Citizenship · Year 10

Active learning ideas

International Criminal Court (ICC)

Active learning makes the International Criminal Court (ICC) tangible for Year 10 students by turning abstract legal concepts into direct experiences. Role-plays, debates, and case studies let students grapple with jurisdiction, complementarity, and individual responsibility in ways that lectures cannot.

• National Curriculum Attainment Targets
• GCSE: Citizenship - International Law and Treaties

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

Activity 01

• Case Study Analysis
• 50 min · Small Groups

Role-Play: Mock ICC Trial

Assign roles as prosecutor, defence, judge, and witnesses for a simplified case like the Rwanda genocide. Groups prepare arguments using provided evidence packs over 10 minutes, then present in a 20-minute trial. Conclude with a class vote on the verdict and reflection.

Explain the types of crimes within the jurisdiction of the ICC.

Facilitation Tip

For the Mock ICC Trial, assign roles in advance so students prepare evidence and arguments, which keeps the simulation focused and purposeful.

What to look for

Present students with a hypothetical scenario involving mass atrocities in a country where the national government is complicit. Ask: 'Based on the principle of complementarity, under what conditions could the ICC investigate this situation? What specific challenges might the ICC face in prosecuting those responsible?'

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

Activity 02

• Formal Debate
• 45 min · Whole Class

Formal Debate: ICC Effectiveness

Divide class into two teams to debate 'The ICC deters international crimes effectively.' Provide fact sheets on successes and failures beforehand. Teams prepare for 10 minutes, debate for 20 minutes, with audience noting key points.

Analyze the challenges the ICC faces in bringing perpetrators to justice.

Facilitation Tip

During the Debate: ICC Effectiveness, provide a structured framework with clear criteria for evaluating arguments to ensure fairness and depth.

What to look for

Provide students with a list of actions (e.g., bombing a hospital in a conflict zone, systematically deporting an ethnic minority, targeting civilians). Ask them to classify each action as a war crime, crime against humanity, genocide, or none of the above, and briefly justify their classification for two examples.

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

Activity 03

• Case Study Analysis
• 40 min · Pairs

Case Study Carousel: ICC Challenges

Set up stations for challenges like enforcement, bias, and cooperation. Pairs spend 7 minutes per station analysing documents and noting solutions. Rotate three times, then share findings in a whole-class discussion.

Evaluate the effectiveness of the ICC in deterring international crimes.

Facilitation Tip

In the Case Study Carousel: ICC Challenges, place each station’s text and prompt at eye level so students move efficiently and focus on the task.

What to look for

On an index card, have students write one significant challenge the ICC faces in fulfilling its mandate and one specific measure or reform that could potentially improve its effectiveness.

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

Activity 04

• Case Study Analysis
• 35 min · Small Groups

Timeline Build: ICC Milestones

In small groups, students research and sequence 8-10 key events from Rome Statute to recent convictions using shared digital tools. Add annotations on impacts, then present timelines to the class.

Explain the types of crimes within the jurisdiction of the ICC.

Facilitation Tip

For the Timeline Build: ICC Milestones, supply pre-printed event cards and a blank strip of paper for students to physically arrange and revise as needed.

What to look for

Present students with a hypothetical scenario involving mass atrocities in a country where the national government is complicit. Ask: 'Based on the principle of complementarity, under what conditions could the ICC investigate this situation? What specific challenges might the ICC face in prosecuting those responsible?'

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

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teach the ICC through structured simulations and case-based inquiry to avoid overwhelming students with legal complexity. Research shows that role-plays and debates help students retain principles like complementarity because they experience the consequences of national versus international justice. Avoid lecture-heavy sessions; instead, guide students to uncover challenges and limitations through guided discovery.

Students will explain the ICC’s role in prosecuting individuals, apply the principle of complementarity to real cases, and evaluate the court’s strengths and limitations. They will use legal reasoning to classify crimes and justify their positions in discussions and writing.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During the Mock ICC Trial, watch for students who speak generally about 'the country' being on trial instead of focusing on individual perpetrators.

  Prompt them to re-read their role descriptions and ask, 'Which person is directly responsible for ordering or carrying out this act? What evidence would you present to prove their personal involvement?'.

• During the Case Study Carousel: ICC Challenges, watch for students who claim the ICC can intervene anywhere without restriction.

  Have them locate the Rome Statute’s complementarity clause on their station’s handout and ask, 'What must happen in the national court first before the ICC can step in?'.

• During the Debate: ICC Effectiveness, watch for students who argue the ICC is universally effective because it was created to end impunity.

  Ask them to cite specific cases where non-member states refused cooperation or where enforcement failed, then challenge them to propose reforms based on those examples.

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Methods used in this brief

• Case Study Analysis
• Formal Debate