The Kingdom of Benin

#TheCompleteSeries7lessons

Completely prepared with seven detailed lesson plans, slideshows, differentiated learning activities and a range of printable resources, this downloadable KS2 History 'Kingdom of Benin' scheme of work is ready to download and teach, leaving you free to just enjoy the lessons with your class.

This scheme of work is also part of a Topic Bundle. Perfect if you are teaching 'Africa' as a cross-curricular topic.

#Lesson1Wherewasit

The first lesson in this series starts by introducing your class to where modern-day Benin is and which countries are near it in West Africa. They will discover that the Kingdom of Benin was located in modern day Nigeria, place the Benin Empire on a timeline and think about what was happening in Britain during the time of the Kingdom of Benin.

This downloadable lesson comes with a lesson plan, a slideshow presentation and printable teaching resources.

#Lesson2ArtefactsVersusOralHistories

This lesson gives your class a brief overview of the Benin civilisation between 900 and 1300. Your class will look at a variety of Benin artefacts and deduce facts from them, as well as exploring a timeline of Benin and British history and reading a Benin creation story.

This downloadable lesson comes with a lesson plan, a slideshow presentation and printable teaching resources.

#Lesson3Obas

This lesson starts by challenging your class to think about a bronze artefact. They will discuss who they think the artefact is depicting and what we can learn about the leaders of Benin from it. They will then find out about different Obas of Benin and have the opportunity to compare them to a British monarch who ruled at the same time.

This downloadable lesson comes with a lesson plan, a slideshow presentation and printable teaching resources.

#Lesson4EverydayLife

This lesson starts by challenging your class to share what they remember about the royalty of Benin. Then they then will think about the people who made the bronze sculptures we learnt so much from and continue to thinking about the jobs and lives of other ordinary people in Benin.

This downloadable lesson comes with a lesson plan, a slideshow presentation and printable teaching resources.

#Lesson5Trade

Now that your class have more of an understanding about Benin society as a whole, they will explore the effect trade routes had on the kingdom and consider the way in which Europeans carried out trade with Benin. They will find out about the different resources imported to and exported from the Kingdom of Benin, including ivory, pepper, rubber and slaves.

This downloadable lesson comes with a lesson plan, a slideshow presentation and printable teaching resources.

#Lesson6TheGoldenAge

This fascinating lesson teaches your class what a golden age is and what the Kingdom of Benin achieved during their own golden age, specifically trade with Europeans and the expansion of their territory. They are lots of possible learning opportunities in this lesson, such as comparing events of the Golden Age of Benin with events of the same time in Britain, or looking at the role the army played in the expansion of the empire.

This downloadable lesson comes with a lesson plan, a slideshow presentation and printable teaching resources.

#Lesson7DeclineandDestruction

The final lesson in this series starts by recapping the achievements during the Benin Golden Age and goes on to explore the decline of Benin. Your class will think about the effect that many years of civil wars can have on a civilisation, before finding out about the abolition of slavery and other factors that led to the kingdom's ultimate collapse, including the 'Scramble for Africa' and the part Britain played in the destruction of Benin.

This downloadable lesson comes with a lesson plan, a slideshow presentation and printable teaching resources.

Free Overview (Medium-Term Plan)

Download a free overview to support your teaching of this scheme of work.

Free Assessment Grid

Download a free, editable assessment grid to support your teaching of this scheme of work.

Curriculum Objectives covered

• KS2 - a non-European society that provides contrasts with British history – one study chosen from: early Islamic civilization, including a study of Baghdad c. AD 900; Mayan civilization c. AD 900; Benin (West Africa) c. AD 900-1300