What is the difference between the EU and the European Council?
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can outline the difference between the European Union and the European Council.
Key learning points
- The EU is a political and economic union of 27 member states. MEPs vote on and shape legislation.
- The European Council sets the EU's strategic direction, with Heads of State or government meeting to discuss key issues.
- The Parliament of the EU is made up of elected MEPs from Member States. Citizens can engage with them in many ways.
- Political institutions, like Parliament, the EU and the EC evolve over time to address increasingly complex issues.
Keywords
Member of European Parliament - elected members of the Parliament of Europe; they are elected from Member States
Summit - a meeting between heads of government
Bloc - a group of countries or political parties with common interests who have formed an alliance
Common misconception
The EU and the EC do the same thing.
The European Union is governed by the European Parliament which has directly elected represnetatives. These are called MEPs. The European Council has representatives from Member States who are their country's leaders.
Teacher tip
Encourage pupils to compare and contrast the roles of the EU and EC through real-world examples, such as how each institution responds to current issues.
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Which is not a benefit for Member States of the EU?
Q2.Which of the following was a key step in the formation of different unions post-WWII?
Q3.Match the word to the correct definition.
working together to achieve the same end
the act of being joined together for political purposes
beyond the authority of one national government
Q4.What does the USSR stand for? The Union of ...
Q5.Put these events in chronological order.
Q6.What other kind of benefits does the EU provide besides economic and security ones?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Members of European Parliament vote on and shape ...
Q2.Who sets the EU's strategic direction?
Q3.Match the word to the correct definition.
elected members of the Parliament of Europe
a meeting between the heads of government
a group of countries with common interests who have formed an alliance
Q4.What evolves over time to address increasingly complex issues?
Q5.The European Union is governed by the which has directly elected representatives.
Q6.Which is not a way for citizens to engage with Members of European Parliament?
To help you plan your 11 citizenship lesson on: What is the difference between the EU and the European Council?, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 11 citizenship lesson on: What is the difference between the EU and the European Council?, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 4 citizenship lessons from the How well has the UK adjusted to its changing relationship with the EU? unit, dive into the full secondary citizenship curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.