Geography · 10th Grade

Active learning ideas

Maritime and Land Border Disputes

Active learning works because border disputes are inherently spatial, legal, and political. Students need to visualize claims, negotiate perspectives, and weigh consequences rather than memorize facts about lines on a map. These activities turn abstract disputes into concrete decisions where students directly engage with geography, law, and ethics.

• Common Core State Standards
• C3: D2.Geo.5.9-12
• C3: D2.Civ.14.9-12

• 20–45 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 3 activities

Activity 01

• Case Study Analysis
• 25 min · Pairs

Map Analysis: South China Sea Claims

Students examine an annotated map of the South China Sea showing overlapping national claims, island features, and shipping lanes. In pairs, they identify the geographic basis for each claim, discuss what resources are at stake, and analyze why the dispute has been difficult to resolve through international arbitration.

Analyze the primary causes of maritime border disputes in the South China Sea.

Facilitation Tip

During Map Analysis: South China Sea Claims, have students trace each claimant’s maritime zones using colored pencils to highlight overlapping areas and reinforce spatial thinking.

What to look for

Pose the question: 'Given the principles of UNCLOS, what are the strongest legal arguments for China's claims in the South China Sea, and what are the strongest counterarguments from neighboring nations?' Facilitate a debate where students represent different claimant states.

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

Activity 02

• Case Study Analysis
• 45 min · Small Groups

Simulated Negotiation: Maritime Boundary Dispute

Assign groups to represent different claimant states in a South China Sea scenario. Each group reviews their assigned country's geographic position and strategic interests, then participates in a structured negotiation round. The class debriefs on which geographic arguments proved most persuasive and why consensus was difficult to reach.

Explain how walls and fences affect the ecosystems and economies of border regions.

Facilitation Tip

In Simulated Negotiation: Maritime Boundary Dispute, assign roles with distinct interests so students experience both the constraints and flexibility of international law.

What to look for

Ask students to write two sentences explaining one way climate change could lead to new land border disputes, and one sentence describing a potential economic consequence of a hardened border.

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

Activity 03

• Think-Pair-Share
• 20 min · Pairs

Think-Pair-Share: Walls, Fences, and Ecosystems

Present data on the ecological and economic effects of the US-Mexico border wall on wildlife corridors and cross-border communities. Partners discuss the tradeoffs between border security goals and environmental costs, then share their analysis with the class to build a broader discussion about unintended consequences of border hardening.

Predict the future of border disputes in a world facing climate-induced migration.

Facilitation Tip

For Think-Pair-Share: Walls, Fences, and Ecosystems, provide a blank U.S.-Mexico border map with labeled wildlife corridors so students can physically mark fragmentation points.

What to look for

Provide students with a short case study of a fictional border dispute. Ask them to identify: 1) whether it is primarily a land or maritime dispute, and 2) one key factor (e.g., resources, historical claims, geography) driving the conflict. Review answers as a class.

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

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teach this topic by moving from the concrete to the abstract: start with maps and case studies, then layer in legal frameworks like UNCLOS, and finally ask students to reflect on ethical implications. Avoid starting with theory, as students need to first see why borders matter to real people, ecosystems, and economies. Research shows that simulation and spatial analysis build deeper understanding than lectures alone.

Success looks like students accurately interpreting maps, distinguishing legal arguments from military posturing, and recognizing the ecological impacts of borders. They should move from seeing disputes as simple conflicts to understanding them as layered negotiations of law, geography, and power.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Map Analysis: South China Sea Claims, watch for students assuming that China’s control of islands gives it the strongest claim.

  Use the map layers to point out that UNCLOS grants territorial seas and exclusive economic zones based on distance from shore, not on which state occupies the most features. Remind students of the 2016 arbitration ruling that invalidated the nine-dash line.

• During Think-Pair-Share: Walls, Fences, and Ecosystems, watch for students assuming border barriers only stop people.

  Have students trace animal migration paths on the border map and ask: What happens when a fence blocks a pronghorn’s route to water? Use this to redirect them to ecological fragmentation as a key impact.

• During Simulated Negotiation: Maritime Boundary Dispute, watch for students assuming wealthy or powerful countries always win disputes.

  Prompt students to cite specific UNCLOS articles or historical precedents during the negotiation. Afterward, ask: Was the outcome based on wealth or on legal and geographic arguments? Refer to the Norway-Russia Barents Sea case as a counterexample.

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Methods used in this brief

• Case Study Analysis
• Think-Pair-Share