Letter - Compulsory Voting
| Grade | Work Samples |
|---|---|
| End of Stage 5 (end of Year 10) | |
| Grade C | Robyn |
| Grade D | Indra |
| Grade E | Dale |
- New Work Samples
- Morgan
Description of activity
Students will read the following published letter:
'Why do we call Australia a democracy when we are forced to vote or pay a fine? This is a free country and I shouldn't have to vote if I don't want to.'
P. Smythe, Camperdown, NSW.
Students will write a letter to the editor of a newspaper either supporting or opposing the point of view (objecting to compulsory voting) in a previously published letter.
[Time allowed: one period - approximately 50 minutes.]
Context
Students have been studying elective topic 6, Political Involvement. This activity flows from the section dealing with ‘participation in the democratic process’. In this topic students have previously learnt about the structure of government, political action and decision-making.
When considering participation in the democratic process, students have investigated the right of citizens to vote and different voting methods. This activity engages students with the basic question of compulsory voting in Australia. It requires the students to effectively communicate their views in a formal means of communication.
Areas for Assessment
- Knowledge of commerce
Knowledge and understanding of consumer, financial, business, legal and employment matters - Skills in commerce
Skills in decision-making, problem-solving, research, communication and working independently and collaboratively
Outcomes
A student:
5.2 analyses the rights and responsibilities of individuals in a range of consumer, financial, business, legal and employment contexts
5.3 examines the role of law in society
5.8 explains commercial and legal information using a variety of forms
Criteria for assessing learning
You will be assessed on your ability to:
- present a point of view either supporting or opposing compulsory voting
- support the point of view with relevant information about participation in the democratic process
- communicate clearly in the form of a letter to the editor of a newspaper.