**Lesson Plan: Major Political Crisis in Nigeria - Action Group Crisis of 1962**
**Grade Level:** Senior Secondary 2
**Subject:** Government
**Duration:** 60 minutes
**Topic:** Major Political Crisis in Nigeria: Action Group Crisis of 1962
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**Objectives:**
1. Understand the background and causes of the Action Group Crisis of 1962.
2. Analyze the key events and individuals involved in the crisis.
3. Evaluate the consequences of the crisis for Nigerian politics.
4. Discuss lessons that can be learned from this crisis for contemporary political practice.
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**Materials Needed:**
- Whiteboard and markers
- Projector and computer
- Access to the internet for video clips (if applicable)
- Handouts summarizing key points of the lecture
- Primary source documents (e.g., newspaper articles, speeches)
- Notebooks and pens
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**Lesson Outline:**
**Introduction (10 minutes)**
1. **Warm-up Activity:**
- Pose the question: "What is a political crisis? Can anyone provide an example from any country?" (5 minutes)
- Elicit responses and briefly discuss their relevance and the importance of understanding political crises in studying government.
2. **Lesson Objectives:**
- Present the day's objectives and how they align with the overall curriculum. Briefly introduce the topic of the Action Group Crisis of 1962. (5 minutes)
**Instructional Input (20 minutes)**
1. **Background Context:**
- Discuss the historical and political landscape of Nigeria leading up to the 1962 crisis. Highlight key political parties and figures. (10 minutes)
- Action Group (AG)
- Key Figures: Chief Obafemi Awolowo and Chief S.L. Akintola
2. **Major Causes of the Crisis:**
- Outline the main causes, focusing on ideological differences, ethnic tensions, and leadership struggles within the Action Group party. (10 minutes)
**Guided Practice (10 minutes)**
1. **Primary Source Analysis:**
- Distribute handouts with excerpts from speeches and newspaper articles from the period.
- In small groups, have students analyze these documents, focusing on the perspectives of different stakeholders during the crisis.
**Discussion (10 minutes)**
1. **Class Discussion:**
- Invite groups to share their insights from the primary source analysis.
- Discuss the immediate events that triggered the crisis, the role of the federal government, and the impact on the Western Region.
**Conclusion (5 minutes)**
1. **Summary:**
- Recap the key points covered during the lesson.
- Emphasize the consequences of the crisis, such as increased political tension and the eventual military intervention in Nigerian politics.
**Extension Activity (5 minutes)**
1. **Reflection Question:**
- Assign a brief reflective essay for homework: "What lessons can contemporary Nigerian politicians learn from the Action Group Crisis of 1962?"
**Assessment:**
1. **Formative Assessment:**
- Monitor group discussions and participation during the primary source analysis.
- Evaluate students' grasp of the material through their contributions to the class discussion.
2. **Summative Assessment:**
- Collect and grade the reflective essays based on understanding, analysis, and critical thinking.
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**Homework/Extension:**
1. **Reading Assignment:**
- Provide a list of additional readings or documentaries about the Action Group Crisis for those students who show a deeper interest.
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**References:**
1. Falola, Toyin, and Matthew M. Heaton. *A History of Nigeria*. Cambridge University Press, 2008.
2. Ekundare, R. O. *An Economic History of Nigeria 1860-1960*. National University Publications, 1973.
3. Primary Sources: Nigerian newspapers and archival documents from the period.