English · Class 10

Active learning ideas

Understanding Conflict Resolution in Relationships

Active learning works for this topic because students need to experience conflict resolution, not just discuss it. When they step into characters' shoes, they feel the weight of choices and their consequences, which books alone cannot convey. Role-plays and dialogues help them internalise techniques like active listening far more deeply than passive reading ever can.

• CBSE Learning Outcomes
• CBSE Curriculum: English Language and Literature (Class X), Section C: Literature, Analyzing interpersonal conflicts in literary works.
• NCERT: First Flight, Chapter 11 'The Proposal', Examining sources of conflict and failed resolution in relationships.
• NCERT: First Flight, Chapter 6 'The Hundred Dresses,II', Exploring themes of guilt, apology, and reconciliation.

• 30–45 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Mock Trial
• 45 min · Small Groups

Role-Play: Resolving Story Conflicts

Choose a short story excerpt with relational conflict. In small groups, students rewrite the scene with resolution strategies, then perform for the class. Peers provide feedback on techniques like empathy statements. Conclude with a whole-class reflection on what worked best.

Analyze the root causes of conflict between characters in a given story.

Facilitation Tip

During Role-Play: Resolving Story Conflicts, assign roles only after students have read the text carefully to ensure authenticity in their portrayal.

What to look for

Provide students with a short scenario depicting a conflict between two characters. Ask them to write one sentence identifying the root cause and two sentences describing how one character could use active listening to begin resolving the conflict.

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

Activity 02

• Think-Pair-Share
• 30 min · Pairs

Think-Pair-Share: Root Cause Analysis

Present a literary passage highlighting conflict. Students think individually about causes for two minutes, pair to discuss for five minutes, then share with the class. Record common causes on the board to build a class chart.

Construct a dialogue that demonstrates effective conflict resolution techniques.

Facilitation Tip

For Think-Pair-Share: Root Cause Analysis, give each pair a timer of two minutes to ensure focused discussion before sharing with the class.

What to look for

Present the class with a scenario where a conflict was not resolved. Ask: 'What are two negative consequences that might arise from this unresolved conflict for the characters involved? How might these consequences impact their future interactions?'

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

Activity 03

• Mock Trial
• 40 min · Pairs

Dialogue Construction Workshop

Provide conflict prompts from texts. Pairs draft dialogues showing resolution steps: identify issue, express feelings, propose solutions. Groups rotate to refine peers' work before presenting one polished version.

Evaluate the consequences of unresolved conflict on character relationships.

Facilitation Tip

In Dialogue Construction Workshop, provide sentence starters like 'I feel...when...because...' to scaffold constructive dialogue.

What to look for

After reading a story, ask students to write down one example of a character demonstrating compromise and one example of a character failing to use assertive communication. Have them share their examples with a partner.

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

Activity 04

• Mock Trial
• 35 min · Small Groups

Consequence Mapping: Visual Timelines

In small groups, students create timelines for a character's conflict arc, marking resolved versus unresolved paths with drawings and quotes. Share maps and vote on most realistic outcomes.

Analyze the root causes of conflict between characters in a given story.

Facilitation Tip

For Consequence Mapping: Visual Timelines, use different coloured markers for immediate and long-term effects to help students track impacts clearly.

What to look for

Provide students with a short scenario depicting a conflict between two characters. Ask them to write one sentence identifying the root cause and two sentences describing how one character could use active listening to begin resolving the conflict.

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

A few notes on teaching this unit

Experienced teachers approach this topic by balancing textual analysis with experiential learning. They avoid overloading students with theory and instead let them discover conflict resolution strategies through guided practice. Research suggests that when students physically act out resolutions, they retain empathy and communication skills far better. Avoid turning activities into debates; keep the focus on collaborative problem-solving and reflection.

Successful learning looks like students confidently distinguishing between healthy and unhealthy conflict responses. They should articulate root causes clearly, practise empathetic dialogue, and explain why compromise often beats confrontation. By the end, they should recognise that resolution requires effort from all sides, not just one.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Role-Play: Resolving Story Conflicts, some students assume the most forceful character 'wins'.

  Pause the role-play and ask the audience to vote on whether the conflict was resolved fairly. Then, invite students to redo the scene with compromise-focused dialogue, using peer feedback to refine their approach.

• During Think-Pair-Share: Root Cause Analysis, students may believe avoidance is harmless.

  After pairs share their root causes, ask them to map the timeline of consequences if the conflict is ignored. Use their timelines to highlight how avoidance often worsens the situation over time.

• During Dialogue Construction Workshop, students think loud voices resolve conflicts fastest.

  Provide a sample dialogue where characters raise their voices and ask students to rewrite it with calm, assertive language. Discuss how escalation harms relationships compared to assertive communication.

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Methods used in this brief

• Mock Trial
• Think-Pair-Share