Sample lesson · Art · Grades 9-12
The Italian Renaissance
High school art history lesson on the major Italian Renaissance artists and works, and the techniques they used: perspective, chiaroscuro, sfumato, fresco, and contrapposto.
- 25 questions
- 5 categories
- 10 games
The questions
Who Made It?
- Who painted the Mona Lisa?Leonardo da Vinci
- Who painted the Sistine Chapel ceiling?Michelangelo
- Who painted The School of Athens?Raphael
- Who painted The Birth of Venus?Botticelli
- Which architect worked out linear perspective and built Florence Cathedral's dome?Brunelleschi
- Whose Holy Trinity fresco was one of the first paintings to fully use linear perspective?Masaccio
Tricks of the Trade
- What do we call painting on wet plaster?Fresco
- What do we call strong contrast between light and shadow?Chiaroscuro
- What is the system where parallel lines meet at one point to show depth?Linear perspective
- In linear perspective, where do the parallel lines meet?Vanishing point
- What do we call Leonardo's soft, hazy blending with no hard outlines?Sfumato
- What do we call a pose with the weight on one leg, so hips and shoulders tilt opposite ways?Contrapposto
Masterpieces
- Michelangelo carved what famous marble statue in 1504?David
- Which painting on the Sistine Chapel ceiling shows God reaching toward the first man?The Creation of Adam
- Which Leonardo wall painting has flaked badly because it wasn't a true fresco?The Last Supper
- Which two ancient philosophers stand at the center of The School of Athens?Plato and Aristotle
- The Birth of Venus shows a subject from what kind of stories?Classical myth
Big Ideas
- What does the word "Renaissance" mean?Rebirth
- What do we call the movement that put human experience and potential at the center?Humanism
- What do we call the system of wealthy people paying artists to make work?Patronage
- Why do we call someone skilled in many fields a "Renaissance man"?Because of artists like Leonardo, who did art, science, and invention
Time and Place
- In which Italian city did the Renaissance begin?Florence
- Which banking family paid for much of Florence's art?The Medici
- Renaissance artists revived the art and learning of which two ancient cultures?Greece and Rome
- In which years did Michelangelo paint the Sistine Chapel ceiling?1508 to 1512
Plays in
- Quiz Board · The classic review board.
- Mystery Reveal · Guess it before the last clue.
- Tug of War · Every right answer pulls.
- Summit · Play it safe, or go for the steep climb.
- Heist · Steal to win.
- Claim the Grid · Get three in a row before anyone else.
- Board Race · Roll, hop, answer, race to the flag.
- Picture Unveil · What is hiding under the tiles?
- Escape Room · Crack the codes. Get out together.
- Rocket Launch · Fuel up, count down, lift off.
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