The Reading / Listening - Benin Bronzes - Level 4

Germany will give back artefacts taken from Nigeria during the 19th century. The Benin Bronzes are currently in a German museum. The Bronzes consist of more than a thousand sculptures and statues. The Edo people made them in what was the Kingdom of Benin. They decorated the royal palace there. British forces looted most of the objects in 1897. They went to museums across Europe. Nigeria has tried for decades to get them returned.

Experts say the pieces being returned are highly regarded works of African art. The Institute for Benin Studies said Germany is, "leading in the global restitution movement" of former colonial powers returning looted treasure. It said other countries should accept the objects looted in 1897 belong to Nigeria. Countries should discuss the future of the objects. Some Nigerians believe the objects are safer in Europe.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Benin Bronzes - Level 5 or  Benin Bronzes - Level 6

Sources
  • https://www.dw.com/en/nigeria-welcomes-germanys-decision-to-return-looted-benin-bronzes/a-57382591
  • https://www.thenationalnews.com/arts-culture/germany-to-return-looted-bronzes-to-nigeria-next-year-1.1213865
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benin_Bronzes


Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice activities, drag and drop activities, sentence jumbles, which word activities, text reconstructions, spelling, gap fills and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)

Phrase Matching

Paragraph 1

  1. give back artefacts
  2. during the
  3. The Benin Bronzes are currently in
  4. a thousand sculptures
  5. The Edo
  6. in what was the
  7. They decorated the
  8. British forces looted
  1. people made them
  2. and statues
  3. most of the objects
  4. 19th century
  5. royal palace there
  6. taken from Nigeria
  7. Kingdom of Benin
  8. a German museum

Paragraph 2

  1. highly regarded works
  2. the global restitution
  3. former colonial
  4. returning looted
  5. the objects looted
  6. belong
  7. discuss the future
  8. Some Nigerians believe the objects
  1. powers
  2. are safer in Europe
  3. of African art
  4. in 1897
  5. treasure
  6. of the objects
  7. to Nigeria
  8. movement

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Germany will (1) ___________________ taken from Nigeria during the 19th century. The Benin Bronzes (2) ___________________ a German museum. The Bronzes (3) ___________________ than a thousand sculptures and statues. The Edo people made them (4) ___________________ the Kingdom of Benin. They decorated the royal palace there. British (5) ___________________ of the objects in 1897. They went to museums across Europe. Nigeria has (6) ___________________ to get them returned.

(7) ___________________ pieces being returned (8) ___________________ works of African art. The Institute for Benin Studies said Germany is, "leading in the global restitution movement" of (9) ___________________ returning looted treasure. It said other countries should (10) ___________________ looted in 1897 belong to Nigeria. Countries should (11) ___________________ of the objects. Some Nigerians believe the (12) ___________________ in Europe.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

GermanywillgivebackartefactstakenfromNigeriaduringthe19thcent
ury.TheBeninBronzesarecurrentlyinaGermanmuseum.TheBronzesc
onsistofmorethanathousandsculpturesandstatues.TheEdopeoplem
adetheminwhatwastheKingdomofBenin.Theydecoratedtheroyalpal
acethere.Britishforceslootedmostoftheobjectsin1897.Theywenttom
useumsacrossEurope.Nigeriahastriedfordecadestogetthemreturne
d.ExpertssaythepiecesbeingreturnedarehighlyregardedworksofAfri
canart.TheInstituteforBeninStudiessaidGermanyis,"leadinginthegl
obalrestitutionmovement"offormercolonialpowersreturninglootedtr
easure.Itsaidothercountriesshouldaccepttheobjectslootedin1897be
longtoNigeria.Countriesshoulddiscussthefutureoftheobjects.Some
NigeriansbelievetheobjectsaresaferinEurope.

Student survey

Write five GOOD questions about this topic in the table. Do this in pairs. Each student must write the questions on his / her own paper. When you have finished, interview other students. Write down their answers.

(Please look at page 12 of the PDF to see a photocopiable example of this activity.)

Discussion — Write your own questions

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)

(a) ________________

(b) ________________

(c) ________________

(d) ________________

(e) ________________

(f) ________________

(g) ________________

(h) ________________

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)

(i) ________________

(j) ________________

(k) ________________

(l) ________________

(m) ________________

(n) ________________

(o) ________________

(p) ________________

Free writing

Write about this topic for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner’s paper.

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Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

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