For the second year in a row, students in Mr. Pant's 7th grade world history class are taking part in their annual Renaissance Dinner Party. Invitations to the event invited guests to "The Regional School of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics," located in "the village of Dayton in the land of Ohio."
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| Christopher Columbus and Has Holbein discuss the Renaissance. |
What guests found when they arrived were not 7th graders, but "scientists, artists, statesmen, and explorers" who embodied figures from the Renaissance. The preparations for this party utilized Project-Based Learning to allow students the opportunity to take on the personalities of famous individuals from the Renaissance, including people like William Shakespeare, King Ferdinand, Niccolo Machiavelli, and more.
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The party featured five "Acts," beginning with introductions. After having the opportunity to get to know one another, guests transitioned to Renaissance conversations, which featured discussions about different accomplishments. Christopher Columbus, for example, thanked King Ferdinand for his "generous gift" that allowed him "to explore the New World." Next came the "agreements/disagreements" portion of the discussion. During this time students talked about who they would agree or disagree with at the table, learning about what beliefs they may share with others and who they may be at odds with. This was followed by a discussion of their impact and legacy on the world and ended with time for each guest to reflect and write about what they learned from the discussion.
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This dinner project came from the mind of Nick Pant, who wanted his class to understand how to empathize with historical figures and understand the effects of cultural diffusion. This year he said he tried to improve upon the project by having students "make connections between their lives and the Renaissance." One example of this included a "Modern Mona Lisa" project, which featured students bringing the Mona Lisa into the 20th century, complete with one student's depiction of the Mona Lisa selfie.
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| Peter Cooper's "Modern Lisa" |
The event was made possible with the help of many parent volunteers who gave up their time to come in and serve the dinner party guests.
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| Mr. Pant with parents Tanya Groff and Robin Stankas and their daughters, who came in to help serve! |
Another special guest was University of Dayton Professor, Laura Hume, who came in costume as Isabella d'Est, a "powerful female figure" from the Renaissance "who turned out to be more politically astute than her husband." Dr. Hume teaches Renaissance and Reformation history at UD. When asked how learning about the Renaissance through this type of activity differs from the traditional way history is taught, Professor Hume explained, "the doing (as opposed to just the seeing and hearing) is a different level of engagement, and it engages the kids in a way that makes them understand that these figures were real people; people who had an impact on our lives today. These were people who ate, talked, corresponded, and interacted; often with each other. They were real human beings, not just two-dimensional people from a book." Asked why she likes helping with the event, Professor Hume explained that it's a "delightful experience," and that these experiences are "meaningful" and "make an impression," and for some of them, which "may spark an interest in the period, or history in general."
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| Dr. Hume (AKA Isabella d'Est) discusses with students how Humanism played a large role in shaping attitudes and beliefs during the Renaissance. |
For next year, Mr. Pant is working with Dr. Hume and looking for ways to diversity the roles students play by trying to find more female historical figures for students to portray. After the success of the Dinner Party for the past two years, it's clear that this will not be the last time these historical figures gather at DRSS to share a meal!
