Section outline

  • PLAN & DO / WHAKAMAHI

    PLAN & DO / WHAKAMAHI learning intentions:

    • We are PLANNING... so that we can...
    • We are PREPARING a policy to address Community Health and Vaping in our local area so that we can PROMOTE ideals to our peers.





    Valuing youth participation in democracy

    Read through The Spinoff article in Google Classroom and watch the documentary about the campaign to make the voting age 16 in Aotearoa New Zealand.


    Task one: Identify  different reasons for points of view held by the rangatahi in the article and documentary. Someone’s point of view is what they think or the opinion that they have about something. Complete the table.

    Task two: Other than lowering the voting age to 16, describe the aims of the Make It 16! campaign. For example, Gina says that “it’s about strengthening New Zealand’s democracy”. What other aims do the rangatahi mention?

    Task three: Copy the reasons for lowering the voting age into the speech bubbles opposite. Choose one of the arguments and summarise the argument in four to five sentences. Include evidence (examples) in your summary. Copy the reasons for lowering the voting age into the speech bubbles opposite. Choose one of the arguments and summarise the argument in four to five sentences. Include evidence (examples) in your summary.



    Summary of one argument against lowering the voting age to 16:




    Task five: The advocacy group asked the High Court to declare that the voting age of 18 is inconsistent with 16 year olds’ right to be free from age discrimination. What is your opinion? Do you think that these two sections of the Bill of Rights are inconsistent (don’t match up)? Write a letter to the editor of your local paper with your point of view.

    Task six: Create a timeline or history road in a new doc that explains each change to voter eligibility in New Zealand’s history. Make sure you include the date, a brief description of the changes and draw a small image to represent who was able to vote. Make it colourful! See an example below of how you could set it out. For more detailed information check out the NZ History pages on political milestones.