One of the last pictures of this World Heritage site?

Picture source and more information here

Societies of the Past

Each society we have studied, Early People, Mesopotamia, Ancient Egypt, Rome, and the Middle Ages, have had its own characteristics and influenced following societies. Below are some characteristics of societies.

– beliefs and values
– history
– structures of governance, power, and authority
– interaction with the natural environment
– economic activities
– social organization
– communication and education
– art forms
– tools and technologies

Which society do you think has left a more lasting impression on society. Why?

The Renaissance

(For the Koollidz Kids to work ahead)
Renaissance Project

For your project on the Renaissance, you will pick a famous representative or event from the time and try to convince the class that this person or event or location or philosophy was the most influential person/event of the era.

You will need to have a 2 1/2minute speech with 10 pictures for your presentation (set the presentation to change the picture every 15 seconds).

You may choose from the following people, topics:
Leonardo DaVinci Machiavelli Shakespeare
Gutenberg Michelangelo Magna Carter
Catherine de Medicci (or another Mecicci) Henry VIII
Elizabeth I Descartes The Borgias Dante
Fibbanacci Isabella d’Este Galileo Galilei
Isaac Newton Christopher Marlowe Nicolaus Copernicus
Jacques Cartier Vasco de Gama John Cabot
Johannes Kepler Donatello Marco Polo
Magellan Sir Walter Raleigh Isaac Newton Printing Press
Raphael Martin Luther The Inquisition
Saint Bartholomew's Massacre The Reformation Art and Perspective
Developments in Navigation Spanish Armada Bloody Mary Petrarch Florence
Milan Genoa Humanism Artwork Don Quixote Ulrich Zwingli John Calvin Thomas Hobbes


Things to focus on:
1. Why they are/it is famous.
2. Impact on today’s society.
3. How they/it advanced science/technology/literature/government?
4. Interesting Facts (at least 5-with explanations)

You will be marked on the following:
1. The information presented.
2. How it is presented.
3. Pictures used (do they match your speech).

The end of the Middle Ages and the arrival of the Renaissance.

In the teacher provided Links at the top of the page, I have posted 5 sites that give information about changes in society that led to the Renaissance, which means Rebirth. Devour those pages and become a class expert on what lead to the Renaissance. There is a project coming up that will require you to impart much knowledge in little time about the downfall of the Medieval Times.

Thursday-now that you have done some reading, and engaged in class discussion, blog below at least 5 things that led to the Renaissance. 

The Black Death

How would the world's most deadly pandemic lead to an improved lifestyle? Read this link and this link to get a better understanding of  the Pestilence.

1. From your reading, why would the term Black Death be used for the Bubonic Plague?
2. Describe how years of good crops and population growth followed by two years of dismal crops would be a good condition for the plague to attack.
3. How did increased trade lead to the spread of the plague?
4. IMPORTANT-What happened to the worth of the Serfs after the plague decimated much of the population in the country side.
5. How was urine and manure used in efforts to stop the plague
6. How did the above method actually probably help with the spread of the plague?
7. Why would people confess to causing the plague by poisoning wells and what punishment did the Christian majority bestow upon many of the Jewish faith?
8. Give a name that the plague was called during the Middle Ages.
9. How were those that died used as weapons by the Tartars?
10.What percentage died from the Black Death and why would that number be hard to verify?
11.Why did people think changing clothes would make you more likely to get the plague?
12.The plague had 3 forms, depending on how it is caught (explained here). Two of the forms are treatable today. One form still isn't treatable and has about a 100% death rate. Which form is so deadly?
13.Being as precise as you can, state what creature spread the plague

A nursery rhyme that some say describes the Black Death.

The role of Religion

From what we talked about and saw in class, and from this reading here and here and here and here and here answer the following questions, which I will post after you have done some reading.

1. What is a Tithe?

2. What is a pilgrimage?

3. At the start of the Middle Ages, how many versions of Christianity were there?

4. How did the Christian church treat other religions? Give an example for your answer

5. How did The Church in the Middle Ages treat christians who tried a new way to worship God? Give an example for your answer

6. What is the difference between a cathedral and a church?

7. Give two uses for the huge stain glass windows

8. Explain how hope would draw people to the church in the Middle Ages

9. Explain how fear would draw people to the church in the Middle Ages

10. During the Middle Ages, which religion was known for its scientists?

11. Though not always followed, the law in much of the Middle ages forbid or discouraged Christians from lending money for a profit. Which religion allowed its members to provide the service of lending money for a profit (usury)?

12. Name some essential services that the church took upon themselves in the Middle Ages, services that they still do to this day.

More review here of the contributions of Islam.

Gothic Churches

This class we will go over some of the Medieval charges. Then we will have a self guided tour. For your own tour, here is a link to a virtual tour of Notre Dame cathedral, a Gothic church built in the Middle ages, about a thousand years ago. Here is a link to multiple pictures of multiple Gothic Churches from the Middle Ages. What makes a church Gothic? Why so high, so many windows? Why flying buttresses and gargoyles? What is a relic?