Analyse a Current Political Issue from Multiple Perspectives

Develop empathy and critical thinking by analysing a political issue from different stakeholder viewpoints.

Teaching Context:
Ideal for Year 10 to Year 12 Social Sciences or Politics classes exploring contemporary issues.

Basic AI Prompt:
Explain both sides of the debate on renewable energy subsidies.

Enhanced AI Prompt:
You are learning to see political issues from multiple viewpoints. Ask AI to explain a current political debate in Australia (e.g. renewable energy subsidies, refugee intake, compulsory voting). List the arguments for and against the issue, then ask AI to write a short speech from the perspective of three people: a government minister, an environmental activist, and a small business owner. Finally, ask AI to summarise how these different perspectives shape the public debate.

Spice it Up (Optional Extension):
Ask AI to create a mock social media post from each person’s perspective.

Lesson Implementation:
Start with a discussion about what makes political debates complex. Brainstorm stakeholders in a chosen issue. Students use AI to create stakeholder profiles, outlining each person’s background, motivations, and key arguments.

They then write short speeches or role-play interviews where each character presents their view. Wrap up with a whole-class debate exploring compromise and common ground. This activity builds empathy, civic literacy, and argumentation skills.

Got ideas on different ways to use this prompt? Share them with the class in the comments below!

Also, if you liked this, you'll love the thousands of subject-specific AI prompts in our books section!