Community Organising

Active learning turns abstract concepts like power structures and relationship-building into concrete, student-led experiences. When students role-play campaign tactics or map power networks, they move beyond memorization to see how organising works in real time. This hands-on approach builds both civic knowledge and collaborative skills they can use in any community setting.

• Year 10
• Civics & Citizenship
• 4 activities
• 30 min–50 min

Learning Objectives

1. Analyze the core components of effective community organizing campaigns, such as relationship building, power mapping, and strategic action planning.
2. Design a detailed action plan for a hypothetical local community organizing initiative, including target audience identification, messaging, and resource allocation.
3. Evaluate the potential challenges, such as opposition or resource scarcity, and the likely rewards, such as policy changes or increased community engagement, of grassroots activism.
4. Compare and contrast the strategies used in two different historical or contemporary Australian community organizing efforts.
5. Explain the role of communication and coalition building in mobilizing diverse groups towards a common goal.

Jigsaw

⏱ 45 min·Small Groups

Jigsaw: Key Organising Principles

Assign small groups to research one principle: relationships, power mapping, strategy, or action. Each expert shares with a new home group, then home groups apply all principles to a local issue like park maintenance. Groups create a shared action plan poster.

Prepare & details

Analyze the key elements of successful community organizing.

Facilitation Tip: During the Jigsaw, assign each expert group a distinct principle so students teach and learn from each other without overlap.

Setup: Flexible seating for regrouping

Materials: Expert group reading packets, Note-taking template, Summary graphic organizer

• Understand
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Relationship Skills
• Self-Management

Case Study Analysis

⏱ 30 min·Pairs

Pairs: Power Mapping Workshop

Pairs select a community issue, such as reducing plastic waste. They draw maps of stakeholders, allies, and opponents, noting influence levels. Pairs present maps to the class for feedback and refinement.

Prepare & details

Design a strategy to mobilize a local community around an issue.

Facilitation Tip: For the Power Mapping Workshop, provide a blank template and colored sticky notes to visually layer allies, opponents, and neutral parties.

Setup: Groups at tables with case materials

Materials: Case study packet (3-5 pages), Analysis framework worksheet, Presentation template

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Decision-Making
• Self-Management

Case Study Analysis

⏱ 50 min·Small Groups

Small Groups: Campaign Pitch Challenge

Groups choose a local problem and design a full organising strategy, including goals, tactics, and evaluation. They pitch to the class in 3 minutes, with peers voting on most feasible plans.

Prepare & details

Evaluate the challenges and rewards of grassroots activism.

Facilitation Tip: In the Campaign Pitch Challenge, require groups to use props like mock petitions or role-played meetings to make their strategies tangible.

Setup: Groups at tables with case materials

Materials: Case study packet (3-5 pages), Analysis framework worksheet, Presentation template

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Decision-Making
• Self-Management

Case Study Analysis

⏱ 40 min·Whole Class

Whole Class: Grassroots Debate

Divide class into teams to debate challenges versus rewards of organising, using case studies. Rotate speakers and vote on strongest arguments, followed by reflection journal.

Prepare & details

Analyze the key elements of successful community organizing.

Facilitation Tip: Set a strict 3-minute timer for each debate rebuttal in the Grassroots Debate to keep energy high and prevent over-talking.

Setup: Groups at tables with case materials

Materials: Case study packet (3-5 pages), Analysis framework worksheet, Presentation template

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Decision-Making
• Self-Management

Teaching This Topic

Start with local examples so students see organising as something they can do, not just study. Use backward design: decide what a successful campaign looks like, then build activities that teach those skills. Avoid lecturing about tactics—instead, let students test strategies and reflect on what worked. Research shows experiential learning cements civic knowledge better than passive reading, and Australian case studies give students relatable role models.

What to Expect

By the end of these activities, students should articulate the steps of effective organising and apply them to a local issue. They should move from identifying stakeholders to proposing realistic actions, showing they understand both the theory and practice of change-making. Clear outputs—like strategy maps or campaign pitches—prove their learning is active, not just theoretical.

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

Common Misconception

During the Jigsaw activity, watch for students who assume protests are the only way to create change.

What to Teach Instead

Use the expert group materials to highlight relationship-building and varied tactics. After the jigsaw, have groups list at least three different actions they learned and explain why each one matters in a long-term campaign.

Common Misconception

During the Power Mapping Workshop, some students may focus too much on a single leader.

What to Teach Instead

Ask them to map roles like ‘outreach coordinator’ or ‘data gatherer’ to show how power is shared. Use the sticky-note template to physically spread roles across the board, making distributed leadership visible.

Common Misconception

During the Campaign Pitch Challenge, students may expect immediate success.

What to Teach Instead

Require them to include a ‘potential setback’ slide in their pitch. Use the debrief to discuss timelines and persistence, normalising the messiness of organising before celebrating any progress.

Assessment Ideas

Discussion Prompt

After the Jigsaw activity, pose this question: ‘Your school wants a quiet study space for exam week. What three steps would you take first to organise students and staff?’ Listen for mentions of identifying stakeholders, defining the message, and planning initial actions.

Quick Check

After the Power Mapping Workshop, give students a short case study about a past campaign. Ask them to identify the main issue, two mobilised groups, and one challenge faced. Collect responses to check understanding of power structures.

Peer Assessment

During the Campaign Pitch Challenge, have peers use a checklist to assess each group’s pitch: Is the issue clearly defined? Are allies identified? Is the action realistic? Groups swap feedback sheets before presenting to the class.

Extensions & Scaffolding

• Challenge early finishers to design a follow-up tactic (e.g., a social media campaign) to complement their peer’s strategy.
• Scaffolding for struggling students: provide sentence starters for campaign pitches like, “We will reach out to [group] by [date] to [action].”
• Deeper exploration: invite a local organiser to join the Grassroots Debate as a guest judge or speaker.

Key Vocabulary

Community Organizing	A process where people in a neighborhood or community come together to identify issues, develop strategies, and take action to improve their lives and local environment.
Power Mapping	A strategy used in organizing to identify key individuals, groups, and institutions that hold influence or decision-making power related to a specific issue.
Grassroots Activism	Efforts by ordinary people, rather than established authorities or elites, to bring about social or political change through collective action.
Coalition Building	The process of bringing together different groups or organizations that share common interests to work together on a specific campaign or issue.
Mobilization	The process of gathering and activating people, resources, and support to take collective action on a particular issue or goal.