Accessible and Inclusive Competition

The Fabric of Australia: Informed Competition is designed to be inclusive and adaptable, ensuring all students can participate regardless of background or access to technology.  The competition is open to students in Years 7–10 across Australia

It can be completed using paper-based or digital formats and can be delivered in a single lesson or at different times.

• Free to enter!
• All participants receive an Informed Emerging Leaders Award certificate from the Rule of Law Education Centre
• Because all classes aren’t made the same, there are two entry categories – Most Engaging Picture and Best Set of Cards, each with their own prize.
  • Most engaging picture (for smaller or single picture entries). Catering to smaller classes and single entries, entries to this category will have the chance to have their entry made into an A2 poster sent to them to keep!
  • Best set of cards (for entries of a complete set of 14 pictures for a full set of cards). Groups submitting a set of 14 pictures for a complete set of cards will be in the running to win a full printed set of cards with their own designs, a lasting resource that reinforces learning and encourages pride in civic participation.

PLUS, there will also be a First Past the Post mystery prize up for grabs every competition period for the first class that sends us a picture of the poster with every topic ticked off as being covered! 

Don’t forget to get your students to complete the pre- and post-learning surveys so you (and they) can see how much they have learned! 

Curriculum-Linked Learning

Each resource in The Fabric of Australia: Informed Competition is directly aligned with the Civics and Citizenship strand of the Australian Curriculum (ACARA) and the Victorian Curriculum 2.0, and Stages 3-5 of the NSW Curriculum.  and incorporates key terms and concepts across three core areas:

• Government and Democracy: Understanding Australia’s democratic system, institutions, and the role of citizens.
• Laws and Citizens: Exploring how laws are made, the legal system, and the rights and responsibilities of citizens.
• Citizenship, Diversity and Identity: Investigating shared values, cultural diversity, identity, and global citizenship.

While these resources are grounded in the Civics and Citizenship National curriculum, civic learning is not confined to one subject. Informal civics education also occurs in English, History, Geography, Art, and more.

The Fabric of Australia: Informed Competition and its accompanying playing cards are designed to be flexible and interdisciplinary, making them ideal for integration into subjects like History and Art.

The 14 topic areas serve as curriculum-aligned prompts that support both specialists and non-specialists, offering accessible entry points into key civic concepts that can be embedded across a range of learning experiences.

Classroom-Ready, Evidence-Based Resources

The Fabric of Australia: Informed Competition provides a suite of evidence-based, curriculum-linked resources designed to deepen students’ understanding of civics and citizenship.

Rather than relying on rote memorisation, these materials promote meaningful learning by helping students explore the purpose and significance of civic institutions and values. Based upon the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE) and Carnegie Corporation of New York, in consultation with the Corporation for National and Community Service recommendations, these resources start with direct instruction and respectful discussion. They then encourage students to connect civic concepts to their own lives and current events, fostering deeper engagement and understanding.

Fact Sheets and Core Civics Knowledge

At the heart of the program are 14 essential civics topics, each presented as a concise, one-page fact sheet. These have been developed by experienced educators from across Australia to ensure curriculum and syllabus relevance, clarity, and classroom practicality.

Each fact sheet includes:

• A clear explanation of the topic
• Three core ideas to anchor understanding
• Chunked content to support cognitive load and accessibility

This structure supports explicit teaching, introducing new concepts in manageable steps that build student confidence and retention. These fact sheets are designed to activate prior knowledge, spark peer-to-peer conversations, encourage critical inquiry, and connect civic concepts to current events.

Teachers can use them flexibly to guide discussions, integrate with ongoing lessons, or respond to emerging issues in the classroom.

The fact sheets can be found here: https://informed.ruleoflaw.org.au/resources/

Interactive Classroom Activities

Each fact sheet is accompanied by engaging, printable activities that reinforce key concepts and encourage active participation. These activities are designed to foster a classroom culture of respectful dialogue, critical thinking, and civic engagement.  They can be found at the bottom of the fact sheet/resource page for each topic area, accessed by clicking on the relevant playing card on the ‘Resources’ page.

A PowerPoint presentation based on the factsheet is also provided for some areas to support whole-class instruction and assist with scaffolded learning.

There are also instructional videos for gamed that classes can play using just one deck of cards. If you wish to purchase playing cards, please click here.

Surveys can be used as Formative Assessment and Evidence of Quality Teaching in line with AITSL Teacher Standard 5.

The surveys are not required to be eligible to win, but are a useful tool in understanding existing student knowledge to guide teaching and then in asssessing student learning.

The surveys come in the form of a pre-learning and post-learning survey, which contain the same questions to enable teachers to conduct a measurable comparison easily.

Comprising of 28 questions, these benchmark tests will assist teachers to:

• Measure factual knowledge and civic understanding prior to learning
• Track student progress across key learning outcomes
• Support the development of skills essential for active citizenship

Teachers can also use the results from the benchmark tests in their reporting to establish the knowledge, understanding and skills that students have been able to demonstrate because of teaching and learning activities undertaken in the relevant course.

The survey results help show the efficacy of the program and the teaching methods and activities adopted in the classroom.