The students arrive in language arts class ready to begin an investigation
of the Renaissance as preparation for a Shakespearean literature unit.
They are eager to begin working on acquiring knowledge in reference to
the Renaissance period during which Shakespeare lived, worked and performed.
The first week will be spent in the following activities:
The First Week in the Language Arts class:
discussing how to adapt 20th century dress to reflect the styles worn
during the Renaissance using the handout, Renaissance
Costume, as a guide,
reading and discussing the definition and history of guilds utilizing
the handout, "What are Guilds?,
as a resource,
perusing the handout, Apprentice Questions,
in preparation for making the decision as to which guild they wish to apply
for an apprenticeship,
reviewing internet search strategies,
utilizing and practicing divergent thinking skills,
The Second Week in the Langugae Arts class / Learning Center / Computer
Labs:
participating in a brief overview in the Learning Center of where to
find print materials (books, vertical files, reference materials, maps,
etc.), as well as accessing relavent CD-ROMs from the CD-Tower on the eight
available computers in the Learning Center,
brainstorming further about guilds,
accessing the world-wide-web in the computer lab (especially the school
website "Virtual
Renaissance") to gain a better understanding of the overall
Renasssaince Period.
choosing their character role to play and research based upon discussion
of the "What are Guilds?"
handoutand chosing a name from the period utilizing the Suggested Names List as a starting point.
applying for either a guild
card as an apprentice to a master in their chosen guild or an intern card as an assistant
to a gentleman in the liberal arts.
going over the List of Requirements
which will later be incorporated into their rubrics.
Applying for the guild card is not an easy task. By the time of the
Renaissance there were 21 important guilds. Members of the seven great
guilds were the richest and most influential businessmen:
The Arte de Calimala (guild of workers in wool)
The Arte della Lana (guild of wool merchants)
The Arte dei Giudici e Notai (guild of judges and notaries)
The Arte del Cambio (guild of bankers)
The Arte della Seta (guild of silk weavers)
The Arte dei Medici e Speziali (guild of physicians and pharmacists)
The Arte dei Vaiai e Pellicciai (guild of furriers)
The 14 lesser guilds were also something of a force, politically, if
not financially. These lesser guilds, ususally called the craft guilds,
included:
Butchers
Shoemakers
Blacksmiths
Builders
Secondhand Dealers
Wine-dealers
Innkeepers
Sellers of Salt, Oil, and Cheese
Tanners
Armorers
Ironworkers
Girdlemakers
Woodworkers
Bakers
Gentlemen were involved with one of the seven liberal arts:
Grammar
Logic
Music
Rhetoric
Arithmetic
Geometry
Astronomy
Students are presented with a listing of the guilds available. It is
explained to them that they will eventually need to play the role of both
an apprentice trying for his/her journeymen's rank and first job and the
role of a master reviewing the work of the apprentice in prepartion for
hiring. Because of this two-pronged approach and the duality of the roles
to be taken on by the students, they will be asked to form groups of 4.
Within each group, students will team into pairs. The entire groups then
have to decide to which guild they wish to become apprenticed for the remainder
of the project. A guild can only be chosen once by any group of 4 within
each class period. It is also explained to the students that within their
group of 4, the two pairs must keep the knowledge that they will acquire
a secret until the presentations at the end of the unit. This "secrecy"
reflects what actually took place during the Renaissance as competition
between guilds was very high and no guild wished to give away secrets from
his master's house.
(It should be noted that if at all possible, partnerships with
other classes in remote locations will be established with 2 from our school
and 2 from the remote school forming a team of 4 for a particular guild).
Once a guild is selected, the students have to go to the Guild Hall
site on the school's webserver and print out the appropriate apprentice
membership card from their guild's pages. They are now ready to "go
forth" and seek a master guildsman of their choosing.
The master guildsmen are composed of staff members who, holding the
position of master for several guilds if necessary, are given information
by the lead teachers of the project beforehand. This enables them to be
prepared to ask tough questions of those students approaching them for
inclusion into a particular guild. This master/apprentice relationship
will continue throughout the project, with students recieving proper "marks"
upon their apprenticeship cards for each visit to their "master".
Other mater/apprenticeship relationships will be established with real-life
experts in their particular fields which correspond to the nature of each
guild. E-mail and tele-conferencing will occur which will enable students
to access this outside resources.
Weeks 3-5:
The students are now ready to spend the next three weeks in the computer
lab and learning center investigating the skills and various aspects of
their chosen guild or liberal art through use of the school website, searching
the internet, utilizing material in the learning center, and investigating
appropriate CD-ROMs. They will also utilize the other resources available
to them within the school such as the art lab, the home economics facilities,
the science labs, etc. This will enable them to showcase their talents
at the Guild Hall in order to procure employment under prospective employers
who have come to hire the needed talent for various projects such as:
catering banquet feasts,
building cathedrals or hospitals,
forming an exploratory voyage,
designing inventions or tools,
engaging in scientific inquiry,
commissioning artistic works,
establishing a bank,
designing clothes,
mounting a theatrical production
During the 5th week, students will brainstorm in groups and as a class
what each of these projects entail (type of craftsman and liberal arts
people would you need to complete them). From this brainstorming chart
plus the Apprentice Questions handout,
the students will compose rubrics which list the criteria by which they
will be judged by prospective master guildsmen and/or liberal arts gentlemen.
These rubrics will be used to judge whether an apprentice or intern is
ready to enter the real world as a journeyman and be taken on by a prospective
employer. Since the students will be creating these rubrics, we have listed
only those parts of their projects which must be included on the List of Requirements sheet.
Each student will play both the role of a prospective employer as well
as employee. This will take place over a two day period as the culminating
activity for the unit. One day, half the students will display and demonstrate
the skills and knowledge they have obtained concerning their chosen guild
or liberal art. The other half of the students will take on the role of
prospective employers and armed with the student created rubrics, will
evaluate the quality of work done by students, giving reasons for their
decisions.
The scripts, products, and primary and secondary research sources of
those passing from apprenticeship to working status will be added to the
school's website by volunteer students in the following summer, to share
with upcoming classes and the world-wide community.
