The Story of Our Rights and Freedoms
Rights and Freedoms
The Story of Our Rights and Freedoms resources are designed to help students build a critical understanding of human rights and responsibilities and develop the knowledge, attitudes and skills to apply them in everyday life. Each unit of work contains interactive lesson plans, student resources and additional content for teachers. These resources were developed in 2018 in partnership with Cool.org.
Overview
- Years: 7, 8, 9, 10
- Subjects: Civics and Citizenship, History
- General capabilities: Literacy, Critical and Creative Thinking, Intercultural Understanding, Ethical Understanding
- Cross-curriculum priorities: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures
Curriculum message
The Story of Our Rights and Freedoms resources include mapping to Version 8.4 of the Australian Curriculum.
The Australian Human Rights Commission acknowledges that Version 9.0 of the Australian Curriculum was endorsed in April 2022 and implementation began from 2023. Please see below for Version 9.0 curriculum links.
Units of Work
Year 7: Exploring Rights, Freedoms, and Constitutional Change
This Year 7 Civics and Citizenship unit explores key features of the Australian government, and how those systems act to protect the rights and freedoms of all Australians.
Access the Year 7 Exploring Rights, Freedoms and Constitutional Change Resources on Cool.org
Lessons
- The Australian Constitution
- Changing the Australian Constitution
- Constitutional Referendum in Action
- The Balance of Power
- Tune In - what are human rights?
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V9 Australian Curriculum Year 7 Civics and Citizenship links
Knowledge and Understanding
- The role of the Australian Constitution in providing the basis for Australia’s federal system of government and democratic processes, including institutions, and the process for constitutional change through a referendum (AC9HC9K01)
- The process for constitutional change through a referendum (AC9HC9K01)
- The key features of Australia’s system of government, including democracy, the Australian Constitution, responsible government and federalism (AC9HC9K01)
Skills
- Develop questions to investigate Australia’s political and legal systems, and contemporary civic issues (AC9HC7S01)
- Analyse information, data and ideas about civic, political or legal issues to identify and explain differences in perspectives and potential challenges (AC9HC7S03)
- Identify, gather and sort information and ideas from a range of sources (AC9HC7S02)
Year 8: Human Rights and Democracy
This Year 8 Civics and Citizenship unit explores the rights and freedoms of citizens and how Australians can actively and responsibly participate in their democracy.
Access the Year 8 Human Rights and Democracy Resources on Cool.org
Lessons
- Tune In - what rights and freedoms do we enjoy in Australia?
- Understanding Democracy
- Democratic Dissent
- Our Democratic Freedoms
- Human Rights in Our Community
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V9 Australian Curriculum Year 8 Civics and Citizenship links
Knowledge and Understanding
- Different experiences of, perspectives on and debates about Australia’s national identity and citizenship, including the perspectives of First Nations Australians as owners of their respective nations, and of different migrant groups (AC9HC8K06)
- The role of political parties and independent representatives in Australian democracy, including elections and the formation of governments (AC9HC8K02)
- How Australians are informed about and participate in democracy (AC9HC8K01)
Skills
- Analyse information, data and ideas about political or legal issues to identify and explain differences in perspectives and potential challenges (AC9HC8S03)
Year 9: Exploring Human Rights and Justice
This Year 9 Civics and Citizenship unit explores peoples’ legal rights and avenues for addressing discrimination and breaches of rights, including conciliation and the role of the courts.
Access the Year 9 Exploring Human Rights and Justice Resources on Cool.org
Lessons
- Understanding Conciliation
- Rights, Freedoms and the Court System
- Rights, Freedoms and the Law
- Tune In – exploring human rights
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V9 Australian Curriculum Year 9 Civics and Citizenship links
Knowledge and Understanding
- How and why individuals and groups, including community, religious and cultural groups, participate in and contribute to civic life in Australia and to global citizenship (AC9HC9K05)
- The key features and jurisdictions of Australia’s court system, and the operations of courts and tribunals (AC9HC9K03)
- The role of courts, judges, lawyers and juries in trials, and the rights of the accused and the rights of victims (AC9HC9K04)
Skills
- Create descriptions, explanations and arguments using civics and citizenship knowledge, concepts and terms that incorporate evidence (AC9HC9S05)
- Develop and modify questions to investigate Australia’s political and legal systems, and contemporary civic issues (AC9HC9S01)
- Locate, select and compare information, data and ideas from a range of sources (AC9HC9S02)
- Analyse information, data and ideas about political or legal issues to identify and evaluate differences in perspectives and interpretations (AC9HC9S03)
Year 10: Advocating for Rights and Freedoms
This Year 10 History unit explores various aspects of rights and freedoms, including human rights, civil rights movements, and the struggle for rights and freedoms of Indigenous Australians.
Access the Year 10 Advocating for Rights and Freedoms Resources on Cool.org
Lessons
- Tuning In – what are rights and freedoms?
- Australia, the UN and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
- Struggles for Rights and Freedoms Around the World
- The Struggle for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Rights and Freedoms
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V9 Australian Curriculum Year 10 History links
Knowledge and Understanding
- The origins and significance of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, including Australia’s involvement in the development of the declaration (AC9HH10K15)
- The effects of global influences on Australia’s changing identity as a nation and its international relationships (AC9HH10K19)
- The causes of First Nations Australians’ campaigns for rights and freedoms before 1965, such as discriminatory legislation and policies, the 1938 Day of Mourning and the Stolen Generations (AC9HH10K09)
- The significant events and methods in the movement for the civil rights of First Nations Australians and the extent to which they contributed to change (AC9HH10K11)
- The contributions of significant individuals and groups in the campaign for the recognition of the rights of First Nations Australians and the extent to which they brought change to Australian society (AC9HH10K10)
Skills
- Develop and modify a range of historical questions about the past to inform historical inquiry (AC9HH10S01)
- Create descriptions, explanations and historical arguments, using historical knowledge, concepts and terms that incorporate and acknowledge evidence from sources (AC9HH10S08)
- Explain the usefulness of primary and secondary sources, and the reliability of the information as evidence (AC9HH10S04)