DAY TWO: KEY TERMS, PEOPLE, AND ART

This is the first slide ("What was the Renaissance?") of the presentation we were responsible for creating. 

On the second morning of our Italian Renaissance J-term, students arrived and prepared short presentations on different terms and people that are significant for our understanding of the Renaissance. Students presented their assigned topic, which we all found very helpful and sped up the process of understanding the context of this complex time period. Because the Renaissance is the revival of classical learning in art, economics, politics, and other cultural aspects, art was a significant part of the era; therefore it is critical that we learn how to analyze and understand different art. We then began working on our group projects about an Italian city, its sociological geography, and its architecture. Finally, it was lunchtime!! 

A glass blower designs the outside of a blown glass orb.  (source: GlassofVenice)

After lunch, Mr. Wadzeck surprised our class with a delicious treat: gelato. We got to choose from a variety of flavors: chocolate, pistachio, mango, and more. After our frozen confections, we buckled down to watch the remaining two episodes of Renaissance Unchained, the four-part series narrated by Waldemar Januszczak. The final two episodes focused mainly on Italian Renaissance art that deviated from the usual religious paintings that were customary of the time period. Among these explanations was how Venice was different from the rest of Italy and what made Venice stand out. We learned about the beautiful, delicate glass-making on the island of Murano and how the glass was often represented within art. Afterward, we cleaned up the classroom and packed up for the day!