Presentation "How to make an intervention at school to talk about the European Union?" in the framework of the the Europe@myDesk Project.

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7. 4.2 Ice breaking Quiz What symbols of the EU do you know? (let them answer and think) - Europe day , the 9th of May (1950) : Schuman declaration (explain to them what this date means and why it is symbolic) - European anthem : Ode to Joy, Beethoven (there are no official lyrics, since the EU has more than 20 official languages, in order to respect the European motto) By the way, you can notice, that « euro » takes no « s » on the banknotes - Motto : United in diversity – common values and aspirations of nations but also the respect for diverse cultures and societies. - Flag : how many stars ? 12, which has nothing to do with the number of states (was the flag of the council of Europe at first, then taken over by the EU in 1986 + explain the signification of the circle + the number 12 = symbolic number, completeness…)

8. 4.2 Ice breaking Quiz Part 2 How many countries are there in the EU ? 27 ! List them on the board while the pupils are stating them, or (ask one of them to) show the countries on the map Where does the word Europe come from ? Europe is the name of an antique divinity. The story tells that Zeus, king of the gods, fell in love with her and transformed himself in a white bull to kidnap her and bring her back to his palace in Greece. That’s how this part of the world was named « Europe ».

10. 4.3 Why Europe? 2 nd Part What were the main steps in the achievement of the EU ? Recall the main treaties (rapidly) 1951 : Paris Treaty, creation of the ECSC 1954 : failure of the EDC 1957 : Rome Treaty, creation of the EEC 1979 : first direct election of the European Parliament 1992 : Maastricht Treaty, creation of the €; the European citizenship… 1997 : Amsterdam Treaty 2000 : Nice Treaty 2004 : failure of the Treaty establishing a Constitution for the EU 2007 : Lisbon Treaty

11. 4.4 Discover Europe? Discover the countries of Europe Name the countries of the EU, show them on a map, which flag corresponds to which country… Why is Europe enlarging ? Interests of the enlargement in order to ensure peace and prosperity (virtuous cycle). Remember the different enlargements, the necessary criteria to enter the EU Interest to be present on the international scene and part of a market of 500 million people Recall that many former Communist and Fascist states now are part of a democratic Union that respects Human Rights. Recall the principle of solidarity of Europe and what it means Exchange of thoughts about identity and culture What are the cultural differences between countries ? Which one do they know ? Languages, religions, traditions… Where do they come from ? History in most of the cases… Try to discover with them some European countries What do the pupils want to know about this country ? What did the speaker notice when he arrived in this country ? Which European countries have the pupils visited? Can they share some experiences? Where would they like to travel ? Why or why not ? What do they fear or expect ?

12. 4.5 What about the EU today? Part 1 As European citizens, we have specific rights : do you know them ? - vote for local and European elections - Travel, live, work freely in Europe - euro (in the 16 Euro countries of course !) Explain briefly some key benefits – no need to exchange currency when traveling etc ? - In a country outside of the EU, you can be hosted by any EU embassy as if it was the one from your country Speak about general topics of interest : - The EU’s role in the world (e.g. 1st contributor for development aid) - The EU’s investments in your country (cohesion funds…) - The possibilities for young people to live and study abroad : Erasmus, Leonardo da Vinci, Comenius... - What does an MEP do ?

13. 4.5 What about the EU today? Part 2 We also have some duties as citizens A lot still needs to be constructed/deepened in the EU and each one of us can contribute towards this construction. We can intervene by : - Contributing to the good understanding of the European people - To be « a good citizen » also means to be an informed citizen (try to look for information and always verify the information that one gives you) - Become a member of an organization that interests you (ex. As we do in JEF !) - Use your vote ! In particular for the EP elections Other questions : what would be your ideal Europe ?