New Curriculum First Term Nigerian History examination for SS 1

Class: SS 1
Term: First Term
Subject: Nigerian History
Time: 2 hours
Total Marks: 70

SECTION A: OBJECTIVES (40 Marks)
Instruction: Answer all 40 questions. Each question carries 1 mark.
Historical source note: An oral origin account conveys a community tradition; an archaeological object is material evidence. Neither source by itself proves every detail of ancient settlement history.

1. Which claim is NOT warranted by knowledge of the Oduduwa tradition alone? (a) the narrative occupies a significant place in cultural memory    (b) every Yoruba town has an identical, fully verified migration history    (c) the tradition can be compared with other evidence    (d) origin stories can help explain political legitimacy
2. Which conclusion about savannah farming is NOT justified by evidence of successful millet production? (a) all savannah communities cultivated only millet    (b) different crops might be grown in the same zone    (c) farmers adapted practices to local conditions    (d) rainfall influenced crop suitability
3. Several Hausa founding accounts disagree in some details. What response demonstrates sound historical reasoning? (a) combine every detail into one unchallengeable timetable    (b) treat regional cultural differences as meaningless    (c) distinguish community identity narratives from independently verified chronology    (d) ignore all evidence of migration and contact
4. Two communities use similar farming tools but report different crops. Which environmental factors should be investigated before explaining the contrast? (a) rainfall, soil and ecological-zone conditions    (b) differences in traditional land-tenure rules alone    (c) differences in historical farming techniques alone    (d) variation in routes to regional markets without examining farmland
5. The ________ of an origin story may differ from its literal chronological accuracy. (a) cultural significance    (b) geological age    (c) electoral registration    (d) mathematical proof
6. The ________ zone is more strongly associated with open grassland and a pronounced dry season than humid forest. (a) mangrove    (b) savannah    (c) coastal freshwater swamp    (d) lowland rainforest
7. Two farms of similar size have unequal harvests. What should an investigator do first to test possible environmental causes? (a) declare the higher harvest proof of superior ancestry    (b) discard all observations of farming practices    (c) collect comparable soil, rainfall and management evidence    (d) choose a conclusion before examining records
8. A community grows tree crops within dense vegetation and high rainfall. Which ecological setting best matches the evidence? (a) a cold mountain tundra    (b) the humid forest belt    (c) a year-round desert basin    (d) the Sahel’s driest fringe
9. After comparing traditions from Hausa, Yoruba and Igbo communities, what general conclusion is defensible? (a) diverse origin narratives and the need for corroborative evidence    (b) group origin narratives remove the need to study material evidence    (c) a single legend proves an identical settlement date for all three    (d) contradictory accounts necessarily prove all migration claims false
10. A report paraphrases a founding story without identifying its teller. What is the key source-critical flaw? (a) overly clear distinction between claim and evidence    (b) missing provenance of the oral evidence    (c) comparison with artefacts    (d) excessive use of dated field notes
11. An Igbo migration tradition lacks a calendar date. How should a responsible historian write about it? (a) treat the absence of dates as proof of falsehood    (b) convert every generation into exactly twenty years    (c) report the account without inventing a calendar year    (d) relabel the narrative as a colonial government decree
12. What caution is necessary when using present-day vegetation to interpret agriculture two centuries earlier? (a) use modern tree-cover patterns as unchanged evidence of past land use    (b) assume a short series of rainfall readings captures long-term conditions    (c) infer the same crop range without comparing historical soils    (d) recognise that current landscapes may differ from past conditions
13. An elder recounts a Hausa origin legend. How should a historian initially classify this evidence? (a) proof that no Hausa state developed political institutions    (b) an independently dated archaeological excavation    (c) a tradition reflecting collective memory that requires contextual evaluation    (d) a full census of every historical settlement
14. What is the important evidential difference between a royal genealogy and an excavated pottery object? (a) pottery records spoken words without interpretation    (b) both necessarily prove exactly the same chronology    (c) genealogies cannot reveal political claims    (d) one records remembered descent while the other is material evidence
15. A historical record reports cattle moving seasonally to find pasture. Which geographical process best explains the movement? (a) the location of ocean tides in inland markets    (b) the compulsory cultivation of only cocoa    (c) variation in dry-season grazing and water availability    (d) a complete absence of seasonal weather
16. ________ is essential when a student compares oral tradition with an archaeological report. (a) Unquestioned repetition    (b) Source criticism    (c) Invented quotation    (d) Chronological guesswork
17. Which of the following best explains why ecological zones matter to agricultural history? (a) rainfall records make historical farming testimony unnecessary    (b) ecological classifications alone can date every settlement    (c) they help connect environmental conditions to historic farming choices    (d) ecological boundaries remain unchanged across all periods
18. After reading three versions of the Oduduwa story, how should a student open a comparative essay? (a) identify common themes and explain points of divergence    (b) declare that one version is certainly complete    (c) treat each symbolic element as a calendar date    (d) remove the storytellers’ identities from every citation
19. Which type of evidence could help check an Igbo settlement tradition? (a) a map of modern wards presented as proof of ancient movement    (b) an undated genealogical list without corroboration    (c) a recent retelling that cites no settlement location    (d) dated archaeological finds associated with the relevant area
20. A researcher compares royal descent traditions with Ile-Ife origin accounts. What is the strongest historical question to investigate? (a) how traditions support claims to origin and political authority    (b) whether the genealogy supplies independently confirmed dates of settlement    (c) whether every account gives equal emphasis to the royal line    (d) whether variants represent separate local political perspectives
21. Seasonal rainfall favours grasses and relatively open vegetation. Which agricultural combination best matches many savannah settings? (a) exclusive mangrove fishing without inland farming    (b) cereal cultivation and livestock rearing where conditions permit    (c) tidal swamp salt production as the only livelihood    (d) permanent rainforest cocoa plantations in every district
22. The main reason for checking a Yoruba origin narrative against other historical sources is to ________. (a) to accept only accounts preserved by royal families    (b) separate culturally valuable tradition from claims needing corroboration    (c) to replace local oral versions with an unreferenced written summary    (d) to assign precise dates to undated symbolic features
23. An observer finds cocoa farms near forest vegetation but little evidence of cattle transhumance. Which inference is strongest? (a) all Nigerian ecological zones have identical livelihoods    (b) cocoa can grow only when rainfall is absent    (c) local land use reflects humid conditions and established crops    (d) livestock never occur anywhere in forest regions
24. An artefact appears to predate the period described in a settlement account. What should the historian do? (a) alter the artefact’s date to match the story    (b) investigate the discrepancy without automatically discarding either source    (c) conceal the conflicting evidence from readers    (d) claim chronology is irrelevant to history
25. All are responsible ways to interpret origin traditions EXCEPT ________. (a) presenting a legend as indisputable proof of precise chronology    (b) identifying possible symbolism    (c) comparing narratives with other sources    (d) considering social context
26. A crop list survives from one forest settlement. What conclusion would the record fail to justify? (a) different farming methods were possible in one ecological belt    (b) every forest community grew an identical range of crops    (c) local environmental conditions can be studied through crop records    (d) the recorded settlement cultivated the listed crops
27. A student’s fieldwork compares two Igbo origin accounts from neighbouring towns. The correct step is to ________. (a) give precedence to the oldest-looking document without attribution    (b) combine the versions and omit their different local settings    (c) record each account’s provenance before drawing comparisons    (d) record only the version supplied by the larger community
28. Two community accounts place an old ecological boundary differently. How should the historian respond? (a) compare the accounts with maps, physical evidence and dates    (b) select the account repeated loudest    (c) remove all uncertainty from the final conclusion    (d) assume neither witness could observe farming
29. All the following would be relevant evidence for an ecological history EXCEPT ________. (a) undated settlement legends with no farming details    (b) a single market inventory without location or date    (c) modern party-campaign statements about infrastructure    (d) an undated ceremonial genealogy with no evidence of land use or cropping
30. What distinction should appear in a reliable report on agricultural history? (a) recorded cultivation practices from later interpretations    (b) the date of an interview from its geographical setting    (c) agricultural yields from historical climate accounts    (d) observed evidence, interpretation and unanswered questions
31. All are defensible research questions about an origin account EXCEPT ________. (a) whether a community’s tradition must be accepted as mathematically certain    (b) how other evidence supports or challenges it    (c) who transmits the story    (d) which places it names
32. Neighbouring Igbo communities retain different settlement narratives. What conclusion is justified? (a) every account must describe a single ancient king    (b) none of the traditions can carry cultural meaning    (c) all Igbo towns share one identical written founding date    (d) origin traditions are diverse and require local contextual study
33. A Yoruba tradition connects Oduduwa with Ile-Ife. What is a defensible interpretation of the narrative? (a) establishes that no political development followed    (b) helps explain a tradition of identity and legitimacy    (c) eliminates the need to study other origins    (d) proves all settlements arose in one documented year
34. Why can clearing forest for farms pose a historical environmental trade-off? (a) high rainfall prevents all surface runoff    (b) every cleared site becomes more fertile indefinitely    (c) more cultivated land may also increase erosion and habitat loss    (d) soil nutrient cycles cease to matter once trees fall
35. Which statement would exceed the evidence of a single Hausa origin tradition? (a) corroboration can strengthen an interpretation    (b) the narrative may be culturally influential    (c) a story can preserve aspects of group memory    (d) the legend establishes the exact date of every Hausa settlement
36. An oral history describes settlement rights and shared ancestors. What can this reveal about community identity? (a) replacing all material evidence with legal certainty    (b) recording every colonial population count    (c) explaining communal identity and claims to belonging    (d) providing laboratory proof of all ancient events
37. A class records an elder’s Hausa origin account. What should appear in the field notes? (a) a diagram unrelated to the interview    (b) a claim that the narrative is certainly an excavation    (c) only a final answer without attribution    (d) the speaker, place, date and wording of the account
38. A sample contains weather notes, crop yields and interviews. Which comparison would best test a drought explanation for falling yields? (a) names of festival performers in another district    (b) the colour of a former chief’s clothing    (c) a single photograph of a market stall    (d) changes in rainfall matched with yields over corresponding seasons
39. Elders give contradictory accounts of a migration route. What investigative step should follow? (a) seek independent evidence and record both versions fairly    (b) erase the less popular account    (c) assign exact dates to both stories without support    (d) announce that no migration could have occurred
40. When comparing different Hausa origin accounts, why should a historian identify who recorded each version? (a) merge competing accounts without recording differences    (b) assume that the account with the most details must be oldest    (c) prefer the account from the most politically influential narrator    (d) the teller’s setting and purpose may influence its emphasis

SECTION B: THEORY (30 Marks)
Instruction: Answer Question 1 and any other TWO questions. Each question carries 10 marks.

Question 1: Ecology and agricultural history (10 Marks)
(a) Contrast the environmental conditions and typical farming adaptations of savannah and humid forest ecological zones. (6 marks)
(b) A researcher uses a modern vegetation map to describe farming 200 years earlier. Explain two limitations of that approach. (4 marks)

Question 2: Hausa origin traditions and evidence (10 Marks)
(a) Explain two ways an oral origin tradition can provide evidence even when it cannot establish an exact founding date. (4 marks)
(b) Describe three steps for investigating conflicting Hausa origin narratives as a responsible historian. (6 marks)

Question 3: Yoruba origins and political legitimacy (10 Marks)
(a) Outline the role of the Oduduwa and Ile-Ife tradition in understanding Yoruba identity or rulership without treating every detail as proven chronology. (4 marks)
(b) Evaluate three reasons different versions of the same tradition should be preserved and compared. (6 marks)

Question 4: Igbo settlement traditions and comparative source criticism (10 Marks)
(a) Give two reasons origin accounts from neighbouring Igbo communities may differ. (4 marks)
(b) A dated artefact contradicts a settlement narrative. Outline three steps to produce a balanced historical interpretation. (6 marks)

Objective Marking Scheme
Question 1 – ✅ (b) every Yoruba town has an identical, fully verified migration history
Question 2 – ✅ (a) all savannah communities cultivated only millet
Question 3 – ✅ (c) distinguish community identity narratives from independently verified chronology
Question 4 – ✅ (a) rainfall, soil and ecological-zone conditions
Question 5 – ✅ (a) cultural significance
Question 6 – ✅ (b) savannah
Question 7 – ✅ (c) collect comparable soil, rainfall and management evidence
Question 8 – ✅ (b) the humid forest belt
Question 9 – ✅ (a) diverse origin narratives and the need for corroborative evidence
Question 10 – ✅ (b) missing provenance of the oral evidence
Question 11 – ✅ (c) report the account without inventing a calendar year
Question 12 – ✅ (d) recognise that current landscapes may differ from past conditions
Question 13 – ✅ (c) a tradition reflecting collective memory that requires contextual evaluation
Question 14 – ✅ (d) one records remembered descent while the other is material evidence
Question 15 – ✅ (c) variation in dry-season grazing and water availability
Question 16 – ✅ (b) Source criticism
Question 17 – ✅ (c) they help connect environmental conditions to historic farming choices
Question 18 – ✅ (a) identify common themes and explain points of divergence
Question 19 – ✅ (d) dated archaeological finds associated with the relevant area
Question 20 – ✅ (a) how traditions support claims to origin and political authority
Question 21 – ✅ (b) cereal cultivation and livestock rearing where conditions permit
Question 22 – ✅ (b) separate culturally valuable tradition from claims needing corroboration
Question 23 – ✅ (c) local land use reflects humid conditions and established crops
Question 24 – ✅ (b) investigate the discrepancy without automatically discarding either source
Question 25 – ✅ (a) presenting a legend as indisputable proof of precise chronology
Question 26 – ✅ (b) every forest community grew an identical range of crops
Question 27 – ✅ (c) record each account’s provenance before drawing comparisons
Question 28 – ✅ (a) compare the accounts with maps, physical evidence and dates
Question 29 – ✅ (d) an undated ceremonial genealogy with no evidence of land use or cropping
Question 30 – ✅ (d) observed evidence, interpretation and unanswered questions
Question 31 – ✅ (a) whether a community’s tradition must be accepted as mathematically certain
Question 32 – ✅ (d) origin traditions are diverse and require local contextual study
Question 33 – ✅ (b) helps explain a tradition of identity and legitimacy
Question 34 – ✅ (c) more cultivated land may also increase erosion and habitat loss
Question 35 – ✅ (d) the legend establishes the exact date of every Hausa settlement
Question 36 – ✅ (c) explaining communal identity and claims to belonging
Question 37 – ✅ (d) the speaker, place, date and wording of the account
Question 38 – ✅ (d) changes in rainfall matched with yields over corresponding seasons
Question 39 – ✅ (a) seek independent evidence and record both versions fairly
Question 40 – ✅ (d) the teller’s setting and purpose may influence its emphasis

Theory Marking Scheme

Question 1 — Ecology and agricultural history
(a) Savannah marked seasonal rainfall/open vegetation, cereal/pastoral adaptations (3); humid forest higher rainfall/trees and tree crop/mixed cultivation (3). [6 marks]
(b) Land-use/climate changes (2); need historical crop accounts, oral history or archaeological corroboration (2). [4 marks]

Question 2 — Hausa origin traditions and evidence
(a) Community identity, migration memory, legitimacy or relationships any two explained at 2. [4 marks]
(b) Record narrator/provenance (2), compare versions (2), corroborate with archaeology/linguistics/maps/records and note uncertainty (2). [6 marks]

Question 3 — Yoruba origins and political legitimacy
(a) Oduduwa/Ile-Ife associated with influential origin/rulership narrative (2); cultural/political legitimacy not automatic dated fact (2). [4 marks]
(b) Any three developed 2 each: perspectives, symbolism, political uses, local variations, source bias, route to triangulation. [6 marks]

Question 4 — Igbo settlement traditions and comparative source criticism
(a) Local migration experience, ancestry, political claims, narrators/time, any two explained 2. [4 marks]
(b) Check date/context (2); compare narrator and other evidence (2); present uncertainties and plausible explanations without invention (2). [6 marks]