Grade 7 Lesson at a Glance: Chapter 12, Lesson 2

Houghton Mifflin Social Studies
Across the Centuries

Lesson at a Glance
Chapter 12, Lesson 2: The Italian Renaissance (pp. 316-323)

The Big Idea
Framework Concept: Culture The Renaissance revived classical learning and created a vibrant new culture supportive of human potential, endeavor, and achievement.

Write the words "Medieval thinking" and "Renaissance thinking" on the board and begin to build word webs from them. Ask students to think about the differences and similarities between these two approaches to culture. One advocated doing things "the way they had always been done." The other advocated doing things in line with the best models from the ancient Greek and Roman world. When students are done, ask how, for a culture that wants to make progress, one approach might be better than another.

Lesson Outline
Use the Lesson Outline to preview the content of the lesson. You may wish to print it for your students as a guide during reading.

Check for Understanding

On a sheet of paper, ask students to define "Renaissance" and then to write a paragraph detailing the kind of qualities, skills, and attitudes they would expect a person in Renaissance Italy to have.
Ask students to assemble a scrapbook of Renaissance and Medieval art, contrasting the two approaches to painting, sculpture, and architecture.

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