Writing
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Renaissance and Reformation Writing for the SAT

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
Responding to a question on the Machiavellian principle of a ruler's need for power and ruthlessness, young historians are given writing tips and a framework for constructing a well-developed essay in 25 minutes. The given structure of...
Activity
National Endowment for the Humanities

Montaigne “On Cruelty”: A Close Reading of a Classic Essay

For Teachers 11th - Higher Ed Standards
An excerpt from Michel de Montaigne's essay "On Cruelty" provides advanced readers an opportunity to polish their close reading skills. Scholars read the passage twice and then respond to the provided questions.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Louisa May Alcott: The Candle and the Mirror

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students discuss the life of Louisa May Alcott and create an outline of a biography of her life and times.  In this Louisa May Alcott instructional activity, students explore the Transcendentalist involvement in the abolitionist...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Breaking the Codex

For Teachers 5th - 7th
Students work with an online multimedia show to study the life of Leonardo da Vinci in Renaissance Italy. They explore different writing systems and create an advertisement for one of Leonardo da Vinci's inventions.
Unit Plan
Simon & Schuster

Curriculum Guide to: The Prince by Niccolò Machiavelli

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
A 20-page curriculum guide for Niccolo Machiavelli's The Prince includes five lessons and related worksheets. For background, class members research and create travel brochures for Florence, Italy, in 1500. Next, they analyze...
PPT
Curated OER

Colonials & Revolutionaries: Background Historical & Cultural Information

For Teachers 11th - Higher Ed
The four major trends of the 18th century (The Enlightenment, the Great Awakening, British global ambitions, and economic disagreements) are the focus of a PowerPoint that places in context such influences as deism, mercantilism,...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Thomas Jefferson: Philosopher of Freedom

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students view a documentary on Thomas Jefferson. Statesman, scientist, architect, president-he was America's dashing Renaissance man. After viewing, students discuss what they saw then write their own version of a biography of Thomas...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Isn't It Romantic?

For Teachers 6th
Sixth graders investigate the ideas, literature, music, and art of the Romantic Movement. They apply romantic ideals to their original writing and art, analyze poetry, discuss key vocabulary, and analyze artwork from this era.
Lesson Planet Article
Curated OER

When Talking About Leadership Styles Is It Better to be Feared or Loved? Let Facebook Decide.

For Teachers 6th - 10th
Students use Facebook to answer the age old Machiavelli question: "Is it better to be feared than loved?"
Lesson Plan
Other

Ralph Waldo Emerson, Transcendentalist Philosopher

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Information and lesson ideas pertaining to the famous American thinker. The yellow, left side of the page contains teaching ideas, and the white, right side of the page contains background.
Handout
Steven Kreis, PhD

The History Guide: Niccolo Machiavelli, 1469 1527

For Students 9th - 10th
This site has biographical information for Machiavelli (1469-1527 CE), the political philosopher during the Italian Renaissance.