Humanist Education and the Renaissance Man
Lesson Plan
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PowerPoint
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Class Materials
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This lesson, titled “Humanist Education and the Renaissance Man,” took place on the second day of our unit on the Italian Renaissance. On the first day of the unit, students were introduced to the factors that lead the birth of the Renaissance in twelfth century Italy – namely the development of “humanism” as a result of the decline of the feudal system, and the rise of city-states, a capitalist economy, and a wealthy merchant class. Students then spent the majority of the lesson analyzing Renaissance artwork by pinpointing the “humanistic” elements, thereby further familiarizing themselves with the term. This lesson continued with the previous day’s focus on humanism, however from an educational rather than artistic angle. Additionally, this lesson also drew on students’ prior learning from our Ancient Greece and Byzantine Empire units, referencing the “classical” education popular during those periods.
At the bell, students began by silently reviewing the definition of “humanism” (recorded in their notes and posted on the SMART Board), and then recording their response to the prompt, “What does a humanist education system look like? Is our American education system humanistic?” After several minutes of reflection and writing, we convened for a whole-class discussion about the potential structure of an education system focused on “human potential and achievement,” and evaluated our education system against this ideal. This discussion evolved into a broader one about the role of an education system, and its theoretical reflection of the values and ideals of a society. I bridged our conversation back to the Renaissance period by explaining that later on in class we would be exploring the effects of humanism on the education system of the Renaissance, and investigating whether or not our education system is still affected by this movement. Next, I outlined the convergence of humanism and inspiration from classical Greece and Rome that led to the development of a liberal arts education and the ideal of the “Universal Man” (later Renaissance Man). I then introduced The Book of the Courtier, written by Baldassare Castiglione in 1528, as the work that popularized the idea of the “Universal Man” as a courtly gentleman who excels in all areas. Students worked in their “letter groups” to analyze passages of The Book of the Courtier, listing and contemplating the areas in which Castiglione indicates the “Universal Man” and “Universal Woman” must excel. Upon reassembling as a whole class, students reported the skill sets Castiglione deemed necessary for the “Universal Man,” as I recorded them on the SMART Board. After we fleshed out Castiglione’s rather lowly opinion of women, I prompted students to think of modern-day equivalents of the areas in which the “Universal Man” must excel, and recorded them on the SMART Board alongside their Renaissance period counterparts. Students reviewed our lengthy and varied list of areas, then discussed in small groups and composed a response to the final question, “In today’s world, is it better to be a ‘Renaissance Man/Woman’ or to specialize and become an expert in a single area?” In the remaining minutes of the period, students shared their opinions with the class.
This lesson was a bit rushed, as all three of my World History classes were eager to share their reflections and deliberate about the nature of a “humanist education system” and our system’s adherence to that ideal. Students’ philosophical and practical interpretations of such a system varied dramatically. While some argued that a “humanist education system” would focus on specialization, others contended that it would stress well-roundedness, and still others advocated that it would de-emphasize academics in favor of a mind-body holistic approach. Unsurprisingly, students also differed in their evaluation of our own education system against this standard. One student proposed that our education system is humanistic because it mandates a wide array of subjects – not to ensure well-roundedness, but to expose students to a variety of areas so they can make an informed decision about which one they would like to pursue for specialization. Curiously, our class discussions of the final question, “In today’s world, is it better to be a ‘Renaissance Man/Woman’ or to specialize and become an expert in a single area?”, sparked less controversy. Two whole classes nearly unanimously praised the benefits of the “Renaissance Man/Woman” ideal in our society, while the third class was largely in agreement that specialization was a surer path to success in the modern world. A common thread across classes was the notion that specialization produced high economic rewards, while well-roundedness was preferential in the social arena. This sentiment sparked more conversation about why the “Universal Man/Woman” ideal might have been both economically and socially beneficial in the Renaissance period. From beginning to end, students’ participation and engagement in class discussion carried the class. At the end of the period I collected students’ “Do-Now” responses, discovering even more original insights and authentic and unique perspectives on educational ideals:
At the bell, students began by silently reviewing the definition of “humanism” (recorded in their notes and posted on the SMART Board), and then recording their response to the prompt, “What does a humanist education system look like? Is our American education system humanistic?” After several minutes of reflection and writing, we convened for a whole-class discussion about the potential structure of an education system focused on “human potential and achievement,” and evaluated our education system against this ideal. This discussion evolved into a broader one about the role of an education system, and its theoretical reflection of the values and ideals of a society. I bridged our conversation back to the Renaissance period by explaining that later on in class we would be exploring the effects of humanism on the education system of the Renaissance, and investigating whether or not our education system is still affected by this movement. Next, I outlined the convergence of humanism and inspiration from classical Greece and Rome that led to the development of a liberal arts education and the ideal of the “Universal Man” (later Renaissance Man). I then introduced The Book of the Courtier, written by Baldassare Castiglione in 1528, as the work that popularized the idea of the “Universal Man” as a courtly gentleman who excels in all areas. Students worked in their “letter groups” to analyze passages of The Book of the Courtier, listing and contemplating the areas in which Castiglione indicates the “Universal Man” and “Universal Woman” must excel. Upon reassembling as a whole class, students reported the skill sets Castiglione deemed necessary for the “Universal Man,” as I recorded them on the SMART Board. After we fleshed out Castiglione’s rather lowly opinion of women, I prompted students to think of modern-day equivalents of the areas in which the “Universal Man” must excel, and recorded them on the SMART Board alongside their Renaissance period counterparts. Students reviewed our lengthy and varied list of areas, then discussed in small groups and composed a response to the final question, “In today’s world, is it better to be a ‘Renaissance Man/Woman’ or to specialize and become an expert in a single area?” In the remaining minutes of the period, students shared their opinions with the class.
This lesson was a bit rushed, as all three of my World History classes were eager to share their reflections and deliberate about the nature of a “humanist education system” and our system’s adherence to that ideal. Students’ philosophical and practical interpretations of such a system varied dramatically. While some argued that a “humanist education system” would focus on specialization, others contended that it would stress well-roundedness, and still others advocated that it would de-emphasize academics in favor of a mind-body holistic approach. Unsurprisingly, students also differed in their evaluation of our own education system against this standard. One student proposed that our education system is humanistic because it mandates a wide array of subjects – not to ensure well-roundedness, but to expose students to a variety of areas so they can make an informed decision about which one they would like to pursue for specialization. Curiously, our class discussions of the final question, “In today’s world, is it better to be a ‘Renaissance Man/Woman’ or to specialize and become an expert in a single area?”, sparked less controversy. Two whole classes nearly unanimously praised the benefits of the “Renaissance Man/Woman” ideal in our society, while the third class was largely in agreement that specialization was a surer path to success in the modern world. A common thread across classes was the notion that specialization produced high economic rewards, while well-roundedness was preferential in the social arena. This sentiment sparked more conversation about why the “Universal Man/Woman” ideal might have been both economically and socially beneficial in the Renaissance period. From beginning to end, students’ participation and engagement in class discussion carried the class. At the end of the period I collected students’ “Do-Now” responses, discovering even more original insights and authentic and unique perspectives on educational ideals:
Aaron, and energetic and outgoing male student whose father teaches English at Bookman, shot his hand up in the air the moment I asked students to share their reflections. I rewarded his enthusiasm by asking him to be the first to share, and the opinions he articulated we shared by many of his peers. In his “Do-Now” response Aaron began, “A humanist education system allows students to choose what they learn about. If this happens, somebody who wants to be a writer won’t have to take calculus class or classes that are completely unrelated to their goals.” Without introduction or prompting, Aaron immediately steered our conversation toward the well-roundedness verses specialization debate that we continued at the conclusion of the lesson. As a student highly involved in the arts (literary magazine, drama, and choir), Aaron’s response clearly reflects some of his own school frustrations, about math class in particular. Read the complete transcript of Aaron’s “Do-Now” response here:
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Natasha, a female student who a very engaged in social studies class but rarely vocally participates, harbored thoughts similar to those articulated by Aaron, but added another layer about how educational outcomes should be judged. After expressing disillusionment about our education system’s “superficial idea of success” and the false promise of a “bright future” after obtaining a college degree, Natasha proposed, “A humanistic society/education is focused on encouraging students to excel in whatever field suits them. A humanistic education is based not on grades but on attendance, interest, and participation.” Building off of Aaron’s support of specialization, Natasha indicated that the way in which students’ are evaluated matters too – as it is not the degree but the passion that leads to a “bright future.” In her closing remarks, Natasha acknowledged that college provides opportunities for specialization, but emphasized, “but of course we have to pay tens of thousands of dollars to have choices.” With two dark underlines under the words “dollars” and “choices” (combined with her expletive word choice near the opening of he written response), Natasha holds strong opinions about her education, leading to her critical engagement with the humanist ideal. Read the complete transcript of Natasha’s “Do-Now” response here:
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Jenine and Jacqueline, two diligent female students who shy away from vocal participation in social studies class, both touched on the Dewey-esque idea of exploration, as opposed to memorization. Jenine theorized, “A humanist education system would be one where the students are free to explore and do what ever they want in a class (as long as it pertains to the topic),” and later bemoaned, “there is very little freedom of choice in our education system and it is more root memorization instead of actual learning.” Similarly, Jacqueline posed, “A humanist education system allows one to learn the ways of the world naturally and not based off memorization.” In their responses, both students thoughtfully consider humanism as an ideal revolving around human potential, and apply the concept to how they see their potential hindered by their schooling. By accessing humanism through the familiar lens of education, Jenine and Jacqueline reflected deeply on their own experiences in school and gained a more profound understanding of the foundational Renaissance ideal. Read the complete transcripts of Jenine and Jacqueline’s “Do-Now” responses here:
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