Benin houses

Learn how the people of Benin made houses. Make a Benin house out of sticks, clay and leaves. Create a class Benin city by setting out the streets in long straight lines, just like the ancient city of Benin. Imagine what it would be like to live among the Benin people.

Teaching Outcomes:

• To learn about the houses people lived in in the Kingdom of Benin.
• To make model Benin houses from sticks and clay.
  

Children will:

• Contrast the construction of city and village buildings in Benin.
• Build model houses.
• Tell a collaborative story about life in one of these houses.

• Benin houses
• Making Benin houses

• Cardboard bases
• Clay
• Sticks
• Leaves (use fallen or fake leaves, or make them from paper).

Historical sites in Benin City, including Ogiamien's house from edoworld.net
Traditional building techniques in Nigeria from mikemorebase.blogspot.co.uk