Name: _______________________________
Date: ____________________ Period: ____
The Renaissance Begins 17-1
Directions: Filling in the Blanks Reading this section and completing the sentences below will
help you learn more about the beginning of the Renaissance period. Refer to your textbook
pages 609-615 to complete this activity.
The period of time between the years 1350 and 1550 is called the (1) _______________,
meaning “rebirth.” During this time period, many Europeans showed a renewed interest in
(2)__________________________ and learning. They began to believe in the importance of the
(3)__________________________ and became more (4) ____________________________,
which means more interested in this world than in religion and getting to heaven.
The Renaissance began in (5) ______________________________ for many reasons.
First, it had been at the center of the (6) __________________________. Second, its cities were
very (7)__________________________ . Finally, the region was divided into small
(8)_______________________ , which created competition among them in the arts.
Because of Italy’s location on the (9)__________________________ , it became wealthy
due to (10)___________________________________ . The (11)______________________ also
helped the Italians by giving them contact with the Arabs. Additionally, the
(12)____________________________ united Asia into a great trade network. Asia was of great
interest to Europeans because of (13)____________________________’s book, which told of
his travels there.
At first, many of the city-states were (14) _______________________________ ,
meaning that they were controlled by the people. Eventually they were governed by the head of
state. The city-states learned (15)_______________________________ to deal with the citystates around them.
Introduction to the Renaissance Video 8:00
Pre-video Discussion What period of history takes place before the Renaissance?
1. Why is the Renaissance a “rebirth” in learning?
2. Judging from the images that you have seen in this video what types of things do you think
will be influenced or affected by the Renaissance?
1
People of the Millennium
Marco Polo Chapter 17-1
MARCO POLO AND THE MONGOLS
Marco Polo was a thirteenth- century Italian
from the city of Venice. He became famous for his
travels in Cathay or China. Marco’s father and uncle were diamond merchants who had traveled
to China. There they met the Mongol ruler Kublai Khan, who was Genghis Khan’s grandson.
He invited the Polos to return to China.
In 1271 the Polos left on another trip to the Far East. This time they took 17 year-old
Marco with them. They sailed to a port in Palestine and then traveled the rest of the way by
camel. Three years later, they reached the summer palace of Kublai Khan.
The Polos stayed in China for 17 years. Kublai Khan gave them jewels, silk, and other
valuable treasures. Marco became an aide to Kublai Khan and even acted as governor of a
Chinese city for three years.
Kublai Khan sent Marco on many tours of the Mongol Empire. Among the places he
visited were Burma, Indochina, Malaya, and India. During the tours Marco took detailed notes
so he could report to Kublai Khan.
The Polos left China in 1292. When they reached Venice three years later, they found the
city at war with Genoa, a rival Italian city.
Marco became the commander of a Venetian galley, or ship propelled by oars. He was
captured by the Genoese and spent a year in prison. With the help of another prisoner, Marco
used his time in jail to have a book written, called Description of the World.
The book told about the Mongol Empire, the largest in the history of the world.
It stretched from the Pacific Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea. Within its borders lived hundreds
of different peoples.
The book also described Kublai Khan and his court and the cities of China. It told of the
great wealth in the Far East and of luxuries far beyond the imaginations of any Westerner.
Marco also described the customs, habits, and life styles of the people.
Marco Polo’s book gave Europeans some of their first ideas about the Far East.
Europeans who read it became interested in trading with China. Mapmakers later made accurate
maps based on descriptions in the book. A young captain named Christopher Columbus read the
book and later decided to seek a sea route to the Far East.
1. Where was Marco Polo from? __________________________________________________________
2. What business was the Polo family involved in? ____________________________________________
3. What was China known as in this time period? _____________________________________________
4. Who did Marco Polo meet in China? _____________________________________________________
5. How long did Marco Polo stay in China? __________________________________________________
6. Name the areas of the Mongol Empire where Marco Polo traveled.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
7. What topics did Marco Polo describe in his book?
_____________________________________________________________________________________
8. What influence did Marco Polo’s book have on Europeans?
_____________________________________________________________________________________
2
Reader’s Dictionary
precautions: safety measures
People of the Millennium
Primary Source Reading The Prince
Niccolo Machiavelli Chapter 17-1
scruple: an uneasy feeling
coming from conscience
baseness: having no high
values or ethics
About the Selection
abstain: to hold back from
Niccolo Machiavelli was an important political leader in
acting
Florence. From his position as defense secretary, he worked to
strengthen Italy. When the Medici family returned to power in
Florence in 1512, he was dismissed. Machiavelli wrote The Prince in 1513. In the excerpt from
this work below, he describes how the ideal prince will do whatever is necessary to keep power
and protect his city.
The Prince, 1513
by Niccolo Machiavelli
Upon this a questions arises: whether it is better to be loved than feared or feared than loved? It
may be answered that one should wish to be both, but, because it is difficult to unite them in one
person, it is much safer to be feared than loved, when, of the two, either must be dispensed with.
1. According to Machiavelli, should a prince seek to be loved or feared?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Because this is to be asserted in general of men, that they are ungrateful, fickle, false, cowardly,
covetous, and as long as you succeed they are yours entirely; they will offer you their blood,
property, life, and children, as is said above, when the need is far distant; but when it approaches
they turn against you.
2. Why does Machiavelli believe that a sense of obligation is not enough to keep men loyal?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
And that prince who, relying entirely on their promises, has neglected other precautions, is
ruined; because friendships that are obtained by payments, and not by nobility or greatness of
mind, may indeed be earned, but they are not secured, and in time of need cannot be relied upon;
and men have less scruple in offending one who is beloved than one who is feared, for love is
preserved by the link of obligation which owing to the baseness of men, is broken at every
opportunity for their advantage; but fear preserved you by a dread of punishment which never
fails.
Nevertheless a prince ought to inspire fear in such a way that, if he does not win love, he
avoids hatred; because he can endure very well being feared whilst he is not hated, which will
always be as long as he abstains from the property of his citizens and subjects and from their
women.
3. Why is fear stronger than love according to Machiavelli?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
4. Machiavellian-the employment of sneakiness and deception in government or in general
conduct. Do you know someone who is Machiavellian? Explain.
3
People of the Millennium
Johannes Gutenberg Chapter 17-2
In 1400 Johannes Gutenberg was born in Mainz,
an important German city. His father was a well off
merchant. Gutenberg trained as a goldsmith, but little is
known about his early years.
Experiments in Printing
Gutenberg started to experiment with printing in
1438. About 1450 he set up a printing press. This was a
huge step forward in technology. Before the printing
press, books were copied by hand. Moveable type let
printers make more copies in a few weeks than hand
copiers could make in a lifetime.
The printing press was also a huge cultural step. Producing books and other literature
was now inexpensive. Common people—not just the clergy and nobility—could read ideas,
plays, science, and politics, from all over the world. The inexpensive books allowed the ideas of
the arts of the Renaissance to spread.
The Gutenberg Bible was printed around 1456. That meant that many more common
people could afford to buy a Bible.
Directions: Answer the questions below in the space provided.
1. What did Johannes Gutenberg invent? ____________________________________________
2. How were copies of manuscripts made before printing was developed?
______________________________________________________________________________
3. Why was the printing press a huge cultural step?
______________________________________________________________________________
4. Writing If you were Gutenberg today and could choose an important book to print on
printing press, which book would you choose? Why?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
5. Connections to Today What modern day invention (invented within the last 25 years) is
comparable with the invention of the printing press and why?
4
Vocabulary Activity 17-2 (pages 618-626)
New Ideas and Art: Words to Know
Building Academic Vocabulary
Directions: Study the definitions for the academic vocabulary below.
Then read pages 618-626. Then complete the activity that follows.
individual, noun, a person or human being
perspective, noun, a method that makes drawing or painting look three-dimensional
proportion, noun, the size of an object compared to other objects
technique, noun, method or procedure
1. What did humanists believe?
______________________________________________________________________________
2. What is the vernacular?
______________________________________________________________________________
Directions: Fill in each blank below with the word that best completes the sentence. You will
use words from the box below and up above. Words may be used more than once.
Humanism
vernacular
(1) _____________________________ was a new way of understanding the world that
developed in the 1300s. According to this new approach, the (2) _________________________
And human society were important. (3) _______________________ was based on the values of
the Ancient Greeks and Romans.
Italians studied early Greek and Roman works of art and literature. Artists studied the
(4)______________________________ of the ancient statues to understand why they looked so
perfect. Painters used (5) ____________________________ to make objects in a scene appear
to be at different distances from the viewer. This (6)___________________ created a more
realistic image. Artists also used another (7)_________________________ called chiaroscuro to
make their paintings more realistic.
During this time, writers began to use the (8)____________________ , or the everyday
language of a region, instead of Latin. Dante Alighieri and Chaucer were two writers who wrote
in the (9)__________________________________ .
5
People of the Millennium
Leonardo da Vinci Chapter 17-2
Analyzing Fine Art-As you read in your textbook, artists during the Renaissance modeled their
art on that of the Ancient Greeks and Romans. In doing so, they attempted to portray the human
figure much more realistically than had medieval artists. Leonardo da Vinci even dissected
corpses to learn about the human body. This was done partly to aid in his rendering of the
human figure and partly to satisfy his scientifically curious mind. In his Treatise on Painting he
wrote: “The painter who has acquired a knowledge of the nature of the sinews, muscles, and
tendons will know exactly in the movement of any limb how many and which of the sinews are
at the cause of it, and which muscle by its swelling is the cause of the sinews contracting.” Look
at the sketches below and answer the questions that follow.
1. How did da Vinci’s attention to anatomy reflect Renaissance ideals?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
2. Look at the production of the Mona Lisa on page 622. How could drawings like these help da
Vinci when creating that painting?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
3. Today, computer programmers use virtual reality (video games) to try to allow observers to
experience a simulated three-dimensional reality. Animated computer images are used to mimic
the real world. How does this modern technology compare to the Renaissance approach to art?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
4. Leonardo’s curiosity fueled his creativity and interest in science. What invention created in
the last 100 years do you think would impress Leonardo the most? Why?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
6
People of the Millennium
Michelangelo Buonarroti Chapter 17-2
The Medici and Michelangelo Video Segment #1
1. What was Michelangelo’s connection to the Medici family?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
2. What did Michelangelo’s David mean to the people of Florence, Italy?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Art Debate! Which work of art is better, Michelangelo’s David or his work on the Sistine
Chapel? There will be pictures on the smart board and some additional information below to
help you come to a conclusion.
David- In 1501, 25-year-old Michelangelo Buonarroti begins working on his colossal
masterpiece, the 17-foot-tall marble David. From a huge block of marble that had been
abandoned decades earlier by another sculptor, Michelangelo takes on the challenge of living up
to Donatello and other precursors who had sculpted the same heroic figure. The David, portrayed
in the Bible as a young shepherd who slew the giant Goliath and went on to become a valiant and
just Hebrew king, is a fit symbol of courage and civic duty to guard the city of Florence.
The David is considered a masterpiece, an ideal male form combining heroic strength and
human uncertainty. It was erected in 1504 in the public plaza of Florence, the Piazza della
Signoria. In 1873, the original was moved to the Accademia delle Belle Arti, where it is better
protected for posterity, and a copy of the work was erected in the plaza in 1882.
The Sistine ChapelHow big is the ceiling?
It's about 40 meters (131 feet) long by 13 meters (43 feet) wide. These numbers are rounded off
just a tad, but don't detract from the fact that Michelangelo painted well over 5,000 square feet of
frescoes.
What do the frescoes depict?
A lot! The main panels down the center depict scenes from the Book of Genesis, from the
Creation, to the Fall, to shortly after Noah's deluge. Adjacent to each of these scenes, on either
side, are immense portraits of prophets and sibyls who foretold the coming of the Messiah.
Along the bottoms of these run spandrels and lunettes containing the ancestors of Jesus and
stories of tragedy in ancient Israel. Scattered throughout are smaller figures, cherubs and ignudi.
All told there are more than 300 painted figures on the ceiling.
How long did it take Michelangelo to paint these?
It took him a bit over four years, from July of 1508 to October of 1512. Michelangelo got off to a
slow start, not having painted frescoes before.
3. Which work of art is better, Michelangelo’s David or his work in the Sistine Chapel? Explain
your answer.
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
7
People of the Millennium
William Shakespeare Chapter 17-2
William Shakespeare was a playwright and poet he is thought to
be the greatest writer of the Renaissance, and his plays are still popular
today. William Shakespeare's plays were performed at the Globe
Theater in London. It could hold about 3,000 people. Plays were performed every day of the
week except Sunday. Performances occurred during the day, since the theater had no lights.
1. When did the Renaissance spread to northern Europe and England? ________________
2. Compare and Contrast When you go to the theater to see a play (or even a movie) how does
it compare to plays that were put on at the Globe Theater? How are they the same? How are they
different?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
8
THE REFORMATION BEGINS 17-3
Directions: Filling in the Blanks Reading this section and completing the sentences below will
help you learn more about the beginning of the Renaissance period. Refer to your textbook
pages 633-641 to complete this activity.
I. The ideas of ___________________________________ led to the events that changed the
Catholic Church; this change was called the ___________________________ .
A. A Christian humanist, ______________________________ , wanted to translate the
Bible into the ______________________ so that everyone could read it.
B. Many Catholics became dissatisfied with the Church’s focus on
____________________ and were especially angered by the sale of _______________ .
II. A Catholic monk, ____________________________ , disagreed that the ______________
Could decide what a person had to do to get into heaven.
A. He prepared a list known as the _____________________ against indulgences.
B. The pope ______________________ him from the Catholic Church.
C. His ideas led to a new ____________________ , or organized branch of Christianity
called _______________________. Followers of Lutheranism believed that:
1. salvation was not due to good works but faith in ______________________ .
2. the _______________________ is the source of truth about God.
3. the _______________________ includes all believers not just ministers.
III. The ideas of another man, _______________________ , led to Calvinism, which became the
basis of many ________________________ churches.
A. Calvinists believed in __________________________ , which means that God plans
the outcome of people’s lives.
B. They also believed that ________________________ should not control their church,
but that the congregations should choose their leaders.
1. Define indulgences (page 634)______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
2. Define predestination (page 640)______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
9
People of the Millennium
Martin Luther Chapter 17-3
Martin Luther began the Reformation when he nailed his 95 arguments
against indulgences, called the Ninety-Five Theses, to the door of Wittenberg Cathedral. Read
excerpts from the following primary source document and answer the following questions.
95 Theses Martin Luther
2. Only God can give salvation - not a priest.
6. Only God can forgive -the pope can only reassure people that God will do this.
8. Canon law applies only to the living not to the dead.
10. The priest must not threaten those dying with the penalty of purgatory.
13. When you die all your debts to the church are wiped out and those debts are free from being
judged.
21. An indulgence will not save a man.
22. A dead soul cannot be saved by an indulgence.
83. Indulgences bought for the dead should be re-paid by the pope.
91. If the pope had worked as he should (and by example) all the problems stated above would
not have existed.
1. Document Based Question (DBQ) After reading excerpts from Martin Luther’s 95 Theses
why do you think the Leaders of the church chose to excommunicate him?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
2. Directions: Read page 638 and answer the following question
THEN AND NOW Martin Luther was willing to stand up for his beliefs, even if that meant
offending people. Can you think of anyone in the news that has shown that same willingness?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
The English Reformation Directions: Read page 648 and answer the following questions.
1. Why did the pope refuse to annul Henry VIII’s marriage?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
2. Why did Henry VIII form the Anglican Church?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
10
Guided Reading Activity 18-1
The Age of Exploration Directions: Answering Questions
Reading the section and completing the questions below will help
you learn about European exploration of the world. Refer to your
textbook pages 658-669 to answer the questions.
1. Why were kingdoms in Europe sending out explorers?
______________________________________________________________________________
2. Whose system of latitude and longitude helped in map making?
______________________________________________________________________________
3. Which explorer first found a way to East Asia by traveling around the southern tip of Africa?
______________________________________________________________________________
4. Where did Columbus believe he had landed after his voyage across the Atlantic Ocean?
______________________________________________________________________________
5. What explorer first found his way around South America?
______________________________________________________________________________
6. How did the English defeat the Spanish Armada?
______________________________________________________________________________
7. What is mercantilism?
______________________________________________________________________________
8. Why did European countries set up colonies?
______________________________________________________________________________
9. What is commerce?
______________________________________________________________________________
10. What is the Columbian exchange?
______________________________________________________________________________
11. Why were corn and potatoes important to Europe?
______________________________________________________________________________
Who Discovered America?
Even today the debate rages on about who really discovered America! Was it Christopher
Columbus? Was it Leif Erikson and the Vikings? Was it the Native Americans? Visit the
following readings in your textbook:
1. Christopher Columbus- pages 662-663
2. The First Americans- 572-573
3. The Vikings-Think back to the video and prior learning that you did during your journey to
the Viking village.
Does Christopher Columbus deserve the credit for discovering America? Explain.
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
11
Guided Reading Activity 18-2
The scientific Revolution
Directions: Filling in the Blanks Reading this section and completing the sentences below will
help you learn more about the beginning of the Renaissance period. Refer to your textbook
pages 670-680 to complete this activity.
Early civilizations used (1) _________________________ to solve problems in their
everyday lives. The ancient Greeks studies (2) __________________________ to develop their
(3) ______________________________ about how and why things happen. Because they did
not (4) _____________________ , or test, their ideas, they often drew false conclusions. For
example, (5) __________________________ believed the sun and the planets revolved around
the (6) _____________________________ , and most astronomers accepted his theory for a
long time.
(7)_________________________ was the first science affected by the Scientific
Revolution. (8) ________________________ developed his own theory that the
(9)_______________________________ was the center of the universe. Another astronomer,
(10) _____________________________ , discovered that planets move in (11) ______________
or oval paths.
(12) ______________________________ believed that new knowledge would come from
experiments. He also improved instruments like (13)_________________________ , which
helped to prove others’ theories about the sun and the planets. An English mathematician,
(14)__________________________ , came up with the idea of gravity. Similar breakthroughs
occurred in medicine and chemistry.
European thinkers began to apply science to society. One of the most influential people in
this area was (15) ____________________________ , who founded modern
(16)_____________________________ . Another scholar, (17)__________________________
developed the (18)_____________________________ which was an organized way to collect
and analyze data.
12
Chapter 18 Viewpoint Activity
Modern Science got its start in the Scientific Revolution of the 1500s and 1600s. One
idea that caused great controversy was Copernicus’s model of a sun-centered universe. Here two
scientists, Galileo and Kepler, correspond about the dangers of discussing theory in public. As
you read, think about the importance of public opinion. Then, answer the questions that follow.
Does the Earth Move?
Galileo to Kepler (Aug. 4, 1597): So far I have read only the introduction of your
work, but I have to some extent gathered your plan from it, and I congratulate myself on the
exceptional good fortune of having such a man as a comrade in the pursuit of truth…So I add
only, and I promise, that I shall read your book at leisure; for I am certain that I shall find the
noblest things in it. And this I shall do more gladly, because I accepted the view of Copernicus
many years ago, and from this standpoint I have discovered from their origins many natural
phenomena, which doubtless cannot be explained on the basis of the more commonly accepted
hypothesis [that the earth was the center of the universe]. I have written many direct and indirect
arguments for the Copernican view, but until now I have not dared to publish them, alarmed by
the fate of Copernicus himself, our master. He has won for himself undying fame in the eyes of
a few, but he has been mocked and hooted by an infinite multitude…I would dare to come
forward publicly with my ideas if there were more people of your way of thinking.
Johannes Kepler to Galileo (October 13, 1597): You advise us, by your
personal example, and in this discreetly veiled fashion, to retreat before the general ignorance
and not to expose ourselves or heedlessly to oppose the violent attacks of the mob of
scholars…But after a tremendous task has begun in our time, first by Copernicus and then by
many very learned mathematicians, and when the assertion that the earth moves can no longer be
considered something new, would it not be much better to pull the wagon to its goal by our joint
efforts…and gradually…shout down the common herd, which really does not weigh the
arguments very carefully? Be of good cheer, Galileo, and come out publicly. If I judge
correctly, there are only a few of the distinguished mathematicians of Europe who would part
company with us, so great is the power of truth. If Italy seems less a favorable place for your
publication, and if you look for difficulties there, perhaps Germany will allow us this
freedom…Let me know privately at least, if you do not want to do so publicly, what you have
discovered in support of Copernicus
1. Why is Galileo reluctant to publish his ideas about Copernicus’s theory?
________________________________________________________________________
2. How does Kepler try to persuade Galileo to change his mind?
________________________________________________________________________
3. What does Kepler suggest as an alternative to publishing in Italy?
________________________________________________________________________
4. Making Comparisons Do you think that scientists today are worried about the reactions
from the public and officials as Galileo and Kepler were? Give reasons or examples to support
your opinion.
13