High School Literature Activities for the Renaissance Era

There are so many ways to bring the Renaissance to life.

The Renaissance was one of the most exciting times in human history. The three hundred years between 1300 and 1600 AD were filled with innovation, discovery and art. It was a period of light after the Dark Ages. There are many ways to bring this period of history to life for high school literature students. Besides assigning readings, there are various creative ways to engage your students.

A Day in the Life of . . .

Create a fictional diary.

Have your students research life during the Renaissance. You can assign different characters such as a peasant girl, a knight, a king, a cook, a butcher, or anything else you can think of. Rather than writing a research paper, have your students write a fictional fourteen day diary for their character. Choose a specific year, since three centuries is a vast period of time. Be sure that each student chooses a time-period appropriate name, style of clothing and job duties. Make clear that there should be no anachronisms.

Renaissance Era Newspaper

Create a Renaissance-era newspaper.

Assign your students news style stories to write about events of the Renaissance. You can divide the class into sections for arts, discoveries, philosophy and government. As an added dimension, you can give one group of students the option of finding pictures to include in the paper. The teacher should prepare the end product and give each student a copy. You can make this as detailed as you want. Be sure to give your paper an appropriate title, like "The da Vinci Times," or "Shakespeare's Herald".

Contrast Renaissance and Medieval Art

For this project, join forces with your school's art program. Have the students compare and contrast works of art from the Renaissance and Medieval period, or any other period of your choosing. The students should have a clear understanding of the aspects of Renaissance art, including major artists of the time. The literature students should write a one-page report on their findings while the art students can create their own Renaissance-inspired work.

Costumed Actors

Invite an actor to portray a character from the Renaissance.

Invite your local Society for Creative Anachronism or Renaissance Fair actors to do a small presentation for your class. Most of these actors are happy to have the opportunity to perform for young students. Consider having them dress as particular people from the Renaissance, like Leonardo da Vinci, Shakespeare or even Queen Elizabeth, or ask for a short performance of a period-appropriate play. You could even just have them present a fashion show.

References

• Hebert, Joanna; a Day in the Life
• The Renaissance Connection; Lesson Plans
• Thematic Pathfinders; Renaissance
• Garran, Daniella; Lesson Planet; the Renaissance Lesson Plans
• Pro Teacher Directory; Middle Ages

Resources

• Society for Creative Anachronism; About