Geopolitics of the Ocean

Ocean geopolitics is abstract until students see how UNCLOS rules translate into real-world claims and conflicts. Active learning turns the invisible lines of maritime jurisdiction into something they can negotiate, map, and defend, making the stakes concrete and memorable.

• 9th Grade
• Geography
• 4 activities
• 15 min–45 min

Learning Objectives

1. Analyze the legal basis for Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs) and their impact on resource claims in international waters.
2. Compare and contrast the geopolitical challenges in the Arctic and South China Sea related to maritime disputes.
3. Evaluate the significance of the United States' non-ratification of UNCLOS on its maritime policy and international relations.
4. Explain how UNCLOS provisions define territorial waters, EEZs, and the high seas.
5. Critique the effectiveness of UNCLOS in resolving contemporary territorial and resource disputes.

Simulation Game

⏱ 45 min·Small Groups

Simulation Game: EEZ Negotiation

Small groups represent different nations with overlapping EEZ claims in the South China Sea. Each group receives a fact sheet with their nation's position and resources at stake. Groups negotiate bilateral agreements before a full-class multilateral summit, then debrief on which geographic factors shaped each nation's position.

Prepare & details

Evaluate who owns the resources at the bottom of the Arctic Ocean.

Facilitation Tip: During EEZ Negotiation, assign roles with specific economic stakes so students feel the tension between access and control.

Setup: Flexible space for group stations

Materials: Role cards with goals/resources, Game currency or tokens, Round tracker

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

Mock Trial

⏱ 25 min·Pairs

Map Analysis: Drawing the Invisible Lines

Students receive a blank map of the Arctic Ocean and coast data for the five Arctic states. They draw 12-mile territorial waters, 200-mile EEZs, and the continental shelf extensions each country claims. The resulting overlaps become the basis for a structured discussion about whose claim is strongest under UNCLOS rules.

Prepare & details

Analyze why the South China Sea is a major flashpoint for global conflict.

Facilitation Tip: For Map Analysis, have students overlay EEZ boundaries on physical maps to visualize how much ocean is already claimed.

Setup: Desks rearranged into courtroom layout

Materials: Role cards, Evidence packets, Verdict form for jury

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

Gallery Walk

⏱ 30 min·Small Groups

Gallery Walk: South China Sea Flashpoints

Six stations post different artifacts: satellite images of artificial islands, a timeline of incidents, a UNCLOS excerpt, a Chinese nine-dash line map, a US Navy freedom-of-navigation notice, and a Filipino fisherman's testimony. Students annotate each with observations and questions, then the class synthesizes the competing perspectives.

Prepare & details

Explain how Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs) impact global fishing rights and resource extraction.

Facilitation Tip: In the Gallery Walk, place primary sources like arbitration rulings next to maps so students connect legal texts to spatial disputes.

Setup: Wall space or tables arranged around room perimeter

Materials: Large paper/poster boards, Markers, Sticky notes for feedback

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Create
• Relationship Skills
• Social Awareness

Think-Pair-Share

⏱ 15 min·Pairs

Think-Pair-Share: The US and UNCLOS

Students read a two-paragraph briefing on why the US Senate has not ratified UNCLOS despite the Navy supporting it. Pairs identify the competing interests (military, commercial, sovereignty) before sharing with the class, generating discussion about how domestic politics shapes international maritime behavior.

Prepare & details

Evaluate who owns the resources at the bottom of the Arctic Ocean.

Facilitation Tip: Use Think-Pair-Share for the US and UNCLOS discussion to give quieter students time to process before contributing.

Setup: Standard classroom seating; students turn to a neighbor

Materials: Discussion prompt (projected or printed), Optional: recording sheet for pairs

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

Teaching This Topic

Teachers should emphasize that UNCLOS is not a single rulebook but a layered system of rights and zones. Avoid presenting it as a neutral document; instead, highlight how major powers interpret it differently. Research shows students grasp maritime law better when they see how abstract zones affect real industries like fishing, oil, or shipping lanes.

What to Expect

Students will explain how UNCLOS divides ocean space, analyze how resource wealth drives disputes, and evaluate why the United States’ non-ratification matters. They will use legal terms accurately in simulations and discussions and connect legal frameworks to economic and military realities.

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

Common Misconception

During Map Analysis: Drawing the Invisible Lines, watch for statements that the ocean is entirely international territory without zones.

What to Teach Instead

Pause the mapping activity and ask students to compare a country’s 200-mile EEZ with the 12-mile territorial sea, pointing out how much ocean is already under national control.

Common Misconception

During EEZ Negotiation, watch for over-simplified disputes focused only on fishing rights.

What to Teach Instead

Provide each negotiation team with a resource list that includes oil blocks, rare earth deposits, and shipping lanes, and require them to justify claims based on economic value.

Common Misconception

During Gallery Walk: South China Sea Flashpoints, watch for assumptions that UNCLOS resolves all disputes automatically.

What to Teach Instead

Have students read the 2016 Permanent Court of Arbitration ruling, then ask them to explain why China ignored it and what that reveals about enforcement.

Assessment Ideas

Exit Ticket

After Map Analysis: Drawing the Invisible Lines, ask students to identify one country’s EEZ on a blank map, label it, and write one sentence explaining why it matters economically.

Discussion Prompt

During Think-Pair-Share: The US and UNCLOS, listen for students connecting US military freedom of navigation operations to the absence of ratification, and ask follow-ups about sovereignty versus global cooperation.

Quick Check

After EEZ Negotiation, present a scenario where a company wants to drill inside a disputed EEZ and ask students to decide which UNCLOS zone applies, which country has jurisdiction, and what legal steps could resolve the claim.

Extensions & Scaffolding

• Challenge early finishers to draft a short policy memo from the US perspective arguing whether to ratify UNCLOS.
• Scaffolding for struggling students: Provide a simplified map with only territorial seas and EEZs labeled, and ask them to shade zones before adding disputes.
• Deeper exploration: Assign a case study on the Arctic, where melting ice and new shipping routes are changing EEZ claims, and have students present how UNCLOS applies.

Key Vocabulary

United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)	An international treaty that establishes a legal framework for all marine and maritime activities, defining maritime zones and rights.
Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ)	A maritime zone extending 200 nautical miles from the coast, within which a coastal state has sovereign rights for exploring and exploiting marine resources.
Territorial Sea	A belt of coastal waters extending at most 12 nautical miles from the baseline of the territory of a state, over which the state has sovereignty.
High Seas	All parts of the sea that are not included in the EEZ, territorial sea, or internal waters of a state, open to all states.
Maritime Dispute	A disagreement between states over the boundaries of maritime zones or the rights to resources within those zones.