Intro to Renaissance:

Class discussion:

1. What is the ‘West’? What do we mean now when we say this?

2. Who has heard of the Renaissance and what do you think this means?

Excellent let’s see where this period of ‘Western’ history fits on a timeline again

3. For context, write it’s occurrence on the board with a timeline from the earliest Jomon
people (Japan, learnt through Shogunate cycle) through the Vikings to the Shogunate to the
present day. Put the black death and dark ages on one side and Age of Enlightenment on the
other.

Do we know where the Renaissance fits here?

4. How did we get here? How did this era lead to an age of science, a giant shift in European
understanding of society and religion and led to political changes?

5. What factors led to this? The Crusades in the 12-13th C allowed people to see more of the
world, trade opened up, sea routes from war. Black death led to people questioning faith,
and the printing press led by monks allowed for literacy.

6. So it’s a time of booming trade. Well, what would you do if you had more money than you
could find what to do with? How would you use it and display it?

- Art?
- Research?
- Food?
- Politics?
- Glory?

7. Let’s learn about the money that led to this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?

v=fI1OeMmwYjU&ab_channel=TheSchoolofLife

Questions that follow on from this: