Unit Title: Am I a humanist?

Grade: 8

Class: 8D

Course: Humanities

Dates: March 11th – April 25th 2013

Teacher: Teressa Sherk

Teacher Associate: Sara Lynn Jans

School: Alexandra Junior High

Type of Unit: Research Unit

Topic: The Renaissance

Central Emphasis of the Unit:

The unit will ask students to research 2 of 13 chosen Renaissance humanists. They will be asked

to put themselves in the shoes of the Renaissance individuals they have chosen. They must

discover how these figures influenced modern day western values. They will decide whether or

not they are humanists themselves by trying their best to relate to the subjects they choose. Do

they have similar hopes, dreams, aspirations, interests, and do they believe they could influence

the world like these historical people did?

Major Projects:

Body Biography: Here students will draw parallels between themselves and one of the two

Renaissance humanists they have chosen. They will explain how they have been inspired by the

individual and how they are alike or different. They will outline their bodies and divide the

drawing in half down the middle. They will place symbols, pictures, objects, and quotes that

represent their individual on one side and on the other will place the same things that relate to

themselves.

Research Essay: Here the students will write a 4 paragraph essay that shows their research of

the values of their two humanists. They will provide proof and expand on these values and how

they connect to a modern western world view.

Literature: Leonardo’s Shadow by Christopher Grey

How are all the Language Arts Included?

Students will be tying up the novel they are reading about the apprentice of Leonardo da Vinci.

They will be representing the research they have conducted both visually in their body

biography and written in their essay paper. They will learn proper research techniques, essay

structure, and make personal connections to historical figures in order to cover both ELA and

Social Studies objectives. Leading up to the research project they will be doing activities where

they will need to work in groups and present their finished products to the class as a whole.

Rationale:

This unit is based a lot on a research essay that was predetermined before I even arrived to

practicum. I think that this unit with the addition of the body biography will be a lot more

engaging for students as they are at an age where their minds are very focused on who they are

as individuals. I like the idea of attempting to connect their research to themselves personally.

Comparing and contrasting the characteristics of their chosen Renaissance individual will also

help them to see how the world view of the Renaissance individuals they study have affected

the Western world view of the modern era. This is important as it is the main GLO of the social

studies program of study. When it comes to the English curriculum, there is a lot in there on

research skills for grade 8’s and therefore this research paper does a great job of meeting both

ELA and Social Studies goals. Throughout my unit I will constantly try and have students

connect their own values/beliefs to the values/beliefs of the people who came before them in

order to make a connection between the past and the present. I think in order to have students

see Social Studies and the study of history important, they must be allowed to make meaningful

connections to the content. This unit is a continuation of their units on the Medieval times, and

Italian City States.

Resources/Materials (Draft list may not be incomplete) Resource Texts:

Leonardo’s Shadow by Christopher Grey

Worldviews Contact and change Teaching Resources/Materials

http://www.learnalberta.ca/content/ssoc8/html/evolvingworldview_cc.html

http://www.learnalberta.ca/content/ssoc8/html/whatwastherenaissanceworldview_cc.html

http://www.learnalberta.ca/content/t4tes/courses/junior/social8/lessons.html

http://www.learnalberta.ca/content/t4tes/courses/junior/social8/eBooks/social08/m2/ss_8_m2_s1_l03.pdf

Objectives/Goals Social Studies

General Outcome

Through an examination of Renaissance Europe, students will demonstrate an understanding and

appreciation of how the exchange of ideas and knowledge contributed to shaping the worldview of the

Western world.

English Language Arts

General Outcome 1

Students will listen, speak, read, write, view and represent to explore thoughts, ideas, feelings and

experiences.

General Outcome 2

Students will listen, speak, read, write, view and represent to comprehend and respond personally and

critically to oral, print and other media texts.

General Outcome 3

Students will listen, speak, read, write, view and represent to manage ideas and information.

General Outcome 4

Students will listen, speak, read, write, view and represent to enhance the clarity and artistry of

communication.

Use strategies to supplement and extend prior knowledge and experiences when interpreting new ideas and information.

Take notes, make outlines, and use such strategies as read, recite, review to comprehend and remember ideas and information.

Compare and contrast the different perspectives provided by first and third person narration

Select the most appropriate information sources for topic, audience, purpose, and form

Choose a plan to access, gather and record information according to self-selected parameters

Obtain information from a variety of sources when conducting research.

Develop and use criteria for evaluating the usefulness, currency and reliability of information for a particular research project.

Organize ideas and information creatively, and logically, to establish a point of view.

Reference sources and use a consistent and approved format to give credit for “borrowed” information.

Evaluate the relevance and importance of information.

Integrate appropriate visual to engage the audience.

Share draft to elicit useful feedback.

Make and suggest revisions

Revise and edit

Learning Activities and Instructional Strategies

Leonardo’s Shadow Quiz

Concept attainment for traits

Sorting activity (Concept attainment)

Good/better/best ranking supporting details

concept attainment for thesis (Plastic chair, better chair, best chair)

Exemplars to model paragraph structure

Formative work on rough draft work

Checklists of formative information

- Review the checklists

- Rubrics

Class wide paragraph building.

- Choose best components

- brainstorm

- Multiple choice paragraph building

- Place mats to write paragraph (eg. Do a T.S in each of your corners and choose the best for the

middle)

- Numbered heads – everyone write a T.S and we’ll choose #2 from group to write theirs in the

middle

Backwards outlining – give whole Paragraphs and have them write components from these into

an outline.

Mind-map of the outline

Peer pairings for quick revision of a paragraph.

Revision with visual gusto – using colour highlighters to identify components on partner’s work.

Student evaluation of sample student work

Team analysis – certain number of items “I am looking for 5 ideas on a paragraph”

five-minute "quick write" (a written brainstorm) to record their impressions on key elements of

a personal worldview

Connections to Other Areas of Curriculum and/or Other Language Units

Students will be introduced to the idea of worldviews in this unit. They will understand how the

worldviews of people in the past have influenced those of our modern western world view. In their

next unit they will learn about the worldviews of people in other countries from a different time

period coming into conflict (The Spanish and the Aztecs).

Appendix A

Lesson Plans

Day 1:

Lesson Plan

Name: Teressa Sherk Grade/Subject: 7/8 Unit: Am I a humanist?

Topic: Getting to Know Each other Date: March 11, 2013 Length of Lesson: 1 hr. 40 min

General Learning

Outcomes (P.O.S.)

5.1 Respect Others and Strengthen Community

Specific Leaning

Outcomes (P.O.S.)

• contribute collaboratively in group situations, by asking questions and building on the

ideas of others.

Learning

Objectives

1. Students will get to know me as a person, as well as their teacher.

2. Students will get to know each other.

3. Students will paint a picture of who they are in order to aid me in getting to know them

individually.

Materials

1. Stick men History Sheets 2. Pencils and Pencil Crayons 3. Website 4. Whiteboard markers 5. My body biography

Procedure

Introduction

(15min.)

1. I will set the timer when the students enter the classroom to 15 minutes and they will do their quiet reading for that period of time.

2. Introduce myself and show the students my body biography. (15 minutes)

Body of Lesson (70

min.)

Activity #1 My Stick Person Story (50 min.)

1. I will then have them put their books away and sit in their desks. I will hand out the stick men history sheets. I will stand at the front of the room and tell them that I want them to look over the story that is being told in the boxes. I want them to try and guess what the story is about and I will pick a few students who have their hands up to tell me their guess. Once I have 3 guesses I will then tell them that the story is about my life and explain to them what each box is describing. Once we have gone over my story I will tell them that they have 25 minutes to fill in the boxes with their own story. They can use stickmen, they can colour their boxes. But they must tell a story from start to finish.

Think of important moments in their lives, things that they think are interesting about themselves that they want me to know about them. What events could be important to them? (birthdays, Christmas, Easter, Halloween, family vacations) What people might we want to include? (parents, siblings, friends, grandparents) (10 min.)

2. Work on stick person story (25 min.) 3. Switch with elbow partners and have them try and guess

the story. Have student correct partner. Have all of the students sit in a circle and tell their own story to the class as a whole. (15 min.)

Activity #2 Getting to Know Miss Sherk Website (20 min.)

4. Show students my website (2 min) 5. Move to the computers and ask them to go to

gettingtoknowmisssherk.weebly.com, allow them to explore for a minute, go to “your turn” and fill out the questionnaire. (10 min.)

6. As students finish, I will tell them to explore the website until everyone is done. We will then move from the library back to the classroom. (3 min.)

Closure (10 min.) 1. Spotlight! Have all of the student’s names in a hat. Have an explanation of the activity on the SMART board and tell the students that we will do this at the end of the class every Friday (or day before the weekend) until everyone is spotlighted. Make sure the students understand that they need to only say nice things and that these pictures will be posted in the room. Do not write anything that they would not want written about themselves. Try to be more creative than this person is nice. (1 min.)

2. Bring out a container filled with names and pull two-three names out of it. Have the two students stand with their backs to the white board and get the rest of the class to stand in a line. Each student gets to write one compliment to the students around them with an arrow pointing to them (10 min.)

3. Once every student has the chance. Take a picture of each student standing in front of the white board. Then allow them to turn around and see the nice things people said about them. (5 min.)

4. Later the pictures will be displayed in the classroom on a spotlight bulletin board.

•

•

•

Handout:

I do not have a digital copy of the hand out for this lesson. However I have already printed copies with my

stick person history on one side, and a blank side for the students to fill out on their own.

Day 2:

Lesson Plan

Grade/Subject: Unit: Eight/Humanities Unit: Am I a humanist?

Topic: Introduction to Renaissance Humanism Date: March 12th 2013 Length of Lesson:1 hr 40 min

General

Learning

Outcomes

Social Studies

Through an examination of Renaissance Europe, students will demonstrate an

understanding and appreciation of how the exchange of ideas and knowledge

contributed to shaping the worldview of the Western world.

ELA:

General Outcome 1

Students will listen, speak, read, write, view and represent to explore thoughts, ideas,

feelings and experiences.

General Outcome 2

Students will listen, speak, read, write, view and represent to comprehend and respond personally and critically to oral, print and other media texts.

Specific

Leaning

Outcomes

8.2.1 appreciate how Renaissance Europe formed the basis for the worldview of the Western world (C, TCC)

8.2.2 demonstrate a willingness to consider differing beliefs, values and worldviews (C, I)

8.2.3 recognize how beliefs and values are shaped by time, geographic location and societal

context (C, TCC, LPP)

ELA

Consider others’ ideas

acknowledge the value of others’ ideas and opinions in exploring and extending personal

interpretations and perspectives

Learning

Objectives

1. Students will understand the concept of Renaissance Humanism and the rebirth of ideas that emerged during this time period

2. Students will discover and record a version of their own world view. 3. Students will compare and contrast their world view with those of the Renaissance.

Materials

Paper

Pencils

Chart sheets

Information booklets

SMART Notebook Presentation

Procedure

Introduction

(25 min.)

1. The students will enter the classroom and do their 15 minutes of quiet reading to wind down from options/phys ed class. I will set the timer to 15 minutes. (15 min)

2. When the timer goes off I will ask the students to put their books away and will go over the agenda for the day with them.

3. I will open my SMART Notebook interactive presentation entitled A Rebirth of Ideas. I will introduce the idea of a Renaissance World View. I will ask the students if anyone can tell me what the word Renaissance means in French. Renaissance means rebirth. What was the Renaissance a rebirth of? Classical arts and literature. When we refer to classical civilization what are we talking about? Greek and Roman civilizations. Renaissance thinkers reintroduced ideas from pre-Christian times to religious foundations the period in history known as the Renaissance was a time when key individuals influenced society. It has been called the “Age of Genius.” Humanist worldview spread from Italy to northern Europe. In this lesson you will explore how change was brought about by Renaissance scholars and philosophers, artists, scientists, mathematicians, and writers. (10 min)

4. We will discuss what a world view is and the elements that comprise one.

Worldview: A collection of beliefs about life and the universe held by an

individual or group; the lens through which the world is viewed by an

individual or group; the overall perspective from which the world is

interpreted.

Body of

Lesson

(40min.)

Activity #1: Our Own World Views

1. Invite students to conduct a five-minute "quick write" (a written brainstorm) to record their impressions on key elements of a personal worldview; e.g., view of human nature, view of the good life, relationship of humans with nature. I will provide them with the following chart (5 min)

Explore the Renaissance worldview (20 min)

Assign students to work in small groups to research the major beliefs of

people during the Renaissance in one of the following fields:

To meet diverse learning needs, I will provide an information booklet

about each field. I will have students record the information on poster

paper to be hung and presented to their classmates.

Direct students to look for evidence to support conclusions about the

views of Renaissance people on the following worldview elements:

view of human nature

view of the good life

equality with others

responsibilities to others

relationship between the individual and the state

relationship of humans with nature

Sources of ethical wisdom.

Examine conclusions on the Renaissance worldview

Invite students to examine key beliefs of Renaissance people for each of

these elements and to look for clues as to the sources of these beliefs. I

will have students record these on a chart similar to the chart they filled

out above

Once students have completed their posters. Have each group explain

the Renaissance world view of their assigned field to the class.

Use a graphic organizer to compare worldviews then and now (10-15

min)

After students have completed their research, direct them to use a

graphic organizer, such as a Venn diagram, to compare similarities and

differences between their own worldview and the major beliefs of their

assigned Renaissance field.

With the class, review the criteria for an effective comparison, such as:

degree of difference supported by evidence clearly stated

Closure

(5 min.)

Class Discussion

To what extent do you think that Renaissance world views have shaped your own world views?

Is your world view shaped by the same influences? Do you believe similar things as the people of the Renaissance?

Sponge

Activity

If we have time we will read the next chapter of Leonardo’s

Shadow.

Day 3:

Lesson Plan

Name: Teressa Sherk Grade/Subject: Unit: Eight/Humanities Unit: Am I a humanist?

Topic: Introduction to Renaissance Humanism Date: March 13th 2013 Length of Lesson: 1 hour 40 min

General Learning

Outcomes (P.O.S.)

Social Studies

Through an examination of Renaissance Europe, students will demonstrate an understanding and appreciation of how the exchange of ideas and knowledge contributed to shaping the worldview of the Western world.

English Language Arts

General Outcome 1: Students will listen, speak, read, write, view and represent to explore thoughts, ideas, feelings and experiences.

General Outcome 2: Students will listen, speak, read, write, view and represent to comprehend and respond personally and critically to oral, print and other media texts.

Specific Leaning

Outcomes (P.O.S.)

8.2.2 demonstrate a willingness to consider differing beliefs, values and worldviews 8.2.3 recognize how beliefs and values are shaped by time, geographic location and societal context English Language Arts:

revise understanding and expression of ideas by connecting new and prior knowledge and experiences

use strategies to supplement and extend prior knowledge and experience when interpreting new ideas and information

identify and use visual and textual cues in reference materials, such as catalogues, databases, web sites, thesauri and writers’ handbooks, to access information effectively and efficiently

explain connections between own interpretation and information in texts, and infer how texts will influence others

make notes in point form, summarizing major ideas and supporting details; reference sources

integrate appropriate visual, print and/or other media to inform and engage the audience

Learning

Objectives

4. Students will understand the concept of Renaissance Humanism and the rebirth of ideas that emerged during this time period

5. Students will form groups and create a body biography with Leonardo da Vinci as their humanist.

Materials Giant pad of paper

Markers

Pencils

Computers

Procedure

Introduction

(25 min)

5. The students will enter the classroom and do their 15 minutes of quiet reading to wind down from options/phys ed class. I will set the timer to 15 minutes. (15 min)

6. When the timer goes off I will ask the students to put their books away and will go over the agenda for the day with them.

7. Humanist ideas began to spread among the wealthy in society. Reading and discussing ancient writers became a kind of fad among the merchant and business class. What is humanism? The belief that the individual should govern their own lives. That they should work toward the betterment of themselves in order to better humanity and work for the greater glory of God. Renaissance humanists wanted to discover the meaning of life, the right way to behave. They encouraged people to develop their minds and talents and to use them for the good of society as well as the glory of God.

8. I will use my SMART notebook presentation in this introduction. We will compare a Medieval painting of religious figures with da Vinci’s “Last Supper”. I will ask the students if anyone can spot any differences between the two paintings. Think about Medieval values vs Renaissance values. How are the Disciples depicted in the last supper? More human. They have learned that one of them will betray their Lord. They are shocked, confused, one is even crying. This shows that even religious figures such as the Disciples are indeed human. In the Medieval painting, the religious figures are depicted as inhuman, divine creatures. Humanist values permeated all aspects of society, art, science, religion.

Body of Lesson

(60 min.)

Activity #1: Leonardo da Vinci Body Biography

1. I will introduce Leonardo da Vinci as the most important of the Renaissance humanists. Leonardo da Vinci is considered to have been the complete Renaissance person. He has said that, “The noblest pleasure is the joy of understanding.” What do you think this means? Leonardo da Vinci became the master of many fields of study such as anatomy, painting, inventing, and architecture.

2. Later on in this unit, we will be doing a research paper on two humanists. Of those 2 humanists I will be asking you to choose 1 to do what is called a “body biography”. In this assignment you will compare yourself to a renaissance individual that you feel you can relate to. For myself personally I would choose Shakespeare. I have a passion for writing, drama, literature and share some of his Renaissance world views.

3. For the purpose of this activity we are going to do a practice body biography where you will be divided into groups and will do a quick body biography of your group and Leonardo da Vinci.

4. Each group will have access to a computer. I will have a list of approved websites on Leonardo da Vinci readily available:

http://www.biography.com/people/leonardo-da-vinci-40396

http://www.leonardodavinci.net/

5. You will work together to fill out the following chart:

Renaissance Individual

Where and When They Lived

Most important ideas and contributions

Field(s) of Study

Influence of Worldview

Leonardo da Vinci

Once you have filled out the above chart, I would like you to visually

represent your humanist based on your findings on half of the body outline.

6. Once you have filled out your chart, have a group representative come to me and I will give them a piece of paper to do your body bios on.

7. One group member lie down on the paper and draw an outline of their body. Divide the body in half down the middle. Think of symbols that represent who Leonardo da Vinci was. Find important quotes that represent who Leonardo was, and fill in as much of his half of the body as you can. Use colour, and make your body biography as physically appealing as possible. Once you have completed da Vinci’s side, begin to fill in the other half with things that represent your group. Do you like art? Are you interested in how things work? Are you religious? Is your world view similar to what da Vinci’s would be? Are you a humanist? Think of things you have in common with this humanist. Think back to the World views we made yesterday, do your world views align with da Vinci’s? Do the same as you did with da Vinci’s side but about your group.

Closure (10 min.) 1. I will have students do a quick overview of the choices

they made for their body biography to the class. What do

the symbols mean etc.

Sponge Activity

1. I will read a chapter from Leonardo’s Shadow. This lesson may extend into

Thursday’s class as well. (4 min.)

Appendix B:

See Attached:

Assessment for Unit Plan.docx, Research Essay Rubric.docx

Appendix C:

Handouts:

Name:______________

March 12, 2013

Concept of Worldview

Worldview: A collection of beliefs about life and the universe held by an individual or group; the

lens through which the world is viewed by an individual or group; the overall perspective from which

the world is interpreted.

Elements of a Worldview The collection of beliefs within a worldview often includes views about the following:

Human nature—beliefs about the basic make-up of people; e.g., people are naturally good or

naturally evil, outward or inward looking

The good life—the goals to strive for in living one’s life; e.g., virtuous action, personal

accomplishment, peace of mind, adventure, love

Equality with others—belief about the status of some individuals or groups in relation to others;

e.g., all people are equal as opposed to some people deserve special privileges

Responsibilities to others—beliefs about the extent of obligations to others; e.g., care for self first or

care for others first

Relationship between the individual and the state—beliefs about the balance between individual

and collective rights; e.g., individual rights are more important than the rights of the collective

(society) or vice versa

Relationship of humans with nature—beliefs about the way human beings should look on and act

toward the environment; e.g., preserving nature is more important than using natural resources to

support human activity

Sources of ethical wisdom— beliefs about the ultimate authority for ethical principles; e.g.,

religious deity, science, natural rights

Name:___________________

Creating Your Own Personal Worldview

Elements of a Worldview Major Beliefs about Each Element Influences that Encouraged These Beliefs

View of human nature

View of the good life

Equality with others

Responsibilities to others

Relationship between the individual and the state

Relationship of humans with nature

Sources of ethical wisdom

March 13th, 2013

Name:________________

To begin this activity, record your findings in the chart below. Keep in mind that the information that

you record on this chart will be used to create your Leonardo Da Vinci body biography. While you

research, try and think of how you can relate to Leonardo Da Vinci. Highlight where (place) and when

(time period) he lived, the most important ideas (e.g. beliefs and values) and contributions (e.g.

paintings, inventions, discoveries) that he shared with the world, his field of study (Da Vinci contributed

to many), and his influence on the world view of the Renaissance and the modern western world. In the

last column, include anything that does not fit under the other headings. Include things that you find

interesting about Leonardo da Vinci that you might be able to visually represent on your body

biography.

Renaissance

Individual

Where and When They Lived

Most important ideas and

contributions

Field(s) of

Study

Influence of Worldview

Interesting Quotes &

Facts

Leonardo da Vinci

Cut out and organize the above squares.

Paste them into SD #1 and #2 as well as the evidence spaces.