Civics & Citizenship · Year 10

Active learning ideas

Refugees and Migration Policy

Active learning engages students in wrestling with real-world tensions in Australia’s refugee and migration policies. By role-playing stakeholders, analyzing cases, and constructing policy proposals, students move from abstract debates to concrete ethical reasoning. These methods build empathy and critical analysis, essential for informed global citizenship.

• ACARA Content Descriptions
• AC9C10K03

• 30–60 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Case Study Analysis
• 50 min · Small Groups

Debate Carousel: Security vs Rights

Divide class into four groups representing government, asylum seekers, human rights advocates, and border force. Each group prepares 3-minute opening statements on a policy dilemma, then rotates to rebuttals. Conclude with a class vote and reflection on compromises.

Analyze the ethical obligations of wealthy nations toward displaced people.

Facilitation Tip

During the Debate Carousel, assign students roles in advance to ensure balanced perspectives and give quieter students structured speaking time.

What to look for

Facilitate a class debate using the prompt: 'Resolved: Australia's current border security policies prioritize national interest over its humanitarian obligations to asylum seekers.' Assign students roles representing different stakeholders (e.g., government official, asylum seeker, human rights advocate, concerned citizen) and have them prepare arguments based on provided case studies.

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

Activity 02

• Jigsaw
• 60 min · Small Groups

Jigsaw: Key Events

Assign groups one historical case like the 2001 Tampa incident or Manus Island conditions. Groups research facts, ethical issues, and outcomes, then teach their case to the class via posters. Whole class synthesizes into a timeline of policy evolution.

Evaluate the tension between border security and human rights.

What to look for

Ask students to write on an index card: 'One legal principle related to refugees that Australia must uphold, and one ethical dilemma faced by Australia in managing its borders.' Collect and review responses to gauge understanding of key concepts.

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

Activity 03

• Case Study Analysis
• 45 min · Pairs

Policy Proposal Pitch: Individual

Students draft a one-page proposal justifying refugee intake criteria, balancing ethics and security. They pitch to 'parliament' in pairs for feedback, then revise based on peer input. Share top proposals class-wide.

Justify the criteria for refugee intake in Australia.

What to look for

Present students with a short, anonymized scenario describing an individual seeking asylum in Australia. Ask them to identify: 1. Whether the individual would likely be considered an asylum seeker or refugee under international law. 2. One potential challenge they might face under current Australian policy. Review answers to identify common misconceptions.

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

Activity 04

• Gallery Walk
• 30 min · Whole Class

Gallery Walk: Whole Class

Post statements from diverse viewpoints around the room. Students add sticky notes with agreements, questions, or counterpoints as they circulate. Facilitate a debrief to highlight common tensions.

Analyze the ethical obligations of wealthy nations toward displaced people.

What to look for

Facilitate a class debate using the prompt: 'Resolved: Australia's current border security policies prioritize national interest over its humanitarian obligations to asylum seekers.' Assign students roles representing different stakeholders (e.g., government official, asylum seeker, human rights advocate, concerned citizen) and have them prepare arguments based on provided case studies.

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Create
• Relationship Skills
• Social Awareness

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teaching this topic works best when you balance legal analysis with human stories. Research shows students grasp complex policy issues more deeply when they connect them to individual experiences. Avoid presenting policies as purely technical—foreground the ethical stakes and lived consequences. Use structured discussions to prevent polarizing debates while still holding students accountable for evidence-based reasoning.

Successful learning shows students applying legal frameworks and ethical reasoning to policy choices. They should justify positions using evidence, recognize multiple perspectives, and evaluate trade-offs between security and human rights. Discussions should reflect nuanced understanding beyond simplistic binaries.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Debate Carousel, watch for students claiming Australia has no legal obligation to assess refugee claims from boats.

  Redirect students to the Migration Act 1958 and the 1951 Refugee Convention during the debate prep. Have them locate Article 31, which protects refugees regardless of how they arrive, and discuss how 'turn-backs' operate outside this legal framework.

• During Case Study Jigsaw, watch for oversimplifications that all asylum seekers are economic migrants.

  Provide case studies with detailed personal stories and UNHCR verification processes. During group discussions, ask students to identify push factors like persecution versus pull factors like economic opportunity in each narrative.

• During Policy Proposal Pitch, watch for arguments that strong borders eliminate the need for refugee programs entirely.

  Challenge students to compare Operation Sovereign Borders with the Humanitarian Program intake numbers. Ask them to quantify how many people are turned away versus how many are accepted through official channels, using data from the jigsaw case studies.

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Methods used in this brief

• Case Study Analysis
• Jigsaw
• Gallery Walk