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Visit my Youtube channel for informational vidoes & case studies
Here you will find short videos, highlights from classroom activities, memorable “aha” moments, short stories from students’ home countries, and much more.
Here you will find short videos, highlights from classroom activities, memorable “aha” moments, short stories from students’ home countries, and much more.
Organizing smaller discussions in the first week helps new students get comfortable with key global politics terms in a relaxed environment, allowing everyone to participate equally regardless of prior knowledge. This approach opens up conversations and builds a welcoming classroom atmosphere, setting the tone for deeper engagement and inquiry in later lessons. Short table discussions also encourage students to relate political concepts to their everyday experiences, making abstract ideas understandable from the very beginning.
2 Truths & a Lie
2 Truths & a Lie
This activity adapts the classic icebreaker “Two Truths and a Lie”—students present two real political issues from a country and one non-political issue (or vice versa), while the group tries to guess which is the non-political statement. It’s a fun and interactive way to help students distinguish what makes an issue “political,” break the ice at the start of classes, and discover interesting facts about different countries through real-life examples. By prompting discussion and playful guessing, teachers can open the conversation about political issues and encourage critical thinking from the first lesson.
After several prompts and class discussions (over at least four sessions), students were invited to pause and reflect individually, exploring their own perspectives and assumptions. This was followed by a brief meditation to foster self-awareness. Critical thinking is not only about analyzing others’ viewpoints but also critically evaluating oneself. This activity supported our inquiry into the ‘Contested meanings of Development,’ encouraging deeper, personal engagement with complex ideas.
Guest Speakers
Guest Speakers
Inviting guest speakers to global politics classes—whether in person or virtually—is a powerful way to enrich students’ learning. As extracurricular, optional sessions, these talks bring in experts who share both professional insights and personal stories, making complex topics more relatable and vivid for students. When students hear firsthand experiences, it deepens understanding and sparks curiosity far beyond textbook material; feedback from classes consistently shows how impactful and memorable guest speakers can be for learners.
Having DP2 (second-year Diploma Programme) students present their case studies to DP1 (first-year) students creates a dynamic learning environment where peer teaching is at the forefront. This approach allows DP1 students to hear from more experienced classmates, gaining insights into research skills, real-world political contexts, and the practicalities of case study analysis.
In this class activity, students selected a relevant contemporary political cartoon and paired it with a closely linked case study. The cartoon served as a visual anchor to trigger “pictographic” memory, while the case study provided depth, evidence, and context. By interpreting symbolism, identifying perspectives, and connecting imagery to real-world data, students strengthened analysis, media literacy, and argumentation—an engaging pathway to remember key Global Politics concepts and think more critically about current affairs.
African Regional Week
African Regional Week
The tradition at UWCs is to celebrate different regions or cultures every couple of months, bringing students together to share food, music, and traditions from their home countries. In my activity, I expand this tradition by asking students to bring news from their region and connect it to a political case study, giving the evening a current affairs and global politics angle. This approach helps everyone appreciate the diversity of our community while also encouraging discussion of real-world political issues in context. It blends cultural celebration with learning, making global politics relevant and alive for all participants.
Students participated in a creative poster session—“Artivism in Politics”—where each artistically expressed their favorite political issue through drawing or visual design. Afterward, they explained their posters to the group, sharing why the issue matters to them and the story or message behind their artwork. This activity unleashed creativity, encouraged visual communication, and helped students and peers engage with complex political topics in fresh, accessible ways. Artivism in Politics made political learning vibrant and personal, blending artistic skills with political awareness in the classroom.
A Policy Pitch Competition is an active learning exercise where student groups select one of the eight global political challenges identified in IB Global Politics—Borders, Environment, Equality, Health, Identity, Poverty, Security, and Technology. Each team thoroughly researches their chosen issue (for example, "Hydropolitics in Iraq" for Environment or "Access to Medicines" for Health), analyzes relevant stakeholders and existing solutions, and then develops an original, practical policy proposal.
Teams present their ideas to a panel of judges (such as teachers, peers, or guest experts), justifying their recommendations with evidence, addressing counter-arguments, and suggesting implementation strategies. During the Q&A, groups must defend their policy choices by drawing on course concepts of power, sovereignty, human rights, development, or peace and conflict.
This competition sharpens skills in research, synthesis, critical thinking, advocacy, and public speaking—mirroring real-world policy pitching and encouraging students to engage deeply with urgent international issues
For Paper 2 assessment preparation, students participate in a dynamic “Question Toss and Outline” activity. Each student writes a potential exam question on a sheet of paper, then crumples it into a ball. As music plays, the paper balls are passed among the group. When the music stops, everyone opens the paper ball they’re holding and has 10 minutes to write a brief outline in response to the question they’ve received. This cycle repeats until each student has outlined at least three different questions. The activity helps students practice structuring their answers under timed conditions, exposes them to a range of questions, and makes revision collaborative and engaging.
Press Conference Simulation: One student acts as a political figure or activist; others are journalists asking tough, relevant political questions. This builds skills in argumentation and impromptu thinking. Students can be given any current political issue where one of them becomes the President or Prime minister of that country and rest behaves like a journalist.
“Question the Question” is an activity designed to deepen understanding of key concepts by having students generate sub-questions about a central question. Starting with one broad question—often related to a major concept—students work in groups or pairs to ask multiple follow-up or probing questions from different perspectives (such as ethical, social, historical, or personal angles). This technique encourages critical thinking, helps students recognize the complexity of political issues, and fosters discussion of diverse viewpoints.
Wonder Exhibition
Wonder Exhibition
Students explored connectivity between Theory of Knowledge and global politics by selecting three objects from the MENA region that relate to a key global politics concept and a real-world case study; they then wrote a 900-word analysis explaining those connections. For example, crutches, a wheelchair, and expired medicines highlight the health crisis in Yemen within the context of conflict and humanitarian needs, while water, a dam, and the Iraqi flag illustrate hydropolitics in Iraq and issues of identity and resource control. This creative approach encourages students to analyze evidence, perspectives, and real-world political issues, making abstract concepts tangible and deepening TOK-style critical thinking.
For our Power and Sovereignty activity, each student brings in a favorite political cartoon related to these concepts and presents it in class. Together, the class analyzes each cartoon by exploring what message it conveys, why it was created, and how it represents dynamics of power and/or sovereignty. This engaging visual interpretation helps students sharpen analytical skills and prepares them for interpreting sources—especially for Question 1 in Paper 1 of their exam.
Students participate in collaborative learning with peers from other UWCs by tackling pressing global issues, such as the relevance of the United Nations, using platforms like Google Jamboard. They share and discuss their perspectives by adding points on digital sticky notes, fostering international dialogue and collective understanding. As a final step, everyone works together to develop well-considered recommendations, practicing teamwork and global citizenship in a dynamic, tech-enabled environment.
Stakeholder Mapping and Policy Response Simulation
Stakeholder Mapping and Policy Response Simulation
Students research a specific contemporary political crisis (e.g., climate adaptation in Bangladesh, protests in Hong Kong, or the global refugee crisis). Each group identifies all relevant stakeholders (e.g., national governments, NGOs, local communities, international organizations, corporations) and maps out their interests, resources, and sources of power—using sticky notes, diagrams, or digital tools.
Next, groups propose a policy response or intervention (for example, a new approach to humanitarian aid, a diplomatic initiative, or legislation). Each team presents their map and policy proposal, and classmates are assigned to challenge the plan from the perspective of a stakeholder not yet represented. The activity concludes with a debrief on ethical dilemmas, conflicting interests, power dynamics, and the feasibility of the solutions.
A special guest lecture was delivered by Sister Lisa, who shared insights from her time in Israel-Palestine, focusing on human rights violations and the vital role NGOs play in protecting human rights. Her firsthand experiences offered students a nuanced perspective on the challenges faced in conflict zones and highlighted the importance of advocacy and humanitarian work in upholding justice and dignity for affected populations.
In the Glopo Podcast Project, interested students launch weekly podcasts where they interview friends, fellow students, and teachers about political issues in their home countries. Each episode brings diverse perspectives and stories, helping the whole school community stay informed about global events and politics. By posting these podcasts every weekend, students develop research, communication, and media skills while making global politics engaging and accessible for everyone.
Around us:
Complementing our Glopo Podcast Project, we host a fortnightly “Around Us” session, where individuals from our community share their courageous, personal stories—often ones that have rarely been heard. Now part of CAS, this initiative provides a respectful and supportive platform for voices that deserve to be amplified, inviting deep empathy, reflection, and community building. Because these stories can be sensitive, we emphasize handling each session with care and compassion, ensuring privacy and respect throughout.
We hosted a session with Sandi Arnold, Chief Mission Support at UNMIK, who shared her extensive experience with students—covering her role at the United Nations Mission in Kosovo, engagement in humanitarian affairs, non-proliferation work, and the efforts of UN peacekeeping and peacebuilding in different countries. This insightful talk sparked further interest in hearing directly from UN professionals, leading to invitations for more guest speakers from the UN system. At UWC, such connections are made possible not only through the alumni office, but also with help from our faculty, student initiatives, and the wider UWC global network, providing students with rich opportunities to interact with leading figures in international affairs.
“Theory on a Brochure” activity was to help students distill complex political theories into clear, concise brochures featuring the most important points as creative revision tools. Each student selected one theory, designed a visually appealing brochure, and included key elements that would make it easy to reference later. The classroom was alive with creativity, as students brought theories to life through design—demonstrating both understanding and artistic flair while producing handy, student-made revision sheets for everyone to use.
“My Power Map” + “Power in Action”
“My Power Map” + “Power in Action”
Students begin with a quick self-reflection called My Power Map. On an A4 sheet with a simple human figure and a dashed line across the middle, they write above the line who/what they have power over and below the line who/what has power over them, adding a few words on how that power works (rules, resources, ideas, status, force). Partners share one example each and name the mechanism together.
Next comes Power in Action: after a short recap of your chosen types of power (e.g., coercion/incentives/persuasion; hard/soft/smart), pairs match 8–10 short real-world scenarios to a type of power, identifying the actor, the level (local/national/global), and the mechanism. A brief debrief highlights which types appeared most often, which seemed legitimate, and how context changed what worked.
This activity builds everyday political literacy, connects directly to core concepts (power, legitimacy, interdependence), and gives students a fast, confidence-boosting entry into the course.
Safety note: keep examples about roles and institutions, not classmates or personal situations.
Policy Pitch Competition (group project)
Policy Pitch Competition (group project)
In teams, students choose one of the eight global political challenges (Borders, Environment, Equality, Health, Identity, Poverty, Security, Technology) and research a focused issue—for example, “Access to Medicines” under Health or “Hydropolitics in Iraq” under Environment. They map key stakeholders and existing responses, evaluate what has and hasn’t worked, and design a concise, practical policy proposal.
Groups pitch their recommendation to a small panel (teachers, peers, or guest experts), justify it with evidence, respond to counter-arguments in a Q&A, and outline implementation steps and risks. Throughout, students link their choices to course ideas such as power, sovereignty, rights, development, and peace & conflict.
The competition sharpens research, synthesis, evaluation, advocacy, and public speaking—mirroring real policy work and motivating students to engage deeply with urgent international issues.
IR Arms Dilemma Game (“Guns or Goodies?”)
IR Arms Dilemma Game (“Guns or Goodies?”)
Purpose (15–40 mins, flexible)
Introduce core IR lenses—realism, liberalism (institutionalism), constructivism—by letting “countries” choose each round to spend on Weapons (W) or Leisure/Services (L) and then comparing outcomes.
Materials
Team name tents (Country A, B, C, D…)
10 budget tokens per team (reuse each round)
Scoreboard (Power points & Prosperity points)
Two large cards per team: W and L
Setup
3–6 teams; seat them in a circle (neighbours = the two teams beside you).
Explain the two tracks you’ll score: Power (relative capability) and Prosperity (well-being).
Tell them there will be 5 rounds.
Round rules (prisoner’s-dilemma style payoffs)
Each round, teams secretly choose W or L. Reveal together. Use this simple payoff table (per team):
All choose L → each gets +3 Prosperity
You choose W while at least one neighbour chooses L → you get +4 Power, each L-neighbour gets 0 this round
Everyone chooses W → each gets +2 Power, −1 Prosperity (arms race cost)
You choose L while any neighbour chooses W → you get 0 this round (felt insecure)
Teacher note: For 5–6 teams, apply “neighbour” logic to the two adjacent teams. For 3–4 teams, you can treat any W as triggering the L=0 outcome.
Optional twists (to surface theories)
Diplomacy phase (1 min) before choices.
Alliance treaty: two teams may announce a pact to both pick L; if either defects, the defector gets −1 legitimacy.
Institution: create a “Council” that can vote sanctions (−1) on a defector if ⅔ agree—tests liberal institutionalism.
Shock card (one round): “Pandemic”—W yields 0; L yields +4 Prosperity—highlights non-traditional security.
Scoring & win conditions
Keep two tallies per team: Power and Prosperity.
Realists might care most about Power ranking; liberals about total Prosperity for all; constructivists about norms (few defections, stable cooperation).
You can declare different “winners” by lens, or combine tracks (e.g., Power + Prosperity).
Debrief (5–10 mins)
When did you arm? What fear or incentive drove it? (Realism)
Did diplomacy or an institution change behaviour? (Liberalism)
Did trust/reputation/norms build over rounds? (Constructivism)
Who gained relative vs absolute benefits? Any security dilemma moments?
Link to concepts: power, sovereignty, legitimacy, interdependence.
Link to Paper 3 LoIs: different contexts & perceptions; frameworks/mechanisms (alliances, sanctions); cross-topic lenses (security vs development trade-offs).
Teacher tips
Keep rounds quick (30–60 seconds).
Use a projector or board to track both Power and Prosperity.
Swap in country names from current events to spark connections.
NationStates is a nation simulation game. Create a nation according to your political ideals and care for its people. Or deliberately oppress them. It's up to you. www.nationstates.net/
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