LESSON PLAN

Subject: Social Studies

Grade: 8
Date: November 1, 2014
Critical Inquiry Question: How can intercultural contact between societies lead to significant
change and alter each societys worldview?
Lesson: November 6, 2014
Time: 2:07-2:47p.m.
SLOs:
8.2.4 Examine, critically, the factors that shaped the worldview evolving in Western Europe during
the Renaissance:

How did the Renaissance spark the growth and exchange of ideas and knowledge across
Europe (i.e., astronomy, mathematics, science, politics, religion, arts)?

Instructional Objectives:
Knowledge:
Students will know
The relationship of the arts and the Renaissance.
Elements of Renaissance art.
The importance of architecture during the Renaissance.
Skill:

Analyze multiple historical and contemporary perspectives within and across cultures.
Evaluate ideas and information from multiple sources.
Determine relationships among multiple and varied sources of information.
Respect the points of view and perspectives of others.

Key Questions:
1. What is the relationship between art and the Renaissance?
2. What are the elements of Renaissance art?
3. What are petroglyphs?
4. What are pictographs?
5. What is a patron?
6. Who are some of the great Renaissance artists?
Materials:
Papers, pens, pencils.
Textbooks.
Free reading books.
Preparation:
Prepare lecture notes.

Adaptations:
One-on-one assistance with student J.

Lesson Procedure:
1. Welcome students and attendance, 2mins.
2. Free reading period, 5mins.
a. Students are allowed to read a book of their choice for the first 5 minutes of class.
b. Those who do not remember to bring their book or textbook must spend the next
days lunch break with me.
3. Advanced organizer, 2mins.
a. Mini-lecture.
b. Discussion.
c. Video Clip.
d. Closure.
4. Mini-lecture, 20mins.
a. We are going to begin today by examining the relationship of society and the arts.
b. Artists in the Renaissance became interested in portraying the beauty of the
human body and the natural world.
c. They accomplished this through the promotion through Patrons: which are people
who paid artists to produce works.
i. Patrons mainly came from the new wealthy merchant class, the
government and the church, who hired artists to decorate private homes or
public places.
d. The four areas included in the arts are:
i. Painting.
ii. Sculpture.
iii. Architecture.
iv. Literature.
e. Painting:
i. Prior to the Renaissance: during the Middle Ages art mostly had religious
themes, which did continue through the Renaissance, however, because of
humanist ideas, images were interpreted in new ways.
ii. The artwork of the Renaissance also saw a growing interest in portraits
and landscapes.
iii. Renaissance art began to demonstrate an interest in:
1. The individual.
2. The present world.
3. Beauty.
4. And Human excellence.
iv. Elements of Renaissance artwork:
1. Natural world: symbolized by the peacock.
2. Light and shadow: on the faces of the angel and the Saint, and on
the ground beside them.
3. Texture and pattern: on the carpet and Mary and the angels
clothing, the flooring, decorative surfaces.

4. Realistic details: child in left side of painting peeking around the

corner.
5. Elegance: Marys hands; the angels hands.
v. Renaissance Art techniques:
1. In the Renaissance a new philosophy, HUMANISM, emphasized:
a. INDIVIDUALISM: glorifying potential, talents and
accomplishments of individual human beings.
b. CLASSICISM: Re-discovery and appreciation of ancient
Greek & Roman culture.
c. SECULARISM: emphasis on this world (the here &
now) and its material pleasures rather than the afterlife
(hereafter) or spiritual world.
2. Comparison of pictures of the Madonna.
a. atmospheric perspective (hazy)
b. linear perspective (smaller)
c. Shading
d. Artists developed techniques, such as perspective, for
painting in a realistic way
3. How does this painting reflect humanism?
a. INDIVIDUALISM
b. Mary is a real person, not a medieval zombie
c. Why does she look real?
d. SECULARISM
e. 3-D landscape
f. Concern with details
g. Emphasize the real world setting
4. But this is still a religious painting
a. Renaissance Europe is still a very religious society
b. The Church is still a major power & art patron
c. But the art is now done in a realistic style by professionally
trained artists, not untrained monks
5. Heres Michelangelos famous sculpture, the Pieta, 1499
6. What do these two famous works have in common?
a. They share a common composition
b. The triangular organization suggests stability and order,
values held by the ancient Greeks & Romans
c. It also suggests the Trinity, a basic aspect of Christian
belief
d. God the Father
e. God the Son
f. God the Holy Spirit
7. In addition to classical scenes, another type of painting appeared
that we didnt see in the Middle Ages: portraits.
a. Portraits: what could be a better expression of
INDIVIDUALISM

b. Remember, too, that the Romans were big on portraits

CLASSICISM
vi. Contemporary Artwork:
1. Ojibwa artist Norval Morrisseau continues to look to the past to
create images that promotes cultural pride in his people.
2. His inspiration comes from artwork found on rocks, and birchbark
scrolls from long ago.
3. These are known as: petroglyphs: which is artwork carved into
rock with sharp implements.
4. Pictographs: artwork drawn onto rock surfaces, and the drawings
on the birchbark scrolls of the Ojibwa Medewewin societies.
5. The main reason that Norval Morrisseau is controversial is because
he is sharing the sacred beliefs of the Ojibwa in a contemporary
manner. Which breaks with tradition.
vii. Bringing it back to the Renaissance: it is important to remember that there
are certain distinguishing features that set artwork during the Renaissance
apart from that of the Middle Ages, and that these elements were inspired
by the ideas of humanists.
5. Video Clip, 15mins.
a. Introduce video clip.
b. Address questions, concerns and comments.
6. Closure, 2mins.
a. Tomorrows class: Humanist art and society.
b. Clean-up and dismissal.
Assessment:
Discussion Observation