Learning resources

The European Parliament offers different resources to help you bring Europe closer to your students in an interactive way. In this section, you will find active lessons, thematic modules, pedagogical toolkits and audiovisual materials to discuss relevant European topics, generate debate and work with your students in a playful way.

Active Lessons

1. 1. The EU Member States

   The aim of this game is to get familiar with the EU's Member States. Students work in teams to crack the code as fast as possible. This exercise aims to encourage students’ curiosity to find out which countries are actual Members of the EU. Estimated duration: 40 minutes

   • Learning guidelines
   • Educational Game (EU Member States)
   • Presentation (EU Member States)

2. 2. EU history and facts

   This is a question-and-answer card game that contains questions about the EU and its history. This game encourages students to memorise answers to the questions and therefore learn about the EU while playing. Estimated duration: 40 minutes

   • Learning guidelines
   • Educational Game (EU history and facts)
   • Presentation (EU history and facts)
   • EU Timeline - Printable timeline of the European integration process ( EU Treaties)
   • EU Timeline - Printable timeline of the European integration process (Countries)

3. 3. The EU in our daily lives

   This game is dedicated to instances when the students encounter the EU in their daily lives, including some concrete examples of EU legislation. In this elimination game, for each given example, students indicate whether they think it is EU legislation or not. Estimated duration: 20 minutes

   • Teacher guidelines for the game on the EU in our daily lives
   • Educational Game (EU in our daily lives)
   • Presentation (EU in our daily lives)

4. 4. EU values

   This module begins with a four-of-a-kind game, through which the players can discover the EU's values and some concrete examples of how they are put into practice. Students are then asked to critically reflect on them with an individual exercise. Finally, they further improve their democratic skills with a class debate, with 16 statements to choose from. Estimated duration: 30 minutes + 10 minutes per statement

   • Teacher guidelines for the game on EU values
   • Educational Game (EU values)
   • Debating exercises and statements (EU values)

5. 5. European Parliament role-play game

   This role-play game puts your students in the shoes of a Member of the European Parliament. For one to two hours, your classroom becomes the European Parliament itself, and your students discuss how they would tackle different current EU topics such as global warming, tobacco rules and an EU army.

   • Teacher guidelines for the role-play game on the European Parliament
   • Educational game (European Parliament role-play)
   • Presentation (European Parliament role-play)

6. 6. Teacher's manual

   The manual describes the concept of the tool, its modular approach and active methodologies, and its educational principles. It also includes a list of complementary learning resources.

   • Teacher's manual (Active lessons about the European Union)

Other resources

1. How does it work?: explainer videos on the European Union

   Explore the fascinating world of the European Union through explanatory videos. These short and informative clips break down complex topics, making them easy for everyone to understand - the perfect interactive teaching tool for young people!

   Discover the explainer videos

2. Let's talk about Human Rights

   Discover the inspiring stories of the European Parliament's Sakharov Prize laureates who devoted themselves to the defence of human rights, democracy and rule of law. Among them is Malala Yousafzai, the 2013 laureate, who was only eleven years old when she started campaigning for the right to education in Pakistan.  Dissidents, political leaders, journalists, lawyers, civil-society activists, writers, minority leaders, peace activists, film-makers are just a few examples of the profiles of these inspiring people.

   Through the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought, the highest tribute paid by the European Union to human rights work, and its Community, the EU supports and empowers laureates in their efforts to defend their causes. Check the Sakharov's Prize library to discover publications, audiovisual materials, posters and movies to discuss topics connected to human rights with your students.

   • Read more about the Sakharov Prize
   • Read more about human rights in the EU

3. The Learning Corner

   Help your students learn about how the EU works with materials produced by various European Union institutions and other government and non-government bodies. Find inspiration for your lessons and discover networking opportunities with other schools and teachers across the EU!

   • Read more about the Learning corner

4. Fact Sheets on the European Union

   Learn about the role of the European Parliament on the Union’s institutions and policies. On these Factsheets you will discover more on topics like economy, growth, fundamental rights and EU’s external relations.

   • Read more about fact sheets about the European Union

5. Art in Democracy

   The aim of this pedagogical kit is to give educators practical guidance to the exhibition ‘Art in Democracy’. Physically, the exhibition can be visited in different venues in Brussels and Strasbourg, but most importantly, all the material is also accessible online. The information that is provided takes a more generic approach so that it can be adapted to educational contexts at international level that vary in the different countries. So, please feel free to use this offer according to your own needs.

   Download the Pedagogical Kit