English Language · JC 1

Active learning ideas

Staying Healthy: A Global View

Active learning helps students move beyond abstract facts about global health by engaging them directly with real-world data and dilemmas. When students analyze case studies, debate perspectives, or simulate solutions, they build critical thinking and empathy, which are essential for understanding interconnected health challenges across regions.

• MOE Syllabus Outcomes
• MOE: Social Awareness - Middle School

• 45–60 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 3 activities

Activity 01

• Case Study Analysis
• 60 min · Small Groups

Global Health Case Study Analysis

Students work in small groups to research a specific health challenge in a designated country. They identify causes, impacts, and current interventions, then present their findings to the class.

What are some common health issues people face globally?

Facilitation Tip

During Jigsaw Reading, assign each group a distinct region and health challenge to ensure balanced exposure to global perspectives.

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

Activity 02

• Mystery Object
• 45 min · Pairs

Hygiene Campaign Design

In pairs, students design a public health campaign poster or short video promoting a specific hygiene practice (e.g., handwashing, safe food handling) relevant to a global context.

How can we stay healthy and prevent the spread of sickness?

Facilitation Tip

In Debate Pairs, provide a timer and clear turn-taking signals to keep discussions focused and equitable.

• Understand
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Self-Management
• Social Awareness

Activity 03

• Mystery Object
• 50 min · Whole Class

Healthcare Access Debate

Organize a class debate on a controversial topic related to global healthcare access, such as the ethics of mandatory vaccination or the role of international aid in health crises.

Why is access to healthcare important for everyone?

Facilitation Tip

For Role-Play Scenarios, give students time to prepare talking points and props to enhance authenticity and engagement.

• Understand
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Self-Management
• Social Awareness

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teachers should avoid presenting global health as a problem without solutions, as this can create feelings of helplessness. Instead, focus on prevention strategies like vaccination programs or hygiene campaigns, which empower students to see themselves as capable contributors. Research shows that role-playing and mapping activities are particularly effective for building spatial and systems thinking in this area.

Successful learning looks like students grounding their discussions in evidence from the texts and activities, recognizing the complexity of health issues rather than relying on simplistic assumptions. They should also demonstrate empathy by considering multiple viewpoints and proposing actionable, context-specific solutions.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Jigsaw Reading, watch for students assuming health problems only exist in developing countries.

  After Jigsaw Reading, ask each group to share one example of a health challenge in a high-income country they identified in their texts. Use these examples to highlight global interconnectedness and prompt a class discussion on shared risks.

• During Role-Play Scenarios, watch for students attributing all disease prevention to personal hygiene.

  In the role-play debrief, have students list the collective actions they proposed in their campaigns (e.g., community clean-ups, vaccination drives) and compare these to individual efforts to clarify the balance between personal and systemic responsibility.

• During Debate Pairs, watch for students asserting that healthcare access is universally equal.

  After the debate, provide students with a side-by-side comparison of healthcare access data from different regions (e.g., doctors per 1,000 people) and ask them to revisit their arguments with this evidence, noting any adjustments they would make.

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Methods used in this brief

• Case Study Analysis
• Mystery Object