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Curriculum advice for remote and flexible learning

Implementing the Victorian Curriculum F–10

The following information outlines curriculum area advice to schools to support remote learning and continuity for students in Civics and Citizenship. This advice should be read in conjunction with broader advice provided to schools regarding the Victorian Curriculum F–10 on the VCAA and Victorian Curriculum F–10 websites.

Delivering Civics and Citizenship remotely and flexibly

Keep in mind

  • Schools can review and adapt their teaching and learning program for Civics and Citizenship to enable the curriculum to be delivered at home via remote learning.
  • Teachers are best placed to make teaching and learning decisions and assessment modifications that are appropriate to their own circumstances. Teachers need to take into account their access to remote learning tools (such as online learning platforms) and the strengths and limitations of their student cohort. 
  • A weekly program of teaching and learning, based on the original teaching and learning program, can be developed for students to complete at home. This should include learning activities that enable students to demonstrate aspects of the relevant achievement standards in Civics and Citizenship.

Ideas and connections

  • Schools and teachers can select teaching and learning activities that integrate Civics and Citizenship with another learning area and/or capability to enhance efficiency of curriculum delivery.
  • Schools may select one Civics and Citizenship strand (Government and Democracy, Laws and Citizens, or Citizenship, Diversity and Identity) to focus on, or they may focus holistically on the content descriptions of all three strands. The latter would require a judicial selection of a contemporary issue and/or case study to frame the teaching and learning program. 
  • Schools should use one contemporary issue to focus on for one strand or, alternatively, teachers may select a contemporary issue that allows students to focus on the intent of all three strands at a level. For example, at Levels 5 and 6 students may examine the effects, impacts and responses at a local, state, national and/or global level to the COVID-19 pandemic through the following strands and content descriptions:
    • Government and Democracy –
      Describe the roles and responsibilities of the three levels of government, including shared roles and responsibilities within Australia's federal system (VCCCG009)
      Identify the roles and responsibilities of electors and representatives in Australia's democracy (VCCCG011)
    • Laws and Citizens –
      Explain how state/territory and federal laws are initiated and passed through parliament (VCCCL012)
      Explain how and why laws are enforced and describe the roles and responsibilities of key personnel in law enforcement, and in the legal system (VCCCL013)
    • Citizenship, Diversity and Identity –
      Identify different points of view on a contemporary issue relating to democracy and citizenship (VCCCC015)
      Investigate how people with shared beliefs and values work together to achieve their goals and plan for action (VCCCC016)
      Examine the concept of global citizenship (VCCCC017)
  • Teachers may request students select and investigate a political, legal and/or social issue(s) that concerns them and the wider world. Students could consider the role and responsibility of government, law and/or citizens in bringing about real and positive change through civic engagement and participation. Teachers may use relevant content descriptions to design or frame questions that shape and direct students' investigations.
  • Teachers may provide templates that scaffold students' practical activities and/or an inquiry into a contemporary issue. 

Useful resources

In addition to VCAA resources, teachers may consider the following online resources:

Teachers may also consider subscribing to Museums Victoria's MV Teachers network.

Assessment and achievement standards

  • Teachers should design teaching and learning activities that target the strand content descriptions and the relevant sections of the achievement standards. Assessment of these targeted activities will allow teachers to identify where students are at and to continue to support their progression.
  • Schools should assess student learning, including evidence from practical activities and/or inquiries, against the relevant aspects of the achievement standards in the Victorian Curriculum F–10.
  • Depending on the resources available at home and the aspect of the achievement standard being assessed, students may draw, graph, timeline, photograph, label, create a video, create a poster, generate and respond to blogs, create a plan for action, conduct an inquiry, construct models and/or write a response to communicate their civic understanding.
  • Teachers can select and use a variety of assessment types to provide timely feedback to students and to monitor learning progress. Schools can review the range of assessment tasks to achieve a balance between short inquiry-based activities that focus student attention on particular skills and understanding and more open-ended, rich assessment tasks that can be completed over a period of time at home.
  • On the resumption of face-to-face learning, schools may undertake a variety of assessments to determine students' actual progression of learning, considering the original teaching and learning program and making the necessary adjustments to this program as required.

For more information

Gerry Martin, Civics and Citizenship Curriculum Manager

Phone (03) 9032 1694 or email the Civics and Citizenship Curriculum Manager