Common Core Writing 6-8.1, Common Core Literacy 6-8.2,4 & 10

Copyright © 2015 Instructomania Pavlovich

The start of Reform

I t’s hard to imagine anything good could come from the savage black plaque that wiped out much of Medieval Europe in the late 1100s C.E. However, it left farmland, buildings, machines

and gold for the survivors to use and build upon. As a result, Europe’s economy regrew and thrived. Additionally, the famed Silk Road reopened with the protection of Mongolian conqueror Kublai Khan. The Italian family Polo pioneered this second travel over the route, and brought back tales and items that peaked other merchant’s curiosity. The demand for exotic items increased trade between Europe, Africa, Greek speaking countries to the east, the Middle East, and Asia. Major Mediterranean port cities of Genoa and Venice prospered, and these commerce points formed Italy into the initial hub of the Renaissance. “Renaissance” means “rebirth”, as the people of this time rebirthed and expanded upon Ancient Roman and Greek classical ideas.

Specialties Shape Governments

While some Italian city-states had ports for the increased trade with the rest of the world, others became manufacturing specialists. Venice boasted of their high quality glass. Milan developed weapons and the finest silks. Florence offered exquisitely woven wool clothes. Merchant families grew in wealth, and by 1300 C.E. Italy had been divided into city-states ruled by them. These families competed

to see who’s city could become the wealthiest and most famous.

As commerce grew, the need for standard currency also did so. By 1400 C.E. Florence became known as the banking city, exchanging currencies and offering loans with interest. The Medici Family leveraged this need to their benefit by strategically taking control of banking in Florence.

The Medici’s loved culture as much as money. They commissioned (planned and paid for) libraries and collected books so their bankers could learn and properly run the business. They also turned Florence into a beautiful city by rebuilding buildings, commissioning art and market sculptures, decorating the government palace. They also encouraged literature and other studies of the Renaissance. As their competition in other cities tried to compete with the Medici family, Italy’s rebirth peaked.

Wide Spread innovation

The trade mentioned above did more than swap goods. Ideas and ancient texts from the Roman Empire and other major cultures also began to surface, offering a glance back at classical theories and morphing into humanistic ideals. Humanism is the belief that individual people all have worth and potential. This world view also reconnected with nature and opened the door for mindful study of everything around them, not just the religious

Historical Snapshot A Renaissance Close Reading Investigation

Common Core Writing 6-8.1, Common Core Literacy 6-8.2,4 & 10

Copyright © 2015 Instructomania Pavlovich

subjects of the Middle Ages. Renaissance scholars examined and improved subjects such as art, literature, speech giving, and history, all which are called the humanities in modern colleges and higher education institutions.

The art of the Renaissance period changed dramatically. Where medieval art was two dimensional and told mythical and spiritual stories, artists of the Renaissance learned perspective techniques such as shadowing and diverse subject size to create three dimensional images. Additionally, the human body was scrutinized and art mediums from paintings to sculpture began to take into account the shape and tone of them. Everyday objects and religious based murals were created in their raw, natural form. Oil-based paints, linseed oil combined with color pigments, were also discovered. The Italian artist Michelangelo is well known for the paintings done on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel with these oil paints. He also penned poetry, drew plans for buildings, and carved sculptures.

The literature of the Renaissance was spurred by Greek and Roman pieces which weren’t written in the church’s Latin. Renaissance writers such as Dante and Niccolo Machiavelli wrote their common language, paving the way for everyone to read and enjoy their works. Most works were hand written until 1450, when German Johannes Gutenberg invented a printing press with movable letters. This press could make 300 pages per day, greatly increasing the production and availability of books and pamphlets.

Mathematics also expanded during the Renaissance and lead to further advances in science and astronomy. Symbols were developed for the square root, as well as negative ( -) and positive ( +) numbers. The mathematical formulas developed helped to strengthen buildings and their designs. The classic arches, columns, and domes of Roman culture resurfaced and were advanced upon. Furthermore, mathematics used by sailors for decades were studied and applied to the earth and heavenly bodies, expanding the knowledge of our earth’s position in the universe and developing more accurate maps.

Commerce eased the Renaissance further north to Germany, Brussels, Holland, and beyond. The northerners embraced humanism in a different way, focusing on great detail of everyday live and subjects. Many paintings kept flaws that classical Greek art had never depicted, or were of objects that looked completely real on the paper or canvas.

Perhaps the most renowned person in the Renaissance time period is Leonardo Di Vinci. His genius knew no bounds, actively creating art, inventing contraptions, and experimenting with science. He also wrote literature on geometry, sound waves, motion of objects and the body (which he dissected to discover), architecture, the earth’s tides, and so much more.

An influx of knowledge

With all this development and learning came the demand for better places to study. Scholars first came to Italy and then returned home. These scholars became teachers and new universities sprung up in Germany, France, and the Netherlands. Since Humanism emphasized the value of all individuals, prejudices due to social stature broke down and made knowledge more available for all.

A shift in Spiritual focus

In Medieval times, religion reigned supreme. The church expected all people to focus on God and his teachings without question. The Humanistic approach of the Renaissance questioned everything, and often butted heads with the Roman Catholic Church. With the shift of literature being written in common languages, the scriptures were too. Northern Europeans began to study and call out corrupt Christian clergy in the Roman Catholic Church. A Dutch Priest, Desiderius Erasmus, wrote The Praise of Folly to discredit some church rituals and refocus on Jesus’s teachings. It was such claims and concerns of Northern Europe that eventually lead to the Reformation, an era of change in the Church.

Complete the following questions by using the reading, Historical Snapshot: Renaissance Close Reading Investigation.

1. List the section subheading(s) where you can find the following key concepts for social science:

Geography: ______________________________ Religion: _______________________________________ Achievements: ______________________________________________________________________________ Economy: __________________________________________________________________________________ Leadership: _________________________________________________________________________________ 2. Achievements: Write an excerpt from the reading that explains why this time period was labeled the “Rebirth”. ___________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

3. Achievements: List four ways art improved during the Renaissance.

______________________ ______________________ ______________________ ______________________ 4. Leadership/ commerce: How did the Medici Family convert Florence from a wool industry to a banking city?

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

5. Geography: What major trade route reopened and ignited the Renaissance and who did so?

____________________________________________________________________________________________

6. Religion: Which social belief of the Renaissance butted heads with the Roman Catholic Church and why?

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

7. Achievements: How did the advancement of math formulas influence studies of architecture and science?

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

8. Achievements: Explain how the knowledge of the humanities spread to northern Europe and what resulted.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

9. Vocabulary: What is the definition of accurate in the following sentence?

“Furthermore, mathematics used by sailors were... developing more accurate maps.”

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

10. Vocabulary: What is the definition of Influx in the title “An Influx in Knowledge.”

____________________________________________________________________________________________

Common Core Writing 6-8.1, Common Core Literacy 6-8.2,4 &

Copyright © 2015 Instructomania

Historical Snapshot A Renaissance Close Reading Investigation Analysis