Social Studies 8: Famous Figures of the Renaissance Project
Task:
Your task will be to research a famous figure of the Renaissance who made a significant contribution to society and create one of the following products, based on your findings:
Your task will be to research a famous figure of the Renaissance who made a significant contribution to society and create one of the following products, based on your findings:
- a children's book
- a comic book
- a poster
- a slideshow
Requirements:
Your project must include the following:
noteworthy figure of the Renaissance.
* Consider not only how your chosen individual influenced history, but the extent to which their contribution
still impacts us today.
Your project must include the following:
- Biographical information (dates, cities/countries, notable life events, etc.)
- Images (portraits, famous works, etc.)
- An overview of your chosen figure's contribution(s) to society (e.g. architecture, artwork, ideas, inventions, texts, etc.
- An argument for why your chosen figure is noteworthy
noteworthy figure of the Renaissance.
* Consider not only how your chosen individual influenced history, but the extent to which their contribution
still impacts us today.
Research Process: Where Should I Start?
1. Begin by reading background information about the topic. Good places to start:
a. Print sources. Books have been set aside for you and can be found in your classroom or the learning commons.
b. Britannica Encyclopedia and World Book Encyclopedia. These articles are written at the high school level
and suggest areas for further research. The information you find here will give you direction on what to explore
further about your person's accomplishments and how their contribution still impacts us today
(Criterion B & D).
2. Once you have an initial understanding of your topic, move on to a more advanced reference source such as the Gale Virtual Reference Library found at the bottom of our website's Databases page (click on Rockridge shelf). Once in the Gale Virtual Reference Library, look under the Arts heading, and click on Arts and Humanities through the Eras 2005. From here, select Volume 4 Renaissance Europe:
1. Begin by reading background information about the topic. Good places to start:
a. Print sources. Books have been set aside for you and can be found in your classroom or the learning commons.
b. Britannica Encyclopedia and World Book Encyclopedia. These articles are written at the high school level
and suggest areas for further research. The information you find here will give you direction on what to explore
further about your person's accomplishments and how their contribution still impacts us today
(Criterion B & D).
2. Once you have an initial understanding of your topic, move on to a more advanced reference source such as the Gale Virtual Reference Library found at the bottom of our website's Databases page (click on Rockridge shelf). Once in the Gale Virtual Reference Library, look under the Arts heading, and click on Arts and Humanities through the Eras 2005. From here, select Volume 4 Renaissance Europe:
At this point, you can use the search bar on the far right to search for information on your famous figure.
Click on the articles that come up. You can easily scroll through the article, looking for your search word (i.e. Leonardo da Vinci in red.
3. Next, use Databases to search for academic articles on your famous figure.
a. Through our school library website, use Explora, which can be found at the top of our database list. (You will
need to ask the teacher librarian for a password to use this outside of school.)
b. Using your West Vancouver Memorial Library card, you can access the database Ancient and Medieval
History. Just the name of your famous figure in the search bar at the top. Use ctrl + F or command + F (Mac
users) to search by keyword (name).
a. Through our school library website, use Explora, which can be found at the top of our database list. (You will
need to ask the teacher librarian for a password to use this outside of school.)
b. Using your West Vancouver Memorial Library card, you can access the database Ancient and Medieval
History. Just the name of your famous figure in the search bar at the top. Use ctrl + F or command + F (Mac
users) to search by keyword (name).
4. Finally, find reliable websites that provide more detailed information on your famous figure. Remember to assess the validity of a website as an academic source before you cite any information from it. Though not always possible, try limiting your search to .edu or .org sites to avoid .com sites. Some helpful sites are listed below:
- History: Use the search icon in the upper right to search your famous person.
- Khan Academy: Nonprofit organization which has compiled information on a variety of Renaissance topics and people.
- Luminarium: Search Renaissance Literature if your person was a writer.
- The Art Story: Search here for artists and architects.
- BBC Bitesize: Search here for figures associated with Renaissance medicine and surgery. Scroll through the pages to find specific people.
- Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy: Search here for philosophers, theologians, scholars -- anyone who was a thinker
- Australia Telescope National Facility: Search here for astronomers.