Highhill Homeschool: Renaissance

Showing posts with label Renaissance. Show all posts

Dance during the Renaissance

Week 17: We created dance cards and learned how western style dance evolved through the ages.

Dance has changed quite dramatically during the past 50 years. Up until the mid twentieth century, it was done primarily by couples, but today, many people dance alone or in small circles of friends.

During the Renaissance men were careful only to dance with each lady once at a ball. Dancing twice meant the man wanted to marry the woman. Women sometimes wore cards on their wrists which contained the dances they could do.

Charleston, the twist and the Lindy hop are just a few of the dances which became popular during the 20th century. This video shows a quick sample of several dances.

After learning about popular dances through the ages the kids had a chance to try them out. Then the girls made their own dance cards. They were sure to write the names of dances they knew and were willing to do if asked.

This was the last week in our Renaissance History Unit.

Three Shakespeare Activities for Kids

Week 16: We made a human timeline, found words Shakespeare used that we don't use much today, made puppets of Shakespeare characters and read a few lines in original and modern language.

Shakespeare was a famous playwright, but he also wrote sonnets and poems. Venus and Adonis is a 199 stanza long sonnet written in iambic pentameter. In the poem, Venus is in love with Adonis and wants him to love her back, but all he wants to do is hunt wild boar. After she tries to tell him hunting boar is dangerous, he is killed hunting a wild boar.

Twenty of the comedy, tragedy and history plays such as A Mid Summer Night's Dream, Romeo and Juliet, and Othello, have been rewritten for children by Elizabeth Nesbit and are free on the audio story site librivox under the title Beautiful Stories from Shakespeare. We often listen to the stories two or three times to sift through the cast of numerous characters. My 7 year old and 10 year old love the stories. Tales From Shakespeare by Charles and Mary Lamb is another excellent, although more difficult, Shakespeare resource for children. I would recommend it for 4th grade and up as the stories are challenging to understand.

I've Seen Better Days, All that Glitters is Not Gold, That's a Sorry Sight - Shakespeare is credited with adding over 3000 words to the English language and creating many sayings which are still familiar and used today. Here are a few more;

Laughing Stock
Wild Goose Chase
In a Pickle
Love is Blind
Bated Breath
Knock, Knock - Who's There?
Good Ridance
Haven't Slept a Wink
Eat Me Out of House and Home

To learn about key events in Shakespeare's life, each child was given a sheet of paper with a date and an event such as, the Globe Theater was Constructed in 1599.

After illustrating their event, they stood in chronological order and read their event to the group.

Next, they took a closer look at a Shakespeare Sonnet and identified words not used often today.

Then the kids each were given a few lines from a Shakespeare play both in original language and translated into modern English.

They used craft supplies and paper bags to create puppets of their character. She made a fairy from A Mid Summer Night's Dream.

A flag always flew at the Globe Theater when a play was being performed.

The kids read their lines.

To see more of our hands-on history activities please visit our History Page.

* I did not receive any compensation for this recommendation. I'm just a homeschooling mom who has found many products that I like. If you're interested in the products I recommend on this blog I want to make it easy for you to find them.
** I am an Amazon associate and receive a small portion of the sales on orders made after clicking in from this site, which I promptly spend on homeschooling books and supplies for my children.

Venetian Glass and Renaissance Pictionary

Renaissance Unit Study

Week 15: We made Venetian Glass.

Secrets of glass making in Italy were closely guarded and still are today. During the middle ages sand was the main ingredient of glass making. The results were thick, cloudy, heavy but functional pieces. The Venetians replaced sand with quartz with great success. Venetian glass was delicate and light, and the first to be referred to as crystal.

Throughout the Renaissance Venetian glass making technology improved. It progressed from one color glass decorated with enamel paint during the 15th century, to multi-color glass mixes complete with textures and interesting shapes during the 16th century, and the 17th century saw the addition of heart shaped handles added to the stems of pots and bowls.

Today Italians on the island of Muran specialize in Murano Glass. Millefiori comes in extruded rods with floral shapes in the cross-section. When the rods are cut, much the same way a cookie log is sliced to make cookies, the result is a small coin shaped piece of glass which contains a flower decoration. When the pieces are laid side-by-side and melted, they become bowls, plates and lampshades.

Our Venetian glass was made with plastic beads.

Aluminum foil was pressed into an empty jar lid to serve as the frame.

The foil was filled with beads.

The completed designs were placed into an oven.

The smell was horrible and this oven was dedicated to crafts (not cooking). It was portable and was placed outside for this activity.

Small holes were drilled into the finished "glass" so they could be used as sun catchers.

Renaissance Pictionary
The kids reviewed their Renaissance history by playing Pictionary.

Here's a list of some of the things they drew.
Bow Drill
Pieta
Leonardo Fibonnacci
Diamond Engravings
The David
Sistine Chapel
Medici Bank
Alum and Pepper
Venetian Cloth
The Birth of Venus
Vitruvian Man
Praying Hands

Renaissance Unit Study - Copernicus

Week 14: We made Copernicus models of the solar system.

It is natural for humans to view themselves as the center of the universe, and this philosophy was applied to the heavenly bodies during the lifetime of Nicolaus Copernicus. Copernicus was born in Poland during the Renaissance. Books were just beginning to be produced with the invention of the printing press, and Copernicus had access to several ancient science texts.

Ptolemy, an Egyptian who lived nearly 1000 years before Copernicus, created a model of the universe with the Earth at the center. Ptolemy's model was accepted by most common people, scholars and the Catholic Church. Copernicus, studied Ptolemy's model and other ancient theories, before creating his model of the universe which placed the sun near the center.

Since it was a crime to speak out against the church, punishable by death, Copernicus decided to keep his model of the universe to himself. His ideas were finally published at the time of his death. Many of those who believed in his ideas were later condemned by the church, and it was not until the 19th century that Copernicus' work was removed from the banned book list.

The Story of Astronomy is a history book of astronomy beginning with the origins of astronomy in Mesopotamia and Babylonia and continuing through modern time. It details the discoveries of many important astronomers and is a fun history/science read for middle and high school students.

Copernicus' Model of the Universe

To create Copernicus' model of the universe eight circles were cut from card stock paper.

Once the kids began labeling their circles several of them exclaimed that there were not enough circles for all the planets. In addition, there were no rings on Saturn, nor moons orbiting Jupiter.

Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn were known planets. The sun was thought to be near the center of the universe, and the stars were placed on the biggest circle and thought to be fixed in position.

- - My Very Educated Mother Just Served Us Noodles - -
This silly phrase can help you remember the order of the planets beginning with the sun. Each letter in the phrase begins with the same letter as a planet. My=Mercury, Very=Venus, Educated=Earth, and so on.

Renaissance Unit Study - Music

Week 13: We sang Ode to Joy.

During the late Middle Ages and Early Renaissance a system of written music similar to what is used today was developed. This revelation enabled people in different parts of Europe to enjoy the same music. Music from the south, Italy, was lyrically based, where as music from the north, Germany and England, was more focused on instruments and harmony.

This lesson introduced lots of vocabulary:

Madrigal - secular song, lyrically based on popular poetry
A cappella - singing without instrumental accompaniment
Word Painting - Musical technique of matching musical pitch with lyrics
Chromaticism - Musical technique of using shocking pitches to draw emotion
Polyphony - Music with two or more independent lines of melody

The Education Portal is a free internet educational resource which happens to offer several videos on the subject of Renaissance Music.

In addition to the above videos, the Sacred Music Series below weaves the history of music with examples of current performers - The Sixteen directed by Harry Christophers - singing the music of the past.

Sacred Music Series: Episode 1 - The Gothic Revolution

Sacred Music Series: Episode 2 - Palestrina

Sacred Music Series: Episode 3 - Byrd and Tallis

Sacred Music Series: Episode 4 - Bach and the Lutheran Legacy

After learning a little about Renaissance Music, the kids were separated into two groups and given sheet music for a portion of Beethoven's Ode to Joy.

First they practiced their parts and learned musical lyrics are written with the verses above each other.

The first group sang Part I, then the first group paused while the second group sang part II, then both groups sang their lyrics together.

Here's the video. The best part is at the end when the two groups sing together.

Not bad for only 20 minutes of practice!

To see the other activities from our Renaissance Unit Study please visit our History Page.

Renaissance Unit Study - Martin Luther

Week 12: We made salt dough maps of Germany which highlighted the places Martin Luther visited.

During the Renaissance, officials from the church in Rome traveled to the north selling indulgences. Purchasing an indulgence ensured safe passage into heaven, and helped to finance the building of St. Peters. Indulgences however, were not the only immoral acts practiced by the church.

Since the Bible primarily existed in Latin, the people had to rely on others to interpret its meaning. Martin Luther, a priest from the north, believed the inability of the people to read the Bible for themselves allowed greater corruption in the church.

Martin Luther took issue with indulgences and other practices of the church which he considered immoral. He made his view known to church officials and desired reform within the establishment. In addition, he worked to translate the Bible into German so the common man could read it for himself. Unfortunately, church officials did not want reform and they saw Martin Luther as a threat. In fact, he was considered an outlaw by the church.

Martin Luther lived in Germany and therefore his influence was greatest in the north. Although it was not his intention, his desire for reform lead to the formation of the Protestant Church. Throughout his life, he lived and traveled throughout Germany, and therefore, we created salt dough maps of Germany marking the locations where he spent time.

Salt Dough Recipe
1 cup of salt
2 cups of flour
1 cup of warm water

We live in Germany, so in addition to marking the locations where Martin Luther lived the kids marked a few favorite cities. Trier was marked on my son's map because he ate schnitzel in a restaurant and really liked it. He also labeled Munich and Berlin the capital.

My daughter added hedgehogs, pretzels, and mountains because she likes them all and Germany has them.

Renaissance Unit Study - Venetian Carnival

Renaissance Unit Study

Week 11: We made Venetian Carnival masks.

How would you like it if someone threw an egg at you? Carnival in Venice began during the 11th century as a religious tradition. But as the years passed, the celebrations turned away from religion and towards fun and mischief. During the 13th century, one carnival tradition practiced by men, was throwing eggs at ladies. Naturally the ladies didn't appreciate the egg throwing, so the men began wearing masks to hide their identity.

Seven main types of masks, each with their own special significance, hid the identity of the wearer. The masks enabled people could engage in improper behavior without fear of retribution. People liked the freedom and the carnival season stretched to six months in length. Gamboling and drinking rates increased. Debtors hid from creditors and noblemen who came upon hard times begged for cash to replenish their supplies.

Masks were works of art and constructed from clay, paint and other materials as shown in How Venetian Masquerade Masks are Made below.

Soon laws were passed forbidding masks except for designated special events and celebrations. With the reforms, carnival became a time to speak out against government and poke fun at life's rituals in a format much like Saturday Night Live. Skits and performances are still a big part of the carnival tradition today all throughout Europe.

Bravo! Zan Angelo! is a picture book about a family of carnival actors and a quick read to go along with this lesson.

Carnival Masks
Materials
Blank Masks
~~Glue~~
Glue Gun
Craft Jewels
~~Glitter Glue~~
Lots of craft supplies

Unfortunately the glitter glue and objects attached to the masks with kids glue fell off as soon as they were dry. Other than that this project requires little explaining, so just scroll through the pictures and enjoy.

He made a sad bird mask.

For activity ideas from others check out these blog hops.

Albrecht Durer Art Project for Kids

Renaissance Unit Study

Week 10: We drew hands like Albrecht Durer. (OK - So maybe not exactly like Albrecht Durer.)

Albrecht Durer was a 15th century artist from Nuremberg, Germany who lived around the time the printing press was invented. Much of his artwork was done by etching wooden blocks and printing the blocks onto paper. Religion was the subject of many pieces, and his self-portrait resembles an image of Jesus. In addition to religious works, he studied plants, animals and human anatomy.

Like Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo and other Renaissance artists, Durer, spent time dissecting humans and animals to learn how they were put together. In fact, Durer wrote four books on the subject of human proportion. Because the artists spent so much time studying anatomy, art, history and science truly came together in this lesson.

Albrecht Durer's Praying Hands are full of detail. Shading, nail and wrinkle definition, as well as bone structure can all be see in this piece of art. The image resembles a photograph.

This How to Draw Hands video explains how to draw human hands in any position. It is 40 minutes long, and got us started so well that we felt confident to give hand drawing a try.

The four main steps in drawing hands are palm, wrist, fingers and thumb. The palm is shaped like a wedge block and should be drawn first. The wrist comes into the hand aligned with the pinky side of the hand. On the opposite side, the thumb is drawn at the base of the hand. The fingers are just shorter than the height of the palm and spread from a single point at the base of the hand.