Election Outcomes Together

Overview

In this final lesson of Power and Participation in Aotearoa, students reflect on their mock election. They consider the result, how decisions were made, and how participation helps people have a say in their community.

Learning intentions

• WALT describe what happened in our mock election.
• WALT explain how people’s choices contributed to the outcome.
• WALT discuss why listening, voting and taking part are important.
• WALT identify one way we can participate in our class or community.

Success criteria

• I can describe the result of our mock election.
• I can explain one reason why the result happened.
• I can listen to and respond respectfully to another person’s idea.
• I can name one way citizens can have a say.

Curriculum links

• Understand how people participate individually and collectively in response to community needs.
• Understand how cultural practices and ideas influence people’s participation and decision-making.
• Develop social inquiry skills by asking questions, using information and communicating conclusions.
• Key competencies: participating and contributing; relating to others; thinking; managing self.

Lesson structure (45 minutes)

1. 0–5 minutes – Reconnect with the unit Open with the opening question and mock election image. Ask: “When people disagree, how can a group make a fair decision?” Students think quietly, then share with a partner. Remind them that this is the final lesson and that today they are learning from their experience rather than trying to change the result.

2. 5–12 minutes – Recall the election Display the election timeline and result prompt. As a class, reconstruct the process: hearing ideas, asking questions, choosing a preference, counting votes and announcing the result. Record children’s contributions on the board. Clarify that an election result shows the choice receiving the most support, but every person’s ideas and participation still matter.

3. 12–22 minutes – Analyse what happened Place students in five groups of four and give each group the election reflection sheet. Read each section aloud. Groups discuss and record:

• What was the result?
• What helped people decide?
• What made participating easy or difficult?
• How might the result have changed if different people had taken part?

Encourage students to use evidence from the mock election, such as questions asked, campaign ideas, conversations or the number of votes.

4. 22–30 minutes – Share different viewpoints Invite groups to share one observation. Use the discussion prompts to support respectful responses: “I agree because…”, “I noticed something different…”, and “Can you explain your thinking?” Model that disagreeing with an idea is different from being unkind to a person. Highlight that listening to minority viewpoints is part of fair participation.

5. 30–38 minutes – Connect to citizenship Ask: “What can citizens do besides voting?” Collect suggestions such as speaking up respectfully, listening, helping, joining a group, attending a meeting, writing to a representative, or taking action to solve a problem. Show the citizen participation examples and sort suggestions orally into “sharing ideas”, “making decisions” and “helping the community”. Link these examples to the students’ own classroom and whānau experiences.

6. 38–43 minutes – Personal reflection Students complete the final section of the election reflection sheet independently: “One thing I learned about participation is…” and “One way I can have a say or help is…”. Students may draw and label their response or dictate it to an adult or partner. Ask two or three volunteers to share.

7. 43–45 minutes – Celebrate and close Return to the opening question using the final reflection slide. Ask students to give a thumbs-up, sideways or down to show whether their thinking has changed, then invite one final explanation. Affirm that democracy works best when people participate, listen and respect different views.

Resources

• the Power and Participation reflection deck
• the election reflection sheet
• Board or large chart paper
• Markers and pencils
• Students’ mock election results, campaign materials or photographs
• Group tables or floor spaces
• Optional sticky notes for collecting ideas

Assessment

• Listen during group discussion for students’ ability to recount the election process and connect participation with the outcome.
• Review worksheets for an accurate description of the result, a reasoned explanation and a relevant example of citizen participation.
• Note students who need support to distinguish between personal preference, majority decision and respectful participation.

Differentiation

• Support younger learners with picture prompts, sentence starters and oral responses; scribe ideas where needed.
• Provide mixed-ability groups and assign roles such as reader, recorder, speaker and encourager.
• For EAL learners, pre-teach and display: vote, choice, result, fair, listen, participate and community. Allow drawing, gestures, home-language discussion or a partner rehearsal.
• Extend confident students by asking whether a majority result is always fair and what could be done to ensure everyone’s voice is heard.