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1. © Oddizzi Guided Reading 2016Page 1
Coming soon! The big EU vote
The flag of the EU
Take an EU passport and euros on holiday
Are the adults in your family planning to vote later
this month?
You may recognise the flag of the EU. It’s blue, with
12 yellow stars that together form a circle – a
symbol of unity.
The EU is like one big team with 28 players. Some
people believe that a team with 28 players is too
big – they’re the people who want the UK to vote
‘leave’.
This club has been around for almost 60 years. It
began soon after the Second World War, when six
countries, including France and Germany, decided
they didn’t ever want a war again in Europe. The UK
joined about 40 years ago – are your parents about
forty years old too?
The big EU vote
What’s the European Union?
The flag
EU countries don’t want another war in
Europe
‘EU’ is short for European Union. It’s a kind of club
of 28 countries in Europe. All of the members of
the club have agreed to work together on lots of
different things, like buying and selling things they
make and protecting the environment. If you have
an EU passport, then it’s easy to travel between
countries within the EU region.
When did the EU begin?
The EU vote: will Brits vote to stay or go?
On the 23rd of June 2016, it’s the big EU vote. British
people have to decide if they want to remain (stay)
in the European Union or leave.

2. © Oddizzi Guided Reading 2016Page 2
Coming soon! The big EU vote
Key words:
Euro coins can be spent in 19 EU countries
You have to be 18 years old or over to
vote
Nineteen of the EU countries all use the same
money, the euro, which makes it nice and easy if you
go on holiday and want to travel around in Europe.
But in the UK, tourists still need pounds in their
pocket to shop.
Nobody knows which way the big EU vote will go on the
23rd of June. At the moment, the number of Brits who
say they’ll vote to leave is about the same as the
number who say they’ll vote to remain. Most younger
people say they’ll vote ‘stay’.
The money
The future
environment EU euro Europe pounds
unity vote
EU referendum ballot paper
No. Only people aged 18 years and over get to have
their say in the big EU vote. This is different to when
Scottish people voted to stay in the UK, two years ago.
Then, anybody aged 16 years and over had a vote. But
perhaps your school or class will organise a big EU vote
for you!
Do I get a vote?

3. How did it start?
What is the EU?
What's the vote about this year?
The UK has been in the EU for more than forty years (are your parents as old as forty?). But now the people of
the UK are going to vote again on their country’s links with the rest of Europe. This time the question is: ‘Do you
agree that the UK should remain in the European Union?’. People will tick a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ box on the ballot paper
on the 23rd of June.
ODDIZZI GUIDED READING © Oddizzi 2016Page 1
There are strongly held views on both sides. People who want the UK to leave reckon that the country would
be better off if it didn’t have to follow all of the EU’s laws, which are made by politicians in Brussels and
Strasbourg, where the EU Parliament meets. These people feel that the EU is now too big and that the UK isn’t
able to make decisions for itself.
What you need to know about the EU referendum
The European Union or ‘EU’ is a group of 28 countries in Europe.
These countries share a lot of the same rules that affect people,
businesses and the environment.
Originally, there were six members of this club that begin in 1957:
France, West Germany, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands and
Luxembourg. After the Second World War, people wanted to make
sure that nothing as terrible could happen again in Europe. They
wanted to work together on things like trade, as well as human rights.
The UK didn’t become a member of the EU until 1975. At this time, it
was called the European Economic Community. Everyone aged 18
years and older got a vote on whether to join or not. Almost seventy
per cent of the people in Britain who voted said ‘Yes, let’s join’.
Other people, who want the UK to remain, feel that there are lots of benefits of being part of a big club of
countries. They are pleased about rules like free trade, where British companies can easily sell their goods in
Europe.
There’s a lot for Britain’s voters to think about before the 23rd of June!
For example, citizens of all EU countries have the right to live and
work anywhere in this region. This means that when you grow up, you
could choose to live in Poland, Finland, Spain or Greece, if you liked.
In 19 of the 28 EU countries, you can pay for your lunch with euros:
these countries all use the same currency.
The map of the EU may be about to change
The founders of the EU wanted to avoid
another terrible war
The Remaincampsay:‘TheEUbenefitsBritishshoppersandBritishcompaniesmakingproducts
tosell.'
The Leavecampsay:‘Wearenolongerinchargeofourdestiny.WewanttoputtheQueenandthe
UK’sPrimeMinisterbackincharge.’

4. ODDIZZI GUIDED READING © Oddizzi 2016
What might happen?
No-one knows what the final result of the vote will be. It’s
‘too close to call’ – about the same number of people are
keen to leave as are happy to stay.
candidate citizen EU euro human rights passport pollster
referendum trade voteKey Words:
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Is everyone else in Europe part of the EU?
Why is the UK holding a referendum now?
Do I get a vote?
No. Switzerland, Norway and Iceland have never been members of the EU and have no plans to join.
The Conservative Party, the party that won the general election in 2015, promised it would hold a referendum
on Britain’s membership of the EU if it was elected. Prime Minister David Cameron made this promise
because a lot of people in the UK are concerned about workers coming into this country from across the EU
and the effect this migration is having on Britain and British workers.
The number of migrants that have arrived in the UK from other EU
countries has increased recently, in particular, since 2004, when eight
new countries joined the EU, including Poland.
Did you know?What does ‘Brexit’ mean?
Brexit is a mash-up of two words: Britain and exit. People who want the
UK to leave are looking forward to a ‘Brexit’!
No. Only people aged 18 years and over get to have their say in the big
EU vote. This is different to when Scottish people voted to stay in the
UK, two years ago. Then, everybody aged 16 years and over had a vote.
But perhaps your school or class will organise a big EU vote for you!
The big EU vote is on the 23rd June 2016
Some people are worried about EU migrants
taking jobs in the UK
Whether this has been a good thing or a bad thing for Britain is really a
matter of opinion. What do you think?
EU referendum ballot paper
Interestingly, pollsters (people whose job it is to find out
how people might vote) predict that most younger
people will vote ‘yes’ to remain in the EU. They say that
older people generally want to vote ‘no’, to leave. Can you
think why this might be?
But other countries really want to jump on board, including Turkey, Albania, Macedonia, Montenegro and
Serbia. Why not try to locate some of these ‘candidate’ countries on a map – where are they in Europe?

5. ODDIZZI GUIDED READING © Oddizzi 2016
What you need to know about the EU referendum
NAME:
GO ONLINE:
TO DISCUSS:
1. Find out about a country in Europe using the Country Spotlight pages online, in the Explore the World
- Places section of the site.
2. Find out which European countries are in the EU ‘club’ and which ones aren’t (using the EU map in this
resource). Ask your teacher to make a big copy of this map and label it.
3. Can you locate ten of the 28 member countries of the EU?
4. Find Iceland, Norway and Switzerland on a map – none are members of the EU.
5. Find the six founder members of the EU on a map. Do you notice anything about their location?
6. Can you describe the flags of three EU countries?
7. Can you name one of the biggest countries in the EU?
8. Can you name one of the smallest countries in the EU?
1. Why are countries that trade less likely to go to war?
2. What’s good about the free movement of people in Europe (to live and work)?
3. Are there any downsides to the free movement of people in Europe (to live and work)?
4. Why do you think it is difficult to make decisions in a bigger team?
5. Why do you think some countries in Europe don’t want to be part of the EU ‘club’?
6. Why do you think older people and younger people in Britain might vote differently?
7. Who should be allowed to vote in the EU referendum, do you think?

6. ODDIZZI GUIDED READING © Oddizzi 2016
LABEL THE COUNTRIES OF THE EU
NAME:

7. ODDIZZI GUIDED READING © Oddizzi 2016
What you need to know about the EU referendum
NAME:
GO ONLINE:
TO DISCUSS:
1. Find out about a country in Europe using the Country Spotlight pages online, in the Explore the World
- Places section of the site.
2. Find out which European countries are in the EU ‘club’ and which ones aren’t (using the EU map in this
resource). Ask your teacher to make a big copy of this map and label it.
EU member countries:
Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France,
Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland,
Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom.
3. Can you locate ten of the 28 member countries of the EU?
4. Find Iceland, Norway and Switzerland on a map – none are members of the EU.
5. Find the six founder members of the EU on a map. Do you notice anything about their location?
The six founder members of the EU are all located close to one another (they share land borders) in
the centre of Western Europe: France, (West) Germany, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands and
Luxembourg.
6. Can you describe the flags of three EU countries?
7. Can you name one of the biggest countries in the EU?
By area, the five biggest countries in the EU are (biggest first): France, Spain, Sweden, Germany and
Finland.
8. Can you name one of the smallest countries in the EU?
By area, the five smallest countries in the EU are (smallest first): Malta, Luxembourg, Cyprus, Slovenia
and Belgium.
1. Why are countries that trade less likely to go to war?
During a war fewer goods and services are traded between countries – think about the rationing that took
place during the Second World War in the UK, when there weren’t enough of the goods that were usually
traded. Businesses that trade with each other don’t want to lose customers or suppliers based abroad:
they want to work together. Business owners vote and they pay taxes to their national government, so
politicians across Europe have to listen to the views of business people.
2. What’s good about the free movement of people in Europe (to live and work)?
British workers
While Britain remains within the EU, its citizens can live and work anywhere in the region when they grow
up. This gives British job-seekers a wealth of opportunities they wouldn’t have if they just looked for work
in Britain. For example, teaching English as a foreign language in European schools, and working in
Mediterranean holiday resorts, are both popular choices for Brits in their twenties. Lots of big companies,
which pay very good wages, have offices all over Europe – British workers can apply for jobs there too.
Continued on next page...
Note: some of these issues will affect children in your class directly. Moreover, the
issue of immigration is a sensitive one for many. Here we have given some prompts on
both sides of the debate to help you guide a class discussion on this political issue.
Page 1
Answer Sheet

8. ODDIZZI GUIDED READING © Oddizzi 2016
What you need to know about the EU referendum
NAME:
TO DISCUSS:
2. What’s good about the free movement of people in Europe (to live and work)?
Continued from previous page...
British business
In the same way, people from across the EU can work in Britain. Some businesses claim that EU migrants
do jobs that Brits won’t do, for example, low-paid seasonal jobs like fruit-picking.
Across the EU
All businesses within the EU have the same freedom to employ people from across the region and all
workers have the same freedom to migrate for work. Business owners can select the best qualified people
for the job. This gives them a much greater choice of workers and should help their businesses to thrive.
3. Are there any downsides to the free movement of people in Europe (to live and work)?
British workers vs. EU migrants
Some people, for example in the building trade, are concerned that EU migrants who arrive in this country
will do the same jobs as them, but will charge less money. EU migrants might be able to charge less
because they are not planning to stay in Britain for long. They are willing to live in cheap accommodation
for a short time and save the money they make. The cost of living is less in some Eastern European
countries, so when the migrants take their money home, it will go further than in Britain. Businesses in
Britain need to make a profit and so are more likely to employ EU migrants if they charge less per hour,
leaving British workers without a job.
EU migrants send wages home, out of Britain
There are EU migrants that send a lot of their pay home to help their families in their home country. Some
people are concerned about the effect of this money leaving this country – it might otherwise have been
spent in shops in Britain, boosting those businesses.
Migrant crisis
The EU has a problem with immigration from outside the region. Growing numbers of refugees (driven out
of Syria and Afghanistan) are trying to enter the EU illegally, in search of a safe haven, while people from
many other countries are also trying to get to Europe to seek work and a better life for their families
(‘economic migrants’). Many lives are being lost by desperate people taking desperate measures to cross
the Mediterranean.
People across Europe are concerned about the number of immigrants that are entering the region and
wonder where they go after they cross into Europe. The free movement of people within the EU means
they could travel anywhere to try to find work (although it is harder to enter the UK than it is to travel from
France into Belgium – within the Schengen Area).
Note: although refugees can work in the UK, almost all asylum seekers (people who are waiting to have
their application to become a refugee heard) can’t work, by law.
Page 2
Answer Sheet

9. ODDIZZI GUIDED READING © Oddizzi 2016
What you need to know about the EU referendum
NAME:
TO DISCUSS:
Why do you think it is difficult to make decisions in a bigger team?
Children might give examples of when they’ve had to negotiate a game in the playground with a larger
group of people or worked on a team task in class; there are more people to consult and convince, within
a democracy.
The EU has grown from six founder members to a team of 28. Since 2004, the EU has almost doubled in
membership (with eight countries joining in the year 2004).
Why do you think some countries in Europe don’t want to be part of the EU ‘club’?
Sovereignty – they want to stay in charge of their country, its laws, currency and economy.
Historically, Switzerland in particular has maintained its neutrality, for example, during the Second World
War.
Why do you think older people and younger people in Britain might vote differently?
It has been widely reported that younger people are most likely to vote to remain in the EU, while older
people are more likely to vote leave. Why?
Perhaps younger people are looking ahead to their working lives and hope the EU will provide job
opportunities.
Older people may remember the 1975 referendum, when an economic union argument was made to
join. Today, many feel the EU is moving towards closer political union. They may feel they were mis-sold
EU membership.
Older people are more likely to be concerned about the impact of EU migration into the UK.
Who should be allowed to vote in the EU referendum, do you think?
Children may well cite themselves as of importance! After all, they will inherit the country from today’s
voters.
You could discuss the problem of making an informed decision and what the right age might be if people
still at school had been given all of the facts: 10, 12 or 16 years old?
4.
5.
6.
7.
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Answer Sheet