Resources for Teaching about the EU
A quick overview of the Government of the European Union, and EU-themed lessons to share with your students
Participating in the fabulous Brussels-Lux study tour gave me a firsthand look at the institutions and function of the European Union. This professional development for American teachers was made possible through a collaboration between the European Union and the University of Pittsburgh, and you can learn more about the program at this link.
As a result of my experience, I compiled a list of 11 facts every educator should know about the European Union (and you can read it here!). Before my visit, I understood the EU’s relationship to its member nations as roughly parallel to the United States Federal Government's relationship to the individual states. However, the reality is more complex, and merits its own discussion.
The EU is a confederation of 27 member states (nations). The relationship is stronger and more binding than an alliance such as NATO, but each nation still maintains sovereignty in contrast to the 50 US states.
EU member states are bound by European Union treaties, and agree to abide by EU law and economic policies.
Notable treaties include:
The Treaty of the European Union (1992) which officially established the EU. 12 countries participated. (Today, the EU comprises 27 countries)
The Schengen Agreement (1995). 26 countries are part of this treaty, which allows for free transit (without border or passport control) between any of these countries. A handful of EU member states are not part of Schengen, and there are a few non-EU countries which are Schengen nations. To learn more, visit the EU website
Use of the Euro (2002). 19 countries use the Euro, making it the second-most used currency in the world. You can read more about the Eurozone at this link:
There are four main decision-making bodies in the EU:
Lobby of the European Council building
The European Council is the executive branch, but also has some legislative authority with the power to introduce legislation. It is composed of the 27 heads of state of EU member states.
The Council of the European Union also has executive function. Member nations each send one delegate for the various committees, organized by policy area such as economics, security, transportation, education, agriculture, etc. Learn more at the EU website.
The European Commission represents the interests of the EU by proposing and enforcing legislation. One representative from each member state is nominated by the Council and approved by Parliament.
European Parliament Floor
The European Parliament is directly elected by citizens of the EU. It is comprised of 751 members elected to a 5 year term. Legislation must be proposed by the Council, and can typically be passed with a simple majority vote.
The EU also has a Court of Justice, a Central Bank, a Court of Auditors, and other government institutions. You can learn more at the official EU website.
And watch this video for a quick overview of the EU government structure.
Meeting the varied needs of 27 EU member states is a balancing act. The rotating EU Council presidency helps ensure every member state shares leadership; each member state takes a 6 month turn as council president on a rotating schedule.
The presidency oversees Council proceedings, influences the priorities and pace of legislative initiatives, and represents the Council within other EU institutions. I visited the European Council as the French presidency was coming to an end in June, 2022. Read more about the rotating presidency at this link.
Resources for teaching about the EU
The European Union Council website includes free ready-to-use games, classroom resources, and an EU government simulation for secondary students. Click here to access these resources.
The EU Council has an online quiz at this link. It’s pretty tricky for non-Europeans (at least, I thought so!) I scored 80% - see if you can beat my score!
Also, you can watch EU Council meetings via livestream at this link,
And a livestream of European Parliament meetings is available here:
The University of Pittsburgh holds an annual model EU event for High School students. Learn more about it at this link.
The University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill’s Jean Monnet Center for European Studies has a plethora of resources for educators.
Many are available online (including infographics, free lesson plans, and videos!) Find them here
EU digital toolkits are available free of charge to educators:
Here’s a link to lesson plans created by past Brussels-Lux study tour participants.
If you’re lucky enough to teach in NC you can also borrow physical resources for your students including these culture kits. UNC is generous in providing free shipping both directions to send these kits to NC teachers!
UNC will assist you in hosting an EU2U workshop for teachers or students - see details here.
UNC also has study programs and grants for NC educators teaching about the EU!
Last but not least, here are links to my own lesson plans stemming from my experience on the Brussels-Lux study tour:
The EU is a key player on the world stage, and I hope this blog post has given you a starting point in understanding it more deeply and in sharing it with your students!
