1. Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner!
A Renaissance Web quest and Virtual Dinner party

2. Introduction
The Renaissance in Europe was a time of explosive thinking, learning and creativity. The greatest figures of this period reached backward to the culture of Ancient Greece and Rome, as well as pushing forward to an era of new ideas and creativity.

3. Task
You will be throwing a virtual dinner party with some of the most notable figures of the Renaissance. A good party requires a variety of interesting guests, a well planned menu, and a host or hostess who is interested in his or her guests. In order to prepare your party you will research potential guests, menus, and create questions in case conversation lags.

4. Procedure
Research six historical figures from the list provided; maximum of two per category.
Narrow guest list to six guests plus yourself
Write at least four questions for each guest and provide historically accurate answers for them.
Plan a historically accurate menu.
Create a poster which shows your guests, the seating arrangement, why you chose each guest, and what questions you would ask each one. (See examples)
Share party plans in small groups.
Do Self-Evaluation

5. Guest List Criteria
Must have a total of six Renaissance figures as guests
Must have a rationale for why YOU want that guest at your party
Must have at least one guest who is primarily known as:
An Artist or writer
A Religious figure
A philosopher or politician
A scientist

6. Resources Humanities website resource page History World
Additional Sources for the 17th Century
Renaissance Art in Italy
Renaissance Art in N. Europe and Spain
Renaissance Biographies
Renaissance learner
Webmuseum
Elizabethan world
Renaissance Figures
Renaissance culture
Renaissance weblist
Renaissance food
Renaissance theme page

7. Possible Guests
You will find a large number of possible guests from which to choose on the orange renaissance handout you were given in class.
You may choose from the persons listed, or you may choose to include another renaissance figure (with teacher permission).
Remember that no more than two of your guests can come from the same category.

8. Leonardo Da Vinci (example)
Why I want to invite him: I think Da Vinci would make a good guest because he is knowledgeable in so many different topics that he could converse with a variety of guests. He was an artist, an inventor, a religious man, and a man of science. He was not born of the nobility, and yet he found his way into their circles by his own merit. Also, Da Vinci was known to have strong opinions, and he often offended people in social situations. This would add a little bit of spice to the dinner party.

9. Leonardo Da Vinci questions (example)
Why did you choose to leave Italy and live out your final years in France?
What about the church made it so hard for you to work within its frameworks?
Which figures in your own life were most influential for you and why?
Describe you relationship with Michelangelo.

10. Example of poster Michelangelo Vesalius Davinci Menu: Blah blah
Blahh, blahh
Catherine d’’Medici
Copernicus
Mary Stuart
You

11. More on poster
You can either incorporate your rationale and questions into the poster, or turn them in typed, as a separate piece.

12. Checklist Six historical figures
Four higher level discussion questions for each figure
Answers to questions for the figures
Menu
Rationale for each guest choice
Poster (see examples)
Self-evaluation

13. Self Evaluation
What three things that you learned were most surprising to you? Explain why.
What criteria did you use to choose your guests?
Are there any figures that you would have liked to invite but that you didn’t have room for? If so, who were they?
On a scale of 1-5, one being you got no new learning from this project, five being you learned new things from every step of your process, where do you place your learning for this project?
What, if anything, could you have improved about your project?

14. Rubric CATEGORY 4 3 2 1 Graphics - Relevance Required Elements
All graphics are related to the topic and make it easier to understand. All borrowed graphics have a source citation.
All graphics are related to the topic and most make it easier to understand. All borrowed graphics have a source citation.
All graphics relate to the topic. Most borrowed graphics have a source citation.
Graphics do not relate to the topic OR several borrowed graphics do not have a source citation.
Required Elements
The poster or power point includes all required elements as well as additional information.
All required elements are included on the poster or power point
All but 1 of the required elements are included on the poster or power point
Several required elements were missing.
Questions
The questions asked for each guest were thoughtful and relevant. The answers given for the two guests were complete and reflected a high level of understanding of the figure's beliefs and ideas.
Most of the questions asked for each guest were thoughtful and relevant. The answers given for the two guests were complete and reflected some basic understanding of the figure's beliefs and ideas.
The questions asked for each guest were not very thoughtful or relevant. The answers given for the two guests were incomplete and reflected only a basic understanding of the figure's beliefs and ideas.
The questions were neither thoughtful nor relevant. The answers given reflected little understanding of the figure's beliefs and ideas.
Rationale for guests
The reasons given for each guest choice demonstrates thorough research, personal preference, and careful thought.
The reasons given for each guest choice demonstrates some research, personal preference, and some thought.
The reasons given for each guest choice demonstrates inadequate research and ineffective thought.
The reasons given for each guest choice demonstrates minimal research and minimal thought.
Menu
Menu demonstrates thorough research on Renaissance food customs
Menu demonstrates adequate research on Renaissance food customs
Menu demonstrates little research on Renaissance food customs
Menu demonstrates no research on Renaissance food customs