Canadian & World Studies · Grade 12

Active learning ideas

Foreign Policy & National Interest

Active learning makes abstract policy choices tangible for students, letting them test ideas instead of only reading about them. Debates, simulations, and case studies transform complex geopolitical trade-offs into concrete decisions they can argue, modify, and defend.

• Ontario Curriculum Expectations
• ON: Canada's Role in the International Community - Grade 12
• ON: International Relations and Global Governance - Grade 12

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

Activity 01

• Formal Debate
• 50 min · Small Groups

Formal Debate: Balancing US and China Ties

Divide class into teams representing Canadian government factions. Provide sources on trade, security, and values. Teams prepare 3-minute opening arguments, rebuttals, and closing statements on prioritizing US or China relations. Conclude with a class vote and reflection on compromises.

Analyze how Canada should balance its relationship between the US and other global powers.

Facilitation Tip

For the debate, assign clear roles (e.g., Canadian trade minister, human rights advocate, military advisor) and provide a one-page briefing sheet with key facts to keep arguments grounded.

What to look for

Pose this question to small groups: 'Imagine you are advising the Prime Minister. Given current global tensions, what is Canada's single most important national interest, and what is one concrete policy action you would recommend to protect it?' Have groups share their top interest and action.

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

Activity 02

• World Café
• 45 min · Small Groups

Policy Simulation: National Interest Summit

Assign roles like Prime Minister, Foreign Minister, and advisors focused on Russia, China, or USA. Groups negotiate priorities using current event cards. Rotate roles midway, then debrief on how domestic politics shifted outcomes.

Explain what defines a 'national interest' in foreign policy.

Facilitation Tip

During the Policy Simulation, circulate with a timing card and sticky notes so groups can post adjustments to their national interest priorities mid-simulation.

What to look for

Provide students with a short news clipping about a recent international event involving Canada, China, Russia, or the US. Ask them to identify: 1) Which national interest (economic, security, values) is most prominently at play? 2) How might domestic politics be influencing Canada's response?

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

Activity 03

• Jigsaw
• 40 min · Small Groups

Jigsaw: Domestic Influences

Assign expert groups one case, such as Huawei or Arctic policy. Experts analyze domestic factors like media or elections, then jigsaw to teach home groups. Each student summarizes key influences in a shared chart.

Evaluate how domestic politics influence foreign policy decisions.

Facilitation Tip

In the Case Study Jigsaw, assign each home group a different domestic influence (e.g., election year, lobby group, Indigenous rights) so they bring specific evidence to their expert groups.

What to look for

On an index card, have students write two distinct ways Canada's relationship with the USA differs from its relationship with China. Then, ask them to list one potential benefit and one potential challenge of prioritizing the US relationship.

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

Activity 04

• Gallery Walk
• 35 min · Pairs

Gallery Walk: Defining Interests

Pairs draft 1-page briefs defining Canada's national interests versus one power. Post briefs around room for gallery walk feedback. Revise based on peer notes, emphasizing evidence from standards.

Analyze how Canada should balance its relationship between the US and other global powers.

Facilitation Tip

For the Policy Brief Gallery Walk, hang briefs at varied heights so students must move around the room; this prevents clusters and ensures everyone engages with all positions.

What to look for

Pose this question to small groups: 'Imagine you are advising the Prime Minister. Given current global tensions, what is Canada's single most important national interest, and what is one concrete policy action you would recommend to protect it?' Have groups share their top interest and action.

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

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teachers approach this topic by turning the classroom into a policy lab where students experience the constraints and trade-offs of real decisions. Start with students’ own assumptions, then use structured disagreements to surface complexity. Research shows that role-playing negotiations and analyzing recent news builds lasting understanding better than lectures alone. Avoid letting the activity drift into opinion without evidence, and always link back to the core lens of national interest.

Students will demonstrate that they understand national interest as a multi-layered concept, not just economics, and can explain Canada’s balancing act between alliances and autonomy. Success looks like reasoned arguments, adjusted priorities, and clear connections between domestic politics and global actions.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During the Structured Debate: Balancing US and China Ties, watch for students who assume national interest is only about economics.

  After the debate’s opening arguments, pause and ask each side to list all the interests they have mentioned (economic, security, values). Post these on the board and have students rank them by importance, forcing them to confront the breadth of national interest.

• During the Policy Simulation: National Interest Summit, watch for students who assume Canada simply follows the USA.

  Hand each group a 'pressure card' (e.g., US tariffs, Chinese market access) that they must consider during negotiations. Groups must justify any alignment with the USA, showing where Canada chooses autonomy.

• During the Case Study Jigsaw: Domestic Influences, watch for students who treat foreign policy as separate from domestic politics.

  In expert groups, require students to connect their case to Canadian elections or interest groups, using evidence from the case to explain how domestic factors shaped the outcome.

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Methods used in this brief

• Formal Debate
• World Café
• Jigsaw
• Gallery Walk