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Jason Devine & Hudson Reilly

 

Renaissance Worldviews Today

 

Task:  In this inquiry, students are asked to work in groups of two to create an engaging Pecha Kucha presentation (10 slides, 20 seconds long/slide) that coherently presents two elements from the Italian Renaissance worldview and explain how these elements would help us live better as a community in the present, for example in regards to the environment.

 

In order to frame this topic for students, a list of Renaissance worldviews will be presented for students to choose from. The topics will cover four general regions of humanist thought with each region having individual elements that will be used to guide students into relating to the current ecological crisis. The four general regions of humanist thought are:

 

  • "Modeling themselves on the ancient past”

  • “Contributing to society”

  • “The importance of the individual”

  • “The importance of learning"

 

Source: (http://www.summitviewschool.ca/docs/homework/Worldviews-Ch3.pdf)

Big Idea: Overall, we want to have the students honestly evaluate their worldviews as well as honestly and respectfully look at other’s worldviews, interrogating both as to how they are formed and experienced in current events.

 

Suggested Activities:

 

Seminar Phase/Background Knowledge: framing the current ecological crisis/tying in to Renaissance

 

Class 1:  

 

Present “Tipping Point: The End of Oil” documentary to frame the topic:

 

“What is the present ecological crisis?”

 

At the beginning of the class hand out a guiding question sheet with relevant questions related to the documentary that touches on the topic (this will keep them more focussed during video). At the end of class give another handout for homework that forces self-reflection on the challenges facing society today due to the ecological crisis (ie. touching on social issues, political, economic, etc.). Tell students that they will have to bring back the filled out sheet with two major world-affecting topics that interest them, each briefly described in approx. 100 word.

 

Resources:

Class 2:

 

This class will be focussed on teaching the idea of analyzing various perspectives (Outcome 8.2.2). Begin by breaking the students up into small groups (3-4 people) to discuss the previous class’ documentary. Pose the question to be discussed:

 

“Whose views were represented in this documentary, and whose were excluded?”

 

(This question will bring up the idea of Aboriginal perspectives - among others’ - present in the documentary with the object of this discussion focussing on dispelling the myths/exposing the biases we hold surrounding the environment and other’s perspectives on it.)

 

After 10 min. of group discussion, have the groups share their findings, recording group points on the board. Ask:

 

“What’s your perspective on the environmental crisis? Do you think there is a crisis?”

 

Follow up class discussion by having each student briefly share to the class their two major world-affecting topics researched for homework and why they chose it (this will reinforce the idea of taking up various perspectives). Record student’s common points on the board when discussing perspectives (ie. the uniqueness of each view, common themes, etc.).

 

Introduce ‘Seven Generations Sustainability’ model based off of First Nations’ principles of environmental stewardship (http://www.ictinc.ca/blog/seventh-generation-principle). Following presentation of this Aboriginal method of sustainable living, allow for students to revise their topics for next class.

 

Go into presentation/demonstration of rubric/project:

 

“Present two elements from the Italian Renaissance worldview and explain how it would help us live better as a community in the present, for example in regards to the environment.”

 

Show what a Pecha Kucha is:

 

“You are now going to demonstrate your perspective in a Pecha Kucha.”

 

Show two examples of well-done Pecha Kuchas then pose the question:

 

“What goes into a well presented Pecha Kucha?”

 

Have students divide into their groups that they began the class with to discuss it.

 

Resources:

 

Class 3:

 

            Local documentary specialist talk on how to create compelling documentaries (ie. ACAD filmmaker, local documentary filmmaker, TED talk, etc.)

 

Break up students into groups (approx. 10-15 min.) to discuss:

           

“What makes a good documentary that takes up differing perspectives?”

 

Have groups present findings. Teacher records responses on board, summarizing and pointing out common points mentioned. Compile a list of techniques that make a documentary professionally appealing based off of what the documentary expert noted. The list should include at least the following by the end of this task (that is, add the following to the list if the students do not mention them):

 

  • Seamless transitions

  • Captivating visual images

  • Audibly clear

  • Holds the audience's attention

 

Assign textbook reading for next class on an Introduction to Italian Renaissance Philosophies.

 

Resources:

  • Expert on documentaries

 

Class 4:

 

Begin introducing the students to, “What is the Renaissance?” (Unit Outcome 8.2.4) through a class-long lecture on humanism. The topic of focus will be on what the text speaks to about emerging worldviews/philosophies at the time. Focus on making specific historical connections to the present.

 

“Renaissance thinkers recognized that a sense of responsibility to the community was important and to them, belonging to a Christian community was essential. Individualism is an important value in our society, and it is one we trace back to the Renaissance.” (p. 77 of Worldviews chapter)

 

Have the students “[c]reate an image or collage” reflective of the current environmental crisis “that expresses their ideas about how these two elements—individualism, and membership in a community--should be balanced for the good of society.” This activity is designed to have them focus on TWO humanist philosophies (part of the assignment rubric/meeting unit specific outcomes 8.2.1; 8.2.3): “Contributing to society” and “The importance of the individual.”

 

At the end of the class, assign reading for tomorrow’s class.

 

Resources:

 

Class 5:

 

Second lecture-style lesson on the Renaissance, continuing to build on knowledge gained from previous class and assigned readings. After the lecture has been covered, present the following photo on the projector:

Have students divide into four groups to discuss the following possible question(s):

 

“Is this showing seventh generation sustainability? If so, how? If not, why not?”

“Which picture is beautiful? How do we understand beauty?”

 

            Allow for approx. 5 min. of discussion then have groups share findings. Following this class discussion, assign a region of humanist thought to each group to further discuss:

 

  • Modeling themselves on the ancient past

  • Contributing to society

  • The importance of the individual

  • The importance of learning

           

Allow for approx. 10 min. of discussion. Have groups discuss how their element of humanist thought is played out in the picture by asking the following questions:

 

“How was this image brought about by your element of humanism? Was it brought about by humanist ideology?”

 

and

 

“How can this image be improved by your element of humanism?

 

Write down on the board the points made by the class. The goal of this activity is to have students realize the importance of all FOUR humanist philosophies in order to provide them with a basis to answer the project task’s question.  

 

Resources:

 

Group creation for project

 

Class 6:

 

Present throughline/task question again to refresh memories:

 

“Present two elements from the Italian Renaissance worldview and explain how it would help us live better as a community in the present, for example in regards to the environment.”

 

Students will be divided into groups of 3 (their choice of group members) and tasked with researching the Renaissance worldviews that are personally compelling to them at this point, drawing from the lists they created between Class 1 and Class 2. They will begin this by researching their topics of choice using peer-reviewed articles accessed through the school’s computer lab/library (which has been booked off for us).

 

Near the end of class ensure there is enough time to provide some formative feedback as to where groups’ research is going, where it can/should go, possible resources they could use, etc.

 

Resources:

  • Computer lab

  • Library access

 

 

Class 7:

 

Students will continue their research from last class with the teacher providing formative feedback as to where their research is going, where it can/should go, possible resources they could use, etc.

 

Resources:

  • Computer lab

  • Library access

 

Class 8:  

 

Class will begin with students giving formative feedback for their peers’ research findings that is reflective of criteria as outlined in task rubric, focussing on “Humanist Philosophies Content Coverage,” and “Past and Present Connections.” Have each group exchange notes with another group to do so. Students will say where they feel the other group is doing well/could improve on. The teacher will provide oversight during these exchanges and offer their own advice at the end.

 

Resources:

  • Enough copies of the project rubric for each group’s peer review

 

Workshop Phase

 

Class 9:

 

Students will begin their outline for their group Pecha Kucha. The Pecha Kucha will be 10 slides long, each slide running 20 seconds (presentations will be no longer than 3:30). Teacher feedback throughout getting students to focus on touching all elements of the rubric, providing advice on resources/direction.

 

Resources:

  • Pecha Kucha Outline:

Class 10:

 

Pecha Kucha Production. Students will begin on their Pecha Kucha creation with teacher feedback on initial presentation work (ie. how it looks, do the selected images accurately convey the point of the slide? etc.).

 

Resources:

 

Class 11:

 

Pecha Kucha Production. Final in-class video production will take place this class

Students will continue from last class on their Pecha Kucha production. Have two group members from each group go around as the third members continues to work on it/stays for answering questions from other groups (the point of this is to allow students to get an idea of where other students are at on the project, expanding their own ideas for their Pecha Kucha and offering feedback to their peers).

 

Remind students that their projects are due before the start of the next class.

 

Class 12:

 

Task Presentation. Presentation in a public sphere (ie. City Hall presentation, local library display, etc.). The teacher will now be undertaking a summative assessment of the projects based off of the rubric.

 

______________________________________________________________________________

 

Four Evaluative Criteria (Program of Studies Connections)

 

  • Coherency of Narrative

  • Communication skills: “enable students to comprehend, interpret and express information and ideas clearly and purposefully. These skills include the language arts of listening, speaking, reading, writing, viewing and representing, as well as the use of communication technologies for acquiring and exchanging information and ideas.“ (p. 10)

     

  • Visual Presentation of Video

  • teaches “Media Literacy Skills”

  • “enhance[s] the authority and authenticity of media messages” (p. 14)

  • “use and manage information and communication technologies critically” (p. 2)

  • Communication skills: “These skills include the language arts of listening, speaking, reading, writing, viewing and representing, as well as the use of communication technologies for acquiring and exchanging information and ideas.“ (p. 10)

 

  • Humanist Philosophies Content Coverage

  • “Historical thinking skills involve the sequencing of events, the analysis of patterns and the placement of events in context to assist in the construction of meaning and understanding” (p. 9)

     

  • Past and Present Connections

  • “The program of studies is designed to promote metacognition through critical reflection, questioning, decision making and consideration of multiple perspectives on issues. Through this process, students will strive to understand and explain the world in the present and to determine what kind of world they want in the future.” (p. 6)

 

 

 

 

Outcomes:

 

Unit 8.2 Overview: “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.”

 

Related to meeting this unit specific task is the overall Grade 8 Overview:

 

“Grade 8 students will examine issues related to contact between societies with differing worldviews. They will explore elements of worldviews and how these views are expressed by people living in different times and in different places. Through this inquiry, students will reflect on their own worldviews and assess the influence that the past has had on the present.”

 

                                                                                                                          

(Source: http://www.education.alberta.ca/media/773697/ss8.pdf)

 

Through this lesson plan we believe that students will come out of it with the skill set to honestly evaluate their worldviews as well as honestly and respectfully look at other’s worldviews, interrogating both as to how they are formed and experienced in current events. We believe that this lines up with both the topic specific outcomes of the Program of Studies as well as the intended general outcomes of the grade in whole and the unit in particular as outlined above.

 

Specific Outcomes:

 

  • 8.S.1 develop skills of critical thinking and creative thinking:

    • met by exposing students to a controversial documentary/topic, having them analyze it for the various perspectives present in it, presenting their own beliefs about the topic, allowing for open dialogue and changing of opinions on the matter, and creating collaborative strategies to solve an lived, world-affecting issue.

  • 8.S.2 develop skills of historical thinking:

    • met through asking the students about a current day issue, and whether or not such an issue can be traced back to a historical ideology as well as having them present a virtual thesis by way of a Pecha Kucha.

  • 8.S.4 demonstrate skills of decision making and problem solving:

    • reinforced through constant group discussion/work/collaboration, having the students creatively solve a current problem individually as well as within a group with the option of reframing possible solutions

  • 8.S.5 demonstrate skills of cooperation, conflict resolution and consensus building:

    • same rationale as in the above 8.S.4 outline

  • 8.S.6 develop age-appropriate behaviour for social involvement as responsible citizens contributing to their community:

    • inherent to the project task, the students are asked how their two elements from humanist thought “would help us live better as a community.”

  • 8.S.7 apply the research process:

    • the task is very research heavy having students draw from video sources and peer-reviewed articles.

  • 8.S.8 demonstrate skills of oral, written and visual literacy:

    • met through the creation of a Pecha Kucha

  • 8.S.9 develop skills of media literacy:

    • met through the presentation of an expert in the realm of media and the analysis of the effectiveness of both documentaries as well as Pecha Kuchas.

 

Six Historical Thinking Concepts

 

Source: (http://www.edu.gov.mb.ca/k12/cur/socstud/foundation_gr8/tns/tn1.pdf)

Four historical thinking concepts that we chose to focus on for this project:

 

  • Historical Significance: Why is the Renaissance significant? How can learning about a philosophy rooted in the Renaissance help solve a current issue?

 

  • Continuity & Change: What is Seventh Generation Sustainability and how is it displayed in the Alberta oil sands?

 

  • Cause & Consequence: Is there an ecological crisis today? How did humanist principles lead to this? Can we solve this issue using the same principles?

 

  • The Moral Dimension: If there is an ecological crisis, is such a degradation of our world environment a bad thing? Provide evidence of your moral positioning on the topic.

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