Course Sample for Our Renaissance History Homeschool Course

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Renaissance History
Lesson One: What In the World is a Renaissance World?
By Rhonda Clark

I’m glad you asked. A Renaissance world is a changing world. By definition Renaissance means “rebirth.” Dictionary.com defines it as:

“the activity, spirit, or time of the great revival of art, literature, and learning in Europe beginning in the 14th century and extending to the 17th century, marking the transition from the medieval to the modern world.”

Not only did the world rediscover a love for art and literature that rivaled the ancient Greeks and Romans, but the world was in a period of flux. This period forever changed not only the power and rule of monarchies, but the landscape of the Catholic Church as well. It also laid the foundations for the Protestant Movement.

Although the Renaissance is dated starting in the mid-1300s and ending around 1700, I’m going to travel back a bit further to around 1100-1200 and start our journey there. Those previous 200 years are packed with blueprint and foundational information. You don’t want to miss those key details if you want to fully understand what’s happening.

Here’s a short list of what happened during this time in history:

• Circumnavigation of the earth and new sailing technologies
• Pacific Ocean discovered
• New art techniques developed
• Explorers found new lands for monarchs to rule
• Catholic Church leaders were confronted, creating a new religious movement
• Scientist invented telescopes and calculus, discovered planets and stars, and challenged the way we look at the natural world and astronomy
• Authors took their works to the masses with the inventions of the printing press and the stage play
• Majestic cathedrals were built
• Islam spread throughout the Middle East and into Europe and Africa, making it the third largest religion in the world

Course Outline for Our Renaissance History Homeschool Course

Thirty-six homeschool history lessons for elementary through middle school explore world history during the Renaissance period from the 1100s to the 1700s.

• Lesson 1: What In the World is a Renaissance World?
• Lesson 2: The Netherlands—Their Father and Their Fight
• Lesson 3: Italy—The Birthplace of the Renaissance
• Lesson 4: Medici Family
• Lesson 5: Africa—A Land of Many Cultures
• Lesson 6: India, Persia, and the Ottomans
• Lesson 7: A Renaissance Christmas, Twelve Days of Christmas Song Worksheet
• Lesson 8: Japan
• Lesson 9: China
• Lesson 10: Russia
• Lesson 11: Explorers
• Lesson 12: Explorers to North and Central America
• Lesson 13: Explorers to South America and Beyond
• Lesson 14: France During Renaissance
• Lesson 15: Spain During the Renaissance
• Lesson 16: William Shakespeare
• Lesson 17: John Milton and John Bunyan
• Lesson 18: Scientists and Their Discoveries Part I
• Lesson 19: Scientists and Their Discoveries Part II
• Lesson 20: Scientists and Their Discoveries Part III
• Lesson 21: Renaissance Art – Italian Artists
• Lesson 22: Renaissance Art – Northern European Artists
• Lesson 23: Renaissance Art – Artists from Spain and the Americas
• Lesson 24: Renaissance Art – Eastern Art of India, Japan, and China
• Lesson 25: Australia
• Lesson 26: English History
• Lesson 27: King Henry VIII
• Lesson 28: Irish History
• Lesson 29: Scottish History
• Lesson 30: Reformation and Reformers Part One
• Lesson 31: Reformation and Reformers Part Two
• Lesson 32: Reformation and Reformers Part Three
• Lesson 33: Reformation and Reformers Part Four
• Lesson 34: Reformation and Reformers Part Five
• Lesson 35: Reformation and Reformers Part Six
• Lesson 36: What Does the Renaissance Mean for You?