Class: Junior Secondary School 1 (JSS1)
Term: First Term
Week: 9
Age: 12 years
Duration: 45 minutes
Subject: History
Curriculum Theme: History
Previous Lesson: Accessing Historical Sources in Nigerian Museums
Topic: Accessing Historical Sources in Libraries and Festivals
Subject Matter: Accessing Historical Sources in Libraries and Festivals

Specific Objectives

By the end of the lesson, learners should be able to:

identify historical sources available in libraries and at festivals;
use catalogue and observation questions to record source details;
distinguish performance, testimony, object and later interpretation;
explain ethical and safety rules for research in public settings;

Reference Materials

9-Year Basic Education Curriculum for History
Approved JSS1 History textbook and state scheme of work
Teacher-checked library, museum or archive material relevant to the topic

Instructional Materials

sample library catalogue records
festival programme and photographs
field-note template
consent and conduct scenario cards

Rationale for the Lesson

Libraries and festivals provide different forms of access to the past. Learners need practical recording skills and must avoid treating public performance, memory or display as self-explanatory evidence.

Prerequisite/Previous Knowledge

Learners can identify books, oral accounts, photographs and objects and can record a title, speaker or date.

Lesson Content/Board Summary

Accessing Sources in Libraries

Begin with a focused question and key words. Search a library catalogue by author, title, subject or date; note the call number; locate the item; and record full publication details. Ask a librarian about reference books, newspapers, maps, local-history collections or digital databases. Handle old items with clean dry hands and follow rules on copying.

Festivals as Sources

A festival may preserve songs, costumes, titles, rituals, oral accounts and public memory. Observe respectfully, obtain permission before recording and note the place, date, speaker and activity. A present-day performance may have changed over time, so do not assume every feature is ancient.

Cross-checking

Compare festival evidence with interviews, photographs, programmes, earlier descriptions and material objects. Libraries preserve records; festivals provide living practice and memory. Each gives a different kind of evidence and each has limits. Learners should separate personal observation from what another person told them.

Planning an Ethical Visit

Before a library or festival visit, define the question, seek permission and prepare a recording sheet. During the visit, write direct observation separately from explanation supplied by a guide or participant. Do not interrupt worship, restricted rites or private activity. Afterwards, label photographs and notes, thank contributors, confirm unfamiliar names and compare the evidence with at least one independent record.

When Physical Access Is Difficult

A library catalogue, digitised newspaper, recorded festival, virtual exhibition or interview may provide remote access. Digital access still requires checking the holding institution, item number, date and whether an image is complete. Copyright, cultural restriction and personal privacy must be respected; “available online” does not mean free to copy, alter or redistribute without acknowledgement.

Teaching Methods/Instructional Techniques

Source-based enquiry, guided observation, modelling, comparison, collaborative analysis and evidence-focused questioning.

Instructional Procedures

Step 1: Research Question

Time: 5 minutes
Teacher’s Activity: Sets a question that could be explored through both a library and a festival.
Learners’ Activity: Suggest possible sources in each setting.
Learning Check: The teacher checks the stated product or explanation before moving on.

Step 2: Library Access

Time: 9 minutes
Teacher’s Activity: Models catalogue searching and recording call number, author, title and date.
Learners’ Activity: Complete a catalogue worksheet.
Learning Check: The teacher checks the stated product or explanation before moving on.

Step 3: Festival Sources

Time: 10 minutes
Teacher’s Activity: Distinguishes live performance, participant testimony, costume, programme and later photograph.
Learners’ Activity: Classify each source and note its context.
Learning Check: The teacher checks the stated product or explanation before moving on.

Step 4: Ethics and Conduct

Time: 9 minutes
Teacher’s Activity: Discusses permission, respectful questions, photography rules and accurate attribution.
Learners’ Activity: Respond to fieldwork scenarios.
Learning Check: The teacher checks the stated product or explanation before moving on.

Step 5: Review

Time: 7 minutes
Teacher’s Activity: Compares the two settings for a named enquiry.
Learners’ Activity: Choose suitable sources and justify the plan.
Learning Check: The teacher checks the stated product or explanation before moving on.

Objective-aligned checks:

identify historical sources available in libraries and at festivals.
use catalogue and observation questions to record source details.
distinguish performance, testimony, object and later interpretation.

Step 6: Conclusion

Time: 5 minutes
Teacher’s Activity: Summarises the lesson through the research question and corrects unsupported claims.
Learners’ Activity: State one conclusion, its supporting evidence and one remaining question.

Lesson Keywords

history — evidence-based study of the past
source — material from which information is obtained
evidence — information used to support or question a claim
interpretation — an explanation based on selected evidence
context — the circumstances surrounding a source or event

Lesson Evaluation

Name four historical sources available in a library.
Name four sources that may be encountered at a festival.
State the details to record from a library catalogue.
Explain why permission and attribution matter during festival research.
Design a short library-and-festival research plan for one question.

Assignment/Homework

Use a library catalogue or a carefully documented festival source. Record creator or speaker, title or event, date, location, source type, useful information and one limitation.

Differentiation

Support: Provide labelled source cards, sentence starters and a partially completed evidence table.
Extension: Learners compare a live festival performance with a recording made years later and explain how context affects interpretation.
Accessibility: Permit paired reading, oral recording, enlarged print or tactile-safe replicas where appropriate.

Note for Teachers

Do not ask learners to approach strangers or record people without permission. A teacher should approve fieldwork arrangements, and cultural or religious restrictions must be respected.