The

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The Renaissance and Humanism
Internet Scavenger Hunt created by Gina Beirne,
Library Media Specialist, Southside High School,
Elmira
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Directions
1. Write your answers on the answer sheet given
to you by your teacher. 2. Use the underlined
links to help you find web sites about the topics
and to answer the questions. 3. If you have a
problem opening any of the web sites, ask for
help.
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The Renaissance

• What was the Renaissance? Use dictionary.com to
  find the definition.
• (Hint Use definition 2.)
• Using a French-English dictionary, find out what
  Renaissance means in French.

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The Medici Family

• Who were the Medicis? Use the Infoplease.com
  Encyclopedia to find out. (Hint Search for
  Medici, Italian family.)
• What was a patron? Use dictionary.com to find the
  definition. (Hint Use the first definition.)

Lorenzo de Medici
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Florence

• Florence was the model of Renaissance culture.
  Using the learner.org web site Focus on
  Florence, answer the following questions
• What was the population of Florence in 1425?
• What was the primary source of income for
  Florence?
• What was the Florentine currency?
• Now, take a virtual tour of Florence and find out
  more about the Duomo, Campanile, Palazzo Vecchio,
  Palazzo Medici-Riccardi, the Uffizi and the
  Palazzo Pitti. Write two facts about each
  landmark.

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Art of the Italian Renaissance
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Michelangelo

• Michelangelo was one of the greatest painters of
  the Renaissance. Using the web sites Medici
  Godfathers of the Renaissance and this biography,
  locate the following information
• In what year was Michelangelo born? When did he
  die?
• What family raised Michelangelo?
• Name three famous works of art by Michelangelo.
• Using Google Image Search, find and print out a
  picture of one of them. Hint In the search box,
  type Michelangelo and the name of the work of art.

Michelangelo
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Leonardo da Vinci

• Leonardo da Vinci is probably the most famous
  artist in the world. Use the Medici Godfathers
  of the Renaissance web site and the History
  Channel web site to find the following
  information
• In what year was da Vinci born? When did he die?
• What patron did he have in common with
  Michelangelo?
• What is a Renaissance man? Use infoplease.com to
  find out. Why is da Vinci considered to be a
  Renaissance man? What subjects did he study?
  (HINT Use the pbs.org web site listed above.)

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Leonardo da Vinci

• What are four famous works by Leonardo da Vinci?
  Use artcyclopedia to print out a painting by da
  Vinci that hangs in the Louvre. (HINT To search
  artcyclopedia, go the bottom of the page. Search
  under artists name. Scroll down the Museums and
  Art Galleries to find the Louvre.)
• Take a tour of Leonardos studio. Describe how
  artists in the Renaissance made paint.

a drawing of da Vincis flying machine
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Mona Lisa

• Use the BBC web site to answer the following
  questions
• What is the Italian name for the Mona Lisa?
• What are the two theories regarding the identity
  of the Mona Lisa?
• What artistic technique did Leonardo use in
  painting the Mona Lisa? What does it mean in
  English?

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Sofonisba Anguissola

• Use the following links to find information
  regarding this woman painter of the Italian
  Renaissance
• Smithsonian.org, Women in Art, and Web Gallery of
  Art.
• What year was she born? What year did she die?
• How many paintings are credited to her?
• For what Spanish king was she court painter?
• What artist praised her work?
• Find an image of one of her self-portraits and
  print it out. (Hint Use the links above or use
  Google Image Search.)

a portrait of the artists sister, Minerva
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Art of the Northern Renaissance
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Dürer

• Albrecht Dürer was an important artist of the
  Northern Renaissance.
• What country was he from?
• Use the WebMuseum to find out what types of art
  work he created. Name four types.
• What are the names of his greatest copperplate
  engravings? (Hint There are three.)
• What amazing technological development occurred
  during Dürers lifetime, allowing wide
  distribution of his woodcuts and engravings?

Dürer
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Jan Hubert Van Eyck

• Use the Wikipedia (a free online encyclopedia) to
  find information on Jan Van Eyck. Answer the
  following questions
• What type of paint was he one of the first to
  use?
• Who was his older brother and teacher?
• What was the Ghent Altarpiece? Where is it
  located?
• What is a polyptych? (Hint Click the blue link.)

the Ghent altarpiece
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Bruegel

• Use this web site about Bruegel to answer the
  following questions
• When did Bruegel live?
• In what two cities did Bruegel live?
• What type of paintings did Bruegel create? Pick
  one painting, click on it to make it larger, then
  print it.

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Peter Paul Rubens

• Search Encarta for information about Rubens.
  Answer the following questions. (Hint Search for
  Rubens Quick Facts.)
• Where did he do most of his work?
• What four artists influenced Rubens work?
• Name two great paintings by Rubens (other than
  the one shown here).

St. George Slays the Dragon by Rubens
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Literature of the Renaissance
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Gutenberg

• Use the following web sites to answer the
  questions below
• Ananenberg/CPB Learner.org and PBS Renaissance
  Overview
• What did Gutenberg invent? In what year did he
  invent it?
• What class of people became more educated as a
  result of the invention? What new types of books
  were published at this time?
• Before Gutenbergs invention, how were books
  printed? Why was the invention so important?

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Humanism

• Use the following web sites to answer the
  questions below
• Ananenberg/CPB Learner.org and PBS Renaissance
  Overview
• What was humanism?
• According to humanists, should the church rule
  civic matters?
• What type of literature did humanists study? From
  what two ancient civilizations were these works?
• Name two of the authors studied.
• Who was a famous Italian humanist poet?

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Dante

• Search Encarta for information about Dante.
  Answer the following questions. (Hint Search for
  Dante Quick Facts.)
• Who was the inspiration for many of Dantes
  works?
• When did Dante meet her?
• What was his most famous work?
• What is it about?
• What is an allegory? (Hint Use Encarta World
  Dictionary Online.)
• What was it first called?
• What word was added to the title in 1555?

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Cervantes

• Using the Hispanos Famosos site and the
  Literature Network, answer the following
  questions
• From what country was Cervantes?
• What was Cervantes most famous book?
• What is it about? Describe two of the main
  characters adventures.
• What famous sayings did Cervantes create?
  Identify three of them.

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Shakespeare

• Search Encarta for information about Shakespeare.
  Answer the following questions. (Hint Search for
  Shakespeare Quick Facts.)
• Where was he born?
• Why were Shakespeares characters considered to
  be realistic?
• Name three comedic plays.
• Name three tragedies.
• At what theatre were many of his plays performed?

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Machiavelli

• Search Encarta for information about Machiavelli.
  Answer the following questions. (Hint Use the
  second article, Niccolò Machiavelli Quick
  Facts.)
• During what years did Machiavelli live?
• What was Machiavellis most famous work?
• What was it about?
• What did critics say about it?
• What are two of his other books?