What on Earth is the Washminster System?

• Trying to explain our blended system of government can be difficult so we’ve put together 5 helpful ideas to help you get started. 

1. Make it Simple

Remember your Grade 6 HASS students don’t need a university level understanding of our system of Government. Stick to the curriculum and its elaborations. There’s no need for students to have an understanding of the US Bill of Rights or the inner workings the British parliament. Stick to the basics – The key Elements taken from each system and the reasons for their selection.

2. Make it Short

There’s no need to spend huge amounts of time on this concept. One, maybe two, lessons will do. Yes, it’s a very very important concept but there’s no need to overdo it.  

3. Make it Relatable

This is so important! For your students to truly grasp the concept of the Washminster system they need to understand how it relates to real life. Discussion and What If questions are a great way to do this. Ask the students:  

• Why didn’t the colonies want to create a system of government exactly like the British system they already knew?

• What might life be like if the States didn’t have equal representation in the government?

• What could happen if one State had more say than the others?

• Do you think it’s necessary for 2 houses of parliament to approve a Bill before it becomes law? Explain your answer

If you need more ideas for discussion prompts we’ve got a huge collection in our VIT Free Resource Library covering each of the HASS topics for Grades 5 and 6.

4. Make it Measurable

Make sure you check for understanding at the end of your lesson (or lessons) on the Washminster system. This doesn’t have to be formal but you should check in with each student and ask them to explain their understanding of our system of government, the elements taken from the US and English systems and the reasons for their inclusion.  If there are any areas you think need clarification or revisiting do it now, either as a whole group or individually. 

5. Make it Engaging

This one can be hard, especially if you’re pressed for time. Here are a couple of ideas to get you started:

• Divide your classroom into ‘states’ and draft and debate a new bill in the Student Senate that will affect all students. Try it without each state having equal representation and see what happens. Then try it with each state having equal votes and discuss how it was different. 
• Ask your students to create a mini news segment on Australia’s Washminster System of government. OR ask them to create informative advertisements to teach other people about how Australia’s system of government is structured and why. 

You don’t have to spend a huge amount of time on the Washminster system. We’ve created a resource that will help you cover this essential topic in 1 or 2 lessons. Our Washminster FlipBook will help your students understand how elements of the UK and US systems were blended together to create a system that suited Australia. It will also help them understand how this blend supports our democratic rights and how the Constitution protects them. It’s a quirky approach to a serious and potentially dull topic but we’re sure your class will love it and they’ll remember the resource with the people trapped in the washing machine.