Citizenship at key stage 4    (Year 10-11)

• Give pupils an outline map of Europe and ask them to mark on it the countries that belong to the European Union.
• Start a discussion by presenting pupils with a range of statements on key issues and asking them to discuss them in pairs. For example, on the issue of law, statements could include: 'laws should be the same for all countries in the European Union'; 'individual countries should make their own laws'; and 'countries should make their own laws, but these should be compatible with laws in other EU countries'. On the issue of the single currency, possible statements include: 'the UK should keep the pound'; 'the UK should adopt the euro'; and 'the UK should keep the pound but have economic policies that are compatible with those of other European Union countries'. Other issues on which statements could be discussed include defence, crime, immigration, cultural identity, trade and social policy.
• The pairs join up into small groups and share their views on each issue. They also discuss who should have the power to make major decisions on the issue, eg the UK Government, the European Parliament, the European Commission or the people of a country in a referendum. Pupils then share their different views as a class. They discuss the advantages and disadvantages of membership of the European Union for individuals, eg as consumers, tourists, employees, students, citizens, and organisations, eg different types of business, football clubs, organisations providing healthcare. What are the advantages and disadvantages of EU membership for the UK?

• Using the map on which they identified the EU member countries, pupils mark the members of the EU that have adopted the euro and those that have not. They investigate the advantages and disadvantages for EU members of the single currency, using a range of sources of information, eg textbooks, websites, information from the government, information from the European Commission.
• Working as individuals or in pairs or small groups, pupils find out how the introduction of the euro might affect individuals and organisations. For example, individuals wouldn't need to change money to spend while on holiday, and could easily compare the prices of goods in different countries; businesses trading in Europe would be able to see the cost differences of the same goods and services immediately (transparent pricing), and would also benefit from a reduction in transaction costs/exchange rate risk.
• Pupils devise questions for a survey of their school and wider community on the issues they have investigated, and any others they think of. This might include, for those who can remember it, a question about what happened when decimal currency was introduced. Pupils could also find out where their MP and/or MEP stands on the issue of the euro.
• Through school linking and use of the internet, pupils explore and exchange views with pupils from schools in other European countries (ideally, one country that has adopted the euro and one that has not). They find out what happened in the country that adopted the euro in the run-up to its introduction. What information was available? How were people consulted? If there was a referendum, what was the result and what was voter turnout like? What impact has the introduction of the euro had?
• Pupils could research the way the single European currency is portrayed in the media. How much coverage is there? What do different sources, including newspapers, say about the euro? Are facts being conveyed objectively, or does the media tend just to present different political points of view?

• Drawing on their work in the previous section, pupils prepare for a class debate on the introduction of the euro. They could do this in character, taking on the particular viewpoints of individuals, groups or organisations, eg consumers, managers of different types of business. They could also prepare materials to display in the classroom, along with information sheets detailing all the different views being put forward. Pupils agree on how they want to end the debate, eg by voting with a show of hands, holding a secret ballot/referendum, and discuss whether they should vote in character or on the basis of their personal views.
• Following the debate, pupils reflect in pairs on what they have learned. What do they know now that they didn't know before? Has their view of European issues changed?
• Extension activity: the class debate and vote/referendum could be adapted or extended into a whole-year or whole-school activity. It could take place on Europe Day (9 May every year), which provides an opportunity to celebrate European diversity and culture. Local twinning associations may be able to support this kind of whole-school activity. The booklet Staying involved: extending opportunities for pupil participation provides guidelines for pupils organising events.