Through the investigation of primary and secondary sources, including written, digital and media sources, students in this lesson will identify, understand and be able to explain the details of the Roman Catholic Papal Conclave, its history and what role it still plays in the election of a new pope.

Through the investigation of selected primary and secondary sources, students in this lesson will identify, understand and be able to explain the basics of the Copernican or Heliocentric model of the universe, how Galileo picked up the idea and expanded upon it, and how heliocentrism challenged the established scientific and religious authorities of the time.

Through the investigation of primary and secondary sources, students in this lesson will identify, understand and be able to explain the details behind each of the Punic wars and how the Roman Senate used those conflicts as a stepping-stone towards the creation of a empire that would dominate the Mediterranean in the centuries to come.

Through the investigation of primary and secondary sources, students in this lesson will identify, understand and be able to explain the details behind the Lateran Accords of 1929 and how both sides used the agreement to solve the “Roman Question” vexing the Italian peninsula since 1870.

Through the investigation of primary and secondary sources, students in this lesson will identify, understand and be able to explain the details of the Pax Romana (Roman Peace), how the emperors of the day used their wealth to bring prosperity to the citizens and why the era ended in 180 CE with the death of Marcus Aurelius.

Through an examination of both primary and secondary sources on the subject, including various types of visual media in addition to electronic and written sources, students in this lesson will identify, understand and be able to explain what happened to Pompeii and Herculaneum as a result of the Vesuvius eruption of 79 CE, what archaeologists found when they unearthed the Villa of the Mysteries, what the different frescoes depict in the villa, and what the scenes depicted in the paintings might be able to tell modern visitors about Roman society in the first century CE.

Through an examination of both primary and secondary sources on the subject, including various types of visual media in addition to electronic and written sources, students in this lesson will identify, understand and be able to explain what happened to Pompeii and Herculaneum as a result of the Vesuvius eruption of 79 CE, what archaeologists believe the architecture, art and artifacts found in the cities can tell modern visitors about ancient Roman society, and what challenges conservationists might face in saving the ancient cites for generations to come.

Through an examination of both primary and secondary sources on the subject, including various types of visual media and electronic and written sources, students in this lesson will identify, understand and be able to explain how Tacitus, Suetonius and Cassius Dio each described the Great Fire of Rome in 64 CE and Caesar Nero’s possible role or responsibilities in the disaster. Students will also be able to explain how each ancient historian’s personal views might have clouded or sharpened his judgments on the subject. Finally, students will use the knowledge gained from this examination to develop an idea as to how to critique all primary sources.

Through an in-depth analysis of primary and secondary sources, students in this lesson will identify, understand and be able to explain the history behind San Marino, Europe’s oldest constitutional republic, how the tiny microstate was able to stay independent over the centuries, and what status the little republic holds today in the twenty-first century.

Through the investigation of primary and secondary sources, students in this lesson will identify, understand and be able to explain the story behind the School of Athens by Raphael, the techniques used by the artist to paint the masterpiece and how he used different images and people to convey his messages through the fresco.

Through the use of various primary and secondary sources, students in this lesson will identify, understand and be able to explain Michelangelo’s place in Renaissance art, how his famous frescoes on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel were created, and why those same frescoes are considered by many to be the very personification of Renaissance art itself.

Through the use of various primary and secondary sources, students in this lesson will identify, understand and be able to explain Michelangelo’s place in Renaissance art, how his famous sculpture, Pieta, was created, and why the statue is considered by many to be the greatest sculptural work of the Roman Renaissance.

Through the investigation of primary and secondary sources, students in this lesson will identify, understand and be able to explain the story behind the painting of the Last Judgment by Michelangelo, the techniques used by the artist to paint the masterpiece and how he used different shading, tones and images to convey his message of fear and dread.

Through the use of various primary and secondary sources, students in this lesson will identify, understand and be able to explain Leonardo’s place in Renaissance Italian society, the techniques he used to produce his masterpiece The Last Supper, how those choices ultimately doomed the painting to the ravages of the elements, and how different restoration and conservation attempts have fared over the centuries.

Through the use of various primary and secondary sources, students in this lesson will identify, understand and be able to explain Verrocchio’s place in Renaissance Florentine society, both in terms of the importance of his own artistic creations, especially his statue of David, and his link to and possible influence on his students, in particular a young inquisitive apprentice from Vinci named Leonardo.

Through the use of various primary and secondary sources, students in this lesson will identify, understand and be able to explain how the Medici family was able to come to power in Florence, how the family’s patronage of different artists and architects made Florence the very heart of the Renaissance and how the Medici family influence reached far beyond the borders of Tuscany to different countries in Europe and to the center of Christendom itself.

Through the use of various primary and secondary sources, students in this lesson will identify, understand and be able to explain Michelangelo’s place in Florentine society, how his most famous sculpture, David, was created, and why the statue is considered by many to be the personification of the Florentine Renaissance.

In this full analysis of Machiavelli’s literary masterpiece, The Prince, and through the use of various other primary and secondary sources, students in this lesson will identify, understand and be able to explain Machiavelli’s theories behind power and government, his ideas on how a ruler should deal with religion and the Church, and finally what he believed should be the relationship between a ruler and his or her subjects.

Through the use of various primary and secondary sources, students in this lesson will identify, understand and be able to explain Leonardo’s place in Renaissance Florentine society, his major scientific and artistic works, and how da Vinci’s thirst for knowledge and his genius combined to produce the ultimate “Renaissance Man”.