World History: The Renaissance: Standard Practice

Medium Level Guide Grade-level practice aligned to typical classroom expectations and unit assessments. What Was the Renaissance? The Renaissance was a period of renewed interest in classical Greek and Roman learning, beginning in Italian city-states around the 1300s. It spread across Europe and emphasized human potential, observation, and innovation in art and science. Humanism and Education Humanists studied grammar, rhetoric, history, poetry, and moral philosophy. They valued individual achievement and critical thinking. The printing press spread ideas faster than hand-copied manuscripts ever could. Art and Architecture Artists like Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Raphael used perspective, realism, and anatomy studies. Patrons such as the Medici family funded works. Architecture revived classical columns, domes, and symmetry. Science and Exploration Renaissance thinkers questioned old authorities. Copernicus proposed a heliocentric model. Improved navigation tools supported exploration. The era connected art, science, and worldly inquiry in new ways.