May 2008 Archives

You have today to work on whatever it is that you need to work on for this class. I can't imagine anyone is done with everything, so you should all be productive.

*** You'll receive your final "Two-Minute Review" topic for the year. We'll do this on Monday of next week. I will set up blog entries before then in case people want to post on them.

*** Unit #4 Identifications and Essay Questions
Remember that you are allowed 10 words for each of the Identifications. Those need to be printed out when you arrive for the Final Exam.

Your essay will be written in class on Tuesday, June 3rd. The expectations are the same as for the essays you wrote in class. This doesn't need to be longer or anything like that.

HOMEWORK for next session: Monday, June 2nd

Your portion of the Unit #4 "Two-Minute Review" is due.

We'll go back to the material from Lesson #40 for a bit first today, and then we'll wrap up with a look at the Columbian Exchange.

Catching up...

Section 2 of Chapter 20: "European Nations Settle North America." If I were you, I'd make sure that I understood the significance of the following:

Jamestown
Pilgrims
Puritans
French and Indian War

The Atlantic slave trade

We'll briefly talk about the "big picture," including making sure that terms like "Middle Passage" and "triangular trade" make sense to you. I'm also interested in having anyone share something you found particularly interesting or important in the resources I linked for yesterday's class.

Here's are two excerpts from the PBS series, "Africans in America." The first is on The Atlantic Slave Trade and the second is on The Middle Passage.

Here, Tom Feelings uses art and text to try to capture the "Middle Passage" and its impact on the Africans who endured it.

Timeline: The Atlantic Slave Trade This covers some of the major events in the slave trade, particularly those involving the United States.

The Atlantic Slave Trade and Slave Life in the Americas: A Visual Record is a series of more than 1000 images collected by the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities.

The Debate over Reparations

I'm interested in hearing your further thoughts on the following topic:

Resolved: that the United States should pay monetary reparations to African-American descendants of slaves and to African nations whose development was impacted by the Atlantic Slave Trade.

The Columbian Exchange:

What was it? Your text calls it the "global transfer of foods, plants, and animals during the colonization of the Americas." There's a great graphic on page 572. For those of you without a textbook handy, this chart of the Columbian Exchange might be useful...

The Columbian Exchange: Plants, Animals, and Disease between the Old and New Worlds is a really interesting article posted by the National Humanities Center.

What do you think? These prompts for discussion come from Alfred W. Crosby, Professor Emeritus at the University of Texas at Austin. Pick one and let us know what you think.

• "Wheaties and Cheerios are Old World, wheat and oats having originated in southwest Asia. Corn flakes are New World, Mesoamerican to be precise. Milk is from cows, which are Eurasian. Sugar is southeast Asian, probably from New Guinea."
• What is the significance of the Columbian Exchange demographically? What is the staple of the Bantu of southern Africa? Maize, an American food. What is the staple of Kansas and Argentina? Wheat, an Old World food. The chief crop of the lower Rio Grande river is rice, from Asia. How many of the six billion of us are dependent for our nourishment on crops and meat animals that didn't cross the great oceans until after 1492?
• What were the Amerindian societies like with no beasts of burden (or unimpressive ones), and, therefore, no plows, no wagons, no way to move really heavy objects but by human muscle?
• "What must it have been like to be exposed in a rush to a totally alien people, horses, steel, and new and hideous diseases?"
• Most historians are trained in the liberal arts, not in the sciences, and are inclined to think that we control nature, rather than the opposite: they thought Cortés was successful because he was a very great soldier and not, surely, because he was lucky enough to have received a live case of smallpox.

Our last "new" stuff of the year should be to make sure that you understand, at a very basic level, economic terms like capitalism, joint-stock company and mercantilism.

HOMEWORK for tomorrow: Friday, May 30th

You might remember that I screwed up the reading assignments on yesterday's blog. If you haven't yet done so, you should read Chapter 20's Section 3, "The Atlantic Slave Trade." Otherwise, we're done with reading assignments for the year.

Unit #4 Identifications and Essay Questions
Remember that you are allowed 10 words for each of the Identifications. Those need to be printed out when you arrive for the Final Exam.

We can spend a few minutes at the top making sure that everyone understands what is due this week, how final exams will work, etc. After that, we'll let you share any Current Events stories that you founds particularly interesting or important.

Our major topic for today will be the African Slave Trade. Notice that we're not really doing much with Section 2 of Chapter 20: "European Nations Settle North America." That's certainly part of our middle school curriculum in social studies. However, there will be a couple questions on the exam dealing with this material. If I were you, I'd make sure that I understood the significance of the following:

Jamestown
Pilgrims
Puritans
French and Indian War

The Atlantic slave trade

Consider these to be guiding questions as we look at the Atlantic slave trade:

• How did the Atlantic slave trade begin?


• How did the slave trade function?


• What was the impact of the slave trade?

I've got a variety of resources here to help familiarize you with various aspects of the Atlantic slave trade.

Here's are two excerpts from the PBS series, "Africans in America." The first is on The Atlantic Slave Trade and the second is on The Middle Passage.

Here, Tom Feelings uses art and text to try to capture the "Middle Passage" and its impact on the Africans who endured it.

Timeline: The Atlantic Slave Trade This covers some of the major events in the slave trade, particularly those involving the United States.

The Atlantic Slave Trade and Slave Life in the Americas: A Visual Record is a series of more than 1000 images collected by the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities.

The Debate over Reparations

Here's an article that, while getting a little old, helps introduce you to the debate over reparations in the United States: "Does nation owe blacks for slavery?"

Here's a 2006 update on the issue from MSNBC.com: "Advocates quietly push for slavery reparations" Notice that you can "vote" your opinion later in the article.

In order to discuss this as a group, we'll frame the issue in the following resolution. We'll start by assigning you to one side (affirmative or negative), but you'll later be free to express your own opinion.

Resolved: that the United States should pay monetary reparations to African-American descendants of slaves and to African nations whose development was impacted by the Atlantic Slave Trade.

Let's hear what you have to say on this topic...

HOMEWORK for tomorrow: Thursday, May 29th

I messed up the order of reading in the homework. We'll actually work a little out of order here. Sorry.

Please read, "The Columbian Exchange and Global Trade," for Thursday. It's Section 4 of Chapter 20. You'll be asked to go back and read 20.3, "The Atlantic Slave Trade," for Friday's class. That will be the end of the reading for the year.

Unit #4 Identifications and Essay Questions
Remember that you are allowed 10 words for each of the Identifications. Those need to be printed out when you arrive for the Final Exam.

Unit #4 Essay Exam - Questions and Format - You'll also write one more essay as part of the Unit #4 Exam. This essay will be written in class on Tuesday, June 3rd. Below you can find both the questions from which you will choose and the format for the essay portion on the Unit #4 Exam.

Format: The actual essay will be written, by hand or word-processed. You should prepare for a five-paragraph essay. That means that you should include an introduction (with a clear thesis statement), three body paragraphs, and a concluding paragraph. (Note that the questions lend themselves to such a format. That is on purpose.)

Remember that the questions are not designed for you to tell us everything you have learned. Focus on what the question is requiring you to do.

1. The pre-Columbian empires of the Americas all made advancements in different areas. In separate body paragraphs, identify and explain the major accomplishments of the Mayan, Aztec and Incan Empires. Which of the three do you consider to have been the most "civilized?" Why?

2. YOU MAY CHOOSE EITHER THE RENAISSANCE OR THE REFORMATION FOR THIS QUESTION. DO NOT CHOOSE BOTH OR "MIX AND MATCH."
The Renaissance/ Reformation was a time of profound change for the people of Europe. Identify and explain what you believe to be the three most significant impacts and/or legacies of the Renaissance/ Reformation. What single historical figure do you believe best epitomized the spirit of the Renaissance/ Reformation? Why?

3. Identify and explain what you believe were the three most significant motivations that led to the Age of Exploration in Europe and elsewhere. What historical figure do you believe best symbolizes the spirit of this period? Why?

4. The voyages of Christopher Columbus to the Americas certainly had lasting impacts. Identify and explain what you believe are the three most significant consequences of the voyages of Christopher Columbus. Do you believe he should be remembered as a hero or a villain? Why?

Unit #4 Identifications: On Wednesday, June 4th, you will write on your choice of 5 of the 8 identifications that appear on the Unit #4 exam chosen from the list below. You may bring 10 words of "notes" for each of the 15 possible identifications to the exam. (Printed out; not on your computer.) You will need to turn in these notes, and I reserve the right to count symbols, acronyms, etc. as one or more words. Each of the five identifications is worth 5 points. Since we are all in the Nicholson Center, you will write these IDs by hand, not on the computer.

A good identification is typically in the range of 4 to 6 sentences in length. (You do need to write in complete sentences.) You should demonstrate both an understanding of just who / what the ID "is" and place it in the appropriate historical context. In addition, you need to explain the significance of the ID. In other words, answer the "So what?" question.

Quetzalcoatl
Machu Picchu
humanism
Michelangelo
The Prince
Johann Gutenberg
John Calvin
Jesuits
Suleyman the Lawgiver
Akbar
Zheng He
Tokugawa Shogunate
Hernando Cortes
middle passage
Columbian Exchange

Today, we'll focus a bit more on the China and Japan sections from Chapter 19 before turning to discuss/ debate the impact of Europeans upon the Americas...

"History Haiku" - These are posted as comments to blog entry Lesson #38. Make sure you understand why these terms made the "list" of important ones for these sections.

China
Ming Dynasty
Hongwu
Zheng He
Manchu
Qing Dynasty
Kangxi

Japan
Oda Nobunaga
Totoyomi Hideyoshi
Tokugawa Ieyasu
Tokugawa Shogunate

Timeline - Chapter 19: I just wanted to give you a chance to share anything interesting or particularly useful you found while doing the timeline.

Memo to an Emperor / Shogun: I'm curious as to what some of you had to say given your choice of these two situations.

* China: You are adviser to Emperor Qian-long (p. 539), who ruled from 1736 to 1795. It is 1775, and he asks your opinion as to whether or not he should decrease restrictions against Dutch and British traders. At that time, they were required to pay tribute and to "kowtow" before the emperor, and they were allowed access only to special ports. Do you recommend making it easier to trade?

* Japan: It is 1615, and you are an advisor to Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu. Trade has brought cannons, goods and Christian missionaries to your shores from Portugal and elsewhere. Some want you to drive the foreigners out, and you actually banned Christianity three years earlier. Should Japan seal its borders (except for the port of Nagasaki, which the shogun controls) and become a "closed country"?

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Europe comes to the Americas We'll spend the rest of the class holding a discussion on Spain's empire in the Americas.

Here are some questions to get us started:

• Should history remember Christopher Columbus as a "hero" or a "villain?" Why?


• Should the United States celebrate Columbus Day? Why or why not?


• Is teaching a "Columbus Myth" (whatever that means) to young children necessarily a bad thing? Why or why not?


• Is it unpatriotic to challenge conventional wisdom on a figure like Christopher Columbus?


• Are high school history teachers trying too hard to be "politically correct"? Should they be?


• Does the media try too hard to be "politically correct"? Should they change their ways?


• Are the "conquistadors" guilty of genocide? Crimes against humanity? Others?

These are the same resources that were listed last lesson:

• Columbus Day sparks debate over explorer's legacy - The Michigan Daily


• Change Columbus Day to Native Americans Day Petition


• Christopher Columbus and the Indians by Howard Zinn


• Columbus and Western Civilization by Howard Zinn


• Columbus 'sparked a genoicde' - BBC News article


• The (Alleged) Crimes of Christopher Columbus (& Western Civilization)by Dines D'Zouza


• The Conquistadors - PBS website

HOMEWORK for tomorrow: Wednesday, May 28th

Please read Section 2 of Chapter 20, "European Nations Settle North America." This will take some of you back to 6th and 7th Grade US History.

Your final batch of Current Events for the year are due tomorrow. You may either print them out or send them as an email attachment. Download a Current Events #2 template here.

These topics are variations on some that we have discussed this unit.

I. Religion
II. Ethnic conflict
III. "Exploration" - You decide what counts. Think about new ideas, new frontiers, etc.
IV. Editorial (Your choice of worthy topics.)

Today, we'll focus more on China and Japan's decisions to turn inward toward isolation during the time period we've referred to as the Age of Exploration.

"History Haiku" - We'll have you post your haiku as a blog comment. I'll just have you do that as a comment to THIS entry. Be sure your name gets on it so you can get credit. You are allowed an introductory statement if you want as well. Please post them before leaving today. As you've probably guessed, I think these are some of the main ideas and specifics from these two sections as well.

China
Ming Dynasty
Hongwu
Zheng He
Manchu
Qing Dynasty
Kangxi

Japan
Oda Nobunaga
Totoyomi Hideyoshi
Tokugawa Ieyasu
Tokugawa Shogunate

Timeline - Chapter 19: I'm surprised we've gotten to this point in the year without me having you create a timeline. I think they are a great way to see comparisons and contrasts between events and over time. It's not about memorizing the dates, but rather about seeing how the events occur in relation to each other.

You should download a Chapter 19 - Timeline. Depending on how fancy you want to be, you can use shading, borders, "paint" features, etc. in Microsoft Excel. Or, you can simply use it to place the information correctly. Notice that I've given you one example for each of the three cultures or "sections" from the chapter.

Your job is to add additional events, periods, reigns or whatever it is that you find important.

• Europe: I'd expect a minimum of ten additional events from the material in Section 1 of Chapter 19 as well as Section 1 in Chapter 20. (Coincidentally, you're asked to read that as homework tonight.)


• China: Add a minimum of six additional entries from Section 2 in Chapter 19.


• Japan: Add a minimum of six additional entries from Section 3 in Chapter 19.

Once you've finished, look back for relations between events. Are there any conclusions that you can draw from this sort of visual representation?

Memo to an Emperor / Shogun: You can choose to work with ONE partner on this if you would like. As you know, both China and Japan chose policies of isolation for centuries. You're going to be placed at a key point in the history of one of these two cultures, and you will draft a memo for the ruler as to whether or not you believe that isolation is the best policy. Here are the two scenarios from which you may choose, and the specific instructions are below.

* China: You are adviser to Emperor Qian-long (p. 539), who ruled from 1736 to 1795. It is 1775, and he asks your opinion as to whether or not he should decrease restrictions against Dutch and British traders. At that time, they were required to pay tribute and to "kowtow" before the emperor, and they were allowed access only to special ports. Do you recommend making it easier to trade?

* Japan: It is 1615, and you are an advisor to Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu. Trade has brought cannons, goods and Christian missionaries to your shores from Portugal and elsewhere. Some want you to drive the foreigners out, and you actually banned Christianity three years earlier. Should Japan seal its borders (except for the port of Nagasaki, which the shogun controls) and become a "closed country"?

Instructions for the "memo": Once you have chosen your scenario and decided on your position, you need to draft your memo. First, it should have an appropriate greeting for your emperor/ shogun. Your memo needs to consist of three major arguments (or "bullet points" if you like memo-speak) in support of your position. Each argument should be explained in a minimum of three good sentences.

These memos should be ready to share and/or check for credit on Tuesday.

Done with these? If you finish these three tasks, you can do some thinking for next week's discussion on Spain's empire in the Americas. Time prevents us from doing a full-blown "trial" for someone like Columbus or Cortez; but we'll try to get at many of the same issues in our conversation.

You can anticipate questions like this:

• Should history remember Christopher Columbus as a "hero" or a "villian?" Why?


• Should the United States celebrate Columbus Day? Why or why not?


• Is teaching a "Columbus Myth" (whatever that means) to young children necessarily a bad thing? Why or why not?


• Is it unpatriotic to challenge conventional wisdom on a figure like Christopher Columbus?


• Are high school history teachers trying too hard to be "politically correct"? Should they be?


• Does the media try too hard to be "politically correct"? Should they change their ways?


• Are the "conquistadors" guilty of genocide? Crimes against humanity? Others?

You might find some of these resources interesting:

• Columbus Day sparks debate over explorer's legacy - The Michigan Daily


• Change Columbus Day to Native Americans Day Petition


• Christopher Columbus and the Indians by Howard Zinn


• Columbus and Western Civilization by Howard Zinn


• Columbus 'sparked a genoicde' - BBC News article


• The (Alleged) Crimes of Christopher Columbus (& Western Civilization)by Dines D'Zouza


• The Conquistadors - PBS website

HOMEWORK for next session: Tuesday, May 27th

Please read Section 1 of Chapter 20, "Spain Builds an American Empire." Make sure you do this, as it will make the debate/ discussion to follow on Tuesday much more useful.

Your final batch of Current Events for the year are due on Wednesday, May 28th. You may either print them out or send them as an email attachment. Download a Current Events #2 template here.

These topics are variations on some that we have discussed this unit.

I. Religion
II. Ethnic conflict
III. "Exploration" - You decide what counts. Think about new ideas, new frontiers, etc.
IV. Editorial (Your choice of worthy topics.)

Today's lesson will be a continuation of what we started yesterday. Tomorrow, we'll focus more on China and Japan's decisions to turn inward toward isolation at this time period. This Age of Exploration (and its consequences) is basically our topic for the rest of the way.

Here's where we left off... I'll give you a few minutes to meet with the others who had the same voyage(s), and then we'll hear from all the groups.

Conquest of the Oceans:

* Treasure fleets of Zheng He
* Prince Henry sends ships along the African shore
* First voyage of Cristobal Colon (aka Christopher Columbus)
* de Gama's sea voyage to India
* Magellan circumnavigates the world

Using both the notes and the sources, try to figure out answers to these questions:

1. Who ordered or authorized the voyage?


2. What reasons were given for making the voyage?


3. How was the voyage paid for?


4. What were the attitudes of the voyagers towards the people they met?


5. What problems were encountered with people they met?


6. Who benefited from the voyage? How?

I've got a couple of general questions for you following these "reports."

"Routes to Empire" - This will sort of work like a "Readers' Theater" presentation. We'll give you each a primary source, and you'll be divided into two groups. One group will look at Portugal's new empire in Asia, and the other will consider Spain's empire in the Americas.

Your job is this. You'll have 15 minutes to prepare. The "big question" that you need to answer is below. You can take it in a number of various ways, but that's the general topic. I want to hear support, evidence, or proof from EACH of the primary sources that you have. You can read a line or a paragraph or whatever, but someone in your group should be reading a section from every document you have to support your answer. It might work to sort of have a narrator or moderator, but I'll leave that up to you.

Portugal: How, and with what success, did Portugal shift from finding sea routes to controlling them, and to building a maritime empire in Asia?

Spain: How did Spain shift from finding a continent to controlling it and to building a land empire in the Americas?

With the time remaining, we'll shift our focus toward two civilizations that chose not to participate in the Age of Exploration, China and Japan. To get you started, we'll do a little poetry...

"History Haiku" - As you'll be reading tonight, the haiku is a Japanese three-line verse where the syllables per line follow a five-seven-five pattern. I can't think of a better way to have you all introduce a specific person or idea from the China and Japan sections tomorrow. You'll each claim one of the following, so we'll actually get two haikus per item. (Each of you needs to do your own.) You are also allowed a sentence of introduction before you read your story. That way, you can give us the long name, important years or other information that doesn't fit in your haiku... Yes, you get five points for giving this a good try.

China
Ming Dynasty
Hongwu
Zheng He
Manchu
Qing Dynasty
Kangxi

Japan
Oda Nobunaga
Totoyomi Hideyoshi
Tokugawa Ieyasu
Tokugawa Shogunate

HOMEWORK for tomorrow: Friday, May 23rd

Please read Section 3 of Chapter 19, "Japan Returns to Isolation."

Your "History Haiku" should be ready to share at the appropriate time tomorrow.

Your final batch of Current Events for the year are due on Wednesday, May 28th. You may either print them out or send them as an email attachment. Download a Current Events #2 template here.

These topics are variations on some that we have discussed this unit.

I. Religion
II. Ethnic conflict
III. "Exploration" - You decide what counts. Think about new ideas, new frontiers, etc.
IV. Editorial (Your choice of worthy topics.)

Today's lesson will probably carry over a bit into tomorrow's class, but we'll see how far we get today. The Age of Exploration (and its consequences) is basically our topic for the rest of the way.

Current Events: Back by popular demand, here's one more group of current events for you. Current Events #2 should consist of four events that match the following categories. You can find the complete instructions for Current Events here. (Note that these are NOT the correct story topics used in the examples.)

Download a Current Events #2 template here.

These topics are variations on some that we have discussed this unit.

I. Religion
II. Ethnic conflict
III. "Exploration" - You decide what counts. Think about new ideas, new frontiers, etc.
IV. Editorial (Your choice of worthy topics.)

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

The Age of Exploration: We'll do a number of things to try to understand how and why the Europeans (particularly the Spanish and Portuguese in the beginning) began to venture further from home, forever changing the course of history.

For those of you thinking about the reading and the Unit #4 Objective Exam, I'd be sure I could define the following terms and answer the following questions:

Defining terms: "God, Gold and Glory," Prince Henry the Navigator, Bartolomeu Dias, Vasco da Gama, Treaty of Tordesillas, Dutch East India Company

* What motivated the Age of Exploration?
* What scientific and technical advancements made the Age of Exploration possible?
* What were the early claims of the Portuguese? The Spanish? Others?

"Seeing" the World: This first activity will help us see just how differently people saw the world of five hundred years ago as opposed to the GoogleEarth outlook of today. Pairs of you will get a copy of a map to show us on the overhead. (If you want a better look at the little writing on your map, go to the original source at A World History for Us All and scroll down to pages 22-30.)

Preparing for the Voyage: First, let's make sure we've "packed" what we need in terms of new technologies and knowledge...

Discussion question #1: If you were planning a long-distance sea voyage during the second half of the 15th century to little-known destinations along unknown routes, what problems with the physical environment would you expect to have to deal with during the voyage? What problems of human-to-human relations would you expect to have to deal with on board and on arrival at your destination? What might you do to minimize or deal with these problems?

Discussion question #2: What personality traits do you think would have been helpful to the long-distance mariners of the 15th and 16th centuries? How would they have been helpful? Who, if anyone, in modern society is called upon to possess a similar set of qualities?

Discussion question #3: How accurate is this statement? "It was adopting and adapting the ideas and technologies of earlier times and other peoples, rather than anything they came up with on their own, that made possible the long distance voyages of the Iberian mariners in the 15th and early 16th centuries."

Discussion question #4: How would you rank the following in terms of importance to voyages such as (#1) da Gama's reaching India and returning and (#2) Columbus' crossing the Atlantic and returning? Explain why.

* Technological changes in European ship design after about 1400
* Existence of reasonably reliable east-west and west-east wind systems
* Changes in the representation of the world on European maps after about 1400
* Europeans learning to use the stars/ planets to establish their latitude and distance from the equator
* Having guns available on shipboard
* Personal characteristics of those undertaking the voyages

Conquest of the Oceans: We'll make you all "specialists" in one of five voyages from the Age of Exploration.

* Treasure fleets of Zheng He
* Prince Henry sends ships along the African shore
* First voyage of Cristobal Colon (aka Christopher Columbus)
* de Gama's sea voyage to India
* Magellan circumnavigates the world

Using both the notes and the sources, try to figure out answers to these questions:

1. Who ordered or authorized the voyage?


2. What reasons were given for making the voyage?


3. How was the voyage paid for?


4. What were the attitudes of the voyagers towards the people they met?


5. What problems were encountered with people they met?


6. Who benefited from the voyage? How?

HOMEWORK for tomorrow: Thursday, May 22nd

Please read Section 2 of Chapter 19, "China Limits European Contacts."

Be sure the "Conquest of the Ocean" primary source you received is ready to go tomorrow.

Your final batch of Current Events for the year are due on Wednesday, May 28th. You may either print them out or send them as an email attachment. (The template is available above.)

Today, we'll turn our attention to the empires of the Muslim world found in Chapter 18.

There's a perception that, after the Middle Ages, the rise of European power and military might meant that they modernized while the Islamic world was left behind. However, when measured by size, population or military power, the so-called "gunpowder empires" of the Ottomans, Safavids, and the Mughal rivaled or exceeded in power any of the states of Europe. As the age of warfare by well-trained men on horseback gave way to the cannons and guns of a new time, these Muslim empires reached the peak of their power.

Our plan for today will be simple. You'll work on one of the three empires for a period of time in class. Then, we'll bring everyone together and look for comparisons across and contrasts among the three. You should download a copy of The Muslim "Gunpowder" Empires to help you in your work. The information in your text should be sufficient to answer virtually all of the questions, but you are free to look online as well for additional help.

HOMEWORK for tomorrow: Wednesday, May 21st

It's simple. Read Section 1 of Chapter 19, "Europeans Explore the East."

Welcome to the First Annual MPA Renaissance and Reformation Round Table. This will be a graded discussion. You'll find your seat at your name tag. Remember that, in our initial round of introductions, you'll need to provide the following at a minimum:

* Who are you?
* What was your significance during this time?
* At least one statement of opinion/perspective (For example, "The Renaissance was great for women because...")

In most cases, I'd expect this to be between 30 seconds and a minute. Be sure to TALK to us, not just read something at us.

I may group folks differently, but here is our cast of characters.

Baldassare Castiglione
Desiderius Erasmus
Francesco Petrarch
Giovanni Boccaccio
Girolamo Savonarola
Isabella d'Este
Johann Gutenberg
Leonardo da Vinci
Lorenzo de Medici
Michelangelo Buonarroti
Niccolo Machiavelli
Raphael Sanzio
Thomas More
Vittoria Colonna
William Shakespeare

Elizabeth I
Henry VIII
HRE Charles V
Ignatius of Loyola
John Calvin
Martin Luther
Pope Leo X
John Knox

We can begin with questions like the following:

• What conditions were necessary for the Renaissance and Reformation to have occurred?




• How did the Renaissance impact you? What were its greatest strengths? What were its biggest drawbacks?


• Was the Renaissance really a "new" time, or was it simply a continuation of the Middle Ages?


• How did the Church influence the Renaissance? How was it influenced by the Renaissance?


• Did the Renaissance really affect life for the "average" person? Why or why not?


• Who should be considered the epitome of the Renaissance Man (Woman)? Would it be possible for someone today to match his/her achievements? Explain.


• What work of art or literature best epitomizes the Renaissance?




• In what ways was the the Reformation foreshadowed by Renaissance thinking?


• Was the Reformation necessary? Why or why not?


• Was the Reformation a positive or negative development? Why?


• How should history judge Martin Luther?


• Did the Reformation really affect life for the "average" person? Why or why not?


• Where should blame be placed for the blood that was spilled in the name of religion during the Reformation?




• Which event has proven to be more historically significant, the Renaissance or the Reformation? Why?




• Is America undergoing either a Renaissance or Reformation today? Should America undergo one or both of these movements today? Why?

HOMEWORK for tomorrow: Tuesday, May 20th

You should have read all of Chapter 18, "The Muslim World Expands," by class time tomorrow. If you have already done that, you are set. If you haven't, get rgoing. You might also think a little about whether you'd be most interested looking more closely at the Ottomans, the Safavids, or the Mughals during class tomorrow.

We're going to hear from the Incans today, and we'll use the rest of the hour to get through some odds and ends, mostly related to the Reformation.

Maya, Aztec and Inca - Early American Empires

Friday, May 19th: Incan Empire

Your group will have about 20 minutes of class time. (Presentations shorter than 15 minutes or longer than 30 will be penalized.) Your "presentation" is expected to include the following elements.

• an outline of the material in your section (1 page maximum) for a class handout
• at least 10 visual images to project in class
• a 3 - 5 minute "introduction" to your empire
• 5 possible multiple choice questions for Unit #4 Exam
• a 3 - 5 minute "focus" on a topic of particular interest
• a minimum 5-minute discussion among group members on the question: "Were the ____ civilized? Why or why not?" (You can disagree with each other.)
• anything else relevant that you would like to include

Figure that each of the 5 components are worth 5 points maximum. You get another potential of 10 for your use of class time in preparation and your attentiveness as an audience member. There are another five points you can earn for the "anything else" or overall impression, etc. That's a total of 40, but we'll make it half that for the grade book. So, it's worth 20 points.

The Impact of the Reformation

Let's make sure you are comfortable with the events from yesterday's performances...

Henry VIII and the Anglican Church (p. 492)
Elizabeth restores Protestantism (p. 494)
Calvin continues the Reformation (p. 495)
Calvinism spreads (p. 496)
Ignatius and the Jesuits (p. 498)
Reforming Popes (p. 499)

Question: What are the implications of using the term Catholic Reformation and opposed to Counter Reformation? Which do you prefer? Why?

Martin Luther: Primary Documents - We mentioned these earlier, but I had a couple of questions that I wanted to ask about them.

• Martin Luther's 95 Theses - October 31, 1517


• Exurge Domine - Condemning the Errors of Martin Luther - Pope Leo X - 1520


• Martin Luther - excerpts from speech at Diet of Worms - 1521


• Martin Luther - "The Jews and Their Lies" - 1543

A final question on Luther: Would the Reformation have happened without Martin Luther?

Christian Denominations - Now that we've had both of the major splits that will occur in the Christian faith, we'll take a few minutes to look at two graphic representations of the various branches of the religion.

Connection to Today: I posted this once before, but we didn't get to it. Let's chat a bit about this topic today...

We've talked a little about the role of patronage in the art of the Renaissance. We have also talked about its significance in the "civic life" of Florence and other cities. Today, while patronage takes many forms, one that has generated a spirited debate is that of governmental funding for the arts. Let's talk about that a bit as time permits...

Here's the homepage for the National Endowment for the Arts. The site features a list of "Exemplary projects funded since 1965" that you might find interesting.

It is currently estimated that each American taxpayer ends up "contributing" less than $1 of their taxes to the NEA.

In the late 1980s, an artist named Andres Serrano generated much controversy for art produced after he received a $15,000 NEA grant. I've linked you to a page of Senate testimony used in a college philosophy course lesson on this topic.

• Should the US government use public money to fund the arts? Why or why not?


• Should there be limits imposed on what types of art will be funded? If so, how?


• What should be government's role, if any, with respect to art?

HOMEWORK for next session: Monday, May 19th

You should be reading ALL of Chapter 18, "The Muslim World Expands," before Tuesday's class period. There are three sections, and this will be your homework both today and Monday night.

On Monday, we'll have our Renaissance and Reformation Round Table discussions. I want to add one more requirement to the "Renaissance and Reformation Round Table." We'll do a quick round of "introductions" at the beginning. Basically, you'll need to provide the following at a minimum:

* Who are you?
* What was your significance during this time?
* At least one statement of opinion/perspective (For example, "The Renaissance was great for women because...")

In most cases, I'd expect this to be between 30 seconds and a minute. Be sure to TALK to us, not just read something at us.

It's the Aztecs today, and then back to the Reformation... (Remind me to finish up any of the Luther material that we may have missed yesterday.)

Maya, Aztec and Inca - Early American Empires

Thursday, May 15th: Aztec Empire
Friday, May 16th: Incan Empire

Your group will have about 20 minutes of class time. (Presentations shorter than 15 minutes or longer than 30 will be penalized.) Your "presentation" is expected to include the following elements.

• an outline of the material in your section (1 page maximum) for a class handout
• at least 10 visual images to project in class
• a 3 - 5 minute "introduction" to your empire
• 5 possible multiple choice questions for Unit #4 Exam
• a 3 - 5 minute "focus" on a topic of particular interest
• a minimum 5-minute discussion among group members on the question: "Were the ____ civilized? Why or why not?" (You can disagree with each other.)
• anything else relevant that you would like to include

Figure that each of the 5 components are worth 5 points maximum. You get another potential of 10 for your use of class time in preparation and your attentiveness as an audience member. There are another five points you can earn for the "anything else" or overall impression, etc. That's a total of 40, but we'll make it half that for the grade book. So, it's worth 20 points.

Reformation and Counter-Reformation

More events from the Reformation:
Some of you will like this, but it might drive others of you crazy. You're going to be assigned an event from the Reformation. Your group will have your choice of the following ways to transmit to us the "big picture" of what happened.

1. Dramatic skit
2. Opera scene
3. Pantomime
4. Rap song
5. Straight-forward "lecture"

In all cases, you'll have about 15 minutes to prepare, and then we'll go through the events in order.

Henry VIII and the Anglican Church (p. 492)
Elizabeth restores Protestantism (p. 494)
Calvin continues the Reformation (p. 495)
Calvinism spreads (p. 496)
Ignatius and the Jesuits (p. 498)
Reforming Popes (p. 499)

I'll help make sure you all get the "facts" you need for each of these events, but this should help you with the "big picture."

Question: What are the implications of using the term Catholic Reformation as opposed to Counter Reformation? Which do you prefer? Why?

Martin Luther: Primary Documents - We mentioned these yesterday, but I had a couple of questions that I wanted to ask about them.

• Martin Luther's 95 Theses - October 31, 1517


• Exurge Domine - Condemning the Errors of Martin Luther - Pope Leo X - 1520


• Martin Luther - excerpts from speech at Diet of Worms - 1521


• Martin Luther - "The Jews and Their Lies" - 1543

HOMEWORK for tomorrow: Friday, May 16th

Please read Section 1, "The Ottomans Build a Vast Empire," from Chapter 18, "The Muslim World Expands."

Obviously, you need to be ready for your group's presentation if you are an Inca.

Do a little thinking for the Renaissance and Reformation Round Table. Remember that you should think a little about what your figure might say to these types of questions. (Not all apply to everyone.)

• How did the Renaissance impact you? What were its greatest strengths? What were its biggest drawbacks?
• Was the Renaissance really a "new" time, or was it simply a continuation of the Middle Ages?
• How did the Church influence the Renaissance? How was it influenced by the Renaissance?
• Did the Renaissance really affect life for the "average" person? Why or why not?




• Was the Reformation necessary? Why or why not?


• Was the Reformation a positive or negative development? Why?


• Did the Reformation really affect life for the "average" person? Why or why not?



• What conditions were necessary for the Renaissance and Reformation to have occurred?



• Is America undergoing either a Renaissance or Reformation today? Should America undergo one or both of these movements today? Why?

We'll begin our "Early American Empires" presentations today with the Mayans, as well as starting our look at the Reformation.

Maya, Aztec and Inca - Early American Empires

Wednesday, May 14th: Mayan Empire
Thursday, May 15th: Aztec Empire
Friday, May 16th: Incan Empire

Your group will have about 20-25 minutes of class time. (Presentations shorter than 15 minutes or longer than 30 will be penalized.) Your "presentation" is expected to include the following elements.

• an outline of the material in your section (1 page maximum) for a class handout
• at least 10 visual images to project in class
• a 3 - 5 minute "introduction" to your empire
• 5 possible multiple choice questions for Unit #4 Exam
• a 3 - 5 minute "focus" on a topic of particular interest
• a minimum 5-minute discussion among group members on the question: "Were the ____ civilized? Why or why not?" (You can disagree with each other.)
• anything else relevant that you would like to include

Figure that each of the 5 components are worth 5 points maximum. You get another potential of 10 for your use of class time in preparation and your attentiveness as an audience member. There are another five points you can earn for the "anything else" or overall impression, etc. That's a total of 40, but we'll make it half that for the grade book. So, it's worth 20 points.

Introduction to the Reformation

We'll look at Martin Luther today, saving Henry VIII and the rest for tomorrow's class. By the time we are finished, you should be sure that you understand the following terms.

Defining terms: Martin Luther, indulgences, Friar Tetzel, Wittenberg, 95 Theses (1517), Reformation, Pope Leo X, papal bull (1520), HRE Charles V, Diet of Worms (1521), Edict of Worms (1521), Prince Frederick the Wise, Peasants' Revolt, Protestant, Peace of Augsburg (1555)

These are the questions we'll work to answer:
* What were the underlying social, political, economic and religious causes of the Reformation?
* How did Luther challenge the Church? What ideas were at the base of his teachings?
* How did the Catholic Church react to Luther's challenge?
* What was the impact of Luther and his actions?

• Martin Luther's 95 Theses - October 31, 1517
• Exurge Domine - Condemning the Errors of Martin Luther - Pope Leo X - 1520
• Martin Luther - excerpts from speech at Diet of Worms - 1521
• Martin Luther - "The Jews and Their Lies" - 1543 NOTE: One thing that is often overlooked in Martin Luther's career is a strong degree of Anti-Semitism in his writings. These excerpts have been posted at a site called the Jewish Virtual Library, and they are linked here not to shock, but rather to get you to think about how these type of writings influence your opinion of Luther.

Renaissance and Reformation Round Table

Remember that we'll be doing this review activity on Monday. All of you should have selected a figure from this time period. You'll be asked to speak from "their" perspective, answering questions and commenting in a way consistent with what they might have done. You don't need to do anything written for your person, but you should certainly know what made them important, how they were affected by the times, etc.

The discussion may go a number of ways, but here are some questions to get you thinking.

• How did the Renaissance impact you? What were its greatest strengths? What were its biggest drawbacks?
• Was the Renaissance really a "new" time, or was it simply a continuation of the Middle Ages?
• How did the Church influence the Renaissance? How was it influenced by the Renaissance?
• Did the Renaissance really affect life for the "average" person? Why or why not?




• Was the Reformation necessary? Why or why not?


• Was the Reformation a positive or negative development? Why?


• Did the Reformation really affect life for the "average" person? Why or why not?



• What conditions were necessary for the Renaissance and Reformation to have occurred?



• Is America undergoing either a Renaissance or Reformation today? Should America undergo one or both of these movements today? Why?

HOMEWORK for tomorrow: Thursday, May 15th

Please read Section 17.4 on the Reformation for Thursday's class. If you have not read all of Chapter 16, you should do that as well.

Obviously, you need to be ready for your group's presentation if that hasn't yet happened.

After yesterday's look at the words of the Renaissance, we'll turn our attention to its art and architecture today...

Renaissance Art Festival

Remember that we're expecting somewhere in the neighborhood of three minutes or so per work. Presentations can take various forms, but these were some of the questions you were asked to consider as you prepared. (Of course, not all apply to all works.)

Your presentation should include items like these, as they apply:
Name of the work
Name of the artist
Date of the work (location of creation)

Description of the work and its creation
* Interesting information about the process of its creation
* Interesting information about materials, style, approach, etc.

What makes this a "Renaissance" work of art/architecture?
* What Renaissance values, ideas and/or themes does the work depict?

What is the significance of this work?
* What was its impact during the time when it was created?
* What has been the subsequent impact of the work?
* Where, if anywhere, can the work be seen today?

What is your reaction to the work? What do you think of it?

You will receive up to 10 points for your presentation. (You will also lose at least half of those if you are a bad audience member or one fooling around on your computer...)

Renaissance Art and Architecture

Masaccio - The Expulsion of Adam and Eve (Brancacci Chapel - 1425)
Brunelleschi - Duomo (Florence: 1420 - 1436)
Donatello - David (1430)
Jan van Eyck - Arnolfini Wedding (1434)
Paolo Uccello - The Battle of San Romano (1438-1440)
Leonardo da Vinci - The Annunciation - (1472 - 1475)
Perugino - Christ Giving the Keys to St. Peter (1480 - 1482)
Botticelli - The Birth of Venus (after 1482)
Leonardo da Vinci - Vitruvian Man (c. 1485 - 1492)
Leonardo da Vinci - The Last Supper (1495 - 1497)
Michelangelo - Pieta (1500)
Leonardo da Vinci - Mona Lisa (1502)
Hieronymus Bosch - The Garden of Earthly Delights (1503 - 1504)
Michelangelo - David (1504)
Michelangelo - Holy Family (1506)
Michelangelo - Creation of Man (Sistine Chapel - 1510)
Raphael - School of Athens (1510)
Raphael - Sistine Madonna (1512 - 1514)
Michelangelo - Moses (1515)
Raphael - Transfiguration (1520)
Michelangelo - The Last Judgment(Sistine Chapel: 1534 - 1541)
Bramante, Michelangelo, others - St. Peter's Basilica (Rome: 1506 - 1626)

Connection to Today: We've talked a little about the role of patronage in the art of the Renaissance. We have also talked about its significance in the "civic life" of Florence and other cities. Today, while patronage takes many forms, one that has generated a spirited debate is that of governmental funding for the arts. Let's talk about that a bit as time permits...

Here's the homepage for the National Endowment for the Arts. The site features a list of "Exemplary projects funded since 1965" that you might find interesting.

It is currently estimated that each American taxpayer ends up "contributing" less than $1 of their taxes to the NEA.

In the late 1980s, an artist named Andres Serrano generated much controversy for art produced after he received a $15,000 NEA grant. I've linked you to a page of Senate testimony used in a college philosophy course lesson on this topic.

• Should the US government use public money to fund the arts? Why or why not?


• Should there be limits imposed on what types of art will be funded? If so, how?


• What should be government's role, if any, with respect to art?

HOMEWORK for tomorrow: Wednesday, May 14th

Please read 17.3 on the Reformation for Wednesday's class. In Chapter 16, you should also read the sections on the two empires that are NOT yours for the group presentation. You should have all of Chapter 16 read by the end of the week.

You've got the period to work with your group to get ready for the presentation early next week. I'll expect to be amazed with how cooperative you are and how well you use your time...

Maya, Aztec and Inca - Early American Empires

Here is the schedule. Each group is responsible for being ready on the correct day.
Monday, May 12th: Work day - THAT'S TODAY!
Tuesday, May 13th: Renaissance Art Festival
Wednesday, May 14th: Mayan Empire presentation
Thursday, May 15th: Aztec Empire presentation
Friday, May 16th: Incan Empire presentation

Your group will have about 20-25 minutes of class time on your date. (Presentations shorter than 15 minutes or longer than 30 will be penalized.) Your "presentation" is expected to include the following elements.

• an outline of the material in your section (1 page maximum) for a class handout
• at least 10 visual images to project in class
• a 3 - 5 minute "introduction" to your empire
• 5 possible multiple choice questions for Unit #4 Exam
• a 3 - 5 minute "focus" on a topic of particular interest
• a minimum 5-minute discussion among group members on the question: "Were the ____ civilized? Why or why not?" (You can disagree with each other.)
• anything else relevant that you would like to include

Figure that each of the 5 components are worth 5 points maximum. You get another potential of 10 for your use of class time in preparation and your attentiveness as an audience member. There are another five points you can earn for the "anything else" or overall impression, etc. That's a total of 40, but we'll make it half that for the grade book. So, it's worth 20 points.

Obviously, I want you to use today's class time wisely. If you finish early, you should do your reading, finish preparing for tomorrow's Renaissance Art Festival or do a little research on your figure for the "Renaissance and Reformation Round Table" discussion.

HOMEWORK for tomorrow: Tuesday, May 13th

If you have not read all of Chapter 16, you should do that yet this week. You'll be asked to read Section 17.3 on the Reformation for Wednesday's class.

The Renaissance Art Festival is scheduled for tomorrow.

Obviously, you need to be ready for your group's presentation later this week.

Today, our focus will be on the Renaissance as it played out in literature, writing and ideas. Tuesday, we'll have our Renaissance Art Festival and look more at the visual side.

Five Authors of the Renaissance (and One More) to Remember:
This is, of course, a completely arbitrary list made by me. However, I think most would agree that these are definitely some of the key figures of the literature of the Renaissance.

Dante is generally regarded as the link from the Middle Ages. His most famous work was The Divine Comedy, and he wrote in the vernacular (Italian).

• Petrarch - "father of humanism," famous for sonnets, Laura was his muse (ideal)
• Boccaccio - wrote The Decameron - stories of young Florentines fleeing the plague
• Erasmus - Christian humanist from Holland, wrote The Praise of Folly
• Thomas More - English friend of Erasmus, wrote Utopia
• William Shakespeare - Elizabethan Age, greatest playwright of all to many

Words of the Renaissance - I've got a series of short excerpts from Renaissance authors. We'll have some dramatic readings (with explanations). Here are the selections:

The Discourses - Niccolo Machiavelli
On the Dignity of Man - Giovannia Pico della Mirandola
Self-Portrait of a Universal Man - Leon Battista Alberti
Murder in the Streets - Benvenuto Cellini
The Courtier - Baldassare Castiglione
Rules of Etiquette - Giovanni della Casa
Sonnet - Petrarch
A Carnival Song - Lorenzo de Medici
Body and Soul - Michelangelo
Journey to the Moon - Lodovico Ariosto
Advent Sermon - Girolamo Savonarola

You and a partner will take one of these. (You'll solo in second hour.) You have ten minutes to figure out what you've got. As we go through them, two things should happen. One of you will introduce the work and tell us why it is a good example of Renaissance literature. (Refer to specific values and ideas if you can.) The other of you will read us part of the selection. (Since they vary in length, I'd suggest aiming for something around a dozen lines. Use your judgment. In some cases, a summary of the narrative may seem more appropriate.)

Johann Gutenberg and the printing press - Don't underestimate the significance of this advancement in Germany around 1440. Although the Chinese had invented movable type centuries earlier, Gutenberg combined a number of advancements to make a printing press capable of making large numbers of books quickly and cheaply. Like the Internet in our time, it revolutionized the way knowledge was made available and spread.

* #1 Event of the Millennium - Gutenberg Prints the Bible - Life magazine ranked the top 100 events of the millennium between 1000 and 2000 CE. Here's the whole list.
* Project Gutenberg - This is an online library of more than 17000 books available for free download.
* The Gutenberg Bible (1455) - Here's information on a copy of the bible at the University of Texas.

Machiavelli's The Prince - As you read, Niccolo Machiavelli wrote The Prince as a sort of "guide" to political leaders of his time. He is remembered today for his rather pessimistic view of human nature. Download these words of advice from Machiavelli. Pair up with someone and look through them, evaluating their relevance for today's world. We'll discuss what you think.

• Do you agree with Machiavelli that it is primarily the character or skill of an individual leader that determines the success of a state?
• In politics, to what degree does the end justify the means? Why?

HOMEWORK for next session: Monday, May 12th

You don't need to do any additional reading this weekend in Chapter 17. (That assumes that you have read 17.1 and 17.2.) Instead, go back to Chapter 16 and read the section on one of the two empires that is NOT yours for the group presentation. (Or, be sure to read YOUR section first, and then read one more if you are a little behind the schedule.)

Remember that your group presents next week. You'll have Monday as a work day. Starting with Wednesday, it goes Mayan, Aztec, and Inca.

Your contribution to the "Renaissance Art Festival" needs to be ready to go for Tuesday. Lesson #27 has more specific information, and you should be planning on your presentation being somewhere in the neighborhood of three minutes. I'll have the projector set up, so your work will be displayed for us all to see.

In addition to learning more about what you'll need to do with your early American empire, we'll introduce the Renaissance today. Pay close attention to due dates and reading assignments, as we'll be doing things a little differently these next few days and chapters.

Maya, Aztec and Inca - Early American Empires

Here is the schedule. Each group is responsible for being ready on the correct day.
Monday, May 12th: Work day for this and/or Renaissance Art Festival

Wednesday, May 14th: Mayan Empire presentation
Thursday, May 15th: Aztec Empire presentation
Friday, May 16th: Incan Empire presentation

Your group will have about 20 minutes of class time on your date. (Presentations shorter than 25 minutes or longer than 25 may be penalized.) Your "presentation" is expected to include the following elements, and a more specific checklist will be provided Monday.

• an outline of the material in your section (1 page maximum) for a class handout
• at least 10 visual images to project in class
• a 3 - 5 minute "introduction" to your empire
• 5 possible multiple choice questions for Unit #4 Exam (5 choices each)
• a 3 - 5 minute "focus" on a topic of particular interest
• a minimum 5-minute discussion among group members on the question: "Were the ____ civilized? Why or why not?" (You can disagree with each other.)
• anything else relevant that you would like to include

>>>>>>>>>>

Introduction to the Renaissance
Most of what we do with the Renaissance will be with written and visual sources. However, we'll spend a few minutes together going over the basics.

• What was the Renaissance?
• When did the Renaissance occur?
• Why was the early Renaissance concentrated in Italy?
• What new values and ideas were expressed in the Renaissance?
• How did the forms and techniques of art change in the Renaissance?

A couple of quick side trips:

Medieval painting: I think it is easier to appreciate the art of the Renaissance if we have something to compare it to. Here are some medieval art works. (Remember there is also a rich tradition in architecture and other forms of expression. These mainly show a contrast in painting styles and subject matter.)

Here's a 13th-century painting of the popular "Madonna with Child" style.
Here's a work by Giotto, generally considered the first or fore-runner of Renaissance artists.

The Baptistery (Florence): a case study: The Baptistery is believed to be the oldest building in Florence. Keeping with the Renaissance spirit, a competition was announced to design the decorative bronze panels for the new North Doors in 1401. Seven sculptors completed, but Lorenzo Ghiberti and Filippo Brunelleschi were the finalists for their interpretations of the Old Testament story of Abraham and Isaac. Ghiberti was judged the winner, Brunelleschi left for Rome in anger, and Ghiberti spent the next 21 years creating what Michelangelo called, "The Gates of Paradise." Typical of the spirit of the time, Ghiberti carved his image above the doors, modestly calling them "the most singular work that I have ever made."

The original doors now can be found in the Bargello Museum of Florence, as copies adorn the North Doors of the Baptistery itself.

>>>>>>>>>>

Renaissance Art Festival - Tuesday, May 13th
You'll select a work of art or architecture from the list below. You'll be asked to introduce and explain your work. Figure about 3 minutes per work.

Your presentation should include items like these, as they apply:
Name of the work
Name of the artist
Date of the work (location of creation)

Description of the work and its creation
* Interesting information about the process of its creation
* Interesting information about materials, style, approach, etc.

What makes this a "Renaissance" work of art/architecture?
* What Renaissance values, ideas and/or themes does the work depict?

What is the significance of this work?
* What was its impact during the time when it was created?
* What has been the subsequent impact of the work?
* Where, if anywhere, can the work be seen today?

What is your reaction to the work? What do you think of it?

Renaissance Art and Architecture

Masaccio - The Expulsion of Adam and Eve (Brancacci Chapel - 1425)
Brunelleschi - Duomo (Florence: 1420 - 1436)
Donatello - David (1430)
Jan van Eyck - Arnolfini Wedding (1434)
Paolo Uccello - The Battle of San Romano (1438-1440)
Leonardo da Vinci - The Annunciation - (1472 - 1475)
Perugino - Christ Giving the Keys to St. Peter (1480 - 1482)
Botticelli - The Birth of Venus (after 1482)
Leonardo da Vinci - Vitruvian Man (c. 1485 - 1492)
Leonardo da Vinci - The Last Supper (1495 - 1497)
Michelangelo - Pieta (1500)
Leonardo da Vinci - Mona Lisa (1502)
Hieronymus Bosch - The Garden of Earthly Delights (1503 - 1504)
Michelangelo - David (1504)
Michelangelo - Holy Family (1506)
Michelangelo - Creation of Man (Sistine Chapel - 1510)
Raphael - School of Athens (1510)
Raphael - Sistine Madonna (1512 - 1514)
Michelangelo - Moses (1515)
Raphael - Transfiguration (1520)
Michelangelo - The Last Judgment(Sistine Chapel: 1534 - 1541)
Bramante, Michelangelo, others - St. Peter's Basilica (Rome: 1506 - 1626)

NOTE: I used Wikipedia for the images to provide some consistency and because they do a good job of crediting their sources and/or showing that the image is in the "public domain."

>>>>>>>>>>

Renaissance and Reformation Round Table - Monday, May 19th
A week from Monday (5/19), we'll spend part of class summarizing the Renaissance and Reformation. You'll be asked to represent one (or two in 2nd hour) of the major figures from the time during this discussion. You'll be provided with more guidelines as to specific topics. For now, work on figuring out "who" you are, your views on the "big issues" of the times, and your historical legacy.

Renaissance Figures
Baldassare Castiglione
Desiderius Erasmus
Francesco Petrarch
Giovanni Boccaccio
Girolamo Savonarola
Isabella d'Este
Johann Gutenberg
Leonardo da Vinci
Lorenzo de Medici
Michelangelo Buonarroti
Niccolo Machiavelli
Raphael Sanzio
Thomas More
Vittoria Colonna
William Shakespeare

Reformation Figures
Elizabeth I
Henry VIII
HRE Charles V
Ignatius of Loyola
John Calvin
Martin Luther
Pope Leo X

>>>>>>>>>>

HOMEWORK for tomorrow: Friday, May 9th

Please read Section 17.2, "The Northern Renaissance," for tomorrow. If you haven't yet read "your" section from Chapter 16 (Maya, Aztec or Inca), you should also take care of that.

Your "entry" into the Renaissance Art Festival needs to be ready to go for Tuesday's class.

Remember that your group's early American empire presentation will be the middle of next week.

We can take a quick look at the multiple choice questions from the Unit #3 Exam. We can also talk some politics if that is of interest to people.

Chapter 16 takes a look at some of the "People and Empires in the Americas, 500 - 1500." This fourth (and final for the year) unit is called "Connecting Hemispheres," so you probably have some idea of where we are headed. This chapter, however, will focus only on events in the Americas that precede the arrival of Columbus and others.

We're going to do things a little bit differently here. After an introduction to the chapter today, we're going to sort of set it aside for almost a week. You'll all be part of a group focusing on one of the three "big" empires of the Americas: Maya, Aztec and Inca. We'll turn to Chapter 17, "European Renaissance and Reformation," but we'll come back to these American empires after that. Make sense? It should as we get going...

We'll do a couple of quick activities to kick things off here.

Spheres of Interaction: First, one of the common misconceptions about the early Americas is that small pockets of people were living in isolation with no contact among them until the Europeans come along. We'll take a look at some evidence that may lead you to rethink that conclusion.

You'll get a handout on trade goods found in one of three areas: Eastern North America, Mesoamerica and the Andes. Work with people with the same group to sort the items into three categories: food, raw materials, manufactured items. We'll get these listed on the board.

Consider these questions: Which items are most likely to be locally produced and which have come from some distance? What considerations influence your predictions?

Next, we'll give you a couple minutes to think about geography. For your region, make a list of both advantages and obstacles geography provides for your region in terms of trading.

Finally, what evidence or hypotheses do we have to suggest that these spheres actually did interact?

North American Societies - Chapter 16.1
As I said, we won't do much with this. However, there's some interesting information on the Internet that can help supplement what your textbook has for information.

Spend a few minutes browsing the links provided for some of the groups mentioned in the section.

* Hohokam (Arizona) - click on the map of the village to learn about various features
* Anasazi (Four Corners region) - take a tour of the "great kiva" and the "great house"
* Mississippian Mound Builders (woodlands east of the Mississippi) - browse the artifact collections
* Hopewell (Ohio) - sort of an odd mix of information about the Great Serpent Mound

Choosing an Empire - As I mentioned, we'll be embarking on a project on the three great empires of Mesoamerica and South America in the pre-Columbian period. To help you refresh your understanding of the Maya, Aztecs and Inca, I have a quick document-based activity for you to work through.

After we discuss these items, we'll get you assigned to three groups. The rest of the time is yours to look at the information in your section and/or check out the book and reviews below.

1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus is a relatively recent (and controversial) book written by Charles Mann. I'm linking a couple of reviews below. We'll talk a bit about what these critics have to say if we get time.

1491: The Truth About the Americas Before Columbus from Upside Down World

'1491' Explores the Americas Before Columbus - National Public Radio

Reviews of Books - a site offering multiple reviews from different sources

HOMEWORK for tomorrow - Thursday, May 8th

Please read 17.1, "Italy: Birthplace of the Renaissance," for tomorrow. You also are responsible for reading "your" empire's section of Chapter 16.

If you haven't yet read 16.1, "North American Societies," you should do that soon.

It is a pretty straight-forward plan for today. You'll take the objective portion of the Unit #3 Exam. It has 60 multiple choice questions and 4 DBQs. (I should have the multiple choice portions graded by tomorrow.)

If you have not yet finished your essay, you need to do that as well.

HOMEWORK for tomorrow: Wednesday, May 7th

I know, only a real meanie assigns reading the night of the exam. I'd like you to read Section 16.1 for tomorrow. (I do promise that there is not a surprise quiz, so you probably won't be too far behind if you don't read it until the next day or two...)

Unit #3 Identifications answer sheet

REMINDER: You must finish the identifications before you leave class. Start with those. You do NOT need to be done with the essay. (You'll be asked to either email or print out what you have at the end of the hour. You can finish tomorrow.)

Unit #3 Identifications: You'll receive a handout from which you will write on your choice of 5 of the 8 identifications that appear. You may have 10 words of "notes" for each of the 15 possible identifications to the exam. You will need to turn in these notes, and I reserve the right to count symbols, acronyms, etc. as one or more words. Each of the five identifications is worth 5 points.

A good identification is typically in the range of 4 to 6 sentences in length. (You do need to write in complete sentences.) You should demonstrate both an understanding of just who / what the ID "is" and place it in the appropriate historical context. In addition, you need to explain the significance of the ID. In other words, answer the "So what?" question.

Unit #3 Essay Exam - Questions and Format - You'll also write your in-class essay. The actual essay will be written, by hand or word-processed, in class. You should prepare for a five-paragraph essay. That means that you should include an introduction (with a clear thesis statement), three body paragraphs, and a concluding paragraph. (Note that the questions lend themselves to such a format. That is on purpose.)

Remember that the questions are not designed for you to tell us everything you have learned. Focus on what the question is requiring you to do.

You may bring in a sheet of paper with up to 150 words on it. (You do not need to count the words in the actual question itself in that total...) If you choose to hand-write, I will provide you with paper for that.

1. Islam is now the world's second largest religion. In separate body paragraphs, identify and explain your position on each of the following: the major reason(s) Islam spread so quickly in its first century, the way in which Islam treated the people of its new empire, and the most significant impact(s) Islam had on the culture of the medieval world. Does Muhammad deserve his place atop Michael Hart's list of the "most influential persons in history?" Why or why not?

2. Identify and explain at least three specific ways in which the Mongols changed the course of world history. Should Genghis Khan (Chinggis Han) be remembered as a hero or a villain? Why?

3. Assume that you have been named "Historian for the Day." You are given the task of renaming the Middle Ages. Using at least three reasons and/or examples to support your choice, select the term that you think best describes the Middle Ages. How important do you believe "labels" such as these are for students of history?

(Note that you are free to use one of the terms discussed in class (Dark Ages, Age of Faith, Age of Feudalism, Golden Age), or you may come up with one of your own.)

Unit #3 Identifications and Essay Exam questions, in case you can't locate them...

We'll tackle the "Two-Minute Drill" to aid you in preparing for the Unit #3 Exam. Remember, you each have a chance to contribute to our overall understanding of the material that we have studied so far this year. (These are worth 5 points each.) Here's a list of the sections in the order that we'll cover them:

WORLD HISTORY: PATTERNS OF INTERACTION

UNIT 3: An Age of Exchange and Encounter (500 - 1500)

Chapter 10: The Muslim World (600 - 1250)
1 The Rise of Islam
2 Islam Expands
3 Muslim Culture

Chapter 11: Byzantines, Russians, and Turks Interact (500 - 1500)
1 The Byzantine Empire
2 The Russian Empire
3 Turkish Empires Rise in Anatolia

Chapter 12: Empires in East Asia (600 - 1350)
1 Tang and Song China
2 The Mongol Conquests
3 The Mongol Empire
4 Feudal Powers in Japan
5 Kingdoms of Southeast Asia and Korea

Chapter 13: European Middle Ages (500 - 1200)
1 Charlemagne Unites Germanic Kingdoms
2 Feudalism in Europe
3 The Age of Chivalry
4 The Power of the Church

Chapter 14: The Formation of Western Europe (800 - 1500)
1 Church Reform and the Crusades
2 Changes in Medieval Society
3 England and France Develop
4 The Hundred Years' War and the Plague

Chapter 15: Societies and Empires of Africa (800 -1500)
1 North and Central African Societies
2 West African Civilizations
3 Eastern City-States and Southern Empires

You're free to ask me questions and do whatever sort of review that you think would be helpful with any remaining time.

HOMEWORK for next session: Monday, May 5th

We've got the Unit #3 Exam coming up Monday and Tuesday. You know exactly what the format will look like, so you should have an idea of what sort of preparation will be most useful for you. REMEMBER, you can bring in up to 150 words of notes to help with the essay and 10 words for each of the identification terms.

MONDAY: Identifications (must finish) and Essay
TUESDAY: Objective Exam

This is certainly not required, but some of you wanted to be able to post notes for "your" section. You can go ahead and do that here as a "comment."

Both 2nd and 4th Hours should feel free to post here...

We'll finish our look at the trading kingdoms of West Africa today. After that, you'll have some time to begin reviewing for the Unit #3 Exam.

Trading Kingdom Top Tens: Our three groups were responsible for creating a "Top Ten" list on one of three important West African trading kingdoms: Ghana, Mali, or Songhai. Today, each group will share its list with the groups representing the other two kingdoms. The BBC website, The Story of Africa: West African Kingdoms might be useful. You can download a template for the West African Trading Kingdom Top Tens if you still need one.

Trading Kingdoms Study Guide: The Trading Kingdoms study guide was designed to get you looking at a few primary source documents on Africa. I'll do a homework check on those tomorrow, so be sure to finish them up. (We'd have discussed them today, but 4th hour got cut short due to registration, so we'll give you some additional time to work on them.)

Cool Site of the Day: As you read, Great Zimbabwe was an important city in southern Africa. Here's a pretty interesting slide show on Great Zimbabwe that also contains useful information.

HOMEWORK for tomorrow: Friday, May 2nd

Your only homework for tonight will be to do your part in our review activity. Those are due tomorrow.

The Unit #3 Exam will be next week. The Identification and Essay portions will be on Monday, and you can access those items on the blog. The Objective Exam will be on Tuesday.