Unit V Essay & Discussion Questions

• Discuss the influence of Nietzsche and Freud on the modernist movement, giving specific examples of their impact on arts and ideas.
• What was transcendentalism? How did it influence the writings of Henry David Thoreau?

Unit IV Questions

If you have not already, please feel free to use the essay questions for Unit IV as discussion questions for your blog comments!

 

• What was different about the approach baroque-era scientists and philosophers took compared to what someone would do today? Consider the political-religious system of the time. What do you think would happen today if you claimed the truth of some theory that was not approved of by the contemporary power structure?
• What are the basic points of the theories of Thomas Hobbes and John Locke? What do they have in common, and on what points do they radically differ? Which of their ideas do you agree with, and why?

Thank you!

More Discussion Questions, Unit IV

• Discuss the major changes to England in the seventeenth century.
• What are the characteristics of seventeenth-century French Drama?
• How would you describe classical baroque?
• Describe the Rococo style in painting.

Unit IV Thoughts and Tips

Unit IV: 1600 – 1830 of Baroque and the Age of Reason is due no later than midnight on April 13. Here are some thoughts and tips for this Unit.

Extra Credit
Some of you still need a few extra points to be eligible for the grade you want at the end of the course. Remember, there are only two opportunities for extra credit remaining. The extra credit assignments is explained here. Unit IV Options are here. An example from this unit is here.

Paper Resources

• Option One Assignment is explained here.
• Option One Topics are here.
• Option One example is here.
• Option Two Assignment is explained here.
• Five Steps to Success Writing Papers is here.

Exam Resources

• Five Steps for Success (Exams)
• Writing Essay Questions on the Exams
• Critical Thinking

Here’s the essay questions:

• What was different about the approach baroque-era scientists and philosophers took compared to what someone would do today? Consider the political-religious system of the time. What do you think would happen today if you claimed the truth of some theory that was not approved of by the contemporary power structure?
• What are the basic points of the theories of Thomas Hobbes and John Locke? What do they have in common, and on what points do they radically differ? Which of their ideas do you agree with, and why?

Additional Resources for Essay Exams

• http://www.grossmont.edu/toddmyers/hobbes%5B1%5D.ppt
• http://www.slideworld.com/slideshows.aspx/Thomas-Hobbes,-John-Locke,-Baron-de-Montesquieu,-ppt-723682
• http://www.slideshare.net/Benning22/john-lockeppt-final-presentation
• http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=6&ved=0CDgQFjAF&url=http%3A%2F%2F66.39.52.159%2Fnhayes%2FAge%2520of%2520Reason%2520PPT.pdf&ei=qxufTcPOO8ma0QGQpZmSBQ&usg=AFQjCNFjOWsHcwgAyCSlLJfgXfCDtyU4EQ&sig2=A9YSYYJZeEsf_GzKLnmaiQ

Discussion Questions, Unit III

1. Describe the status of women during the early Renaissance in Italy.
2. Describe the Venetian school of Renaissance painting.
3. In Castiglione’s Book of the Courtier , what are the roles of men and women and their social relations?

Unit 3 Thoughts & Tips

Resources for Paper 3 (on painting) are below:

• Link to the assignment sheet
• Link to a student example
• Link to Google Art Project
• Links to Virtual Museums
• Five Steps to Success Writing Papers

Here are the resources for the exam.

• Five Steps for Success (Exams)
• Writing Essay Questions on the Exams
• Critical Thinking

Here’s the essay questions:

• Explain the concept of civic humanism. What were its origins and what were its effects?
• Is Machiavelli’s The Prince a good example of the High Renaissance literary style? (and, clearly this is not just a yes/no question!)

Youtube Resources for Unit III:

• From Darkness to Light: The Great Leap from the Middle Ages into Renaissance http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p5mqlyNnKUE (talks about humanism!)
• Machievelli and The Prince: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s25kX24j250&feature=related
• High Renaissance Art: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rVQBVE9BzYk
• History Questions: Why is Humanism important to the Renaissance? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Id0L1s9c3p4&feature=related
• History Channel: Leonardo da Vinci (1/10) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_3qOFuheB4&feature=related

Other Resources for Unit III:

• Renaissance Pop Quiz (10 questions): http://history-world.org/popquizren.htm
• Renaissance Trivia Quiz (10 questions): http://www.funtrivia.com/playquiz/quiz19903d9d8.html
• I also think my PPT videos would be very helpful for this unit!
• If you have a Netflix subscription, they have a 4-episode installment of PBS’s Empires that focuses on the Medici family, one of the most powerful Italian families of this period and one of the most important patrons of the renaissance arts, called The Medici: Godfathers of the Renaissance.  I don’t know if I can link to it or not, but here is the URL where I found it. http://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/Empires_The_Medici_Godfathers_of_the_Renaissance/60034500?trkid=1997021. I watched this series last weekend, and I think it would be helpful. It talks a lot about the role of Italy in the Renaissance. While the details of each Medici aren’t going to help you on your exam, the big picture might.

Good luck preparing for Unit III’s exam. Have a good week. –ProfessorStacy

Discussion Questions, Unit II Continued

• What were the seven liberal arts? Would you agree that a well-rounded person should be *at least* proficient in all seven?
• Why was the Council at Nicea in 787 important?
• How did the feudal system work?
• Why (or How) are the works of the female author Dhuoda significant?
• How did medieval Islam influence the West?