Crossing Borders/Breaking Boundaries
The Arts of the Renaissance
July 14-21, 2003
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The Renaissance Facade

Monica Cerkez
9th Grade
St. Mary's County Public Schools, Division of Instruction

Content Area: Visual Art I

Lesson Planning Frame



Stage 1: Identify Desired Results

Essential Curriculum
(Reference St. Mary’s County School System’s Essential Curriculum)
  • Outcome I – Perceiving and Responding Aesthetic Education – Expectation A
  • Outcome II – Historical, Cultural and social context – Expectation A, Expectation B, Expectation C, Expectation D
  • Outcome III – Creative Expression and Production – Expectation A, Expectation B, Expectation C
  • Outcome IV – Aesthetics and Criticism – Expectation A

Enduring Understanding

What enduring understandings are addressed?

Patronage from Royalty, Rich Merchant Families and the Church (With an eye on immortality) created opportunities for Renaissance Artists to design building that expressed the Ideals of the era, including classical motif. These Artists served as not only designer, but engineer, decorator and scientist as well.

Essential Questions

What essential questions will be considered?

What elements identify as building as Renaissance style? Why?

Key Content Knowledge and Skills

What key content knowledge, skills, and processes will students acquire as a result of this lesson?

  • Students will be familiar with the works of renaissance architects.
  • They should understand the connection with the classical world and the idea of artist and patron as “Renaissance Man”


Stage 2: Determine Acceptable Evidence

Assessment

What will students do to develop the desired knowledge/proficiencies?

  • Students will create a drawing of an ideal building using the ideas of period architects (Alberti, Brunelleschi, and Bramante)
  • Students will participate in an oral critique and produce a written reflection.


Stage 3: Plan Learning Experiences and Instruction

Lesson Components

(May include Anticipatory Set, review, Presentation of New Concepts, Guided Practice, Independent Practice, and Closure as appropriate.)

  • Opening Day 1: Look at the Prints: (Alberti, Brunelleschi, and Bramante) What elements identify as building as Renaissance style?
  • Opening Day 2: What is the Tempietto? What is it’s purpose?
  • Opening Day 3: Who designed the Duomo in Florence? Why is it important?
  • Presentation of New Concept - Lead discussion (Using prints and examples) on the nature of architecture in the Renaissance. Include Ideas of celestial perfection (Shakespeare, Dance - the perfection of the circle and square), Classical elements, the advances in science, patronage, humanism, and monumental architecture as an expression of wealth, power and restraint. Include the Idea of “Renaissance Man.”
  • Demonstration - Guided Practice: Distribute the circle/square matrix. Demonstrate how to apply classical elements to create a Renaissance façade in pen and ink.
  • Independent Practice: Students complete Renaissance façade in pen and ink.
  • Closing - Written Reflection, Group critique.

Sponsored by
the Center for Renaissance & Baroque Studies
and the Maryland State Department of Education