Canadian & World Studies · Grade 12

Active learning ideas

Resource Scarcity & Conflict

Active learning helps students grasp the complexity of resource scarcity and conflict by making abstract geopolitical issues concrete and relatable. Students need to experience the tensions of shared resources firsthand to understand how scarcity and power shape real-world decisions and disputes.

• Ontario Curriculum Expectations
• ON: Environmental Sustainability and Stewardship - Grade 12
• ON: Global Issues and Challenges - Grade 12

• 25–75 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 3 activities

Activity 01

• Simulation Game
• 75 min · Small Groups

Simulation Game: The Shared River Basin

Students represent three countries that share a major river. One is upstream and wants to build a dam for power; the others are downstream and need the water for farming and cities. They must negotiate a water-sharing agreement that avoids conflict.

Predict whether 'water wars' will be the defining conflict of the 21st century.

Facilitation Tip

During the Shared River Basin simulation, assign roles that include both resource users and external stakeholders to ensure students experience the full range of power dynamics.

What to look for

Facilitate a class debate on the statement: 'Resource scarcity, not ideology, will be the primary driver of major global conflicts in the next 50 years.' Ask students to support their arguments with specific examples related to water, minerals, or energy.

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

Activity 02

• Inquiry Circle
• 50 min · Small Groups

Inquiry Circle: The Green Energy Transition

Small groups research the 'critical minerals' needed for electric vehicles and wind turbines. They identify where these minerals are found and the social and environmental challenges of mining them, presenting their findings as a 'Supply Chain Audit.'

Analyze how the transition to green energy creates new resource dependencies and conflicts.

Facilitation Tip

For the Green Energy Transition investigation, provide students with a blank world map and colored pencils to visually track mineral dependencies and trade routes.

What to look for

Present students with a short news clip or article about a current resource dispute (e.g., a conflict over oil pipelines or water rights). Ask them to identify the key resources involved, the nations or groups in conflict, and one potential geopolitical consequence.

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Self-Management
• Self-Awareness

Activity 03

• Think-Pair-Share
• 25 min · Pairs

Think-Pair-Share: Will There Be 'Water Wars'?

Students read about a current water dispute (e.g., the Nile or the Mekong). They discuss with a partner whether they think water will be the main cause of conflict in the 21st century and what role diplomacy can play in preventing it.

Design strategies for nations to share vital resources equitably and sustainably.

Facilitation Tip

In the Think-Pair-Share on 'Water Wars,' give students two minutes to prepare a 30-second argument using either evidence or a real-world example before pairing up.

What to look for

On an index card, have students write one strategy a nation could employ to mitigate conflict arising from the global demand for critical minerals, and one potential challenge to implementing that strategy.

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Awareness
• Relationship Skills

A few notes on teaching this unit

Approach this topic by starting with students’ lived experiences and local examples before expanding to global cases. Research shows that students retain complex geopolitical concepts better when they connect them to familiar contexts. Avoid presenting scarcity as a neutral or inevitable force; instead, emphasize the role of policy, inequality, and historical decisions in shaping resource access.

Successful learning looks like students analyzing resource disputes with evidence, recognizing the role of governance and power in conflicts, and proposing solutions that consider multiple perspectives. They should connect global examples to local implications and future trends.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During the Shared River Basin simulation, watch for students assuming that simply having less water automatically causes conflict.

  Use the simulation to highlight how power imbalances, historical agreements, and economic priorities shape outcomes. After the simulation, ask students to reflect on which groups had the most influence and why.

• During the Green Energy Transition investigation, watch for students believing that green energy will eliminate global resource conflicts entirely.

  Use the mapping activity to show how new dependencies on minerals create new geopolitical tensions. Ask students to identify which countries control the supply chains and how that might lead to future disputes.

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Methods used in this brief

• Simulation Game
• Inquiry Circle
• Think-Pair-Share