Sept. 5-11, 2013, Current Events Lesson Plan
Current Event:
Tony Abbott, the leader of Australia’s Liberal Party, has claimed victory for the Coalition in federal elections. The Coalition consists of the Liberal Party and the National Party. (Contrary to its name, the Liberal Party is a center-right political party.) Abbott defeated Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, who became prime minister in June, after ousting then-Prime Minister Julia Gillard as leader of the Australian Labor Party. The Coalition will hold 91 seats in the next Parliament, compared with the Labor Party’s 54 seats.
Objective:
Tony Abbott was born in London on Nov. 4, 1957. His parents were Australian, and his family moved to Australia when Tony was a boy. After graduating from the University of Sydney, Abbott received a Rhodes Scholarship and studied at the University of Oxford in England. In 1984, Abbott returned to Australia and studied to become a Roman Catholic priest. However, he later decided to become a journalist. In 1994, Abbott was first elected to Australia’s Parliament. Fifteen years later, Abbott became the leader of the Liberal Party. Under Abbott’s leadership, the Coalition parties came close to winning the 2010 general election The Behind the Headlines news story and related World Book articles explore Tony Abbott and Australia.
Words to know:
- Australia
- Australian Labor Party
- Government of Australia
- Julia Gillard
- Kevin Rudd
- Liberal Party
- Parliament
- Tony Abbott
Discussion Topics:
1. Ask your students what they know about Australia. (Students might say that it is the only country that is also a continent; Australia is in the Southern Hemisphere; Sydney is the largest city and Canberra is the national capital; Australia is famous for its kangaroos, koalas, platypuses, wombats, and other unusual animals; the aboriginal people were the first humans to arrive in Australia.)
2. In a parliamentary government, the legislature elects the executive. By contrast, in the United States, the legislature and executive are elected separately. (For example, in the United States, the people, not Congress, elect the president.) Ask your students what are some advantages and disadvantages of both systems.
3. Ask your students to use the World Book’s Timelines feature to create a timeline of the history of Australia. (Students may wish to use World Book’s History of Australia article for help.)