Ss8 Unit 6: Innovation and Exploration The Renaissance Ss8 Unit 6: Innovation and Exploration

The Big Questions What was the Renaissance and why did it happen? What were some of the new ways of thinking during the Renaissance? Who were some of the key people and contributions of the Renaissance? Was the Renaissance an actual thing?

How did we get from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance? What do you remember about the Middle Ages? What do you know about the Renaissance? Think Pair Share 10 minutes Divide the class in half. Half will answer the first question. The other half with answer the second question. During share time, have the first side of the class write answers on the board on one side, the other half will write their answers on the other half. Pose the bottom question to the class and see what hypothesis they can come up with. How did we get from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance?

Background – Where did it start? Centrally located in the Mediterranean Sea region. As trade with the Middle East increased, Italian cities became centers of banking, commerce, and industry. Merchants and nobles acted as patrons Supported artists, writers, and scholars Powerful leaders (because no single ruler had united the Italian peninsula)

Impacts of the Renaissance Artistic Intellectual Science and Technology Economic Political

Artists Can students guess painters? Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa Botticelli’s Birth of Venus Michelangelo’s David Leonardo da Vinci’s Last Supper Michelangelo’s Creation of David Pietro Perugino’s Handing the Keys to David

Intellectual Secularism (non-religious) – increased as people began to show greater interest in this world rather than the “here after” Reason – used observation and experience to explain the world rather than Christian teachings Humanism – emphasized dignity, worth, and uniqueness of individuals. (man is the focus of all things) Christian Humanism – a movement in northern Europe that promoted reason through Christian teachings

Science and Technology Copernicus polish scientist, concluded that the Earth orbited the sun. Galileo Galilei Italian scientist, studied motion and laid the foundation for modern physics. Johann Gutenberg German blacksmith, developed a printing press with moveable type. Andreas Vesalius Belgian physician, one of the founders of human anatomy.

Economic People affected by the Renaissance wanted to improve their material conditions Wealthy accumulated luxury goods Increased trade in a greater variety of products (clothes, foods, wines, and furnishings) Continued growth of cities

Political Machiavelli – a courtier and politician in Florence Wrote “The Prince” – a guidebook in how to secure and maintain political power The Renaissance spread throughout Europe

Was the Renaissance a real thing? As a cultural movement, the Italian Renaissance affected only a small part of the population. Italy was the most urbanized region of Europe, but three quarters of the people were still rural peasants. For those who did live in the cities, it was only the elite that were involved in the Renaissance. The Renaissance was not a period of great social or economic change, only of cultural and ideological development.

The Big Questions What was the Renaissance and why did it happen? What were some of the new ways of thinking during the Renaissance? Who were some of the key people and contributions of the Renaissance? Was the Renaissance an actual thing? Call on students to answer the questions. Have an argument on the last one.