06.+Closer+Look+Series+-+Discussion+papers

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**Closer Look Series**: A series of discussion papers developed by the Parliamentary Education Office
Parliamentary Education Office, Commonwealth Parliament of Australia - //Educating schools, teachers and students about Parliament.//

Description of Resource:
The Closer Look series: • explores the Australian federal structure • provides clear accounts of processes that operate within parliament • assists the reader to differentiate between features of the Australian system and other systems • clarifies parliamentary terms.

The current Closer Look series includes: the Opening of the First Parliament of the Commonwealth of Australia and extracts from //The Age// newspaper.
 * **The Australian Constitution -** Find out about the Australian Constitution, its history and significance.
 * **A Multi-tiered System: governing Australia** - Examine how Australia’s law-makers and governments share Australian governance.
 * **A Short History of Parliament** - Get an overview of how the Australian Parliament has grown from older European parliaments.
 * **A Comparison of the Australian and United States Federal Legislatures** - Find out how Australia’s constitutional monarchy is similar and dissimilar to the republic of the United States.
 * **Australia’s Parliament House -** Explore the facts surrounding the three buildings that have housed Australia’s federal Parliament since 1901.
 * **The First Parliament of Australia: the ceremony** - Relive all the pomp and ceremony of this historic occasion using Tom Robert’s painting of

The Closer Look Series is produced by the Parliamentary Education Office. Located at www.peo.gov.au/students/cl/index.html Here is a link to we website: [|PEO - "Closer Look"]

For **other great resources** click onto the link for the Parliamentary Education Office website below [|Link to Parliamentary Education Office Resources]

For example: Two other resources on the Parliamentary Education Office website is the **Role-Play Toolkit** and the **Hands-on Lesson Plans**. To find out more about these resources go to the Role-Play Toolkit and Hands-on Lesson Plans pages on this Wiki

Age & Stage Appropriate:
The Closer Look series is designed for secondary teachers and students who want to know more than the basic facts about how the Australian Parliament works. However, I think that it is also an excellent resource to use for __upper primary students and their teachers__ because it gives the basic facts of the history and current parliamentary system in Australia. These basic facts and background information are invaluable for a teacher who is going to be teaching this subject to their students. The information is not too advanced for upper primary students if delivered with a quality teaching approach. As a resource for both the teacher and students it is easy to read and user friendly.


 * === Curriculum Documentation – Every Chance to Learn Outcomes === ||
 * ** ELA 1 ** : Uses a range of strategies to think and learn || / || ** ELA 10 ** : Writes effectively ||  || ** ELA 19: ** Understands and applies scientific knowledge ||   ||
 * ** ELA 2 ** : Understands and applies the inquiry process || / || ** ELA 11 ** : Critically interprets and creates texts || / || ** ELA 20: ** Acts for an environmentally sustainable future ||  ||
 * ** ELA 3 ** : Makes considered decisions ||  || ** ELA 12 ** : Takes action to promote health ||   || ** ELA 21 ** : Understands about Australia and Australians || / ||
 * ** ELA 4 ** : Acts with integrity and regard for others || / || ** ELA 13: ** Is physically skilled and active ||  || ** ELA 22: ** Understands and values what it means to be a citizen within a democracy || X ||
 * ELA 5: Contributes to group effectiveness ||  || ** ELA 14: ** Manages self and relationships ||   || ** ELA 23 ** : Understands world issues and events ||   ||
 * ** ELA 6 ** : Uses Information and Communication Technologies effectively ||  || ** ELA 15: ** Communicates with intercultural understanding ||   || ** ELA 24: ** Makes informed choices about money and finance ||   ||
 * ** ELA 7 ** : Creates, presents and appreciates artistic works ||  || ** ELA 16: ** Understands and applies number ||   || ** ELA 25 ** : Designs, makes and appraises using technology ||   ||
 * ELA 8: Listens and speaks with purpose and effect ||  || ** ELA 17: ** Chooses and uses measures ||   ||   ||   ||
 * ** ELA 9 ** : Reads effectively || / || ** ELA 18: ** Recognises and represents patterns and relationships ||  ||   ||   ||


 * === Quality Teaching Model === ||
 * **Intellectual Quality** |||| **Significance** |||| **Quality Learning Environment** ||
 * Deep Knowledge || X || Background Knowledge || X || Explicit Quality Criteria ||  ||
 * Deep Understanding || X || Cultural Knowledge || X || Engagement || X ||
 * Problematic Knowledge ||  || Knowledge Integration ||   || High Expectations ||   ||
 * Higher-order Thinking || X || Inclusivity || X || Social Support || X ||
 * Metalanguage ||  || Connectedness ||   || Student’s self-regulation ||   ||
 * Substantive Communication ||  || Narrative || X || Student Direction || X ||

X || Aural X || Kinaesthetic X || Real World Connections X ||
 * === 21st Century Learners === ||
 * Visual

Teaching Strategies / Suggestions

 * ======Students can read and recount factual information in a written report or presentation or poster/collage======
 * ======Students can research and become experts on different aspects of politics - then become Peer Experts and relay facts to other class members======
 * ======Students can write a historical account or journal entry for a person involved in the history of Australian parliament======
 * ======Students can write a project and/or presentation complete with musical accompaniment - e.g: about some aspect of Australian politics, ie historical, constitution or law-making======
 * ======Students can use role-play strategies to enhance their understanding of an aspect of the topic - e.g: Role-play the First Parliament of Australia ceremony======
 * ======Students can participate in a debate about different ways of governing - e.g: Australia’s constitutional monarchy and the republic of the United States.======
 * ======Students can write a poem. legend, short play script or news articles about some aspect of the topic======
 * ======Students can research background information and statistics about an aspect of the topic and create a graph to represent the information======
 * ======Students can design and build a model of the perfect Parliament house - what would the student incorporate?======
 * ======Students can create an art work and/or painting to represent some aspect of the topic - i.e. the history of Australian politics======
 * ======The teacher can instigate a Parliamentary Club in their class (or combined with all upper primary students) that students can participate in to gain a deeper understanding of the parliamentary process.======