Geography · 9th Grade

Active learning ideas

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.

• Common Core State Standards
• C3: D2.Geo.5.9-12
• C3: D2.Civ.10.9-12

• 15–45 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• 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.

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.

What to look for

Provide students with a map showing disputed maritime areas (e.g., South China Sea). Ask them to identify one country's claim, explain the legal basis for that claim using UNCLOS concepts (like EEZ), and state one potential consequence of the dispute.

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

Activity 02

• 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.

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.

What to look for

Pose the question: 'Given the geopolitical realities and resource competition, is UNCLOS an effective framework for managing the world's oceans, or does it primarily create new areas for conflict?' Facilitate a debate where students use specific examples from the Arctic and South China Sea.

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

Activity 03

• 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.

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.

What to look for

Present students with scenarios involving resource extraction or naval passage in international waters. Ask them to identify which UNCLOS zone applies (Territorial Sea, EEZ, High Seas) and what rights or restrictions apply to coastal states and other nations in that zone.

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

Activity 04

• 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.

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.

What to look for

Provide students with a map showing disputed maritime areas (e.g., South China Sea). Ask them to identify one country's claim, explain the legal basis for that claim using UNCLOS concepts (like EEZ), and state one potential consequence of the dispute.

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

A few notes on teaching this unit

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.

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.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

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

  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.

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

  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.

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

  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.

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Methods used in this brief

• Simulation Game
• Mock Trial
• Gallery Walk
• Think-Pair-Share