History as a subject in Senior Secondary Schools in Nigeria is the study of past events, societies, cultures, and civilizations. Studying History gives students a thorough understanding of their heritage, the development of human societies, and the connections between different regions of the world.
History tells the story of humanity, encompassing rich narratives of successes and struggles, revolutions and reforms, cultures and civilizations. By studying this subject in Senior Secondary Schools, students will explore the diverse heritage of Nigeria, Africa, and the broader world, gaining insights into how historical events have shaped contemporary society.
In addition to Nigerian history, the subject covers the broader context of African history, covering great African civilizations, trade networks, cultural exchanges, and the impacts of colonialism and the transatlantic slave trade on the continent.
Studying history in Senior Secondary Schools using the Lagos state unified scheme of work helps to effectively teach students to preserve the cultural and historical heritage of the nation, ensuring that future generations understand and appreciate their roots.
In senior secondary school 1, students are assessed in History based on the school’s prerogative. However, typically, they are evaluated through tests or quizzes (Continuous Assessment Tests) and end-of-term exams.
Grading follows a scale from A to F, with A representing excellent performance, typically scoring around 70% or 80%, and F indicating failure, usually below 50% or 45%.
| LAGOS STATE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION: UNIFIED SCHEMES OF WORK FOR SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOLS | ||
| History Scheme of Work for Senior Secondary Schools 1(SSS1) | ||
| Class | S.S.S 1 | |
| Subject | History | |
| Term | First Term | |
| Week | Topic | Breakdown |
| 1 | Introductory Lesson. What is History and why we teach History. | a. Definition of History. b. Reasons why we teach History. -To enable the next generation to know about their environment. -To provide future historians. -History gives us satisfaction and enjoyment. -History makes us appreciate changes in the society. -To see consistency or inconsistency in the relationship of recent events to what has happened in the past. |
| 2 | Sources of History and Dating. | Sources of History and dating include. 1. Oral History from living witnesses. 2. Written materials e.g letter memories. 3. Archaeological findings. 4. Anthropology 5. Linguistic evidence. 6. Physical objects such as farm implements masters, Artwork, Ornaments etc. 7. Radio carbon dating. 8. Siteology and the use of History movements via visitations. 9. Excavation. 10. Human remains (Bones and fossil remains). |
| 3 | Historical skills (Accented modern approaching) | Historical skills include 1. Collection of data 2. Interpretation/analysis of tridence what could be biased, fragmented or partly incorrect. 3. Try to discover the pattern of meaning to enduring question of human life. 4. Explain how various historian saw History -Polybius -Christian and Muslim Histories -Hegel -African Histories |
| 4 | Prospect of ICT in Historical Studies | Prospect of ICT in Historical Studies Advances in information and communication technology allows for live recording of important events and development |
| 5 | Land and People of Nigeria | 1. March geo-political zones into which Nigeria can be divided and their main features e.g. Gastal, Forest Savannah, Semi Savannah, and the real Savannah. 2. Main physical features especially rivers and mountains. 3. Areas occupied by the people such as Kanem, Bornu, Hausa states, Nupe, Igala, Julan, Igbo Argas, Birom, Calabar 4. The Yoruba especially Ife, Oyo, Bening, Ijavi, and Itsekiri. 5. Occupations and products. 6. Movement of people and means of transportation. 7. Geographical habitant and other factors for inter-group relations and exchange. |
| 6 | Tradition of origin of various groups | The tradition of citizen of the Karembu, Kanuri, Hausa, Numpe, Igala, Jukaun, Ife, Oyo, Benin |
| 7 | Tradition of origin of other groups | The tradition of the origin of the Ijaw, Itsekeri, Efik, Ibibio, Urhobo, Isoko, Igbo, and Idoma. |
| 8 | Centres of Ancient Civilization | 1. Features of work, Igbo Ulawu civilization. 2. Discussions their occupational pursuit. 3. Artistic works of Nok and Igbo-Ulawu. 4. Relationships between the centre of ancient civilization and other groups. |
| 9 | Centers of Ancient Civilization | 1. Features of Ife and Benin civilization. 2. Discussion of their occupational pursuit 3. Artistic works of Ife and Benin. 4. Relationship between these centers of Ancient civilization and other groups. |
| 10 | The State formation process. The centralized states. | 1. Early beginnings (Village Communities). 2. The first attempts of building larger units: persons and methods. 3. The rise of capital cities 4. The role of the environment and Economic endowments. 5. The role of leadership. 6. Conflicts and accommodation in the state formation in the process. 7. Similarities and differences. |
| 11 | Revision | |
| 12 | Examination | |
| Term | Second Term | |
| Week | Topic | Breakdown |
| 1 | Centralized State. Kanem-Bornu up to 1800 | 1. Phases of development 2. Sociopolitical organization of Kanem state. 3. The coming of the Island into Kanem and Bornu and its impacts on the rulers and society. 4. Problems of unity and stability. 5. The rise of the Bornu empire. 6. The Economic activities of the Bornu Empire (Agriculture, Fishing, Trade, Crafts and Industries). 7. Relations with Hausa land and other Nigerian people. |
| 2 | The Hausa state up to 1800 | 1. From village settlement to form indicating factors in development of Hausa state. 2. Hausa sociopolitical organization. 3. The Economy of Hausa land; Agriculture, Fishing, Trade, Crafts and Industries. |
| 3 | Nupe up to 1800 | 1. Pre-Isoede Nupe and relations between the parts. 2. The coming of Isoede and the rise and organization of the Nupe kingdom. 3. The Nupe Economy (Agriculture, Fishing, Trade, Crafts and Industries). |
| 4 | Igala up to 1800 | 1. The Evolution of Igala. 2. The Igala Economy (agriculture, Fishing, Hunting, Crafts, Industries, Trade). 3. Igala, relations with other Nigerian people. |
| 5 | The Jukun Kingdom | 1. Jukun’s migration and settlement in the middle Benue region. 2. Social organization of the Jukun with particular attention to the place of religion in Jukun society. 3. The rise of Jukun to military dominance. 4. The relations between Jukun and Hausa land, Bornu, other surrounding people. |
| 6 | Ife and Ojo | 1. Theories of Yorubaorigin and the relations between Ife and the rest of Yoruba land. 2. Socio-political organization of the Yoruba kingdom. 3. The rise and growth of the old Oyo empire. 4. Oyo empire and the political organization. 5. The Economy of Oyo (Agriculture,Fishing, Trading, Crafts and Industries). 6. Relations with Nigerian groups outside the empire. |
| 7 | Benin | 1. Foundation and early history stressing the growth from village community to kingdom. 2. Oramiyan and the founding of the new Dynasty. 3. The early kingdom and the rule of Ogiso. 4. The sociopolitical organization of the Benin kingdom. 5. The warrior kings of BeninEware, Osohua, Esigie. 6. Internal problems and decline 7. Benin and her neigbhoors 8. The Benin economy (Agriculture, Fishing, Trade, Crafts and Industries). 8. Benin and the European. |
| 8 | The Efik | 1. Foundation and the early History stressing the Efik migrations. 2. The challenges of the environment and the rise of the Efik state. 3. The sociopolitical organization of the Efik. 4. The Economic activities of the Efick including the commercial relation with other Nigerian. 5. The coming of the Europeans and the impact on the Efik. |
| 9 | The Igbo | 1. The tradition of origin of the Igbo. 2. Sociopolitical organization of the Igbo. 3. Economic activities and organization of the Igbo. 4. Igbo relations with other Nigerian people. |
| 10 | The Itsekiri | 1. The origin of the Itsekiri. 2. Sociopolitical organization. 3. The Itsekiri Economy. Commercial relations with the other people of Nigeria. 4. The coming of the Portuguese and the Itsekiri involvement in the Atlantic slave trade. |
| 11 | Revision | |
| 12 | Examination |
| Term | Third Term | |
| Week | Topic | Breakdown |
| 1 | Non-centralized States | 1. General characteristics of the non-centralized states. 2. Main sociopolitical institutions of the people (Igbo, Ibibio, Isoko, Idoma, Tu, Birom, Angas). 3. The covering of the government. 4. Unifying factors Agecrab Association, Inter-manages. 5. Economic activities of the Non-centralized states. 6. Explain the arrangements made for settling issues and disputes. 7. Discuss socio-political relations between these peoples and other groups 8. Identify the relationship between centralized and noncentralized states. |
| 2 | Inter Group Relations Economic Activities and Inter Group Relations | 1. Exchange of commodities and a major determinant of intergroup relations. 2. Inter-marriages 3. Lingulalism and linguistic borrowings 4. Cultrual borrowing (Nupe Egungun taken out by the Oyo-Yoruba). |
| 3 | Types of InterGroup Relations | 1. Specialization in crafts and industries and effects on later group relations. E.g. trading craftsmen plying their trade and setting in different parts of the country. 2. Movement of people to centres of specialization from other areas. 3. Trading associations and groups whose activities cut across lineages and territories eg. Akwa, Aro, Benin, Burno, and Hausa. |
| 4 | The Impact of migrations war and politics on inter group relations | 1. Forms and patterns of migrations forced migrations of slaves and of war captures migrant Islamic teachers and students, group fleeing from persistent warfare in kingdoms and empire and their impact on inter-group relations. 2. Wars of expansion and incorporation of other people into kingdoms and empires 3. Founding of dynasties from already established kingdoms. |
| 5 | Indigenous Technology Crafts and Industries | Types of indigenous technology practiced in Nigeria 1. Agriculture e.g shifting culturalism, mixed cropping. 2. Mettacurgy production of iron, Brass, Silver, Gold, tin objects e.g production of farming implements such as Hoes, Axe-heads, 3.Production of war iron traps. |
| 6 | Early External Influences a. Context with North African trade and Islam b. The transaction trade. | 1. Nature of the trade a. the trade was between North Africa and the Western Sudan through the Sahara desert. 2. There are three trade routes. a. Movocho–TaodeniTinbubu. b. Tinpohi-GladamesAir katime. c. Tripoli-FezzanBornu. 3.Articles of trade include Horses, Salt, Kolanuts, Hide and slen leather, Slaves, Gold |
| 7 | Islamic, Kanem-Bornu | 1. Meaning of Islam, introduction of Islam in North Africa and the Saharan and precise to the coming of Islam to Kanem and Bornu. 2. Mai-Umme and the acceptance of Islam and the acceptance of Islam and the Kanem court. 3. The consolidation of Islam. 4. The role of the Ulamas in the spread of Islam among the ruling Elite and society. 5. The impact of Islam on Karem and Bornu. |
| 8 | Islam in Hausa Land | 1. Contacts between Hausa land, Bornu and Western Sudan and the introduction of Islam in Hausa land. 2. The early spread of Islam in Kano, Katsina and Zazzan. The role of the Wangara Fulani and other Silolars in this process. |
| 9 | Early European Contacts with the Coastal States | 1. Background to European exploration of West Africa. 2. The arrival of the Portuguese along the Nigerian coast, Lagos and Calabar. |
| 10 | Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade Origin of the Atlantic Slave Trade | 1. The discovery of Americans and Europeans. 2. European migrations, settlements, and activities in the Americans and West Indians. 3. The circumstances which led to the demand for African labour in the West Indians. 4. The demand for African labour and the intensification of the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade in Nigeria. 5. The organization of the Trade. |
| 11 | Revision | |
| 12 | Examination |
The recommended History textbooks for SSS1 include but are not limited to the following:
Patrobas Nigeria Ltd
