Teaching article
Is that classroom rule fair? Start with who can join in
Start with a rule's purpose and its effect on participation, rather than a popularity contest.
Imagine a craft table where only children wearing green may use the scissors. The rule is easy to enforce, but its simplicity tells us nothing about whether it helps the activity run fairly.
Compare who benefits, who faces a barrier and what happens in practice. A popular rule can still need revision when access is unequal.
Put the revised rule under pressure
Read an unfair craft-table rule aloud. Identify who can and cannot participate. Rewrite it and test a second scenario.
Restricting scissors to people wearing green excludes children for an unrelated reason; an adult-supported tool routine addresses actual use.
A majority vote alone does not make a rule fair. Ask what purpose the rewritten rule serves.
Let children point to affected fictional characters.
Resources
- Fair Rule or Random Rule? — Compare proposed rules and explain their practical effects.
Further reading
- Parliamentary Education Office — classroom activities
- Australian Electoral Commission — Democracy Rules
Read next
- Rules and laws: who gets to change them?
- A classroom message that explains representation
- Which ballots count? Read the rules of the model
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