Your Opinion Counts

Your Opinion Counts contains curriculum resources on the Victorian electoral system designed for teachers of middle secondary school students. It has been written and designed for the Civics and Citizenship learning domain in the Physical, Personal and Social Learning Strand in the Victorian Essential Learning Standards (VELS). Your Opinion Counts explores democracy and the electoral process through contemporary themes such as human rights. By examining the electoral system in the context of current issues, it is hoped that students will gain an understanding of the relevance and role of elections in society. Your Opinion Counts is also designed to foster an ongoing interest in democratic and political processes.

The curriculum resources can be downloaded below in pdf format. You need Adobe Acrobat Reader to view the files. If you are having trouble accessing the files or would prefer a hard copy, you can contact the VEC.

Complete Kit

Click here for a complete version of "Your Opinion Counts" (PDF, 3210 KB)

Teacher's notes

Information for teachers about these materials (PDF, 25 KB)

Rights. What are they all about?

Activity sheet 1 - Rights - what do you know? (PDF, 373 KB)
Activity sheet 2 - Democratic Rights (PDF, 296 KB)

Voting rights and responsibilities

Activity sheet 3 - Some tough choices (PDF, 301 KB)
Activity Sheet 4 - Votes that made a difference (PDF, 285 KB)
Activity Sheet 5 - A good voting system (PDF, 152 KB)
Activity Sheet 6 - The right to vote (PDF, 243 KB)
Activity Sheet 7 - The voting age (PDF, 294 KB)
Activity Sheet 8 - Compulsory voting (PDF, 476 KB)

Government

Activity Sheet 9 - Australia's three levels of government (PDF, 366 KB)
Activity Sheet 10 - Votes that created a government (PDF, 236 KB)
Activity Sheet 11 - History of Victoria's Parliament (PDF, 241 KB)
Activity Sheet 12 - How governments are formed (PDF, 278 KB)

The Victorian Electoral System

Activity Sheet 13 - Voter enrolment (PDF, 378 KB)
Activity Sheet 14 - Choosing a representative (PDF, 162 KB)
Activity Sheet 15 - Candidates (PDF, 214 KB)
Activity Sheet 16 - Pressure groups and political parties (PDF, 279 KB)
Activity Sheet 17 - The secret ballot (PDF, 325 KB)
Activity Sheet 18 - Completing ballot papers (PDF, 2354 KB)
Activity Sheet 19 - The preferential voting system (PDF, 277 KB)
Activity Sheet 20 - The proportional voting systems (PDF, 252 KB)
Activity Sheet 21 - Conducting Victorian State elections (PDF, 238 KB)
Activity Sheet 22 - Protecting the principles of democratic elections (PDF, 210 KB)

Reviewing the Victorian electoral system

Activity sheet 23 - Reviewing the Victorian electoral system (PDF, 366 KB)

Follow a Victorian State election

Activity sheet 24 - Follow a Victorian State election (PDF, 335 KB)

Conducting a school-based election

Activity sheet 25 - Conducting a school-based election (PDF, 300 KB)

Glossary of electoral terms

Glossary of electoral terms (PDF, 217 KB)