7.8 The Renaissance
Media Guide
| Name | Type | Description |
Da Vinci and the Code He Lived By | DVD | Completely unrelated to the fictional book and movie except for the title trying to cash in on it. This is one of the best documentaries about an individual out there. It is essentially a history of the Renaissance with Da Vinci as the anchor point. |
The Agony and the Ecstasy | DVD | Historical epic starring Charlton Heston as Michelangelo. Fairly enjoyable movie but hard to follow at times if you don't know the history well. Typically I just show the scenes of painting the Sistine Chapel and the conflicts with the pope. |
| Empires: The Medicis | DVD | Excellent documentary from the PBS Empires series. By following the lives of the Medicis this documentary hits on all the essential elements of the Renaissance. This gives such disconnected topics as Machiavelli and Martin Luther a connection that I feel really strengthens any Renaissance unit. Very long film (over 3 hours) but with many usable smaller sections. |
| Animaniacs: Hooked on a Ceiling | DVD | Cartoon take of on The Agony and the Ecstasy. Not particularly insightful or educational but definitely motivational. Useful if you ever intend to discuss why there were so many nudes in Renaissance art. |
Animaniacs: Hamlet/ Macbeth | DVD | A short cartoon (about 2 minutes) where the Animaniacs act out a scene from Shakespeare's Hamlet (or Macbeth) and translate into understandable modern English. Either one works fine depending on which play you may talk about. The Macbeth clip is on Animaniacs Volume 3, not sure about Hamlet. |
| Simpsons: Hamlet | DVD | A Simpsonized and very short version of Hamlet. Will require some light editing for language and content but overall it tells the story clearly in a very entertaining way. |
Lion King | DVD | The story of Lion King is based on Hamlet (father killed by uncle, ghost calls for return, etc.) In the past when I've had time I've shown the whole thing while doing a "Shakespeare Week" but that has been squeezed out in the last couple years due to having so many other Renaissance things to do. |
Late Middle Ages Teacher's Guide
Lecture Notes
I. Intro and Marco Polo
a. Notes here introduce the concept of the Renaissance and briefly explore the effect of Polo's travels on the mindset of the Europeans. Once again I've had to cut the Storytime segment to fit my upload limits. That greatly reduces the effectiveness of the material on Polo and I hope to have the full version posted soon.
b. I do the Chapter Walkthrough here. I have a stations activity on Marco Polo but because I have a better one on the Medicis I've stopped using it.
II. The Medicis and Humanism
a. This section builds on the European desire to improve themselves with a focus on the Medici. Ultimately they are woven into every other figure I talk about (except Shakespeare...) so this is a good starting point before getting into the art.
b. CSI: Florence - This stations lab investigates the causes and people behind the assassination attempt on Lorenzo De Medici. Fun lab but could be skipped if time is an issue. It's not really a standards issue.
c. The Prince - A short PPT here but it is not for notes. I found a book last year called "A Child's Machiavelli" that adapted his ideas into a satirical children's book. Using those ideas I rewrote some of his more well known ideas into relevant versions. After going over that students take a Cosmo style quiz where they answer a series of questions about various situations. We then compare their answers to Machiavelli's to see how goof of a ruler they would be.
III. Michelangelo and Shakespeare
a. This is a short section (only 11 slides) but is somewhat media heavy. The next section is long so it would be good to start it if you finish this one early.
b. Sistine Chapel Lab - This may be converted into a Culture Shock but for now it stands alone. For this lab I have students sit on the floor and complete a crossword puzzle under their desks. They must hold the paper up above them to simulate the painting of the Sistine Chapel. It can be even more fun if you have them draw something (or try to draw a piece of the Chapel painting) but I often combine the puzzle as a time saver.
IV. The Man (AKA: Leonardo Da Vinci)
a. This section is long but oh so satisfying. The whole thing is a game where I introduce an object and ask students to tell me if Leonardo thought of it or not.
b. Perspective in Art - This can be combined with the lab above but I find it frustrating enough when done ABOVE the desks. Here I show the students a selection of paintings from the Medieval period showing no perspective and some from the Renaissance showing it clearly. Then, they students are to draw the classroom as THEY see it from their own desk. (There are lines across our ceiling and it is really fun to see them try to figure out why everyone in the room says a different line is straight.) My students, including honors, ALWAYS struggle to draw showing any proper perspective. This definitely, and quickly, teaches art appreciation.