Lessons
1st & 2nd Class (ages 7–8)
At this stage, pupils start to understand how countries relate to one another, through travel, trade, and shared symbols. These six lessons introduce the idea of the European Union as a “club” of countries that work together while keeping their own identity. All lesson resources are ready-to-use and fully editable, so you can adapt them to your classroom needs.
Competences for Democratic Culture
Each lesson and activity supports the development of Competences for Democratic Culture, a framework developed by the Council of Europe to help pupils build key skills and attitudes for citizenship education. The four coloured boxes show which competences are developed in each lesson. Each lesson and activity have been designed to foster the development of values, attitudes, skills and critical knowledge.
Values
- Valuing human dignity and human rights
- Valuing cultural diversity
- Valuing democracy, justice, fairness, equality and the rule of law
Attitudes
- Openness to cultural otherness and to respect other beliefs, world views and practices
- Respect
- Civic-mindedness
- Responsibility
- Self-efficacy
- Tolerance of ambiguity
Skills
- Autonomous learning skills
- Analytical and critical thinking skills
- Skills of listening and observing
- Empathy
- Flexibility and adaptability
- Linguistic, communicative and plurilingual skills
- Co-operation skills
- Conflict-resolution skills
Knowledge and critical understanding
- Knowledge and critical understanding of the self
- Knowledge and critical understanding of language and communication
- Knowledge and critical understanding of the world: politics, law, human rights, culture, cultures, religions, history, media, economies, environment, sustainability
Lessons 1st & 2nd Class
Each lesson includes a short explanatory video for teachers, a 4-question quiz, and a PowerPoint presentation to support classroom learning.
Lesson 1 – My Country in the European Union
This lesson introduces the idea that each country is part of something bigger, the European Union. It was originally developed using Ireland as an example, but all resources are fully editable, so you can easily adapt the maps, names, and examples to your own country.
Pupils explore the local, national, European, and global levels through maps and discussion, identifying where their own country fits in the wider world.
Resources:
- Lesson plan
- Lesson slides
- Quiz
- Activity sheet
- Activity Instruction
Curriculum Links
SPHE (1999)
- Strand: Myself
- Strand unit: Self-identity
- Strand: Myself and others
- Strand unit: Relating to others
- Strand: Myself and the wider world
- Strand unit: Developing citizenship
Geography (1999)
- Strand: Human environments,
- Strand unit: Living in the local community
- Strand unit: People and places in other areas
English (2025)
- Strand: Communicating
- Strand unit: Engagement, listening and attention
- Strand: Understanding
- Strand unit: vocabulary
- Strand unit: demonstration of understanding
- Strand: Exploring and using
- Strand unit: Requests, questions and interactions
- Strand unit: Information giving, explanation and justification
Visual Arts (1999)
- Strand: Drawing
- Strand unit: Making drawings
- Strand unit: Looking and responding
- Strand: Paint and colour
- Strand unit: Painting
- Strand unit: Looking and responding
Lesson 2 – What is a Union? (The EU Club)
Using the concept of a club, children learn how and why the European Union was created.
They explore what countries gain by working together and make an “EU smoothie” to visualise the idea of unity.
Resources:
- Lesson plan
- Lesson slides
- Quiz
- Activity sheet
- Activity Instruction
Curriculum Links
SPHE (1999)
- Strand: Myself
- Strand unit: Self-identity
- Strand: Myself and others
- Strand unit: Relating to others
- Strand: Myself and the wider world
- Strand unit: Developing citizenship
Geography (1999)
- Strand: Human environments,
- Strand unit: Living in the local community
- Strand unit: People and places in other areas
English (2025)
- Strand: Communicating
- Strand unit: Engagement, listening and attention
- Strand: Understanding
- Strand unit: vocabulary
- Strand unit: demonstration of understanding
- Strand: Exploring and using
- Strand unit: Requests, questions and interactions
- Strand unit: Information giving, explanation and justification
Lesson 3 – Symbols of the European Union
This lesson explores the key symbols of the EU, the flag, the anthem, and the Euro. Through games and visual aids, pupils learn to recognise these symbols and understand what they represent. They also learn and discuss examples of Unity in Diversity, the EU’s motto.
Resources:
- Lesson plan
- Lesson slides
- Quiz
- Activity sheet
- Activity Instruction
Curriculum Links
SPHE (1999)
- Strand: Myself
- Strand unit: Self-identity
- Strand: Myself and others
- Strand unit: Relating to others
- Strand: Myself and the wider world
- Strand unit: Developing citizenship
Geography (1999)
- Strand: Human environments,
- Strand unit: Living in the local community
- Strand unit: People and places in other areas
English (2025)
- Strand: Communicating
- Strand unit: Engagement, listening and attention
- Strand: Understanding
- Strand unit: vocabulary
- Strand unit: demonstration of understanding
- Strand: Exploring and using
- Strand unit: Requests, questions and interactions
- Strand unit: Information giving, explanation and justification
Maths (2025)
- Strand: Measures
- Strand unit: Money
- Strand: Number
- Strand unit: numeration and counting
- Strand unit: sets and operations
Music (1999)
- Strand: Listening and responding
- Strand unit: listening and responding to music
Lesson 4 – Exploring EU Countries
Children learn about some EU member states such as France and Italy. In this class, through a simple role play, they present to each other key aspects of those two countries. They identify cultural differences and similarities through flags, food, and language, promoting curiosity and respect for diversity.
Resources:
- Lesson plan
- Lesson slides
- Quiz
- Activity sheet
- Activity Instruction
Curriculum Links
SPHE (1999)
- Strand: Myself
- Strand unit: Self-identity
- Strand: Myself and others
- Strand unit: Relating to others
- Strand: Myself and the wider world
- Strand unit: Developing citizenship
Geography (1999)
- Strand: Human environments,
- Strand unit: Living in the local community
- Strand unit: People and places in other areas
- Strand unit: Weather
English (2025)
- Strand: Communicating
- Strand unit: Engagement, listening and attention
- Strand unit: Social conventions and awareness of others
- Strand: Understanding
- Strand unit: Sentence structure and grammar
- Strand unit: vocabulary
- Strand unit: demonstration of understanding
- Strand: Exploring and using
- Strand unit: Requests, questions and interactions
- Strand unit: categorisation
- Strand unit: retelling and elaboration
- Strand unit: Information giving, explanation and justification
Drama (1999)
- Strand: Drama to explore feelings, knowledge and ideas, leading to understanding
- Strand unit: Exploring and making drama
Lesson 5 – Making Decisions Together
This lesson encourages pupils reflect on how group decisions are made. Through colouring together in groups, they explore the notion of compromise and discuss how easy or difficult it is to reach.
Resources:
- Lesson plan
- Lesson slides
- Quiz
- Activity sheet
- Activity Instruction
Curriculum Links
SPHE (1999)
- Strand: Myself
- Strand unit: Self-identity
- Strand: Myself and others
- Strand unit: Relating to others
- Strand: Myself and the wider world
- Strand unit: Developing citizenship
Geography (1999)
- Strand: Human environments,
- Strand unit: Living in the local community
- Strand unit: People and places in other areas
English (2025)
- Strand: Communicating
- Strand unit: Engagement, listening and attention
- Strand unit: Social conventions and awareness of others
- Strand: Understanding
- Strand unit: Sentence structure and grammar
- Strand unit: vocabulary
- Strand unit: demonstration of understanding
- Strand: Exploring and using
- Strand unit: Requests, questions and interactions
- Strand unit: Information giving, explanation and justification
Visual Arts (1999)
- Strand: Drawing
- Strand unit: Making drawings
- Strand unit: Looking and responding
- Strand: Paint and colour
- Strand unit: Painting
- Strand unit: Looking and responding
Lesson 6 – Travelling Around Europe
Pupils discuss how easy or difficult it can be to travel within the EU. They learn about passports, borders, and free movement, comparing travel in Europe with other parts of the world.
Resources:
-
- Lesson plan
- Lesson slides
- Quiz
- Activity sheet
- Activity Instruction
Curriculum Links
SPHE (1999)
- Strand: Myself
- Strand unit: Self-identity
- Strand: Myself and others
- Strand unit: Relating to others
- Strand: Myself and the wider world
- Strand unit: Developing citizenship
Geography (1999)
- Strand: Human environments,
- Strand unit: People and places in other areas
English (2025)
- Strand: Communicating
- Strand unit: Engagement, listening and attention
- Strand unit: Social conventions and awareness of others
- Strand: Understanding
- Strand unit: Sentence structure and grammar
- Strand unit: vocabulary
- Strand unit: demonstration of understanding
- Strand: Exploring and using
- Strand unit: Requests, questions and interactions
- Strand unit: Information giving, explanation and justification
Drama (1999)
- Strand: Drama to explore feelings, knowledge and ideas, leading to understanding
- Strand unit: Exploring and making drama
- Strand unit: Cooperating and communicating in making drama
Need a fun break between lessons?
Let your pupils discover the EU with Seamie Shamrock!
The KidZone features short, interactive games that make EU topics playful and easy to grasp.
Perfect for 5–12 year-olds | Just a few minutes per game
Go further with Europe Week!
Europe Day is just around the corner!
Why not celebrate it with a full week of fun and meaningful classroom activities about the European Union?
Join schools across the continent to explore, create, and connect.