Foundation of the kingdom

Topics Year 4/5
This unit is part of Benin (900 to 1300CE) The Benin Kingdom

Objectives

History

  • Continue to develop a chronologically secure knowledge and understanding of British, local and world history, establishing clear narratives within and across the periods they study.
  • Construct informed responses that involve thoughtful selection and organisation of relevant historical information.

Geography

  • Describe and understand key aspects of physical geography, including: climate zones, biomes and vegetation belts, rivers, mountains, volcanoes and earthquakes, and the water cycle.
  • Understand human geography, including: types of settlement and land use, economic activity including trade links, and the distribution of natural resources including energy, food, minerals and water.

English

  • Extend pupils’ confidence, enjoyment and mastery of language through public speaking, performance and debate.

Lesson Planning

Remind each other of the Benin timeline, before looking deeper into the rise and establishment of the Benin Empire. Locate Benin on a world map and look at that area of Africa as it is today. Consider what brought the Edo peoples to the rainforests of Benin. Use freeze framing to imagine what it was like to first settle in Benin in the 900s in small villages.

Teaching Outcomes:

  • To learn about the earliest history of Benin.
  • To explore the West African rainforest and what settlement would have looked like in early Benin.
  • To use drama to explore what life would have been like in these early settlements.

Children will:

  • Identify the environment of the earliest Benin settlement as rainforest.
  • Research the animals of the Benin rainforest.
  • Role-play the arrival of the Edo people into the rainforest.

You Will Need

  • Rainforest setting for the classroom
  • Water mister
  • Camera-enabled devices