Reading and Writing Workshop

Rebirth and Discovery: Reading and Writing Through the Renaissance and Age of Exploration

Workshop Objectives
Participants will:

• Analyze Renaissance humanism and its classical roots.
• Explore political transformations during the emergence of new monarchies.
• Evaluate motivations and consequences of European exploration.
• Use primary sources to develop historical thinking and writing skills.

Session 1: What Was the Renaissance?
Focus: Humanism, Classical Revival, Intellectual Shifts
Readings:

• Petrarch, Letters to Posterity (excerpts)
  https://sourcebooks.fordham.edu/source/petrarch-letters.asp
• Compare with excerpts from medieval scholastic writings (e.g., Thomas Aquinas)

Activities:

• Close Reading: Annotate a Petrarch letter for themes of individualism and classical reverence.
• Writing Prompt: How does Petrarch’s humanism differ from medieval thought?

Session 2: Art, Innovation, and the Spread of Ideas
Focus: Renaissance Art, Patronage, Printing Press
Art/Texts:

• Michelangelo’s David, Leonardo’s Vitruvian Man, Raphael’s School of Athens
• Gutenberg and the Printing Revolution
  https://sourcebooks.fordham.edu/mod/1440printing.asp

Activities:

• Art Comparison: Analyze David vs. a medieval sculpture for form, theme, and purpose.
• Source Analysis: How did the printing press transform knowledge?
• Writing Task: Describe how Renaissance art reflects humanist values.

Session 3: Christian Humanism and Gender Debates
Focus: Northern Renaissance, Women and the Renaissance
Readings:

• Erasmus, In Praise of Folly (excerpts)
  https://sourcebooks.fordham.edu/mod/erasmus-folly.asp
• Querelle des Femmes (selections)

Activities:

• Debate: Did the Renaissance offer greater opportunities for women?
• Writing Prompt: Compare the tone and themes in Erasmus and Petrarch.

Session 4: Power Reimagined – The Rise of New Monarchies
Focus: State-building and Political Change
Readings:

• Machiavelli, The Prince (excerpts)
  https://sourcebooks.fordham.edu/mod/1513machiavelli-prince.asp

Activities:

• AI Dialogue Generator: Write a Renaissance-style debate between Erasmus and Machiavelli on the role of rulers.
• Writing Task: In what ways were the new monarchs “modern”?
• Simulation: “Royal Council” – students assume roles as monarchs or advisors from Spain, France, and England.

Session 5: The Age of Exploration – Motives and Impact
Focus: European Expansion, Technologies, Global Interaction
Readings:

• Christopher Columbus, Letter to Ferdinand and Isabella
  https://sourcebooks.fordham.edu/mod/1493columbus.asp
• Bartolomé de las Casas, A Short Account of the Destruction of the Indies
  https://sourcebooks.fordham.edu/mod/1542lascasas.asp

Activities:

• Map Analysis: Trace key voyages and identify their geopolitical consequences.
• Debate: Economic vs. religious motivations—what truly drove exploration?
• Writing Prompt: What do the writings of Columbus and Las Casas reveal about the impact of exploration?

Session 6: Legacy of the Columbian Exchange
Focus: Global Interchange, Demographic and Cultural Impact
Readings:

• Visual resources or charts on the Columbian Exchange (plants, animals, diseases, people)

Activities:

• Cause and Effect Chart: Trace multiple consequences of the Columbian Exchange.
• Writing Task: Persuasive essay—Was the Columbian Exchange more beneficial or harmful?

AssessmentsFormative:

• Primary source annotations and comparisons
• Writing reflections from each session
• Class debates and simulations

Summative:

1. DBQ Essay: Analyze the rise and influence of Renaissance humanism.
2. LEQ Essay: Evaluate economic vs. religious motivations for European exploration.
3. Unit Test: Multiple-choice and short-answer questions on readings and themes.

Final Discussion and Reflection
​Socratic Seminar:
Was the Renaissance a true “rebirth” or an evolution of medieval thought?
Thematic Comparison:
Compare Renaissance state-building to 17th-century absolutism or Enlightenment reforms.