The Italian Renaissance: art and architecture
I can describe some examples of Renaissance art and architecture.
The Italian Renaissance: art and architecture
I can describe some examples of Renaissance art and architecture.
These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.
Lesson details
Key learning points
- New artistic techniques were developed during the Renaissance.
- Da Vinci's artworks like the Mona Lisa display these techniques.
- Painters studied one another's work to improve their craft.
- St Peter's Basilica in Rome is a classic example of Renaissance architecture.
- Renaissance architecture drew on classical models.
Keywords
Sfumato - the artistic technique of allowing tones or colours to gradually shade into one another is called sfumato
Chiaroscuro - the use of light and shade in drawing and painting is called chiaroscuro
Basilica - a basilica is a church considered highly important by the Catholic Church
Common misconception
Pupils might think that because Renaissance architects used mathematical calculations to design their buildings, these were without subsequent problems or issues.
Explain to pupils that these architects often made miscalculations and many subsequent improvement works were needed to ensure buildings like St Peter's did not fall down.
To help you plan your year 7 history lesson on: The Italian Renaissance: art and architecture, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your year 7 history lesson on: The Italian Renaissance: art and architecture, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 3 history lessons from the The Renaissance: what do the artefacts of the Renaissance tell us about it? unit, dive into the full secondary history curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.
Licence
Starter quiz
6 Questions
became centres of humanist teaching and learning
allowed the books that humanists studied to be copied quickly
travelled between universities, spreading humanist ideas