Students are introduced briefly to Ancient Greece. They move on to a lengthier exploration of the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, and the Reformation throughout Europe. Finally, they analyze what the Renaissance and the Reformation have in common.
Students are introduced briefly to Ancient Greece. They move on to a lengthier exploration of the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, and the Reformation throughout Europe. Finally, they analyze what the Renaissance and the Reformation have in common.
Students are introduced to the overall focus of the experience and review the objectives. They examine an image titled “Greek Gravestone, c. 100 BCE,” then respond to a word cloud prompt about what comes to mind when they hear “Ancient Greece.” Afterward, they watch Ancient Greece and post to a class wall about how ancient Greece has influenced Europe and contemporary life.
Teacher MovesPresent the overview of the experience and highlight that it may be divided over several days. Review the objectives with students. Facilitate discussion of the word cloud responses, drawing out prior knowledge of Ancient Greece. After students view the video and post to the wall, lead a discussion about Greek influences on Europe and today’s world. Optionally, extend learning by having students compare the images used for Ancient Greece, the Middle Ages, and the Renaissance to illustrate changing approaches to art and human representation.
Students view images related to the medieval church and read background text about the rise and fall of Rome, including its language, calendar, and the emergence of Christianity as a major religion. They answer a table prompt identifying the significant religious development during Rome’s period of power. Students then read Middle Ages to learn about key features of the era and use a graphic organizer to take notes on the Catholic Church, the rise of Islam and the Crusades, art and architecture, and economics and society. After viewing an image of a church manuscript, they answer multiple-choice questions about the power of the Catholic Church, the Crusades, and the life of peasants. Students then examine an image titled “Burying Victims of the Black Death Plague,” read about the impact of the Black Death, and respond on a class wall about how losing 30 percent of a population would affect their own community and its functioning.
Teacher MovesClarify the historical context of Rome’s expansion and the rise of Christianity, and confirm that students recognize Christianity as the major religious development of that era. Guide students as they read about the Middle Ages and complete the graphic organizer, prompting them to capture key ideas about religion, conflict, culture, and social structure. Review responses to the multiple-choice questions to check understanding of the Catholic Church’s power, the nature of the Crusades, and the role of peasants. Facilitate a whole-class discussion of students’ wall posts about the Black Death, encouraging them to connect demographic loss to economic, social, and cultural changes.
Students view images of Renaissance art, including “Michelangelo’s Pieta,” and read about how the growth of cities and towns at the end of the Middle Ages helped foster the Renaissance. They read about the Renaissance using resources such as Renaissance Summary, Renaissance, Italian Renaissance, and Renaissance Art and Literature, then complete a graphic organizer with notes on the meaning of “renaissance,” what the Renaissance was, the changes it brought, and why it emerged in Europe. After viewing an image of Florence, Italy, they post to a class wall explaining how a sudden creative explosion in art, music, science, and literature would affect their own community economically and in terms of culture, society, migration, and customs.
Teacher MovesSupport students in connecting the end of the Middle Ages to the rise of the Renaissance, emphasizing urban growth and changing intellectual life. Monitor and guide completion of the graphic organizer, prompting students to identify key concepts such as “rebirth,” humanism, and the role of wealth and classical traditions. Lead a class discussion of wall responses, helping students link a creative flourishing to economic development and shifts in human geography, including culture and social patterns.
Students view images of a 1598 print shop and Martin Luther, read about how the Protestant Reformation followed the Renaissance, and learn that the Reformation sought to correct problems within the Catholic Church. They watch Protestant Reformation to understand the movement and its impact. Students then respond on a class wall to a prompt about how Protestantism, rooted in the word “protest,” functioned as a form of protest against the established Church.
Teacher MovesExplain the relationship between the Renaissance and the Protestant Reformation, highlighting how new ideas and technologies, such as printing, supported religious reform. After students view the video and post to the wall, guide a discussion that helps them see Protestantism as a protest against perceived corruption and departures from original biblical teachings within the Catholic Church.
Students view an image of a Sistine Chapel painting by Sandro Botticelli and respond on a class wall, explaining how the Renaissance and the Reformation emerged from similar ways of thinking, drawing on what they have learned about both movements.
Teacher MovesSelect and share interesting or exemplary student responses with the class. Use these examples to explain that both the Renaissance and the Reformation involved looking back to original sources—classical Greece and Rome for the Renaissance, and the Bible and early Christianity for the Reformation—and that each represented a “rebirth” or reform of older ideas in new ways.
Students complete the exit quiz by answering all the questions.
Teacher MovesFacilitate the assessment and use student data to evaluate understanding, address misconceptions, and identify areas for growth.
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