Preview of our next unit: The Renaissance After the fall of the Roman Empire…things go downhill. All those nice apartments, indoor plumbing and books about democracy are “lost” for many years. Society during the Middle Ages in Europe was controlled by the church, and people aside from priests had little access to education.

The idea of democracy is lost... And remains lost for over 1000 years. BUT, the ideas underlying Greek and Roman society gradually get rediscovered in our next unit: INTELLECTUAL REVOLUTIONS

Things slowly begin to change. The year is 1450 Things slowly begin to change. The year is 1450. People start to rediscover the works of the ancient past. They want to emulate the Greeks and Romans. They begin to rediscover ideas about the worth of the individual…. Our story begins in a city called Florence, where a family called the Medici struggle for power…. YOU ARE NOW HERE THE YEAR IS 1450

Take notes on the video as a “preview” to what the Renaissance – the first topic in our next unit – is all about.

Assignment#1: The Medici – Godfathers of the Renaissance - Video Notes http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9FFDJK8jmms&list=SL (0-21 and 35-54) Big Picture Question: How did the Medici Family rise to power and what influence did they have on the new age called the Renaissance (“Rebirth”)? Commentary on how notes to the right connect to “Big Picture” Question Details/Terms/Facts/Names

Warm-up 9/12 So far, from watching this film, how would you define the time period called the Renaissance? (1 sentence)

The term Renaissance means “rebirth The term Renaissance means “rebirth.” Now that we have watched the film about the beginning of the Renaissance, complete the sentence. The Renaissance that began in Florence was a “rebirth” because____________________________________________________________