Conflict and Contested Places

Active learning works for this topic because contested places spark real emotions and complex stakeholder positions, making abstract concepts tangible. Role-play, simulations, and mapping let students experience power dynamics and identity claims firsthand, deepening their analysis beyond textbook descriptions.

• Year 13
• Geography
• 4 activities
• 30 min–60 min

Learning Objectives

1. Analyze the root causes of conflict over place identity by examining historical, cultural, and economic factors.
2. Compare and contrast the perspectives of at least three distinct stakeholders in a specific contested urban development project.
3. Evaluate the effectiveness of different mediation strategies used in resolving land-use disputes.
4. Design a comprehensive mediation plan for a hypothetical local land-use conflict, outlining steps and potential compromises.

Role Play

⏱ 60 min·Small Groups

Role-Play: Stakeholder Debate on HS2 Route

Assign roles like local farmers, government officials, and environmentalists. Each group prepares 3 key arguments using case evidence, then debates in a fishbowl format for 20 minutes. Conclude with a class vote and reflection on compromises.

Prepare & details

Analyze the underlying causes of conflict over place identity.

Facilitation Tip: During the HS2 stakeholder debate, provide each group with a one-page brief that includes hidden motivations to push students beyond surface-level arguments.

Setup: Open space or rearranged desks for scenario staging

Materials: Character cards with backstory and goals, Scenario briefing sheet

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

Role Play

⏱ 50 min·Small Groups

Case Study Carousel: UK Contested Sites

Set up 4 stations with cases like Glasgow's Commonwealth Games site or Dartmoor wild camping dispute. Groups spend 10 minutes per station noting conflicts, stakeholders, and resolutions, then share findings in a whole-class debrief.

Prepare & details

Compare different stakeholder perspectives on a contested urban development.

Facilitation Tip: For the case study carousel, assign each station a unique lens (e.g., economic, environmental, social) and require students to annotate evidence accordingly.

Setup: Open space or rearranged desks for scenario staging

Materials: Character cards with backstory and goals, Scenario briefing sheet

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

Role Play

⏱ 45 min·Pairs

Mediation Simulation: Local Land-Use Dispute

Pairs represent opposing sides in a fictional park development conflict. They draft mediation proposals incorporating stakeholder needs, present to the class, and refine based on peer feedback.

Prepare & details

Design a mediation strategy for resolving a local land-use dispute.

Facilitation Tip: In the mediation simulation, give conflicting parties only three minutes to prepare their opening statements to heighten pressure and realism.

Setup: Open space or rearranged desks for scenario staging

Materials: Character cards with backstory and goals, Scenario briefing sheet

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

Role Play

⏱ 30 min·Individual

Perspective Mapping: Conflict Layers

Individuals draw base maps of a contested place like London's Olympic Park legacy. Add layers for each stakeholder's claims using colors and annotations, then discuss overlaps in pairs.

Prepare & details

Analyze the underlying causes of conflict over place identity.

Facilitation Tip: For perspective mapping, require students to use different colors for each layer of conflict and include a legend explaining their choices.

Setup: Open space or rearranged desks for scenario staging

Materials: Character cards with backstory and goals, Scenario briefing sheet

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

Teaching This Topic

Teach this topic by starting with emotionally resonant case studies to build empathy before diving into theory. Avoid framing conflict as purely adversarial; instead, emphasize negotiation as a skill. Research shows students grasp place identity better when they physically map emotional connections, so use tactile or visual tools to anchor abstract concepts.

What to Expect

Students demonstrate understanding by articulating stakeholder perspectives, identifying layers of conflict, and proposing viable solutions. Success looks like nuanced debates where economic, cultural, and political motives are clearly distinguished and addressed.

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

Common Misconception

During the Stakeholder Debate on HS2 Route, students may assume conflicts stem only from economic competition.

What to Teach Instead

During the debate, circulate with a checklist that prompts students to justify non-financial claims using evidence from their briefs, such as heritage preservation or community disruption.

Common Misconception

During the Case Study Carousel, students might assume all stakeholders hold equal influence in place disputes.

What to Teach Instead

During the carousel, assign roles so some groups represent marginalized voices (e.g., long-term residents) and limit their resources, forcing students to recognize and address power disparities in their analyses.

Common Misconception

During the Mediation Simulation, students may believe place conflicts always escalate to irreversible division.

What to Teach Instead

During the simulation, provide a ‘conflict escalation ladder’ to guide students toward de-escalation, and require them to propose at least one compromise before concluding.

Assessment Ideas

Discussion Prompt

After the Stakeholder Debate on HS2 Route, ask students to reflect on how their understanding of place identity changed during the activity. Have them identify one moment when a stakeholder’s non-economic claim significantly influenced the debate.

Quick Check

During the Case Study Carousel, ask students to pause after each station and write down one stakeholder concern that surprised them, explaining why it challenged their initial assumptions.

Peer Assessment

After the Mediation Simulation, have students exchange their mediation proposals and use a rubric to assess clarity of stakeholder roles, feasibility of steps, and fairness of compromises. Each student provides one specific suggestion for improvement.

Extensions & Scaffolding

• Challenge: Ask students to research a global contested site (e.g., Standing Rock, Istanbul’s Gezi Park) and compare stakeholder strategies to UK examples.
• Scaffolding: Provide a sentence frame for mediation statements, such as “Our primary concern is… because… and we propose…”
• Deeper exploration: Have students design a community engagement process for a hypothetical development, including a timeline and communication strategy.

Key Vocabulary

Contested Place	A geographical area where different groups or individuals hold conflicting claims, interests, or identities, leading to disputes over its use, meaning, or control.
Place Identity	The sense of belonging and attachment that individuals or groups feel towards a particular place, shaped by shared experiences, memories, and cultural values.
Stakeholder	An individual, group, or organization that has an interest or concern in a particular place or project, and can be affected by its outcomes.
Gentrification	The process by which wealthier individuals move into, renovate, and restore housing in deteriorated urban neighborhoods, often leading to displacement of existing residents and changes in the area's character.
NIMBYism (Not In My Backyard)	Opposition to development projects or infrastructure by residents who object to the potential impact on their local area, even if they acknowledge the need for the project elsewhere.