Students compare a Renaissance-era map of the Italian peninsula with a current one and identify the differences. Then they review the end of the Middle Ages and connect it to the dawning of the Renaissance. Next, they explore the role of city-states in early Italy and focus on specific information about the city of Florence. Finally, students choose one Italian city-state and create a research report on its role during the Renaissance.
Students are introduced to the Renaissance and its objectives, then examine two political maps of the Italian peninsula (1494 and today), noting similarities and differences in political boundaries and major cities. They post observations about what they notice in the maps and discuss in pairs the geographic advantages and disadvantages of Italy’s location. Finally, they view an image titled “A Portrait of Luca Pacioli” and read that they will explore how trade, ideas, and culture shaped the Renaissance.
Teacher MovesPresent the lesson overview and objectives. Facilitate discussion of students’ map observations, highlighting that the peninsula was once divided into many political entities but is now a unified country, and that key cities such as Rome, Naples, Florence, and Venice appear on both maps. Guide the whole-class conversation about Italy’s location so students identify benefits such as trade and cultural exchange and drawbacks such as vulnerability to attack.
Students view an image of Florence and read introductory text explaining that they will look back at conditions leading to the Renaissance. They read sections from the Learner.org resources—Renaissance: Introduction, Out of the Middle Ages, and Exploration and Trade—to understand how changes at the end of the Middle Ages and new trade networks helped spark the Renaissance. As they read, they complete a three-part graphic organizer to record key ideas from each section, then post a response explaining the benefits of new trade to Italian city-states and other European countries.
Teacher MovesDifferentiate the reading by chunking sections and using read-alouds or group summaries as needed. After students complete the organizer and wall response, discuss their notes as a class to ensure they have grasped the main points about the transition from the Middle Ages and the impact of expanding trade, clarifying that increased trade with Asia brought valuable goods such as spices, gems, and silk.
Students read Italian City-States to learn what city-states were and why they were important at the dawn of the Renaissance. They then answer multiple-choice questions that check their understanding of what a Renaissance city-state was and who ruled Rome together with the Catholic Church.
Teacher MovesAfter students answer the questions, check for understanding of the reading and address any remaining questions about the nature and governance of Italian city-states.
Students view an image of Florence in 1490 and read about Florence as the birthplace of the Renaissance. They read Florence in the Early Renaissance to investigate why the Renaissance took root there, then post an explanation in their own words, using evidence from the reading. Students review classmates’ posts and respond to at least two with a question or positive comment.
Teacher MovesLead a class discussion of students’ explanations, drawing out key reasons Florence became a Renaissance center and reinforcing the use of textual evidence in their responses.
Students view an image of Milan in 1493 and are tasked with extending their learning beyond Florence. They choose one Italian city—Milan, Venice, Rome, or Naples—and research it as a Renaissance city-state, focusing on its government, sources of wealth, connections to other regions, notable products or cultural features, and contributions to the Renaissance. They create a report (posted directly to the discussion wall or via a linked digital tool such as Prezi, Tiki-Toki, an online presentation, or Glogster) that may also include images of important cultural contributions. Students then review at least one classmate’s report on a different city-state and respond with a question or positive comment.
Teacher MovesFacilitate sharing of student reports and guide a whole-class comparison of the different city-states. Prompt students to draw conclusions about the overall role of Italian city-states in the Renaissance based on their research and peers’ findings.
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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