The Arts · Grade 10

Active learning ideas

The Renaissance and Humanism

Active learning is essential for grasping the Renaissance and Humanism because it moves beyond passive reception of information. Hands-on activities allow students to directly engage with the concepts of perspective, individual expression, and the shift in worldview, making these abstract ideas tangible and memorable.

• Ontario Curriculum Expectations
• VA:Re7.2.HSII
• VA:Cn10.1.HSII

• 45–90 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 3 activities

Activity 01

• Gallery Walk
• 90 min · Small Groups

Perspective Drawing Workshop

Students learn the principles of one-point and two-point linear perspective. They then apply these techniques to draw a simple architectural scene or a still life, focusing on creating a convincing illusion of depth.

How did the discovery of linear perspective change the way humans viewed their place in the world?

Facilitation Tip

During the Perspective Drawing Workshop, circulate to offer individual guidance on vanishing points and horizon lines, ensuring students grasp the spatial logic.

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Create
• Relationship Skills
• Social Awareness

Activity 02

• Gallery Walk
• 45 min · Pairs

Humanist Portrait Analysis

Students examine Renaissance portraits, identifying elements that reflect humanist ideals such as individual identity, worldly status, or intellectual pursuits. They discuss how the artist's choices convey these themes.

In what ways did Renaissance artists blend religious themes with secular interests?

Facilitation Tip

For the Humanist Portrait Analysis Gallery Walk, prompt students to move beyond simply describing the art to analyzing *how* specific details reflect humanist values.

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Create
• Relationship Skills
• Social Awareness

Activity 03

• Role Play
• 60 min · Whole Class

Artistic Patronage Role Play

Students are assigned roles as Renaissance patrons or artists. They negotiate commissions for artworks, discussing subject matter, style, and the integration of religious and secular elements.

How does the portrayal of the human body in this era reflect scientific advancement?

Facilitation Tip

In the Artistic Patronage Role Play, ensure students understand their assigned role's motivations to foster authentic negotiation and decision-making.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Social Awareness
• Self-Awareness

A few notes on teaching this unit

Approach this topic by emphasizing the interconnectedness of art, philosophy, and societal change. Avoid presenting Renaissance humanism as a sudden break from the past; instead, highlight it as an evolution building upon classical foundations. Research suggests that connecting artistic techniques directly to the underlying philosophical ideas enhances student comprehension.

Successful learning means students can identify humanist ideals within Renaissance artworks and understand how techniques like linear perspective visually represented a new way of seeing the world. Students should be able to articulate the connection between artistic innovations and the broader philosophical shifts of the era.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During the Humanist Portrait Analysis, students might focus only on the subject's religious identity, missing the humanist emphasis on individual achievement.

  Redirect students to look for secular elements, signs of personal status or intellect, and the realistic portrayal of the individual, prompting them to connect these to humanist ideals.

• During the Perspective Drawing Workshop, students may view linear perspective as merely a technical skill with no broader significance.

  After the drawing activity, facilitate a brief discussion connecting the creation of a rational, ordered space to the humanist belief in human reason and control over the environment.

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Methods used in this brief

• Gallery Walk
• Role Play