EU: Lesson 2: How did the EU reach its current membership?

The starter
small map of EU
map of EU Ask the students to draw a mental map of Europe (you can use Resource 3). This can be very revealing. Resource 4 illustrates some other students' examples. Your students' maps can be kept and stored. At the end of this sequence of learning, students can draw a new mental map of the European Union and see how their knowledge has changed.

Main activity
Jigsaw activity: Split the class into pairs and distribute card cutouts of the European Union Countries. Resource 5 provides a useful map that can be enlarged and adapted to create cut-out outlines for each of the member countries. Students, working in pairs, use Resource 6, 'The development of the EU'. A more detailed history can be found at http://europa.eu.int/abc/12lessons/index13_en.htm

Students identify and name each of the countries (for the first five minutes without an atlas). They write on each country the date it joined the EU and then re-assemble the countries to form a map of the EU.

They can check their map against http://europa.eu.int/abc/maps/index_en.htm This is an excellent interactive map using English and a variety of languages.

Then, in groups no larger than four, students create enquiry questions regarding the membership /non-membership of the EU.

They individually complete an annotated map of the European Union highlighting their own enquiry questions and history of the membership.

The European Union flag flying outside one of its buildings
Questions may be along the lines of: