New Zealand’s Elections

Overview

In lesson 4 of the 10-lesson unit Democracy in New Zealand, students investigate how New Zealand’s general elections help choose members of the House of Representatives. They use information about a recent election to create an evidence-based poster, then give and receive peer feedback.

Learning intentions

• WALT explain the role of the House of Representatives.
• WALT describe when general elections are held and outline the main steps in the process.
• WALT use information from reliable sources to communicate civic ideas.
• WALT discuss democracy, fairness, and equality respectfully.

Success criteria

• I can explain that the House of Representatives is New Zealand’s law-making body.
• I can state that general elections are held every three years and describe key steps in voting.
• I can include accurate information and clear visuals in a poster.
• I can give kind, specific feedback about another group’s work.

Curriculum links

• Civics and Society — the House of Representatives as New Zealand’s law-making body.
• Civics and Society — New Zealand’s general elections are held every three years.
• Civics and Society — dialogue about democracy, fairness, and equality in relation to a local or current issue.
• Impact of Ancient Greek political ideas on New Zealand’s democracy — voting for leaders and the first election in 1853.

Lesson structure (60 minutes)

1. 0–7 min · Hook and prior knowledge. Teacher opens the election hook and learning intention slides with the question, “How can people help choose who makes decisions for New Zealand?” Students think independently, discuss with a partner, and share what they already know about elections. Record ideas without correcting every misconception immediately.

2. 7–17 min · Direct teaching. Teacher uses the House of Representatives and election process slides to explain that the House of Representatives is made up of elected members of Parliament who debate issues, represent communities, and make and change laws. Clarify that a general election is normally held every three years, and introduce the sequence: political parties and candidates share ideas, eligible voters enrol and vote, votes are counted, and elected representatives form the Parliament. Students complete the short matching and sequencing tasks on the elections research and poster planner.

3. 17–23 min · Model the research task. Teacher models turning a fact into a poster statement, for example: “General elections are held every three years.” Demonstrate checking a fact against the teacher-provided information cards, books, or pre-selected classroom websites, and remind students not to copy large sections. Students help identify whether sample statements are facts, opinions, or unclear claims.

4. 23–43 min · Group research and poster creation. Teacher places students in five groups of five, assigns or allows each group to investigate a recent New Zealand general election, and distributes the group role cards to support shared responsibility. Each group uses the research section of the elections research and poster planner to record the election year, what voters were choosing, the main steps in the process, the role of the House of Representatives, and one idea about fairness or participation. Students create a poster with a title, at least four accurate facts, a simple election-process flow diagram, and a final sentence explaining why elections matter.

5. 43–53 min · Gallery walk and peer review. Teacher displays the poster checklist and respectful feedback prompts and gives each group a different poster to review. Students read the poster, discuss it quietly, and complete the peer-review section of the elections research and poster planner: one strength, one accurate fact they learned, and one helpful suggestion. Groups rotate once if time allows, then return feedback to the presenting group.

6. 53–60 min · Share and exit reflection. Teacher invites two or three groups to share one important discovery and revisits the opening question using the plenary and exit-question slide. Students complete the final worksheet prompts: “The House of Representatives…”, “A general election happens…”, and “One way elections should be fair is…”. Collect worksheets and posters for assessment.

Resources

• the election hook and teaching deck
• the elections research and poster planner
• the group role cards
• Teacher-prepared fact sheets or books about a recent New Zealand general election
• A3 or A2 paper
• Pencils, coloured pens, rulers, and glue
• Classroom display space or digital camera for photographing posters

Assessment

• Listen during partner and group discussion for accurate understanding of the House of Representatives, three-year election cycle, and voting process.
• Check research planners and posters for accurate facts, a logical process sequence, clear explanation, and reference to fairness or participation.
• Use peer-review comments and the final worksheet reflection as evidence of students’ ability to communicate and respond respectfully.

Differentiation

• Provide a simplified fact sheet with key words highlighted, a completed example flow diagram, and sentence starters such as “The House of Representatives…”, “Elections are held…”, and “This is fair because…”.
• Allow students to record ideas orally before writing, work with a supportive partner, or use drawings and labelled diagrams to demonstrate understanding. Read information aloud for students who need this support.
• Give each group a defined role through the group role cards, while allowing students to change roles if a particular task creates a barrier.
• Extend confident students by asking them to explain how voting results affect who represents communities, or to compare two features of different recent elections without ranking political parties or candidates.