Geography · Year 13

Active learning ideas

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.

• National Curriculum Attainment Targets
• A-Level: Geography - Changing Places
• A-Level: Geography - Social Geography

• 30–60 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• 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.

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.

What to look for

Pose the question: 'How do differing perceptions of place identity contribute to conflicts over urban regeneration projects?' Ask students to identify two specific examples from the UK and explain how identity played a role in the conflict.

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

Activity 02

• 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.

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.

What to look for

Provide students with a brief case study of a contested development (e.g., a new supermarket in a historic town center). Ask them to list three key stakeholders and, for each, write one sentence summarizing their primary concern or claim regarding the development.

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

Activity 03

• 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.

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.

What to look for

Students draft a short proposal for a mediation strategy for a local land-use dispute. They then exchange proposals with a partner. Each partner assesses the proposal based on: clarity of identified stakeholders, feasibility of proposed steps, and fairness of potential compromises. Partners provide one specific suggestion for improvement.

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

Activity 04

• 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.

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.

What to look for

Pose the question: 'How do differing perceptions of place identity contribute to conflicts over urban regeneration projects?' Ask students to identify two specific examples from the UK and explain how identity played a role in the conflict.

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

A few notes on teaching this unit

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.

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.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

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

  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.

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

  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.

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

  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.

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Methods used in this brief

• Role Play