TY1 – Section 1 – Introduction
Conception of the European Union
- Brussels. Bureaucracy. Birds Directive. Everyday our life is impacted in some way because we live in a member state of the European Union. But what comes to mind when we think of the EU? Is it one thing or many things? Is it money, travel, peace, security, or the environment? Is it nothing at all?
- The aim of this lesson is that students; think about how they see the EU, and understand why others may see it differently. It builds on a strand of the CSPE curriculum (on Effecting Global Change) and is a primer for the Politics & Society curriculum (on Power and Decision-making at National and European Level, and Globalisation and Identity).
- The lesson starts with a drawing exercise, a blank canvas for students to depict the EU in their mind’s eye. This leads to a short writing exercise where students unravel what they drew and why they drew it. The aim is self-reflection, rather than a display of knowledge or facts. If nothing comes to mind for a student, that is a realisation in itself. In the latter part of the lesson, students can see what people in Ireland tend to draw when asked; flags, economic things, and politicians/institutions. This is used as a prompt for information about the EU on these aspects.
- Discussion topics in the lesson task students to observe what is common or unique in drawings. Realising that classmates see things similarly or differently based on experience is a useful first step in a Discuss, Argue, Build approach to active European citizenship.
- The content and the teacher/student instructions for this lesson are intended as a template. Feel free to adapt structure, content, or delivery as suits your purpose. You know better what work for your students and your setting. The activities and discussion topics can be easily altered for a Think-Pair-Share exercise. The questions in the information slides can be tweaked for homework or follow-up exercises. You will find additional content in the Resources tab. You are welcome to import any content from there to replace or embellish the main lesson content. If you have a query about the lesson, don’t hesitate to contact us at dabtheeu@ucc.ie