Schedule a Tour
(401) 783 3222
[email protected]
1150 Boston Neck Road, Narragansett, RI 02882
Quest Montessori School Quest Montessori School
  • Montessori
    • Maria Montessori
    • The Education
    • Frequently Asked Questions
  • About
    • The Quest Mission
    • Our History
    • Our Families
      • Parent Education
      • Quest Community Organization (QCO)
    • After Quest
      • Our Alumni
    • Faculty
      • Employment
    • Board of Directors
    • The Blog
  • Programs
    • Toddlers
    • Primary
    • Lower Elementary
    • Upper Elementary
    • Middle School
      • Narrow River Naturals
    • Projects and Experiences
    • Enrichment
      • Visual Arts
      • Music
      • Spanish
      • Physical Education
    • Extended Care
    • Vacation & Summer Camp
  • Admissions
    • Discover Quest
    • Admissions Events
    • Admissions Process
      • Schedule A Tour
      • Application Forms
    • Testimonials
    • After Quest
  • Giving
    • Donate to Quest
  • Blog
  • COVID-19 INFO
  • Contact
  • Montessori
    • Maria Montessori
    • The Education
    • Frequently Asked Questions
  • About
    • The Quest Mission
    • Our History
    • Our Families
      • Parent Education
      • Quest Community Organization (QCO)
    • After Quest
      • Our Alumni
    • Faculty
      • Employment
    • Board of Directors
    • The Blog
  • Programs
    • Toddlers
    • Primary
    • Lower Elementary
    • Upper Elementary
    • Middle School
      • Narrow River Naturals
    • Projects and Experiences
    • Enrichment
      • Visual Arts
      • Music
      • Spanish
      • Physical Education
    • Extended Care
    • Vacation & Summer Camp
  • Admissions
    • Discover Quest
    • Admissions Events
    • Admissions Process
      • Schedule A Tour
      • Application Forms
    • Testimonials
    • After Quest
  • Giving
    • Donate to Quest
  • Blog
  • COVID-19 INFO
  • Contact

Middle School

  • Home
  • Middle School
  • Middle School Humanities: The Renaissance

Middle School Humanities: The Renaissance

  • Posted by Middle School
  • Categories Middle School
  • Date January 31, 2019

Each year, Quest students in both Lower and Upper Elementary study a different ancient civilization and present their learning at a thematic culminating event. The history of humanity and the building of civilizations is carried forward into Middle School within the Humanities curriculum. Particular attention is paid to times of transition, looking back to what came before and connecting to our own time. Just as adolescents are asking “Who am I?” and “What is my role in society?” they also investigate how their own culture and society fit into the human experience.

For the last three weeks, students have been immersed in the Renaissance and have explored Renaissance art, science, and history. They connected previous studies of ancient Greece and Rome to the ideas of humanism, reason, and science that developed in the Renaissance. After surveying some of the highlights of the time, students chose one Renaissance figure to research and write about. The study culminated with the “Renaissance Wax Museum,” for which students prepared a speech, costume, props, and backdrop. On museum day, students from Upper Elementary and parents visited the museum as the figures came to life to describe their background, accomplishments, and significance. 

Middle School Humanities: The Renaissance 1
Teachers as Wax Museum figures Miguel dey Cervantes and Sir Francis Bacon.
Middle School Humanities: The Renaissance 2
William Shakespeare comes to life for Upper Elementary

While researching their Renaissance figures, the middle school students drew on strategies gleaned from previous years. For example, many chose to cut up their notecards and rearrange them as the information would appear in their essays. This made it simple to experiment with different ways of organizing and presenting information.

At the conclusion of the unit, students reflected on the Wax Museum with enthusiasm for the opportunity to bring the character to life. While the abstract ideas explored in their research and essays were impressive, the concrete nature of the wax museum project worked to enrich their learning.

Middle School Humanities: The Renaissance 3
A student using cut notecards to plan her essay

The Wax Museum

Middle School Humanities: The Renaissance 4
Albrecht Durer: German Printmaker, Humanist & Artist
Middle School Humanities: The Renaissance 5
Brunelleschi: Artist & Architect, designed the Duomo
Middle School Humanities: The Renaissance 6
Gutenberg: Inventor of the printing press
Middle School Humanities: The Renaissance 7
Isaac Newton: Key figure in the scientific revolution
Middle School Humanities: The Renaissance 8
Leonardo da Vinci: Artist & Scientist
Middle School Humanities: The Renaissance 9
Niccolò Machiavelli: Politician & Author
Middle School Humanities: The Renaissance 10
William Shakespeare: The Bard of Avon
Middle School Humanities: The Renaissance 11
Petrarch: Father of Humanism
Middle School Humanities: The Renaissance 12
Queen Elizabeth I: Iconic Queen, leader and patron of the arts
Middle School Humanities: The Renaissance 13
Michelangelo: Sculptor & Artist
  • Tweet
  • Pinterest
Middle School

Previous post

Middle School Teacher Awarded American Montessori Society Peace Grant
January 31, 2019

Next post

Middle School Student Newsletter, 2/1/19
1 February, 2019

You may also like

  • Quest Montessori Middle School Estuary Field Studies
    Middle School Estuary Field Studies
    23 April, 2021
  • 1 Primary Mixed Age Thread Needle
    Montessori Mixed-Age Classrooms
    28 January, 2021
  • Montessori Great Work The TiMontessori Great Work The Timeline of Lifemeline of Life
    Middle School Seminar
    18 November, 2020

Subscribe to
the Quest Blog

Sign up to receive the latest updates from the Quest Blog:

Subscribe

Blog Categories

  • Art (9)
  • Books (8)
  • Connected Home Learning (6)
  • Events (10)
  • Head of School Blog (16)
  • Lower Elementary (17)
  • Middle School (57)
  • Middle School Student Newsletter (33)
  • Montessori (15)
  • Music (4)
  • Narragansett Bay Study (5)
  • News & Notes (1)
  • Parenting (22)
  • Primary (17)
  • Quest at a Glance (9)
  • Quest News (71)
  • Quest Videos (14)
  • School News (74)
  • Toddler (14)
  • Upper Elementary (20)

Archives

  • April 2021
  • February 2021
  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • June 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • January 2020
  • December 2019
  • November 2019
  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019
  • March 2019
  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • January 2017
  • October 2016
  • October 2015
  • January 2012
  • November 2011
  • October 2011

Quest Montessori School

1150 Boston Neck Road
Narragansett, RI 02882

P (401) 783 3222
F (401) 783 3229

AISNE Accredited Montessori School Rhode Island
AMS Pathway
American Montessori Accredited School

Non Discriminatory Statement

In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discrimination based on race, color, national origin...
Read more »

Title IX Policy »

Quest Montessori School · All Rights Reserved

  • Montessori
  • About Us
  • Programs
  • Admissions
  • Giving
  • Contact Us
  • Sitemap
  • Privacy