Teaching article
A clear petition asks for one identifiable change
Help children formulate a specific fictional request, its reason and an appropriate intended audience.
A page full of signatures can show support, but the request still needs to make sense. Give the fictional recipient a specific action to consider and enough context to understand why it is being requested.
State one requested change. Add a relevant reason and audience. Ask a partner whether the request is understandable.
Read the request before counting supporters
Request an additional quiet reading corner, explain its proposed purpose, and identify who manages that shared space.
A petition communicates support for a request. It does not itself establish that the requested change has been approved or implemented.
Practice petitions need neither personal signatures nor home addresses. Could the audience identify the requested action?
Use a dictated or illustrated request.
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
- Suggested, considered, decided: three different stages
- Rights and responsibilities in a shared-space scenario
- Can a newcomer use this public-service notice?
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