Title: Return to the past to change the future. Renaissance humanism

Lesson plan elaborated by: Katarzyna Maciejak

Topic:

Return to the past to change the future. Renaissance humanism.

Target group:

1st‑grade studentds of a high school.

Core curriculum

I. Literary and cultural education.

1. Reading literary works. Student:

2) understands the concept of literary and cultural tradition, recognizes elements of tradition in works, understands their role in building universal values; ZR

9) recognises the subject and issues of the texts learned and its relation to the programs of the literary era, social, historical, existential and aesthetic phenomena; he reflects on it;

16) recognises universal and national values present in literary works; determines their role and relationship with the work's issues and the importance to build their own value system.

2. Receipt of cultural texts. Student:

1) processes and hierarchizes information from texts, such as journalistic, popular science and scientific;

2) analyses the structure of the text: it reads its meaning, main thought, way of leading the argument and argumentation;

5) characterises the main philosophical trends and determines their influence on the culture of the era.

III. Creating statements.

1. Elements of rhetoric. Student:

1) formulates theses and arguments in oral and written speech using appropriate syntax structures;

2) indicates and distinguishes persuasive goals in literary and non‑literary speech;

6) understands what is the logic and consistency of reasoning in argumentative statements and uses them in their own texts;

2. Speaking and writing. Student:

1) agrees with other people's views or polemicizes with them, substantively justifying their own opinion;

2) build a statement in a conscious manner, with the knowledge of its language function, taking into account the purpose and the addressee, keeping the principles of rhetoric;

6) creates consistent statements in the following species forms: an argumentative statement, a paper, an interpretative sketch, a critical sketch, a definition, an encyclopaedic entry, a synthesizing note;

IV. Self‑study. Student:

1) develops the ability of independent work, among others, by preparing various forms of presenting their own position;

2) organises information into a problematic whole by valuing it; synthesizes the learned content around the problem, topic, topic and uses it in your statements.

General aim of education

Students learn about the foundations of Renaissance humanism.

Key competences

• communication in foreign languages;

• digital competence;

• learning to learn.

Learning outcomes

Student:

• talks about the origin and evolution of the meaning of the term Renaissance ;

• explains the reasons for the revival of ancient ideas;

• describes the assumptions of Renaissance humanism;

• discusses the differences in the political shape of Europe from the beginning and end of the era.

Methods/techniques

• expository

  • talk.

• programmed

  • with computer;

  • with e‑textbook.

• practical

  • exercices concerned.

Forms of work

• individual activity;

• activity in pairs;

• activity in groups;

• collective activity.

Teaching aids

• e‑textbook;

• interactive whiteboard, tablets/computers.

Lesson plan overview

Before classes

1. Students remember the basic information about ancient philosophy and culture and the main ideas of the Middle Ages.

Introduction

1. The teacher determines the purpose of the lesson: the students will talk about a renaissance return to the sources. Together with students, sets the criteria for success.

2. Selected students present the messages they were supposed to develop at home.

Realization

1. The teacher together with the students in the form of a teaching conversation resembles the time frame of the Renaissance, determines the duration of the epoch, the place of its birth, the ideals it refers to. You will need to explain the root and a reminder of ancient patterns. Attention should be paid to changes that have occurred in human consciousness, views of the world and the role of man.

2. Students read excerpts from the texts in the textbook and on their basis, in pairs, they perform abstract exercises.

3. The teacher cites the Renaissance motto „I am a human being and nothing human is alien to me” and encourages to think about the meaning of these words and then asks for clarification of the term „Renaissance man”.

4. Students in groups prepare posters for selected figures that can be called „people of the Renaissance”, eg Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Jan Kochanowski etc..

Summary

1. The teacher chooses one student by random method and asks him or her to explain in own words the meaning of a given word or concept learned during the lesson.

2. The teacher asks the students questions for a summary, e.g.
   - Where does it come from and what does the term „renaissance” mean?
   - What are the characteristics of the „Renaissance man” personal pattern? Who and why can you be included in this group?
   - What elements of the Renaissance consciousness and human condition are present today?.

Homework

1. Explain in the form of a note, as you understand the words „I am human, and I think nothing human is alien to me”.

The following terms and recordings will be used during this lesson

Terms

Texts and recordings

Back to the past to change the future. Renaissance humanism

Revise the basic information on ancient philosophy and the main ideas of the Middle Ages.

Humanism is an intellectual movement born in Italy at the beginning of the 14th century, manifested by the development of studies on classical antiquity and recognition for its culture treated as a model one.

In one of Roman writer Terence's plays (2nd century BC), the humanists found a sentence which became the motto of the Renaissance. In Heauton timorumenos (Self‑tormentor), the playwright incorporated the following words: Homo sum humani nihil a me alienum puto, which means: I am a human being; and thus nothing human is alien to me. These words carry a belief that a human being – in any form of its activity – should be a subject of interest to artists and scientists. What do those words mean to you?

rebirth, renaissance, humanism, Renaissance Man