Geography · Year 11

Active learning ideas

Conflict and Development

Active learning helps students grasp the complex, interwoven effects of conflict and development by making abstract cycles visible and personal. When students analyze real cases, debate priorities, and simulate negotiations, they see how infrastructure loss, displaced populations, and stalled investment create lasting barriers to growth.

• ACARA Content Descriptions
• AC9GE12K12
• AC9GE12K13

• 40–60 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Jigsaw
• 50 min · Small Groups

Jigsaw: Conflict Cycles

Divide class into expert groups on cases like Syria or South Sudan; each researches one aspect (economic impact, infrastructure loss, reconstruction challenges). Groups then reform to teach peers and build a class cyclical model diagram. End with whole-class synthesis discussion.

Analyze the cyclical relationship between conflict and underdevelopment.

Facilitation Tip

For the Jigsaw Case Study, assign expert groups specific roles—such as economist, humanitarian worker, or government official—so each student contributes a unique perspective to the final analysis.

What to look for

Pose the question: 'Imagine you are advising a government in a post-conflict nation. What are the top three priorities for reconstruction, and why?' Facilitate a class discussion where students justify their choices, referencing specific challenges like infrastructure, security, and institutional capacity.

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

Activity 02

• Role Play
• 45 min · Pairs

Stakeholder Debate: Reconstruction Priorities

Assign pairs roles (government, NGOs, investors) to argue priorities like security vs. schools. Pairs prepare evidence from readings, then debate in whole class with moderator scoring persuasiveness. Debrief on real-world trade-offs.

Explain how political instability impacts economic investment and infrastructure.

Facilitation Tip

During the Stakeholder Debate, provide a clear rubric that scores arguments on evidence use, stakeholder representation, and feasibility of solutions to keep the discussion focused.

What to look for

Provide students with a short news article about a current conflict zone. Ask them to identify and list: 1) one specific impact of the conflict on development, and 2) one potential obstacle to post-conflict reconstruction in that region. Collect responses for review.

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

Activity 03

• Role Play
• 40 min · Individual

Mapping Impacts: HDI and Conflict Data

Individuals plot HDI changes and conflict zones on world maps using provided datasets. Pairs compare pre- and post-conflict trends, annotating causal links. Share findings in a gallery walk.

Evaluate the challenges of post-conflict reconstruction and development.

Facilitation Tip

In the Mapping Impacts activity, ensure students compare HDI data with conflict timelines to visually demonstrate how development metrics drop during and after violence.

What to look for

On an index card, have students write one sentence explaining how political instability can deter economic investment. Then, ask them to provide one concrete example of infrastructure that might be damaged or neglected due to conflict.

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

Activity 04

• Simulation Game
• 60 min · Small Groups

Simulation Game: Aid Negotiation Game

Small groups represent factions negotiating aid allocation post-conflict. Use cards with resources and constraints; rotate roles for fairness. Reflect on challenges via exit tickets.

Analyze the cyclical relationship between conflict and underdevelopment.

Facilitation Tip

In the Aid Negotiation Simulation, set a time limit for each round to force students to prioritize and compromise under realistic pressure.

What to look for

Pose the question: 'Imagine you are advising a government in a post-conflict nation. What are the top three priorities for reconstruction, and why?' Facilitate a class discussion where students justify their choices, referencing specific challenges like infrastructure, security, and institutional capacity.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Social Awareness
• Decision-Making

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teachers should emphasize the human scale of these crises by pairing data with personal stories from conflict zones. Avoid abstract lectures about economic theories; instead, use simulations to let students feel the tension between immediate needs and long-term recovery. Research shows that when students role-play stakeholders, they retain the trade-offs of reconstruction far longer than through traditional discussions.

Successful learning looks like students moving beyond surface-level observations to trace the cyclical impacts of conflict on development. They should connect specific evidence from case studies, debates, and simulations to explain why recovery takes decades, not months.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During the Mapping Impacts activity, watch for students who focus only on military damage and ignore civilian infrastructure like hospitals or schools.

  Use the mapping template to prompt students to overlay conflict timelines with HDI indicators, asking them to explain how each data layer connects to long-term development.

• During the simulation game, listen for students who assume reconstruction will be fast and easy once peace is declared.

  After each round, pause to have students reflect on obstacles they encountered, such as lack of trust or funding gaps, and adjust their strategies accordingly.

• During the Jigsaw Case Study, observe if students attribute instability solely to local factors and ignore external influences like arms trade or multinational corporations.

  Require expert groups to include at least one global factor in their analysis, then have them share how these factors shape local conflicts during the jigsaw sharing phase.

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Methods used in this brief

• Jigsaw
• Role Play
• Simulation Game