EU4U
Session 2 - How EU Are You?
Session Summary
In this session, pupils look at identity in individual, National and European contexts.
Pupils have opportunities to learn about:
- the idea of identity – what defines a group identity;
- how identity is expressed;
- the individual identities of countries in the EU; and
- identity within a European context.
Teachers should agree success criteria with their pupils.
Opportunities for Skills Development
Thinking Skills and Personal Capabilities
In this session, the emphasis is on the skill of Managing Information. Pupils have opportunities to:
- recognise, evaluate and express their ideas about an EU identity;
- group, sort and evaluate information – by combining and synthesising information from different sources to develop an understanding of the EU identity, producing collages and developing an agreed EU identity design; and
- reflect on the similarities and differences – by comparing and contrasting information from different sources using the comparison alley.
Cross-Curricular Skills
If you wish, you can develop the following Cross-Curricular Skills in this session:
- Communication (Talking and Listening, and Reading) – Pupils gather information for the EU identity collage.
- Using ICT – Pupils produce a collage.
Session Start-Up
Your pupils will have already had the opportunity to explore individual identity through the Year 8 concept of Diversity and Inclusion in CCEA’s Local & Global Citizenship folder.
Remind your pupils of the conclusion to Session 1. Ask pupils to think about:
- what they already know about their individual identity, national and European identity; and
- what they would like to know.
Have them record their thoughts in the first two columns of the K-W-L grid in Resource 2.1. Explain that they will complete the third column as they progress through the activities and discover answers to some of their questions.
Session Debrief
Return to the learning intentions to summarise the session.
Ask the class to reflect on:
- what they have learned about different kinds of identity;
- which kinds of identity are the most important to them;
- the importance and the drawbacks of national identity in the EU; and
- if they feel there is a single EU identity and why.