Activity 3: Global interdependence

Aims

• To explore Europe’s relations with the wider world.
• To develop a sense of world citizenship in relation to local and European citizenship.
  

National Curriculum links

Pupils should be taught:

1(b) the media’s role in affecting opinion; (d) the work of Parliament; (e) the role of business and financial services; (j) the wider issues and challenges of global interdependence and responsibility, including sustainable development
2(a) analysing information from different sources including ICT; (b) express, justify and defend orally and in writing a personal opinion; (c) contribute to exploratory class discussion
3(a) use their imagination to consider other people’s experiences

Resources

• Activity Sheet 3.1
• Activity Sheet 3.2
• Activity Sheet 3.3
  

Activity

This activity has three linked learning ideas about Europe and global interdependence. Each of the three Activity Sheets has a factual information section, followed by visual and verbal ideas for learning based on the information area. It is best to use the sheets in order, leading to the final research task.

3.1 Class discussion

• Pupils study copies of Activity Sheet 3.1 and respond to the newspaper extract on the 2002 Earth Summit, first individually then as a whole class.
• Pupils start an exploratory class discussion with their understanding and reactions to the 2002 Earth Summit. Then they can develop any of the areas of European action for sustainable development raised by the article.
• Pupils then discuss more widely the effects of different kinds of media – websites, television, newspapers, books – on forming public opinions. Some pupils may wish to follow developments since the Johannesburg summit through websites of major European newspapers like Le Monde in French (www.lemonde.fr), El Pais in Spanish (www.elpais.es) or Die Welt in German (www.welt.de). This can develop their understanding of contemporary views of Europe’s relations with the world.
  

3.2–3 Role play for imagining other people’s experiences

• Pupils study aspects of South American agriculture and economy, with special focus on uses and abuses of the coca plant, which is the source of chemically processed cocaine. A briefing sheet provides background information useful for all pupils (Activity Sheet 3.2).
• The scenario (Activity Sheet 3.3) simulates a fact-finding mission by MEPs to Latin America (based on a real visit to Colombia, Peru and Bolivia during 1999). Three pupils play the roles of the MEPs. All other pupils are members of a co-operative of coca farmers in the Andes.
• The MEPs put their positions to the farmers. The farmers are invited to agree, disagree or elaborate on points to give their views about what they think the European position should be on legalising trade in coca leaves.
• After the meeting, the MEPs meet to decide the main points that they agree to put to the European Parliament on their return.
• Out of role, everyone discusses what they have learned about other people’s lives and how they can be affected by European policy decisions.
  

Differentiation

• These interactive activities should be accessible for all Key Stage 4 ability levels.
• Reading information on the sheets can be simplified and presented in summary form on an overhead transparency or PowerPoint format.
• For greater depth of study for more able students, debate in and out of role can be extended and greater use of Internet research and source reading encouraged.
  

Extension

These activities introduce a broad range of areas for learning European dimensions of citizenship. Extended activities can be devised on:

• histories of European environmentalism, in liaison with history departments
• drugs production, trade and policies, in liaison with PSHE, geography or religious studies departments
• socially responsible business ethics, in liaison with economics/business studies departments.
  

Discussion

• Is Europe a clean and healthy area to live in? Is there enough awareness of sustainable development? What can European media do to raise levels of awareness?
• Is a rational drugs policy possible when there are so many entrenched attitudes over this issue? Is there such a thing as a ‘European position’ on the use of drugs?
• Is a company accountable to more people than its shareholders? If you were director of a European company, how important would Corporate Social Responsibility be to you? What can European companies contribute to better trade relations with the rest of the world? What connections might there be between non-governmental organisations, for example, Friends of the Earth and European businesses?
• What is your view as a young European citizen about your role in the world? In what ways can Europeans act, individually and through their institutions, to improve global interdependence and sustainable development?