This enquiry focuses on challenging the typical view of the Obas of Benin: they were only able to be successful by ruling through fear and superstition.
Students are encouraged to tackle this view by analysing a number of important clues.
Next, a close examination of accounts written at the time helps them to understand how later writers/historians might have reached their own, possibly flawed judgements.
An end task gives students the chance to flex their own historical muscles and improve upon a dodgy account of power in the Kingdom of Benin.
The enquiry tackles a number of widespread misconceptions about the history of Benin (and of Africa more broadly), using a sound historical process to exemplify the ways in which we might go about deconstructing flawed accounts of the past.
Download lesson
- Lesson presentation: PowerPoint
- Lesson write-up: PDF
- Resource 1: PDF
- Worksheet 1,2 and 3: PDF
Price: £12.99
Add to basketMembers’ Download
