Tax and community cohesion

Civics & Citizenship Year 7 AC v9.0 50

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Introduction

Students explore how past actions and events influence people today and how governments use tax revenue for the commemoration of events that should remain part of Australia’s collective memory. They consider the importance of respect, responsibility and compassion in valuing Australia’s First Nations peoples and in developing a cohesive Australian society.

Achievement standard

By the end of Year 7, students describe the key features of Australia’s system of government, and the principles and features of the Australian legal system. They explain the characteristics of Australian democracy. Students describe the nature of Australian society, its cultural and religious diversity, and identify the values that support cohesion in Australian society.

Students develop questions and locate, select and organise information from sources to investigate political and legal systems, and contemporary civic issues. They analyse information and identify perspectives and challenges related to political, legal or civic issues. They identify and describe the methods or strategies related to civic participation or action. Students use civics and citizenship concepts, terms and sources to create descriptions, explanations and arguments.

Content descriptions

Civics and Citizenship Knowledge and Understanding

How values based on freedom, respect, fairness and equality of opportunity can support social cohesion and democracy within Australian society. (AC9HC7K05)

Civics and Citizenship Skills

Locate, select and organise information, data and ideas from different sources. (AC9HC7S02)

Analyse information, data and ideas about political, legal or civic issues to identify and explain differences in perspectives and potential challenges. (AC9HC7S03)

Explain the methods or strategies related to making decisions about civic participation. (AC9HC7S04)

Create descriptions, explanations and arguments using civics and citizenship knowledge, concepts and terms that reference evidence. (AC9HC7S05)

Student learning resources

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Case study

For a fair Australia

 
Template

A letter from the Mayor

Suggested activity sequence

This sequence is intended as a framework to be modified and adapted by teachers to suit the needs of a class group.

Part A: Listening and fairness

  1. Students read the case study and identify words they do not understand. Possible words include:
    • adventure centre
    • council
    • consultation
    • massacre
    • motion
    • stewardship
    • residents.
  2. Record the words on the board and explain their meaning.
  3. In pairs, students share their understanding of the case study and suggest reasons why the Aboriginal group would not want an adventure centre to go ahead on the site of the massacre. 
  4. Invite pairs to share their reasons. 
  5. Provide the hypothetical situation below:
    Imagine the council approves the adventure centre. It is a year after the opening, and you are a member of the Aboriginal group watching young people doing adventure activities on the site of the massacre.
  6. Ask the students to each write down 3 words that describe their feelings about the adventure centre.
  7. Record a word bank of ‘feelings’ on the board.

Part B: Clarifying views 

  1. Conduct a where do you stand? activity to determine student views in relation to the statement:
    Tax is paid for the greater good and revenue from tax can be used to commemorate Aboriginal massacre sites.
  2. If possible, take a photograph of where students are standing for later comparison. Note: exercise judgement when taking photos of students and if it is not appropriate, record where students are standing.
  3. Students work in pairs to web search and record types of memorials and commemorative events that are used to honour Australians. 
  4. Record a list of the events and commemorative places on the board. 
  5. Explain that taxpayer money (revenue) is used by governments over time to pay for public commemorations and memorials. 
  6. Provide the example of the Australian War Memorial. 
  7. Repeat the Where do you stand? activity. Again, read the statement: 
  8. Compare where students are standing now with the photograph from the first iteration of the activity.
  9. Ask students whose position has changed to provide reasons why. 

Part C: Expressing views 

  1. Explain the task:
    The Council has agreed to purchase the section of the Ajax Adventure Company’s land where the massacre took place. As Mayor of the Council you are to write a letter to the local Aboriginal group announcing the Council’s decision to purchase the site. The letter should ask for the group’s advice on how the past events are to be remembered. The letter should suggest working with the local Aboriginal people to ensure that the future use of the Council area is appropriate. 
  2. Students use the letter template to write their letters.
  3. Review the word bank.
Tax and community cohesion - Teacher instructions (PDF, 327.3 KB)

Useful prior learning

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