ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)



Activity

Parliament House

Key Learning

Students will describe the history of Australia’s Parliament House using primary and secondary sources. Students will learn about the people, place, policies and systems of Australia’s democratic process.

The Australian Curriculum

|History / Historical Knowledge and Understanding / Australia as a | |History / Historical Skills / Explanation and communication |

|Nation | | |

| | |Use a range of communication forms (oral, graphic, written) and |

|Key figures and events that led to Australia’s Federation, including | |digital technologies (ACHHS125) |

|British and American influences on Australia’s system of law and | |[pic] |

|government. (ACHHK113) | |English / Literacy / Interacting with others |

|[pic] | | |

|History / Historical Skills / Chronology, terms and concepts | |Use interaction skills, varying conventions of spoken interactions |

| | |such as voice volume, tone, pitch and pace, according to group size, |

|Use historical terms and concepts (ACHHS118) | |formality of interaction and needs and expertise of |

|[pic] | |the audience(ACELY1816) |

|History / Historical Skills / Historical questions and research | |[pic] |

| | |Use interaction skills when discussing and presenting ideas and |

|Identify questions to inform an historical inquiry (ACHHS119) | |information, selecting body language, voice qualities and other |

|[pic] | |elements, (for example music and sound) to add interest and |

|Identify and locate a range of relevant sources (ACHHS120) | |meaning (ACELY1804) |

|[pic] | |[pic] |

Discussion Questions

1. Where in Australia is Parliament House? Locate using Google Maps.

2. The House of Representatives is also known as the ________ house.

3. Apart from federal members who else can sit in the House of Representatives?

4. Describe the purpose of Question Time.

5. What does it mean when the speaker says ‘order’?

6. How many senators are there in the Senate?

a. 56

b. 76

c. 106

7. What happens in the Prime Minister’s sitting room?

8. How much does the flag on top of Parliament House weigh?

9. Describe the Parliament House building.

10. Can you name two past Australian Prime Ministers?

Activities

|The history of Parliament House |

In this activity students analyse primary and secondary sources describing the history of Australia’s Parliament House.

Provide students with the opportunity to present their findings in an interesting way using a range of communication forms (a combination of oral, graphic, written modes) and digital technologies. Here are some ideas:

Find and collect images, photographs and illustrations that represent the history of Australia’s Parliament House. Students may want to organise and sequence their pictures in the form of a timeline.

Refer to the following websites for sources of information.

The National Archives of Australia -

Parliament of Australia -

Parliamentary Education Office –

Images: Parliamentary Education Office –

Locate Canberra and Parliament House using Google Maps.

Students will draw their own map and include the following features: scale, key, direction, title and border.

Calculate the proximity of Canberra to Sydney and Melbourne.

What is the climate of Canberra?

|Place, People, Policies and Systems |

After watching the BtN Parliament House story invite students to participate in a class discussion. Find out what your students know about Parliament House, what they learnt from the story and what questions they have about the topic.

|Further activities – Get involved! |

Examine the floor plans of Parliament House. Identify key objects and locations including the chambers, offices and other rooms. Draw your own floor plan or diagram of Parliament House. Include a border, title, source and north and south directions.

Here is an example taken from the Parliamentary Education Office website:

Refer to these maps of Parliament House for more detail:

Create your own tour of Parliament House, in an interesting way (for example make a book or Prezi presentation), which can be used by other students at your school. Students may want to include some interesting features in their ‘tour’, for example:

• Photographs to represent the old and new Parliament House

• Information about the art collection

• How many people work there

• A model or floor plans

• Interesting fun facts: How many clocks can be found at Parliament House? How large is the flagpole? Why is the House of Representatives green and the Senate red?

We’re inviting students to do a drawing of a pollie and send it into us.

Download the activity sheet or visit BtN’s Government page .au/btn/government.htm

Students can create their caricature using pen, pencils, collage, ink, paint or watercolours! Submit your student’s designs via email (scanned 200dpi):

btn-education@your..au or post to: Education Adviser, 85 North East Road Collinswood SA 5081.

Students can also gather inspiration for their portraits from the following websites:

National Portrait Gallery –

Australia’s PM’s –

Display your students work as an art exhibition to be displayed in the classroom or art area which can be accessed by the rest of the school.

How does portraiture increase understanding and appreciation of the Australian people – their identity, history, culture and diversity?

Refer to the National Portrait Gallery’s 2013 Portrait School document for a guide on portraiture programs for students.

( Related Research Links

Parliament of Australia – Tours



Parliamentary Education Office – Closer Look: Australia’s Parliament House



Parliamentary Education Office – Fact Sheet: Parliament House



Parliamentary Education Office – Parliament House: the building



Parliamentary Education Office – People in Parliament House



Parliamentary Education Office – Parliament House: our house



Parliamentary Education Office – Get Parliament: How your federal parliament works



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Episode 24

27th August 2013

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Image: Parliamentary Education Office

Where do your students stand? .au/btn/government.htm

[pic]

What is democracy?

What is the difference between a bill and a law?

What is the difference between the House of Representatives and the Senate?

Explore these questions, plus more on:

• Federation

• The Australian Constitution

• Three levels of law-making

• Members of parliament

• The houses of parliament





[pic]

Live exports, car manufacturing, foreign aid, funding for education, migrants, becoming a republic, the NBN and climate change. Where would you stand on these issues?

Download BtN’s AUSSIE KIDS VOTE 2013 activity which asks students where they stand on important issues that are relevant to the 2013 Federal Election. .au/btn/government.htm

Complete the activity as a class. Make three large signs reading AGREE, NEUTRAL and DISAGREE and arrange them on the classroom floor. As you work through the activity ask students to stand on either the agree, neutral or disagree sign.

• Ask students why they agree, disagree or are neutral on an issue?

[pic]

Who visits Parliament House?

• Member of the Australian public

• Parliamentarian

• Media

• Protestor

• International visitor or dignitary

If you were to be a guest at Parliament House which one would you be? Explain your answer.

Compare and contrast the roles of these people.



Research Questions

• How and when did Canberra come to be Australia’s capital city?

• When and where did Australia’s Federal Parliament first meet?

• When was Australia’s ‘new’ Parliament House built?

• Where is it located?

• Who officially opened the building?

• Who designed the building and how long did it take to construct?

[pic]

What happens at Parliament House?

• Meeting place for members of parliament – what is a meeting place?

• Symbol of Australia’s democracy

• A place where decisions that shape the nation are made.

• Site for celebration

• Site for memorial

• Site for protest

• Tours



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