Civics & Citizenship · Year 5

Active learning ideas

Solving Conflicts Without Courts

Active learning works well for this topic because restorative justice relies on practice, not just listening. Students must try out listening, questioning, and problem-solving to truly grasp how mediation builds understanding between people. The activities move students from theory into real dialogue, where they experience firsthand how fairness is built through conversation.

• ACARA Content Descriptions
• AC9HASS5K02

• 20–45 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Role Play
• 30 min · Pairs

Role-Play: Schoolyard Dispute Mediation

Pairs act as disputing students in a common scenario, like sharing sports equipment. One student acts as mediator, following steps: listen to each side, clarify feelings, suggest solutions, agree on plan. Switch roles and debrief as a class on what worked.

Explain what peer mediation is and how it helps people resolve disagreements at school.

Facilitation Tip

During the role-play, assign roles in advance so students can prepare to stay in character and maintain the scenario’s emotional stakes.

What to look for

Present students with a short scenario of a school conflict (e.g., two students disagreeing over a shared toy). Ask them to write down two questions a mediator might ask to understand each student's perspective.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Social Awareness
• Self-Awareness

Activity 02

• Stations Rotation
• 45 min · Small Groups

Stations Rotation: Mediation Skills Practice

Set up stations for listening (repeat back what you hear), brainstorming (list three solutions), agreement (write a fair plan), and reflection (draw emotions before/after). Small groups rotate, practising each skill with scripted conflicts. Share one takeaway per station.

Describe the steps a mediator takes to help two people work out a problem fairly.

Facilitation Tip

For station rotation, set timers and provide sentence stems for mediators at each station to scaffold language use.

What to look for

After a mediation role-play, ask students: 'What was the most challenging part of being a mediator or a participant?' and 'What is one thing you learned about solving problems fairly that you can use at school or home?'

• Remember
• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills

Activity 03

• Role Play
• 20 min · Whole Class

Whole Class: Live Mediation Demo

Teacher facilitates a volunteer dispute from class suggestions. Model each step on the board, pausing for student input on solutions. Students vote on the best agreement and discuss improvements.

Apply conflict-resolution skills by practising a mediation scenario and explaining what made it work.

Facilitation Tip

In the live mediation demo, pause after key moves to ask observers to predict what the mediator might say next based on the facts presented.

What to look for

Students complete a sentence starter: 'A key difference between solving conflicts with mediation and with punishment is...' and 'One skill I practiced today that helps resolve disagreements is...'

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Social Awareness
• Self-Awareness

Activity 04

• Role Play
• 25 min · Individual

Individual: Mediation Journal

Students write a personal conflict, outline mediation steps they would use, and predict outcomes. Pair share then revise based on feedback.

Explain what peer mediation is and how it helps people resolve disagreements at school.

Facilitation Tip

Have students keep a journal with three columns: what happened, how I felt, what we agreed to, to build reflective habits during individual work.

What to look for

Present students with a short scenario of a school conflict (e.g., two students disagreeing over a shared toy). Ask them to write down two questions a mediator might ask to understand each student's perspective.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Social Awareness
• Self-Awareness

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teachers should model neutral phrasing and avoid giving solutions in demonstrations to show that fairness comes from shared agreement. Research shows students mimic the language they hear, so teachers must speak with curiosity and care. Avoid rushing through emotions—pausing to acknowledge feelings often leads to stronger agreements later. Use student examples anonymously to highlight effective moves and set norms for respectful dialogue.

Successful learning looks like students using neutral language, asking open questions, and guiding peers toward shared solutions. They should show patience with emotions and focus on repair rather than blame. Clear evidence appears when students reflect on their own feelings and others' perspectives during discussions.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Role-Play: Schoolyard Dispute Mediation, watch for students assuming mediation only works for big fights. Redirect by assigning small everyday conflicts like pencil borrowing or game choices, then ask them to reflect on how these build trust over time.

  After each role-play round, ask the class to vote on whether the solution could prevent future disputes. Use their votes to show how small conflicts add up to bigger problems if ignored.

• During Station Rotation: Mediation Skills Practice, watch for students expecting the teacher to decide the outcome. Direct them back to the station instructions that require both parties to agree before recording any solution.

  Circulate with a checklist that includes 'both sides spoke, no teacher input, solution written together' to reinforce the mediator’s neutral role during observations.

• During Whole Class: Live Mediation Demo, watch for students believing mediators pick winners. Pause the demo after the first question and ask observers to describe what the mediator did instead of judging the outcome.

  Have students write one thing the mediator said that helped both sides feel heard, then pair-share their answers to reinforce the focus on listening over decisions.

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Methods used in this brief

• Role Play
• Stations Rotation