The Benin Bronzes
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can explain what the Benin Bronzes are, where many of them can be found today and what Nigeria has requested of the British Museum.
Key learning points
- For almost 125 years roughly 5,000 bronze artifacts have been exhibited in museums across the world.
- They were produced in the historic West African Kingdom of Benin which was located in what is now Nigeria.
- In the British Museum in London there are hundreds of these objects.
- In 2021 the British Museum received a request from Nigeria to return the bronzes.
- So far, the British Museum has not returned the bronzes, which has caused lots of arguments.
Keywords
Benin - Benin, or the Kingdom of Benin, was a kingdom within what is now southern Nigeria and home to the Edo people
Artefact - an artefact is an item of historical interest made by people in the past
Nigeria - Nigeria is a large West African country situated on the Atlantic Ocean
Heritage - a heritage is the history, traditions, and artefacts that are handed down by previous generations
Repatriation - repatriation means to send something back to the country it came from
Common misconception
The modern republic of Benin and the kingdom of Benin are the same place.
The modern republic of Benin has no historical relation to the kingdom of Benin.
Teacher tip
Make soap or wax sculptures similar to the Benin Bronzes.
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended
Licence
except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.What are the conclusions that historians draw about people, places and events from the past called?
Q2.True or false? Historians’ accounts of the past are always completely true.
Q3.Which of the below do historians interact with to find out about the past?
Q4.Which of these are ancient civilisations?
Q5.What is the correct meaning of the term 'legacy'?
Q6.What is a person who excavates sites and examines artefacts and other physical remains called?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.In which modern-day country was the kingdom of Benin located?
Q2.Which statements about the Benin Bronzes are correct?
Q3.Who took the Benin Bronzes when they invaded the city in 1897?
Q4.Complete the sentence. The history, traditions and artefacts that are handed down by previous generations are called a...
Q5.Which museum in London houses and displays hundreds of the Bronzes?
Q6.Which of the following are reasons why Nigeria have asked for the Benin bronzes to be repatriated?
To help you plan your 6 history lesson on: The Benin Bronzes, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 6 history lesson on: The Benin Bronzes, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 2 history lessons from the Benin: Why have people argued about the Benin Bronzes? unit, dive into the full primary history curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.