About This Lesson
The Renaissance was a cultural movement that began in Italy and swept through Europe. During the Renaissance, increased trade between European countries led to increased wealth, power, and influence of the middle class. This increased wealth allowed merchants and businessmen to support artists as their patrons. Scholars, philosophers, and artists turned to the works of the ancient Greeks and Romans for inspiration. This unit provides students with a broad exposure to the art and literature of this time period, through the works of renowned masters such as Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Raphael, Donatello, Brunelleschi, Botticelli, Bruegel, Dürer, Van Eyck, Machiavelli, Castiglione, Cervantes, and Shakespeare. Students review the writing process, and engage in an extended writing project. This unit also provides explicit instruction in reading, writing, morphology, grammar, and spelling.
