EU Pioneers Meet The Founders Of The Union
General information
Organisation / School
The House of European History (HistoriCall digital education initiative)
Duration
1–4 class periods (depending on depth), modular online activities
Target group (age range)
14–18 years
Group format
Combination of individual exploration and classroom discussion
Context of the Practice
Secondary education (history, citizenship education, social sciences, interdisciplinary projects)
Description of the Practice
The EU Pioneers: Meet the Founders of the Union module is a digital teaching resource within the HistoriCall platform developed by the House of European History. It invites students to explore the lives and ideas of key figures who contributed to the creation of today’s European Union by navigating their “reimagined” social-media-style profiles. Through interactive texts, audio-visual content, and reflective prompts, learners engage with the motivations, values, and actions of pioneers such as Jean Monnet, Robert Schuman, and Simone Veil. The module does not merely recount facts: it situates personal stories within the broader historical process of European integration and encourages learners to consider why these individuals matter to them personally, to their communities, and to the world today. Activities include reading profiles, watching short clips, completing quizzes, and creating one’s own reflective posts about pioneers and historical decisions. This approach combines historical inquiry with digital literacy and storytelling to make history relevant, interactive, and student-centred.
Link with Uchronia or Alternative Narratives
Does the practice involve rewriting history, alternative scenarios, role play, or speculative narratives?
Yes
Explanation:
This practice includes two levels of narrative based activities:
It begins with the exploration of reimagined social media profiles of the men and women who helped shape the beginnings of European integration. Of course, social media didn’t exist at the time, so this playful, “distorted” approach creates a bridge for students to explore and better understand the real historical context of Europe.
While it does not involve fully rewriting history, the activity encourages creative engagement and digital storytelling. Students produce their own reflective responses and imagined “posts,” which prompt them to think beyond memorisation. By reframing historical actors’ perspectives in their own words, learners connect past decisions to contemporary issues, developing a more personal and critical understanding of history.
Social and Transversal Skills Developed
What are the skills developped?
- Empathy
- Communication
- Cooperation
- Critical thinking
- Media literacy
- Creativity
Explanation:
Empathy: Students connect personally with pioneers’ life stories and values.
Communication: Reflective posts and group discussions require clear expression.
Cooperation: Classroom activities involve sharing interpretations.
Critical thinking: Learners evaluate historical influence and relevance.
Media literacy: Engagement with digital profiles and multimedia sources enhances navigation and interpretation skills.
Creativity: Students generate their own content responding to historical material.
Inclusion and Accessibility
Targeted learners (learning difficulties, diversity, disengagement):
This practice supports learners with diverse interests and learning styles by combining visual, textual, and interactive content.
Accessibility measures used:
The modular online format allows self-paced engagement, and prompts can be adapted for differentiated instruction. Disabled learners can benefit from multimedia content where text, audio, and visuals reinforce understanding.
Impact and Outcomes
Observed impact on pupils:
There is not a lot of information on this point. We just know that the toolbox (with two interactive modules including the one described here) responds to the needs expressed by over 1,000 teachers across Europe.
Feedback from teachers or pupils:
The project page lists quotes from teachers who used the HistoriCall modules (including EU Pioneers):
“Interactive, fun, engaging, learning in a new way, modern, playful, connecting past to present and reflecting on the future.”
“The students understood that the values promoted by the EU pioneers are timeless and represent an example for today.”
“I am planning to use [it] when teaching about media, technology, storytelling, and projects on the European Union — for example on European Day …”
Transferability
Can the practice be reused or adapted?
Yes
Conditions for replication:
This practice can be adapted to other historical topics and periods where storytelling and digital engagement can deepen understanding. Conditions for successful replication include:
Access to digital devices and internet.
Teacher facilitation of reflective and discussion tasks.
Curriculum alignment with broader learning objectives.
Relevance for Reframe the Story
Even if this practice is not directly linked to uchrony, it shares some key common points with Reframe the Story:
It moves beyond simple memorisation of historical facts toward critical engagement, perspective, and narrative construction.
It helps develop empathy and allows the informed exploration of diverse viewpoints
It reframes European history as an open, contested process shaped by human choices.
It models how speculative approaches, when based on evidence, can make history more engaging and reflective.
The activity is based on the creation of reimagined social media accounts of the men and women who stood at the beginnings of European integration, which is a pretty similar dynamic to the one of the creation of the boxes in Reframe the Story. Through the discovery and the creation of these imaginative elements, students engage with history in a way that speaks to them personally, making these distant, abstract figures from the past feel more relatable and alive.