how nigeria became - teacher resources

TEACHER RESOURCE PACK

HOW NIGERIA BECAME: A STORY, AND A SPEAR THAT DIDN’T WORK

FOR TEACHERS WORKING WITH PUPILS IN YEAR 4 – 8

HOW NIGERIA BECAME:

A STORY, AND A SPEAR THAT DIDN’T WORKRUNNING FROM 9 OCT - 9 NOV 2014

It’s 1914, one hundred years ago exactly, and Nigeria is about to be formed. Herbert and his well-known troupe of female actors are preparing to stage a story for the British Governor and his wife.

The story of the Spear of Shango is about a brave young woman who must use her strength and agility to save her father’s kingdom. But there’s a problem, the story doesn’t quite fit with the governor’s vision of a united country…

This colourful and quick-witted production offers an insight into Nigeria’s beginnings in 1914.

Written and directed by British Nigerian playwright Gbolahan Obisesan, How Nigeria Became commemorates the centenary of Nigeria as part of Black History Month at the Unicorn.

CONTENTSCONTEXTINTRODUCTION 4THE PLAY IN CONTEXT 5ABOUT THE PLAY 6INTERVIEW WITH THE PLAYWRIGHT GBOLAHAN OBISESAN 7

CLASSROOM ACTIVITIESINTRODUCTION 8

1: HOW THE WORLD BECAME - YORUBA CREATION MYTH 9 Resource: the story

2: INNOCENCE 12 Part 1: Innocence’s Story Resource: Innocence’s Story - story whoosh script

Part 2: Innocence Arrives Resource: Innocence Arrives - script extract

3: CHARLES 19 Part 1: Imagining Charles aged 8 Resource: Extracts from The Gorilla Hunters

Part 2: Imagining Charles aged 22 Resource: Photograph of Charles Resource: Job advertisement

Part 3: The Briefing Meeting Resource: Teacher in Role script Resource: Information about Nigeria

3: BIO-POEMS 31 Resource: Bio-poem framework

HOW NIGERIA BECAME

INTRODUCTIONWelcome to the resource pack for How Nigeria Became for students in Years 4 to 8.

These resources will support teachers in contextualising the play for their class before coming to the theatre, so that a young audience can tune into the performance.

The pack includes a range of classroom activities which can be used before or after your visit as ways of exploring themes, stories and characters relevant to the play. These activities have been developed with pupils and staff at our partner primary school, Eleanor Palmer Primary School.

For primary schools the resources will not take an objective led approach; however, teachers will be able to establish links to the relevant curriculum objectives for their particular year group and adapt them for their particular educational setting.

For teachers in secondary schools, the activities will be readily adaptable to your Drama lessons drawing on Drama strategies and conventions which are the building blocks of Drama at Key Stage 3.

There will be a free teacher CPD day for How Nigeria Became on Fri 12 Sep 10am – 4pm, which is a chance for teachers to find out more about the show and gain practical experience of the classroom activities, before leading them with a class.

To find out more about the CPD or book your place, email [email protected]

CONTEXTHOW NIGERIA BECAME

THE PLAY IN CONTEXT The history of Africa and the ways in which modern African states were established is complex. This is a very brief outline of the some of the events leading to the creation of Nigeria in 1914 that will be helpful in understanding the historical context of How Nigeria Became.

In 1914, the year the First World War was declared and great changes were taking place in Europe, there were also significant changes happening across Africa. One such change was the amalgamation of regions in West Africa that were under British Colonial rule. The British Colonial government’s representative, Governor General Lord Frederick Lugard, oversaw the proceedings and on 1 January 1914 the country that we know as Nigeria was created.

The establishing of Nigeria as a country under British rule was the culmination of a process that had begun thirty years earlier at the 1884 Berlin Congress. Often referred to as ‘the scramble for Africa’, the Berlin Congress divided the continent of Africa amongst the European countries who had already staked claims to its land and resources. It is during this meeting of European government representatives in Berlin, at which Africans were neither present nor represented, that modern African states were created. The spheres of influence of the European nations were agreed and marked on maps of the territory by European negotiators who frequently resorted to drawing straight lines or arcs on maps that took no account of the long established tribal kingdoms, traditional chiefdoms or even geological boundaries of the landscape. As Lord Salisbury, Prime Minister at the time, said, ‘we have been giving away mountains and rivers and lakes to each other, only hindered by the small impediment that we never knew exactly where they were.’

HOW NIGERIA BECAME – CONTEXT

Map of Africa in 1914

By the time the scramble for Africa was over, more than 10,000 traditional African societies, chiefdoms and kingdoms had been amalgamated into forty European colonies and protectorates. In some cases African societies were divided between several European nations. In others, European colonial territories enclosed diverse and independent groups with no common history, language, religion or culture within one new geographical boundary. Nigeria was one such country.

In 1884 the country now known as Nigeria consisted of two distinct and separate districts, both under British rule: the Southern Nigeria Protectorate and the Northern Nigeria Protectorate. The name Nigeria is not one that had been used by the long established tribal kingdoms of the area but was invented and adopted in 1887 at the suggestion of Flora Shaw, an expert on colonial affairs and a journalist for The Times. The name, she pointed out, would be appropriate because the river Niger flowed through the territory and had the added advantage of not applying to any other area in Africa.

In the region there were three main kingdoms, each with their own language, culture, history and customs: the Oyo Kingdom of the Yoruba, whose lands lie to the west of the Niger River, the Fulani Kingdom of the Hausa in the North, and the Nri Kingdom of the Ibo people to the East of the Niger River. These kingdoms were to become united into one country, whose boundaries has been agreed by the 1884 Berlin Congress, and governed by Britain.

In 1902 Flora Shaw married Lord Fredrick Lugard, who was a key figure in the British colonial service. In 1912, when Lord Frederick Lugard was appointed High Commissioner to oversee the merger of the two Protectorates into one country that was to be called Nigeria, she accompanied her husband to Africa. How Nigeria Became takes place in 1914 during the preparations for the celebration of the amalgamation.

For a deeper understanding of the history of Africa we recommend ‘The State of Africa’ – a history of fifty years of independence by Martin Meredith.

ABOUT THE PLAYIn Gbolahan Obisesan’s new play, Herbert Ogunde (a theatre director of a company of actors) is commissioned to create a play that will be performed when the capital of the new country of Nigeria is established in Lagos. Herbert, like Gbolahan, is Yoruba but in his theatre company there are actors from the different tribes of the new Nigeria.

The story they want to perform is about the Spear of Shango, and the rivalry and competition between the tribal kingdoms to get hold of it: once you have the mythical spear in your possession there will be good harvests, plenty of rain and no famine or drought in your kingdom. In their story, Nkoyo, a courageous young Yoruba girl, sets out to bring the spear back from the north to save her father’s kingdom from famine. But when Charles, the assistant to Lord Lugard, turns up at rehearsals he begins to doubt whether the story they want to tell is suitable for Nigeria’s inauguration and suggests that changes might be necessary.


INTERVIEW WITH PLAYWRIGHT GBOLAHAN OBISESAN Why did you want to write How Nigeria Became?

1914 was the year in which this particular region of West Africa became Nigeria. I thought it would be good to write something that responds to that and to the relationship between the local people and the British colonial settlers. There were always boundaries between the different groups but in 1914 the boundaries were mapped by the British colonial settlers. Three kingdoms were brought together and at that point it was something they didn’t have a choice over.

What can you tell us about the play?

One of the central characters, Herbert, is based on a real guy, Hubert Ogunde. He was a theatre-maker, a larger than life character working in the 1940s, and because fathers and brothers didn’t consider acting to be a respectable career, he married a lot of the actresses who worked with him so that they could retain a certain level of respectability. In the play, Herbert’s theatre company is made up of a group of actresses. Herbert is Yoruba and all the girls are from different tribes and they are playing different roles for the commission.

Herbert has been commissioned to put on a play for the inauguration of Nigeria and the play he makes is in keeping with Nigerian oral traditions, as well as European influences. He draws on oral traditions, such as storytelling that is very interactive, expressive and spontaneous in terms of how the story develops and evolves. There are some elements of music and dance as well - I want it to feel musical and entertaining, even if they’re not singing. The actor I want to play Hebert will play the drum.

The girls want to perform a particular story that they are used to – The Story of Jenrola and the Spear of Shango – the story usually has a particular way it ends. But when Charles, the Junior District Commissioner sees this, he wants a change in direction. Part of the change in direction is about the optimism, the positivity of the story; supporting the idea of these tribes becoming one Nigeria. I wanted to explore the idea that, at that moment, all the tribes who made up that region of West Africa were going to cohabit, everything was going to be fine and no one was going to have a dispute because essentially they are all the same people rather than different tribes. That’s the story I want to tell; that for a while, in 1914, the idea was to come together, even though there might be a fall out in the future.


INTRODUCTIONThese activities enable teachers to prepare their class for a visit to the Unicorn to see Gbolahan Obisesan’s play How Nigeria Became. The play is set in 1913 at the time when the Northern and Southern Protectorates of Nigeria were about to be amalgamated to form the new country we now know as Nigeria. The section on the play’s historical context (page 5) gives teachers who are unfamiliar with this period of history a brief but important overview of events.

The activities focus on three aspects of the play: the Yoruban Creation Myth that underpins the action and the journey of two of the characters: Innocence, a young woman who wants to join Herbert Ogunde’s Theatre Company and Charles, a young Englishman, who has recently arrived to assist Lord Lugard with the amalgamation. Each of the activities works through drama to create a sense of the characters and their journey to the point when we meet them and establishes young audiences’ connections to the play without pre-empting the action.

The activities also give teachers ideas for: ways of developing narrative understanding; creating and exploring character; and writing in role that can be adapted to other classroom based work.

1: HOW THE WORLD BECAME - YORUBA CREATION MYTH Resource: the story

2: INNOCENCE Part 1: Innocence’s Story Resource: Innocence’s Story - story whoosh script

Part 2: Innocence Arrives Resource: Innocence Arrives - script extract

3: CHARLES Part 1: Imagining Charles aged 8 Resource: Extracts from The Gorilla Hunters

Part 2: Imagining Charles aged 22 Resource: Photograph of Charles Resource: Job advertisement

Part 3: The Briefing Meeting Resource: Teacher in Role script Resource: Information about Nigeria

3: BIO-POEMS Resource: Bio-poem framework

HOW NIGERIA BECAME

CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES

1. HOW THE WORLD BECAME YORUBA CREATION MYTH INTRODUCTIONHow Nigeria Became begins with a version of the Yoruba creation myth that tells how the world became and how the Kingdom of Ife came into being. Knowing the story of Oduduwa and the five toed chicken is way of creating a hook for the audience so that when the figure descends to the stage there is a moment of recognition that adds to the theatre experience.

TIME 50 min

ORGANISATION This is a whole class activity that begins with the teacher telling the myth to the class who then work in pairs.

RESOURCES Teachers will need:A copy of the story (RESOURCE 1) to learn in preparation for tellingA3 paper and pastels or felt tipsA washing line suspended around the room and pegs

STRATEGIESOral storytelling; talk for learning; narrative drawing; reflective discussion

OVERVIEW OF THE ACTIVITYThis activity depends on oral storytelling by the teacher and the outline of the story is written to support teachers telling the story rather than to be read aloud. Teachers can add dialogue and description to bring the story of Oduduwa and Obatala alive in the imagination of the listeners.

This activity is a way of exploring story structure through imaginative response with the class that departs from the idea that stories have easily identifiable ‘beginnings, middles and ends’. Every event in a story is important and whilst some may seem more important than others, each event is linked to the others in the narrative to make a coherent whole. This activity creates the opportunity for the participants to think about their personal responses to the story and to make judgements about significance in the overall structure.

Teacher’s role- to become familiar with the narrative and rehearse an oral telling of the story - to tell the story to the class - to encourage the class to respond personally to the story

HOW NIGERIA BECAME - CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES

RUNNING THE ACTIVITY• Teachers will need to prepare the telling of the story beforehand. • Pin up the washing line in preparation for pegging up the A3 drawings. • Explain to the class that you are going to tell the story of Oduduwa and the five toed chicken and that,

as you tell, you want them to let the world of the story enter their imagination. • After hearing the story ask the class to work in pairs. • Ask them to tell each other which moment in the story has remained as a strong visual memory for

them. • Make sure they know that it is their choice and that you are not looking for a prescribed response. • Ask each pair to draw their moments on A3 paper, putting in as much detail as they can. The talk they

engage in at this point is important. • Peg the images on the line in sequence - with each pair giving the reasons for their decisions. • There may be more than one image for a particular event which will give different interpretations and

there may be moments that have not been recorded.• Discuss what choices the class have made and why they have made them. The reflective talk around the

images contributes to the class’s understanding of the story and enriches the imaginative response.


RESOURCE 1HOW THE WORLD BECAME - YORUBACREATION MYTH Every culture has stories about how the world came into being - this is a version of a creation myth from the Yoruba tradition that Gbolahan Obisesan has included in the play

Long, long ago, in the beginning, when there was only sky and water and marsh but no dry earth, the sky god, the Orisha whose name was Olorun, decided to send Obatala and his apprentice, Oduduwa, down from the sky to create dry land.

Olorun gave Obatala a handful of dry earth, a special five toed chicken and a palm nut. Obatala put all these things in a bag and gave them to Oduduwa to carry. Then Olorun took a golden rope and dropped it down from the sky all the way to the marshy land below and Obatala and Oduduwa prepared to climb down the golden rope.

But before they began to climb down Obatala had a drink of palm wine, one drink, and then another and another until he was so drunk he fell asleep. So Oduduwa decided to climb down the golden rope on his own, carrying the bag with handful of dry earth, the five toed chicken and the palm nut.

Down and down he climbed until he reached the marsh land and as soon as he had let go of the rope he unfastened the bag. He took out the handful of dry earth and poured it on the ground. Then he took out the chicken and put it next to the pile of earth and the five toed chicken began to scratch. It scratched and scratched and as it scratched the earth scattered far and wide – to the north, the south, the east and the west. Where there used to be water and marshy land, mountains and valleys began to appear and wide plains where created where great rivers flowed. Oduduwa planted the palm nut and, from that seed, great forests of palm nut trees grew.

When Obatala woke up he climbed down the golden rope and saw what Oduduwa and the five toed chicken had done. He was so pleased he called the place Ile Ife - the land of love.

Obatala then took some earth and, in the East, he moulded the Ibo people of the Benin Kingdom. He used the earth in the West to mould the Edo people also of the Benin Kingdom. In the south he moulded the Yoruba people of the Oyo kingdom. In the north he moulded the Fula people of the Fulani Kingdom and beyond that he moulded other tribes and other people in different colours and sizes. Then Olorun, all the great Orishas, descended on the golden rope. They admired Oduduwa’s creation and made him the first king of the Yoruba people. Oduduwa’s sons and their sons became kings in their turn and the fourth king of the Yoruba people was Shango, the god of Thunder, who was a fearsome king until he was chased out by the people for being too strict.


2. INNOCENCE PART ONE: INNOCENCE’S STORY INTRODUCTIONA ‘story whoosh’ is a way of establishing a character or a narrative line in a quick, playful, inclusive way. The participants take on the role of characters and portray the events as the teacher narrates the story. The roles are adopted briefly, often with improvised dialogue, then ‘whooshed’ away and the next moment of the narrative is created. This is a playful convention and not meant to be laboured over – but commitment to the work is essential.

This story whoosh tells the story of Innocence, one of the actors in Herbert Ogunde’s Theatre Company. In How Nigeria Became the audience first meets Innocence when she arrives for an audition and this activity is a way of getting to know who she is and what her dreams and ambitions are so that when she arrives on stage there is a moment of recognition.

TIME30+ minutes

ORGANISATIONThis activity requires a space big enough for the class to stand in a circle; whole class.

RESOURCES Teachers will need a copy of Innocence’s story (RESOURCE 2) and to be familiar with it before beginning the activity.

STRATEGIESTeacher narration; freeze frame; improvised dialogue

OVERVIEW OF THE ACTIVITY Innocence’s story and the events that lead her to Herbert Ogunde’s theatre are set out as a series of moments, starting with the time when she first goes to school and ending at the moment when she arrives in Herbert Ogunde’s rehearsal space. Teachers will need to be familiar with these events and to have imagined what might be depicted during the story whoosh. Participants will, of course, also have their own ideas but the teacher’s imaginative engagement with Innocence’s life story is an important part of preparing for this activity.


RUNNING THE ACTIVITYThe teacher takes the role of the narrator and as each event is told a small group makes a depiction of the moment as a freeze frame. When the narration moves on the group is ‘whooshed’ out of the way and the next group in the circle takes it turn.

• Organise the class into a circle and explain how the story whoosh works and how it connects to the play they are going to see.

• Remind the class about how to make a freeze frame and emphasise that they will have to create their images as quickly as they can.

• Teachers might like to practise this by asking the whole class to show one moment simultaneously such as: At school Innocence sings in the school choir – she loves to sing.

• Start the activity by explaining to the class how it links with the play they are going to see at the Unicorn.

• Read each of the events with each small group in turn round the circle making a depiction to show what is happening. Lines of improvised dialogue can be added to the freeze frame.

• Before the narration moves on, the group is ‘whooshed’ back into the circle ready for the next part of Innocence’s story when the next group in the circle will take on the roles.


RESOURCE 2INNOCENCE STORY WHOOSH SCRIPT The main characters in the play, How Nigeria Became, are actors in a theatre company run by an actor called Herbert Ogunde. Innocence arrives at the rehearsal space and asks to be given an audition to join the theatre group. This is the story of how Innocence came to join the theatre group.

It is 1903 and in a village in the Southern protectorate of Nigeria a small school has opened. Inside the school the teacher is teaching the village children how to read, write and count in English: the teacher says the numbers and the children repeat: 1, 2, 3, 4 …….. In the village lives a girl called Nkoyo, she is 8 years old. Nkoyo’s mother goes with her to the school and asks the teacher if Nkoyo can join the school. The teacher agrees.

Whoosh

The next day Nkoyo arrives at the school and the teacher asks her her name. Nkoyo tells her her name is Nkoyo and that it means Woman can do everything. The teacher explains to her that now she is at school she must have an English name. She will be called Innocence. The teacher teaches Nkoyo how to say her name and helps her practice how to write it. I.N.N.O.C.E.N.C.E.

Whoosh

At school Innocence loves to listen to stories when the teacher reads to the whole class.

Whoosh

In her village when the drummers drum Nkoyo, or Innocence as she is now called, loves to dance with her friends and family.

Whoosh

At school Innocence sings in the school choir, she loves to sing.

Whoosh

When Innocence is 14, Herbert Ogunde and his company of actors, dancers and musicians arrive in her village and put on a play about Oduduwa and the creation of the Four Kingdoms. Innocence and her friends go to see the play. Herbert plays the part of the God, the Orisha Oduduwa and Innocence watches as he acts out how Oduduwa climbs down the golden rope and pours a pile of dry earth on the marshy land, then takes a chicken out of his bag and places it on the earth. The chicken starts scratching and pecking in the dry earth.

Whoosh

When they are playing at school, Innocence and her friends all pretend to be Herbert Ogunde being Odudwa climbing down the golden rope and pouring dry earth onto the marshy land and placing a chicken who scratches it into piles and makes the mountains, valleys and plains.

Whoosh

When Innocence is sitting at her desk in school, she dreams about becoming an actor and joining Herbert Ogunde’s Theatre Company.


Whoosh

It is 1913, Innocence is now 18 and has left school. She hears that Herbert Ogunde is auditioning for a new actor. Innocence talks to her mother, telling her that she wants to go and audition for Herbert Ogunde’s company, her mother is not happy, the city is a long, long way and Innocence will have to travel there alone. Innocence reminds her mother that she is a very good dancer, sings well and has always wanted to act and pleads with her mother to let her go. Innocence’s mother reluctantly agrees to let her go.

Whoosh

On the day when Innocence sets off for the city all her family and friends come to say goodbye and to wish her luck.

Whoosh

Innocence travels to the city to attend the audition to join Herbert Ogunde’s theatre group. When she arrives in the city she asks a passerby the way to the place where Herbert Ogunde and his company of actors meet to rehearse. She tells them how exciting she is to be going to audition. The passerby points her in the right direction.

Whoosh

At the rehearsal space Herbert and his two actors are talking about their living accommodation - the actors need Herbert to build some more - particularly if he wants new actors to join the company. Herbert owns the theatre company. Chinedu has been with the company for some years and she is a very good performer. Esomo has also been with the company for some time and she too has performed in many plays with the company. When Innocence bursts into the rehearsal space full of excitement and enthusiasm they all look around. They are not expecting her.

Focus on this moment of Innocence’s arrival. Ask the class to look at what the group has presented and to imagine what the responses of each person in the freeze frame might be. Tell the class that this is the moment in the play when the audience see Innocence for the first time.


PART TWO: INNOCENCE ARRIVESINTRODUCTIONThis activity focuses on the scene from the play when Innocence arrives at Herbert Ogunde’s rehearsal space and explores the dynamic that exists between the characters. Freeze frame and thought tracking are used to explore the responses of the characters as a whole class and the work is developed in small groups. Each group uses what has been inferred from the freeze frame to develop a rehearsed expressive reading of the scene.

TIME50 mins

ORGANISATIONWhole class introduction; groups of 4.

RESOURCESCopies of the script (RESOURCE 3); coloured pencils for marking up the script.

STRATEGIESFreeze frame, thought tracking; rehearsed reading; small group work; reflective discussion Teacher’s Role

- be familiar with the context of the play, the four characters, and the script. - to have already introduced Innocence to the class through the story whoosh activity. - to support the class in exploring the dynamic that exists between the four characters at this moment.- to support each group in their interpretation of the script.

RUNNING THE ACTIVITY

• Remind the class about Innocence and the final moment of the story whoosh when she arrives at Herbert Ogunde’s theatre.

• Ask one group to set up that moment again: Herbert Ogunde and his two actors, Chinedu and Esomo, are discussing which play they are going to do when Innocence comes in and interrupts them. No one is expecting her.

• Ask the class to focus on the relationships between the four people and how each of them responds to this moment. Make sure that the class knows the name of each character: Innocence - the new arrival, Chinedu and Esomo - actors who have been in the company a long time and Herbert Ogunde.

• What impact does Innocence’s arrival have on each member of the company? How does the freeze frame show this?

• Ask the class to imagine what each of the characters might be thinking at this moment and thought track each of them.

• Discuss with the class how their understanding of this moment is going to inform how they read the dialogue.

• Focus on Innocence. The first thing she says is: Hello! I hope I’m not too late… There are many different ways of saying this line and each of which will give a different sense of who Innocence is and how she is responding to the situation she finds herself in.

• Ask the class to work with their talk partners to explore different ways of delivering the line.


• Now focus on Esomo. In this scene she responds to Innocence by saying: Are you in the right place?• There are many different ways of saying this line. Do the class think Esomo is being kind? Surprised?

Irritated? Curious? Ask the class to explore the different ways Esomo might respond to Innocence. • Discuss the ways that tone, inflection, pace, volume affects meaning what is said and creates a sense of

who the characters are and their response to events.• Divide the class into groups of four and give each group copies of the short scene. • Explain that they are going to be interpreting the scene using the work they have done around the

freeze frame as a starting point. Groups may want to begin by setting up the freeze frame themselves as a starting point.

• Ask the groups to read the script and discuss how they will interpret what is going on between the characters.

• Draw attention to the punctuation that denotes where what is being said is interrupted by another voice. How will that influence the reading?

• As the rehearsed scenes will work with voice only, as if they are a scene from a radio play, the groups could record their work as a way of presenting it to the class.

• Discuss the different interpretations the class have created and remind them that this will be a scene to watch out for in the play.


RESOURCE 3INNOCENCE ARRIVES - SCRIPT EXTRACT CHARACTERSInnocence A young woman who had arrived wanting to join Herbert Ogunde’s theatre company as an actor and dancer. Herbert Ogunde The actor who runs the theatre company and directs the plays.Chinedu An actor. She has worked with Herbert for a long time as an actor and dancer. Esomo An actor. She has also worked with Herbert for a long time as an actor and dancer.

SCENE Herbert, Esomo and Chinedu are about to start rehearsing a play. Innocence bursts into the rehearsal room full of energy and enthusiasm

Innocence Hello! I hope I am not too late…

Herbert Hello -

Esomo Are you in the right place?

Innocence I hope so! I’m here to audition for Herbert Ogunde -

Herbert That’s me – I am Herbert Ogunde (kissing her hand)

Esomo Herbert – we were discussing…

Herbert An audition you say – when did you here about it?

Innocence Please don’t tell me I am too late – I have travelled a very long way – three night and this is the fourth day - just to seize this opportunity…

Esomo What’s you name darling?

Innocence Innocence ma…

Chinedu What kind of name is that?

Esomo Your tribal name?

Innocence Oh, Nkoyo.


3. CHARLES PART ONE: IMAGINING CHARLES AGED EIGHT INTRODUCTIONIn the play Charles is Lord Lugard’s representative and he has been given the job of commissioning Herbert Ogunde’s theatre company to create a play that will celebrate the creation of the new country of Nigeria.Charles is there to ensure that the play created fits the vision that Lugard and the British Government have for the new Nigeria.

OVERVIEW OF THE ACTIVITY This sequence of activities starts by imagining some of the events that might have shaped Charles’s younger self: the books he might have read, the maps, artefacts and images he might have seen. By 1900 African artefacts were influencing the work of contemporary painters; David Livingstone, the Christian missionary, explorer and anti-slavery campaigner was viewed as a national hero; British colonies in Africa were marked on the new maps of Africa drawn after the ‘scramble for Africa’ at the Berlin Congress and there were novels set in Africa aimed at young male readers. R.M Ballantyne’s novel The Gorilla Hunters was one of these. Published in the mid 1880s, it became a popular book that reflected the colonial attitudes of the time. This activity uses some of the short sections from The Gorilla Hunters that can be read without offending contemporary readers. The end of this activity would be an appropriate time to discuss the historical context of the play with the class.

TIME50 mins

ORGANISATIONWhole class; small groups. RESOURCESExtracts from The Gorilla Hunters (RESOURCE 4)1900 map of Africa (www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/British_Empire)Images of Benin mask (http://www.metmuseum.org/collection/the-collection-online/search/318622)Painting of David Livingstone being attacked by a lion (www.scotsman.com/lifestyle/heritage/zambia-to-hail-dr-david-livingstone-s-legacy-1-2938025)

STRATEGIESDiscussion; small group freeze frame; improvisation; writing in role; reflection.

RUNNING THE ACTIVITY • Explain to the class that they are going to be exploring Charles, a character in the play who is an

assistant to Lord Lugard, who is overseeing the creation of the new country of Nigeria.• Tell the class that they will first see Charles in the play when he arrives at Herbert Ogunde’s theatre

company. • In this activity the class is going to create some of the events that have led to Charles being there.


• Start by discussing how the things we read or see and the interests we have when we are young can have an influence on who we become when we get older.

• Remind the class that the play is set in 1913 and that life was very different then. Charles would have been born in the 19th Century, in the 1890s. The things they are going to see are from that time and all of them have, in some way, made him think about what he wants to do when he grows up.

• Introduce each of the artefacts to the class that Charles encounters in 1899 when he is 8 years old. Talk about the ideas they have:

- The Gorilla Hunters. Read the extracts and ask the class to think about how these might have had an impact on Charles’ imagination. - The painting of David Livingstone being attacked by a lion. Livingstone survived this attack and lived to tell the tale. Where might Charles have heard or read the story? - The map of Africa. Show the class the map. What is it about the map of Africa that draws Charles in and makes him dream about his future? - The image of the Benin mask. Look at the image and ask the class to imagine how Charles might have come to see or even hold such a thing.

• Divide the class into 4 and assign one of the artefacts to each group. Then divide each of these 4 groups into smaller groups of 2 - 3.

• Ask the groups to imagine a moment that shows when Charles’s interest in their artefact happened. • Ask them to create this moment as a freeze frame but to practice bringing it to life so that they can do

so if they are asked. • Share all the images that have been created, asking some groups to extend the moment by bringing it

to life. • Discuss what has been created and the ways in which the Africa that has been created in Charles’s

imagination. • Ask the class to imagine that they are the 8 year old Charles just after he has had the experiences they

have created. What would he write in his secret diary about what has happened and his hopes for the future? Give the class 5 minutes independent silent writing time.

• Collect all the writing together. Tell the class that you are going to read the secret thoughts of 8 year old Charles.

• Discuss briefly with the class how an 8 year old might understand things differently to someone older. • Ask the class that, as you read, you want them to think about the things they realise that Charles

doesn’t know about Africa. • Discuss these with the class and discuss how perceptions can change across time because we get older

and have experienced more and understand things differently. • Teachers might find this a point when they can discuss the historical context of the play with the class.


RESOURCE 4 EXTRACTS FROM THE GORILLA HUNTERS - A TALE OF THE WILDS OF AFRICA The Gorilla Hunters was one of the first books written by Ballantyne who became one of the most prolific writers of boys’ adventure stories in the late Victorian period. Three young men decide to go to Africa, hire a guide and go off into the forest to find gorillas and shoot as many as possible. They were also going to make scientific notes about the creatures to take back to England as very few people there had ever seen a gorilla. Things go wrong when one of them is very badly wounded.

The Gorilla Hunters is a book that reflects the views, behaviours and attitudes of late Victorian England. It is not book for contemporary readers!

In the activity, ‘Imagining Charles aged 8’, these extracts are used to help the class to imagine the ways which the young Charles might have encountered Africa in the books he read as a child. Each one of the extracts has a strong sense of place and visual detail is very different from English landscape.

EXTRACT 1 Immediately in front of the spot where we stood was an open space or glade of considerable extent. Towards this the animal approached, as was evident from the increasing loudness of its wild roar, which was almost continuous. In another moment the thick wall of underwood at its farther extremity was burst asunder with a crash, and a wild buffalo bull bounded into the plain and dashed madly across. On its neck was crouched a leopard, which had fixed its claws and teeth deep in the flesh of the agonised animal. In vain did the bull bound and rear, toss and plunge. At one moment it ran like the wind; the next it stopped with such violence as to tear up the turf and scatter it around. Then it reared, almost falling back; anon it plunged and rushed on again, with the foam flying from its mouth, and its bloodshot eyes glaring with the fire of rage and terror, while the woods seemed to tremble with its loud and deep-toned bellowing.

EXTRACT 2 It was a fine tree, but the great beauty about it was the gorgeous fruit with which it was laden. It hung in the form of bunches of large grapes, and was of the brightest scarlet colour. The glowing bunches seemed like precious gems glittering amongst the green foliage, and I observed that a few monkeys and several parrots were peeping at us through the branches.

EXTRACT 3 In a few minutes we cut down with our axes a sufficient quantity of dry wood to keep two large fires going all night; we then kindled our second fire at a few yards distant from the first, and made our camp between them. This precaution we took in order to scare away the wild animals whose cries we heard occasionally during the night. Peterkin, having proposed to take the first watch — for we had to watch by turns all the night through — lighted his pipe and sat down before the cheerful fire with his back against the stem of a palm-tree, and his rifle lying close to his hand, to be ready in case of a surprise.


EXTRACT 4 All was bustle, noise, and activity in the village, or, more correctly speaking, in the native town of his Majesty King Jambai. There were old guns — all of which latter were flint-locks that had been procured from traders, and were not worth more than a few shillings. The women were busy preparing breakfast, and the children were playing around their huts.

On going to the hut of King Jambai, who had invited us to breakfast with him, we found the Princess Oninga alone, seated in the King’s armchair.

EXTRACT 5 We now began to draw near to the enclosure, and I was beginning to fear that our hunt was to prove unsuccessful that day. A considerable quantity of small game had passed us, Jack was sorely tempted once or twice, when several beautiful gazelles and one or two wild pigs ran past within shot. Presently we heard a shrill trumpeting sound, which Peterkin told us, in an excited voice, was the cry of the elephant. We hastened forward with our utmost speed, when suddenly we were brought to a stand by hearing a tremendous roar close in front of us. Immediately after, a large male lion bounded from among the bushes, and with one stroke of his enormous paw struck down a man who stood not twenty yards from us. The terrible brute stood for an instant or two, lashing his sides with his tail and glaring defiance. It chanced that I happened to be nearest to him, and that the position of the tangled underwood prevented my companions from taking good aim; so without waiting for them, being anxious to save, if possible, the life of the prostrate man, I fired both barrels into the lion’s side. Giving utterance to another terrible roar, he bounded away and made his escape, to our great disappointment.


PART TWO: IMAGINING CHARLES AGED 22 INTRODUCTIONIn the play we meet Charles when he arrives at Herbert Ogunde’s rehearsal space. He has recently arrived from England to be an assistant to Lord Lugard and has been sent by Lugard to commission Herbert to create a play to celebrate the creation of the new country of Nigeria. The activity Imagining Charles aged 8 developed a perception of how Charles’s interest in going to Africa could have been sparked. Charles is now 22 years old and has applied for a job in the Colonial Service, based in what will become the new country of Nigeria. This activity explores what responses he might have to his appointment to his first job in the Colonial Service.

OVERVIEW OF THE ACTIVITY This activity explores Charles as he waits for an interview at the Colonial Service. TIME60 mins

ORGANISATIONTalk partners; whole class.

RESOURCESImage of Charles (RESOURCE 5)Images of the Colonial Office - which was housed in what is now the Foreign Office (www.gov.uk/government/.../foreign-commonwealth-office)Job advertisement (RESOURCE 6)

STRATEGIESDiscussion; teacher narration; depiction; thought tracking.

RUNNING THE ACTIVITYThe image of Charles is the starting point for this work. Each pair will need a copy of the photograph. Teachers will also need a copy of the job advertisement.

• Introduce the image to the class and explain that the black and white photograph was taken in 1913 and that we are going to imagine that this is Charles, a character in the play, on the day when he is going for an interview for his first job. He has just finished at University and he is now hoping to work for the Colonial Service in Africa.

• In pairs, ask the class to look at the photo. What do they notice about the way Charles is dressed? What do they notice about the way he is standing? Ask everyone in the class to stand for a moment as if they are Charles in the photograph.

• Comment on the way the class has captured Charles’ stance and ask the class to walk around the space as if they are Charles.

• Divide the class into two groups. Give each group, in turn, the opportunity to walk as if they are Charles and the other group responds to what they observe. Remind the class that this is the same Charles that we imagined when he was 8 with hopes of someday going to Africa. Having walked as if we are Charles, what more do we sense about Charles as a 22 year old man?


• Next, read the job application that Charles is applying for to the class.• Show the class images of the Colonial Office on the IWB. It is a very imposing building with an inner

courtyard and sweeping staircases leading to corridors where there are grand doors leading to offices. In one of these offices Charles will be interviewed for the job in Africa.

• Discuss with the class how different things were in 1913. For example: today Africa is easy to get to by plane, but in 1913 it took 3 weeks by boat; today we can keep in contact with our friends and family from anywhere in the world, but in 1913 the only way to keep in touch was by letter and they were sent by boat.

• Talk about how the climate in Nigeria is very different to what Charles is used to.• Teachers are not looking for historical exactness but a sense of the difference in place and climate; and

the lack of easy communication in 1913 that would have an impact on Charles’ ability to stay in touch with England.

• Ask the class to think about positive things that Charles might be looking forward to. • Ask the class to look again at the images of the building where Charles is waiting to be interviewed and

explain that we are going to imagine Charles waiting here for his interview.• Ask the class to stand in the space again as if they are Charles and to walk slowly. As they walk ask

them to imagine that they are in the courtyard of the Colonial Service. And now Charles has reached the place where he has to wait until it is his turn to be interviewed. This is the moment that will decide his future.

• Ask the class to decide where he would be and whether he would be sitting or standing. Ask them to arrange themselves in a freeze frame of Charles waiting for interview. He is about to be interviewed for his first job, what do they imagine he might be thinking about as he waits for his interview? What is he hoping for? What is he concerned about? What is he excited about?

• Tell the class that when they have created their still image of Charles you are going to gather all his thoughts. As you walk round the room you will tap each person gently on the shoulder and that is the cue for them to say Charles’ thoughts out loud.

• Bring the group together and discuss the responses they have heard and what they tell us about Charles at 22.


RESOURCE 5IMAGE OF CHARLES BEFORE THE INTERVIEW


RESOURCE 6JOB ADVERTISEMENT

New posts in the colonial service

The British Colonial Service is looking for exceptional young men to join Lord Lugard in Africa and support his governance at this important time; the creation of the new country of Nigeria.

The Northern and Southern Protectorates will be amalgamated on 1 January1914.

Successful applicants will need to be adventurous, diplomatic in challenging circumstances and skilled at bringing people together in a common cause.

This will be a great moment in British and Nigerian History.


PART THREE: THE BRIEFING MEETING INTRODUCTIONIn this activity the teacher takes on the role of the person in the Colonial Office who is responsible for briefing the new appointees. In this role the teacher is able to give information and shape understanding of some aspects of Nigeria at the time in which the play is set in response to the questions raised by the class, who are in role as the new appointees working as assistants to Lord Lugard. There is a ‘script’ that teachers may wish to refer to that provides a way of starting the Teacher in Role work. There is also a sheet of historical information for teachers to use if they have not been able to take time to do their own research.

TIME30 mins

ORGANISATIONWhole class.

RESOURCESTiR script (RESOURCE 7)Information on Nigeria (RESOURCE 8)A clipboardpicture of Lord Lugard (can be found online) Map of linguistic groups in Nigeria area in 1914 (http://demolarewajudaily.com/politicus-1914-mistake) STRATEGIESTeacher in role; whole class role play; teacher narration. Teacher’s role

- Prepare for TiR by becoming familiar with the script and the historical information.

RUNNING THE ACTIVITY • Explain to the class that Charles had been successful at the interview and now he has been asked to

a briefing meeting along with the other successful applicants where they will be given some more information about the job.

• Explain that, in this activity, you will be taking on the role of the person at the Colonial Office who is responsible for briefing new appointees to the Colonial Service and when you are holding the clipboard you will be working in that role.

• Set the room up for the briefing meeting. Teachers might wish to negotiate how this would be with the class. Make sure there is a ‘doorway’ through which they can enter the ‘briefing room’.

• In pairs, ask the class to discuss what they might want to find out in this meeting. For example, they might want to know more about the job they will be asked to do and about the country itself.

• Ask the class to stand in role outside the ‘briefing room’ and wait to be invited in. Out of role, comment on what has been created.

• Take up the clipboard, and invite the new appointees in to the ‘room’ and, using the information on the script (RESOURCE 7), welcome everyone to the meeting.

• Invite questions about what life in Nigeria will be like and what their role will be in working for Lord Lugard. What these questions are will be different with every group. The resource sheet gives some information about life in Nigeria, the journey there, the differences they will encounter and the work with Lord Lugard. The class may ask questions about areas that are not covered and these can be researched later, out of role.


• Close the meeting by asking the class to talk, in role, with the ‘colleague’ sitting next to them and find out what aspect of this adventurous new job they are looking forward to.

• Out of role, discuss what advice the class would give Charles before he leaves England for Nigeria.• Write another diary entry for Charles, the night before he sails to Port Harcourt.


RESOURCE 7SCRIPT FOR THE BRIEFING MEETINGTHE BRIEFING MEETING AT THE COLONIAL OFFICE (FOR TEACHER-IN-ROLE ACTIVITY)

Welcome everyone and well done.

You have impressed us not only with your academic qualifications but with your leadership potential, adventurous spirit, loyalty to King and country and, above all, your commitment to serving in our colonies overseas.

1913 is a very important year for our subjects in West Africa in particular, as in January 1914 the Protectorates of Northern and Southern Nigeria are to be amalgamated to create an entirely new county called Nigeria. A name invented by the well known journalist and colonial expert Flora Shaw, who has recently become married to Lord Lugard.

Already Lord Lugard, one of our most experienced people, has taken up his position as Governor General and will be in charge of establishing this new country of Nigeria. Your role will be to support him in this in which ever way he requires.

Of course, this meeting is not only to welcome you but to answer, if possible, any questions you have about Nigeria. And what your life there will be like. I have not been there myself but I do have information here that will help me to answer your questions as well as I can. It is a long way from the secure comforts of England. In fact, it is a three week sea voyage from Southampton and things will be very different to what you are used to…. I understand that even the trees are not the same as here! That’s enough from me... questions please.


RESOURCE 8INFORMATION ABOUT NIGERIA FOR THE BRIEFING MEETINGThe information below can be used to respond to questions that the class raise at the briefing meeting. The notes, which are written as if they are responses to FAQs, can be kept on the clipboard and referred to during the meeting.

What will the climate be like? Nigeria is in the tropics and the climate can be very hot, damp and humid. Unlike England there are only two seasons: the Dry season and the Rainy season. The North and South of Nigeria are very different to each other. In the Southern part of the country there is heavy rainfall even in the dry season and large areas are covered by tropical rainforest. Around the delta of the river Niger where it enters the Atlantic Ocean there are marshes and forested swamps. In the Northern area the climate is much hotter and dryer. There are no tropical rainforest and the landscape is mostly savannah or grasslands where herds of wild animals roam. In the hot season a hot dry wind laden with sand blows in from the Sahara desert. Temperatures in Northern Nigeria in the hot season can reach over 40 degrees.

What language do people speak? The official language of the new country of Nigeria will be English. Not everyone speaks English and there are many languages spoken by the different groups in Northern and Southern Nigeria: Igbo; Yoruba; Ibibio; Tiv; Edo; Ijaw are just some of them. We will unify the country through establishing English as the common language. One of the tasks that you will be involved with is the introduction of the new calendar. With so many languages spoken it is important that we establish a system that we all work by. By the time of the amalgamation in January 1914 all communication to do with days of the weeks and months of the year must be in English. People have to re-educate themselves to stop referring to the days of the week in their native tongue and to use the correct English terms that will be universal throughout the new country of Nigeria.

Where do people live? The majority of the people in all areas of Nigeria live in villages, although there are many larger towns: Asaba in the south, Babba in central Nigeria, for example. In the North: Kano and Sokoto. The largest town is Lagos which is where Lord Lugard is based (see: 1914 map of Nigeria by John Bartholomew and Co.).

Where will I live? Members of the English Colonial Government all live in specially constructed compounds that are built in a recognisable English style adapted for the tropics. These will be within a compound especially built for the Colonial Government.

The Christian churches we have built are in many respects the same as the ones in the towns and villages in England. You will spend very little time in local areas. Sometimes you will hear the sound of drumming and celebration coming from the surrounding area but this will be inside the compound. The local people have a rich and varied tradition of music and dance. Theatre companies sometimes come to put on plays in the local market place, there are basket makers and potters. But all this is outside the compound. In our area we insist on maintaining our own standards and customs.


How will we get there? Travelling by ship will take around two weeks and you will be some of the first people to arrive at the newly named Port Harcourt. Port Harcourt was only built in 1912 by the British, and in August 1913 Lord Lugard decided it should be named in honour of the Lewis Vernon Harcourt, Secretary of State for the Colonies. Port Harcourt is a very important development for the British because it is where the palm oil that we need for making soap and for industrial purposes is loaded onto to ships and taken to England. Travel is not by car or bus, as it is in England. There are not enough good roads yet for cars to travel on, so horses are used most often. There is already one main railway built in 1898 and we are in the process of building a second railway to link two smaller lines - this is part of the amalgamation of the North and South of Nigeria into one country. The Government Department of Railways has been established to create a national rail system.

What will I eat? The local people eat their own sort of food: spicy stews; fresh vegetables that are either grown or brought in local markets, such as yams and sweet potatoes; bush meat that has been hunted and brought to the market and chicken. There are fruits that will be unfamiliar, bananas and papayas, for example, that you will never have tasted before. Many of these are delicious. We take food with us. Things like, eggs, there are lots of chickens in Nigeria, we can get locally. Other foods that you are familiar with, carrots, cabbages, Cheddar cheese, fruit cake, tea and coffee, gin, sherry and whisky will all be available and will be prepared for you by the local people that we have trained as cooks in the English style and who work for us.

Are there schools? Not many of the people in Nigeria have been to school. There is no universal education system as there is in England. But in many villages Christian missionaries have set up schools to educate young people, boys and girls, to speak, read and write in English.

What will I have to wear? As it is much hotter in Nigeria than in England, you will have to wear appropriate clothing. Everyone will be issued with knee length shorts; white shirts; a cotton jacket; long white cotton socks with white leather boots; and a special cork lined hat called a ‘solar topee’ or ‘pith helmet’ to keep your head cool in the immense heat you will encounter. The hat also makes you instantly recognisable as a member of the British Government in Nigeria. All of these are available for purchase at the Army and Navy stores in Victoria.

Are there any dangers? There are dangers being in the tropics and Nigeria is no different to any other tropical country in that respect. There are snakes that are much bigger and more dangerous that any seen in England. The West African Carpet Viper, the Black Mamba, the Gabboon Viper and the Black Necked Spitting Cobra are among the most dangerous. There are dangerous spiders and other insects. Spiders are generally quite shy and will only attack if they are disturbed: the Button or Black Widow, whose bite can kill a child and make a grown-up go weak in the legs and suffer from dangerous muscle cramps, is one you should know how to recognise. Should you be in the north in the area of Sokoto, there are scorpions to watch out for. They like to live in hot dry places. There are of course big animals that are dangerous, lions for example, but you are unlikely to be close any of these in the any official capacity.

The most dangerous things that you need to aware of are insects that are very small. There are two little flies that are very dangerous to adult humans. The Tsetse fly. A bite from this fly can cause sleeping sickness which results in death. And the Mosquito: a bite from a mosquito can cause humans to fall ill with malaria. This is why we advise that you bring with you a bottle of quinine which you can get from a chemists. It is known to be an effective treatment for most types of malaria. It is also important to sleep at all times under a mosquito net which you must bring with you.


4. BIO-POEMSCHARLES AND INNOCENCE INTRODUCTIONThe activities have focused on exploring two of the characters in How Nigeria Became: Charles, the assistant to Lord Lugard who has recently arrived in Nigeria and Innocence, the young actor who has arrived unexpectedly to audition for Herbert Ogunde. The biopoem (RESOURCE 9) frame provides a supportive but flexible structure for composing a poem about the characters, drawing on the drama work and the reflective discussion that has taken place.

TIME50 mins +

ORGANISATIONWhole class discussion; independent writing.

RESOURCESBiopoem frame (RESOURCE 9).

Teacher’s role- leading the initial discussion - modelling the thinking process - supporting writing

RUNNING THE ACTIVITY• Remind the class of the ways in which they have explored two of the characters who are in the play:

Charles and Innocence. • Explain that everyone is now going to write as if they are one of those people and that they can choose

which one. • Introduce the biopoem frame and explain that for whichever character they have chosen they have to

think about all the things they discovered about them in the drama work.• Tell the class that you are also going to write a poem and tell them which character you are going to

focus on. • Show the biopoem frame on the IWB and model the thinking that you will have to do to get ideas for

the writing by drawing on what has been created during the work on that character. For example: My name is Nkoyo but I am called InnocenceI am from a village a long way from the city I am full of hopes for the future …

• Give everyone a copy of the biopoem frame and ask them to work independently to create a first draft. • Ask the class to work in pairs as writing response partners to read their first draft to their partner and

then make to continue developing the work. • Give the class time to rehearse reading their work before sharing it with the class. Teachers can also

share their work at this time. • Discuss the poems and the way in which they give a sense of the two characters.


RESOURCE 9BIO-POEMS: POETRY WRITING FRAME

I am… (name)

I am from… (place)

I am… (qualities)

I love… (people; place; things; activities)

I feel…

I feel…

I would like…

I want…

I will be…

I am… (name)


HOW NIGERIA BECAME:A STORY, AND A SPEAR THAT DIDN’T WORKA Unicorn production

How Nigeria Became: A Story, and a Spear That Didn’t Work written and directed by Gbolahan ObisesanCast: Rita Balogun, Tunji Falana, Stephanie Levi-John, Rebecca Omogbehin and Christian Roe.

Resource pack written by Susanna SteeleDeveloped with Catherine Greenwood, Ella Macfadyen and pupils and staff at Eleanor Palmer Primary School.

how nigeria became - teacher resources

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