CCE · Secondary 4

Active learning ideas

Navigating Great Power Competition

Active learning works for this topic because students need immediate practice with the real-world skills Singapore uses to navigate great power competition. Role-playing diplomacy and analyzing current tensions help them move from abstract concepts to concrete strategies they can evaluate and adapt.

• MOE Syllabus Outcomes
• MOE: Global Awareness - S4
• MOE: National Education - S4

• 30–50 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Jigsaw
• 45 min · Small Groups

Jigsaw: Singapore Strategies

Assign small groups one strategy (diplomacy, economy, defence, multilateralism). Each expert researches and prepares a 2-minute teach-back with visuals. Groups reform to share knowledge and discuss applications to current events like US-China trade tensions.

Analyze the challenges small states face in a world dominated by superpowers.

Facilitation Tip

During the Jigsaw Protocol, circulate to ensure each expert group has one concrete example from Singapore’s foreign policy before they teach it to their home group.

What to look for

Pose the question: 'Imagine you are a diplomat from a small island nation. How would you respond to increased naval activity from two rival superpowers in your Exclusive Economic Zone?' Facilitate a class discussion, encouraging students to apply concepts of sovereignty and balance of power.

• Understand
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Relationship Skills
• Self-Management

Activity 02

• Simulation Game
• 50 min · Small Groups

Simulation Game: ASEAN Summit Role-Play

Assign roles to countries facing a superpower dispute. Groups prepare positions based on real policies, negotiate resolutions over 20 minutes, then vote and debrief on compromises. Use news clips for context.

Explain the strategies Singapore employs to maintain its autonomy and influence.

Facilitation Tip

For the ASEAN Summit Role-Play, assign roles with specific interests and red lines to force students to negotiate rather than simply agree.

What to look for

Provide students with a short news clipping about a recent international trade negotiation involving Singapore and two major powers. Ask them to identify one challenge Singapore faces and one strategy it might employ, based on the lesson.

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

Activity 03

• Think-Pair-Share
• 30 min · Pairs

Think-Pair-Share: Multipolar Predictions

Individuals jot risks and opportunities for small states (5 min). Pairs merge ideas and select top three (10 min). Whole class shares via gallery walk, linking to Singapore's approach.

Predict the potential risks and opportunities for small states in a multipolar world.

Facilitation Tip

In the Think-Pair-Share, give pairs exactly 90 seconds to discuss before sharing with the class to keep responses focused and accountable.

What to look for

On an index card, have students write down one specific example of a strategy Singapore uses to maintain its autonomy and one potential risk it faces due to great power competition.

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

Activity 04

• Simulation Game
• 35 min · Whole Class

Alliance Mapping: Whole Class Visual

Project a world map. Students add sticky notes or digital pins for Singapore's partnerships. Discuss influences in pairs before class vote on most critical alliance.

Analyze the challenges small states face in a world dominated by superpowers.

Facilitation Tip

When mapping alliances, project a large map and have students physically place sticky notes to visualize relationships rather than drawing static diagrams.

What to look for

Pose the question: 'Imagine you are a diplomat from a small island nation. How would you respond to increased naval activity from two rival superpowers in your Exclusive Economic Zone?' Facilitate a class discussion, encouraging students to apply concepts of sovereignty and balance of power.

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

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teach this topic by starting with the concrete: first, have students identify a current news headline about great power competition, then reverse-engineer how Singapore would respond using its documented strategies. Avoid starting with theory—students retain more when they connect ideas to lived examples. Research shows that simulations and structured debates improve retention of complex geopolitical concepts by up to 40% compared to lectures.

Successful learning looks like students confidently explaining how Singapore balances economic, diplomatic, and military tools to maintain autonomy. They should analyze scenarios, debate trade-offs, and identify patterns in how small states influence larger powers through alliances and institutions.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During the Jigsaw Protocol: Singapore Strategies, some may claim small states have no influence over superpowers.

  As students teach each other Singapore’s strategies, circulate and prompt them to cite specific examples like hosting the Shangri-La Dialogue or brokering trade deals between the U.S. and China, forcing them to confront evidence of influence.

• During the Simulation: ASEAN Summit Role-Play, students may assume military strength is irrelevant for small nations focused on trade.

  Have each role-play group document at least one military-related concern in their negotiation brief, such as deterring aggression or responding to cyber threats, to balance economic and security priorities.

• During the Alliance Mapping: Whole Class Visual, students might argue that strict neutrality fully protects small states.

  During the mapping activity, ask students to compare Singapore’s engagement with multiple powers to Switzerland’s neutrality, using their visual to highlight how Singapore hedges risks through active participation in ASEAN and the UN.

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Methods used in this brief

• Jigsaw
• Simulation Game
• Think-Pair-Share