Teaching article
Suggested, considered, decided: three different stages
Keep suggestions, discussion and authorised decisions visibly separate during a fictional planning task.
A colourful poster announcing a new club rule can look official even when nobody has approved it. Keep the proposal's status visible while children practise how an idea becomes a shared decision.
Suggesting a new library sign is not the same as having approval to install it.
Label what has actually happened
Use separate labels for suggested, considered and decided. This prevents a child's persuasive proposal being mistaken for the group's agreed action.
Place suggestions in the proposal space. Record questions raised during discussion. Move only an agreed decision to its final space.
A confident presentation does not confer decision-making authority.
Which stage does the statement actually describe? Use removable picture cards for the stages.
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
- From bill to law: keep the missing stages in view
- A fictional public budget: explain what the numbers leave out
- Questions a civic visitor can meaningfully answer
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