Civics & Citizenship · Year 10

Active learning ideas

Global Environmental Governance

Active learning works because this topic demands students move beyond abstract definitions to confront real human choices and consequences. By mapping refugee journeys, debating border ethics, and weighing fairness, students connect legal concepts to lived experiences and policy trade-offs.

• ACARA Content Descriptions
• AC9C10K03

• 25–50 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 3 activities

Activity 01

• Inquiry Circle
• 50 min · Small Groups

Inquiry Circle: The Journey Map

Groups research the legal process a refugee must go through to reach Australia, from leaving their home country to the 'determination' of their status. They create a visual map showing the legal and physical hurdles at each stage.

Design a just policy for sharing the burden of climate action.

Facilitation Tip

During The Journey Map, circulate and prompt groups to trace not just the physical route but the emotional and legal turning points refugees face.

What to look for

Pose the question: 'Who should decide international emissions reduction targets and why?' Facilitate a class debate where students must argue for a specific decision-making body (e.g., UN, individual nations, scientific bodies) using evidence related to equity, capacity, and historical responsibility.

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Self-Management
• Self-Awareness

Activity 02

• Formal Debate
• 50 min · Whole Class

Formal Debate: Ethics of the Border

Students debate: 'Does a nation's right to secure its borders override its obligation to help those in need?' They must use specific articles from the UN Refugee Convention to support their arguments.

Analyze the balance between national economic growth and global environmental health.

Facilitation Tip

In Ethics of the Border, assign roles that force students to defend perspectives different from their own to deepen empathy and critical thinking.

What to look for

Provide students with a short case study of a hypothetical nation facing economic pressure to increase fossil fuel production while also being vulnerable to climate impacts. Ask them to write two policy recommendations: one prioritizing economic growth and one prioritizing environmental health, explaining the trade-offs for each.

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

Activity 03

• Think-Pair-Share
• 25 min · Pairs

Think-Pair-Share: What is a 'Fair Share'?

Students look at global refugee statistics and compare Australia's intake with other nations. They discuss what criteria a country should use to decide how many refugees to accept each year.

Justify who should decide international emissions reduction targets.

Facilitation Tip

For What is a 'Fair Share'?, provide a visible tally board where students can compare group responses to highlight patterns in their reasoning.

What to look for

Ask students to write one sentence explaining the principle of 'Common But Differentiated Responsibilities' and one example of how it might be applied in a climate negotiation between Australia and a developing island nation.

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Awareness
• Relationship Skills

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teachers approach this topic by grounding abstract legal frameworks in human stories and policy dilemmas. Avoid presenting refugee issues as purely political; instead, focus on the ethical reasoning behind laws like the 1951 Refugee Convention. Use structured debate and mapping to make the invisible visible—border policies, processing delays, and resettlement realities.

Successful learning shows when students can explain the difference between asylum seekers and refugees, analyze how policy choices balance law and ethics, and articulate nuanced positions in discussions. They should use evidence from international agreements and domestic examples to support their reasoning.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During The Journey Map, watch for students who assume arriving by boat is illegal because it violates policy.

  Use the map to pause and ask students to locate where international law (1951 Convention) and domestic policy (Operation Sovereign Borders) diverge, explicitly naming 'illegal' versus 'unauthorized' arrivals.

• During Structured Debate: Ethics of the Border, watch for students conflating refugees with economic migrants.

  Ask debaters to categorize push factors on a whiteboard as persecution-related or opportunity-related, forcing them to distinguish motive and legal status.

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Methods used in this brief

• Inquiry Circle
• Formal Debate
• Think-Pair-Share