The Renaissance

Open Ended

Read the introduction: Mario’s and Giovanni’s story

Think, pair and share: Why did Mario become a successful artist and Giovanni did not?

Multiple Choice

Which key term from the Renaissance refers to an intellectual movement that focused on human potential and achievements, often blending classical philosophy with Christian thought?

• Humanism

• Realism

• Dominion

• Patronage

Multiple Choice

1. According to the text, where did the Renaissance begin?

• Italy
• Spain
• Germany
• France

Multiple Choice

Which statement best explains one major change that occurred during the Renaissance?

• A. Art became more focused on religious symbols and medieval traditions.

• B. Artists and scholars rejected classical knowledge and focused only on new ideas.

• C. Europeans began to embrace realism, humanism, and revived Greek and Roman ideas.

• D. Most Renaissance art and learning came from rural farming communities.

Multiple Choice

3. What claim is the author beginning to challenge by the end of the passage?

• That Renaissance artists were not talented

• That the Renaissance was a completely new, uniquely European achievement

• That the Renaissance happened only in Italy

• That historians should not study art or architecture

Open Ended

How did different types of people experience the Renaissance?

Open Ended

How did trade help start the Renaissance?

Open Ended

How does the author use connections with the Islamic world to challenge the idea that the Renaissance was only about reviving Greek and Roman culture?

Open Ended

What does the author argue the painting The King’s Fountain shows about life in Renaissance Europe?

Multiple Choice

Which statement best explains why Renaissance artists believed they were doing something new?

• A. They rejected all influence from ancient cultures.

• B. They combined Christian ideas with medieval folklore.

• C. They believed reviving Greek and Roman teachings created a new cultural direction.

• D. They sought to imitate art from Asia and Africa without change.

Multiple Choice

Based on the text, what factor most contributed to the spread of the Renaissance beyond Italy?

• A. The isolation of Italian city-states from the rest of Europe

• B. Growing connections between Europe and Afro-Eurasia

• C. Increased warfare across the Mediterranean

• D. Religious leaders banning classical learning

Multiple Choice

3. Why does the author introduce the term “Renaissance” being invented by 19th-century historians?

• A. To show that the Renaissance was entirely a myth

• B. To argue that historians exaggerated Europe’s cultural achievements

• C. To prove that Renaissance artists had no connection to classical ideas

• D. To explain why medieval Europeans did not value learning

Multiple Choice

Which idea does the author suggest needs to be questioned when studying Renaissance narratives?

• A. That humanist scholars used classical ideas

• B. That art, architecture, and culture dramatically changed

• C. That the Renaissance was a uniquely European creation

• D. That Florence played an important role in the Renaissance

Multiple Choice

What does the author imply is necessary for evaluating the Renaissance fairly as a historical period?

• A. Focusing only on famous artists and elite scholars

• B. Ignoring the role of trade and global exchange

• C. Examining who participated and the broader global context

• D. Accepting the traditional “rise of the West” narrative