English · Year 7

Active learning ideas

Types of Conflict in Narrative

Active learning helps students grasp narrative conflict by moving from abstract definitions to concrete examples. When students physically sort, act out, or map conflicts, they anchor abstract concepts in memorable, social experiences that strengthen comprehension and retention.

• ACARA Content Descriptions
• AC9E7LT01
• AC9E7LY05

• 35–50 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Case Study Analysis
• 35 min · Small Groups

Card Sort: Conflict Excerpts

Prepare cards with short excerpts from familiar stories showing different conflicts. In small groups, students sort cards into four types, justify choices with evidence, then write one new excerpt per type. Share one example per group with the class.

Differentiate between internal and external conflicts and their impact on a character's journey.

Facilitation Tip

During Card Sort: Conflict Excerpts, circulate and ask student pairs to explain why they placed each excerpt in a particular category before confirming their answers.

What to look for

Provide students with short scenarios (e.g., a character facing a tough decision, a group protesting a new law). Ask them to identify the primary type of conflict in each scenario and write one sentence explaining their choice.

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

Activity 02

• Case Study Analysis
• 40 min · Pairs

Role-Play: Conflict Showdown

Pairs select a story scene and act out the main conflict, exaggerating elements to highlight the type. Switch roles to explore internal versus external shifts. Debrief with class votes on conflict identification.

Analyze how the resolution of a conflict reveals a story's theme.

Facilitation Tip

For Role-Play: Conflict Showdown, assign roles with clear conflict types and set a 3-minute time limit for each showdown to keep energy high.

What to look for

Display a short video clip or read a brief narrative excerpt. Ask students to write down the main conflict and whether it is internal or external, providing one piece of evidence from the text or clip to support their answer.

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

Activity 03

• Case Study Analysis
• 50 min · Small Groups

Story Arc Mapping: Conflict Paths

Small groups chart a novel's plot on large paper, marking conflict types, peaks, and resolutions with quotes. Predict changes if the primary conflict alters. Present maps and discuss theme impacts.

Predict how a change in the primary conflict would alter the narrative's outcome.

Facilitation Tip

When Story Arc Mapping: Conflict Paths, provide colored pencils so students can visually layer different conflict types along the arc from exposition to resolution.

What to look for

Pose the question: 'How might a story's theme change if the main character's internal conflict was resolved differently?' Facilitate a class discussion where students share their predictions and reasoning, referencing specific story examples.

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

Activity 04

• Formal Debate
• 45 min · Whole Class

Formal Debate: Conflict Twists

Whole class divides into teams to debate outcomes if a story's conflict changes type, using evidence from the text. Vote on most convincing prediction and link to theme.

Differentiate between internal and external conflicts and their impact on a character's journey.

Facilitation Tip

In Debate: Conflict Twists, assign a student to record key points on the board to help the class track evolving perspectives.

What to look for

Provide students with short scenarios (e.g., a character facing a tough decision, a group protesting a new law). Ask them to identify the primary type of conflict in each scenario and write one sentence explaining their choice.

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

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teach this topic by modeling how to identify conflict through think-alouds with short excerpts. Avoid over-simplifying to one conflict type per story, as layered conflicts deepen analysis. Research suggests that role-play and debate activities build empathy and critical thinking, while mapping activities help students visualize narrative structure and its impact on character change.

By the end of these activities, students will confidently distinguish between internal and external conflict types, trace how conflicts shape character development, and explain how resolution reveals theme. Successful learning is visible when students justify their choices with evidence from texts or role-plays.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Card Sort: Conflict Excerpts, students may assume all conflicts involve physical fights between people.

  Use the Card Sort to redirect students by asking them to reread excerpts aloud and identify whether the tension is between characters, within a character, against nature, or against society, using the definitions on the board as a guide.

• During Role-Play: Conflict Showdown, students may think conflicts remain static throughout a story.

  After each role-play, pause to ask the audience how the conflict might evolve. Have students jot down one possible change on sticky notes and attach them to the role-play area.

• During Debate: Conflict Twists, students may believe resolving conflict always leads to a happy ending.

  Prompt students to analyze resolution outcomes by asking them to cite examples from role-plays where resolution was bittersweet or ambiguous, then connect these to theme during the debate.

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Methods used in this brief

• Case Study Analysis
• Formal Debate