Introduction to History and Government Revision Questions

​Give five reasons for studying history.

• Acquisition of knowledge about the past
• Using it to develop  a sense of time
• To learn from the past mistakes and achievements
• Provide intellectual fulfillment
• To develop critical thinking /  reasoning
• Helps us appreciate why we need agovernment
• Instill a sense of patriotism and national pride
• Helps us in attainment of a proffesion

​Explain three limitations of using the following:
i) Oral tradition       

• Information may be exaggerated and this may disort history
• Some information may be forgotten/ommmited due loss of memory
• Information given depends on the questionnaire
• It  is an expensive and time consuming method
• It is difficult to give correct dates and chronology to events/wrong dates

​ii) Archaeology

• It is difficult to locate archaeological sites
• It is limited  to  the study of ancient period
• It is an expensive method because one has to hire labourers to excavate the sites and take artifacts and fossils to the laboratory for analysis
• Sometimes  the information is inaccurate as it based on inferences/scanty information

Identify two sources of information which historians use to write the History of Africa (2 marks)

• Archaeology
• Oral traditions
• Anthropology
• Botany/Zoology /biology/Genetics
• Written records
• Geology
• Local paintings/sculpture

​Give two limitations of using written records as source of African History.  

• Most of the written records on African History were by foreigners who built their biases in the records.
• Some written records on African History contain inaccurate information
• Some of the records are not reality available for case of reference
• Written records are limited only to those who can read and write.

​State two disadvantages of relying on oral traditions as a source of history. (2 marks)

• People’s ability to remember facts is limited.
• The information may be subjected to distortions.
• It is likely to have people biases / exaggerations.
• The information may change over a period of time.

​Give two shortcomings of oral traditions as a source of History. (2 mks)

• ​They may contain biases and exaggerations
  
• They may be inconsistent and inaccurate due to handling down from one generation to another by word of mouth
• It may be difficult to distinguish what was real from what was imaginary
• Omissions of facts due to failure in memory

​Give one contribution of archaeology to the study of History. (1 marks)

• It provides information  on the origin of  human/ crandles/ earliest human beings

• It provides information on the people’s way of life
• It helps  people to locate historical sites
• It provides information on the chronological order of historical events/ dating

​Name two pre- historic sites in Kenya. (2 marks)

• Olorgesaille
• Kariandusi
• Fort Ternan
• Koobi For a/turkana
• Hyrax Hill.
• rusinga island
• gambles  cave (njoro)  

​Identify two sources of Kenyan history (2 marks)

• Archaeology/ Paleontology
• Anthropology ( Myth & Legends)
• Linguistics
• Oral tradition/ Written sources
• Geology/ Rock paintings/ art
• Genetics
• Electronic sources  

Give two reasons for studying government.  (2 marks)

• To understand how different organs of government function.

• To understand how laws are made/enforced
• To have knowledge of the duties/responsibilities of citizens.
• To enable citizens know their rights.
• To be able to compare political systems of the world.     

Identify two ways through which archaeologists obtain information on the history of Kenya  (2 marks) 

• Locating pre-historic sites/ Excavating/digging the site.
• Dating the fossils and artifacts/ Recording the findings .

​What is oral tradition as a source of History? (1 mk)

​Oral tradition as a source of History involves the study of historical information based on what has been handed down from one generation to another by word of mouth/ verbally.  

​What things do archaeologists use to reconstruct the activities of people who live in prehistoric time.

1. The remains of the weapons that they used
2. The remains of the tools that they used
3. The remains of humans bones
4. The remains of animals found at the  prehistoric sites
5. The remains of plants the  lived  on
6. The remains  of their dwelling places
7. The remains  of their artwork  e.g. rock painting
8. The remains of traditional craft  e.g.  pottery
9. The remains of beads
10. The remains of cans
11. The remains of garments
12. The remains of churred tree trunks/ charcoal and carbonized seeds.

Name two types of written materials used by historians as a source of history and government.    ( 2 mks)

• Books/ charts/  maps/ scrolls/ painting/ clay labels/ stone  table
• Newspapers/ magazines
• Diaries/ biographies
• Journals/ periodicals
• Official/ government  records

​Identify one branch in the  study of History  and Government of Kenya  ( 1 mk)

• Social
• Economic
• Political

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