does it reach the intended people? Is there evidence it changes behaviour? Is it accessible and fair? Does it create any unintended risks or barriers? Pairs use the worksheet to rate their response against the four questions, recording evidence and one unanswered question. Teacher circulates, checking that students explain rather than simply describe.

5. 35–44 min · Share and compare. Teacher facilitates brief pair reports, selecting different case studies and asking, “Effective for whom?” and “What might make this response more suitable?” Students listen for similarities and differences, add one idea from another case study to their worksheet, and respectfully challenge or support a conclusion using the evaluation criteria.

6. 44–50 min · Individual application and exit check. Teacher asks students to complete the final worksheet response: “Recommend one improvement to this political response. Explain how it could improve healthy or safe behaviour for a particular group.” Students submit the response as an exit ticket, including the political factor, intended outcome, judgement and justification.

Resources

• the complete health policy investigation slide deck
• the political factors case-study worksheet
• Projector or interactive display
• Whiteboard and markers
• Printed case-study information included in the worksheet
• Highlighters or coloured pencils
• Timer
• Exit responses collected with worksheets

Assessment

• During the hook and direct teaching, question students to check whether they can distinguish political influences from individual choices.
• Review pair work for accurate identification of the political factor, affected groups, intended behaviour change and evidence-based evaluation.
• Assess the individual exit response for a clear judgement about effectiveness and suitability, an appropriate justification, and a realistic improvement.

Differentiation

• Provide a vocabulary bank in the worksheet with terms including law, policy, regulation, funding, access, equity, effectiveness, suitability and unintended consequence.
• Support students with sentence starters: “This political factor influences behaviour by…”, “It may be effective because…”, and “It may be unsuitable for…”.
• Offer case studies with varied reading demands and allow students to work with a supportive partner; read key information aloud for students requiring literacy support.
• Extend confident students by asking them to compare two groups affected by the same decision and explain how the response could be effective for one group but less suitable for another.
• For EAL/D students, use icons beside key concepts, pre-teach vocabulary and accept labelled diagrams or oral rehearsal before written responses.