Learning Compromise Through Teamwork
The How Decisions Are Made in the EU – Compromise activity helps pupils in 1st and 2nd Class understand how decisions are made when people work together. Using storytelling, group colouring and guided discussion, children discover that cooperation often involves compromise, just like decision-making in the European Union.
What’s the difference between Activities and Instructions?
Activities are the interactive games or exercises your pupils will complete in class. Instructions are the teacher materials that help you prepare: background notes, printable sheets, or instructions.
Learning objectives
This activity helps children to:
- Understand that countries in the European Union work together
- Learn that decisions often require agreement and compromise
- Recognise that compromise does not always mean getting exactly what you want
- Practise listening to others’ ideas and taking turns
- Use respectful and fair language during group discussions
- Work cooperatively to make shared decisions
- Reflect on their own feelings when compromising
- Build a sense of belonging to a group and a wider community
Introducing compromise through storytelling
The lesson begins with the story The Day the Crayons Quit.
Children are invited to think about how the crayons behave and why their situation is similar to how countries work together in the European Union.
The teacher guides discussion with questions such as:
- Do the crayons always agree?
- How do they solve their disagreements?
- What happens when they decide to work together?
This storytelling approach helps pupils grasp the idea of compromise in a familiar and engaging way.
Working together on a shared task
After the discussion, children work in small groups to colour a large picture together.
- Each group must agree on colours
- Decisions are made as a team
- Children experience what it feels like to compromise
If disagreements arise, the teacher uses these moments to highlight that working together sometimes means adjusting personal preferences for the good of the group.
Reflecting on feelings and decisions
Children are encouraged to reflect on how they felt during the activity by:
- Choosing an emoji that matches their experience (easy, tricky or difficult)
- Talking about what made the task easier or harder
- Identifying moments when they had to compromise
This reflection helps children connect emotions to decision-making.
Understanding compromise in the European Union
Through discussion, children learn that:
- Countries in the EU must listen to one another
- Decisions are made together
- Compromise helps groups function fairly
Simple questions and word games reinforce the meaning of compromise in an age-appropriate way.
Why this activity works
- Designed specifically for 1st and 2nd Class
- Uses storytelling and creative tasks to explain abstract ideas
- Encourages emotional awareness and social skills
- Makes EU decision-making understandable for young learners
- Supports respectful communication and teamwork
