Mini-Research Topics for Renaissance – Background for Romeo and Juliet

All topics should focus on Europe between the dates of 1500 -1600

Due:______

Objective:Solo or with a partner, please complete a written mini-research paper 2-3 (pages) and produce a product condensed to 1-2 format pages, slides…. Your research must be relevant to and a reflection of a central research question. We will be reviewing Noodle Tools as a way of storing and sharing research.

Tasks:

Product: Some product suggestions may be a The Idiots Guide to The Great Chain brochure, Vogue or Seventeen fashion page, advertisement for a cure for what ails ya, , flyer for the latest weaponry, a wedding announcement, press release for Queen Elizabeth’s visit to the Globe, newspaper page for a famous criminal case, cartoons…oh, the possibilities are endless. These are just suggestions, of course. NO POSTERS OR POWER POINTS OR WEBPAGES OR SCRAPBOOKS OR FACEBOOK ON THESE, PLEASE. Match the product with the research topic.

Paper: Your paper must include at least two direct and two indirect quotes (paraphrase) complete with correct parenthetical citations. You must include at least one print source. You may use your text, books, journals, essays, and /or the books Mrs. Sloan has dedicated in the media center. You must also turn in a typed works cited page including at least four different reliable and scholarly sources.

Presentation: You must present your product to the class and in your presentation verbally explain what you learned in your research. You may not read off your paper. The information will be relevant to your study of Romeo and Juliet, so your classmates will be asked to take good notes and to be on the lookout for this information as it is relevant in the play. You are teaching the class, so keep in mind how you are successfully taught information and give your classmates the same care. Thanks.

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General Topics regarding the Renaissance period.

1)Queen Elizabeth I

2)Renaissance theater

3)Clothing/ Dress

4)Medicine/ Science

5)Marriage/ Dating customs

6)caritas vs. cupiditas

7)physiognomy/ the human body

8)the humors

9)the Great Chain/ man’s place in the world

______

10)Weapon

11)Astrology/ Astronomy

12)Laws/ justice

13)music/ dancing

The CENTRAL RESEARCH QUESTION:

What is my central focus of curiosity???????

How does ______relate to ______??????

Examples of research questions from general topics:

  • How did Queen Elizabeth react to the production of Romeo and Juliet?
  • How was the dating life of an upper class Renaissance teen similar to and different from my life?
  • How did people in the Renaissance regard and react to depression?