Learning Unit+Lesson Plan_The Protestant Reformation

The Protestant Reformation
Materia: Storia
Autori: Silvia Pesetti (docente di Storia) con la collaborazione
di Antonella Cervini (docente di Inglese)
Istituto scolastico: Istituto Superiore Statale “A.Manzoni”-Varese
Destinatari:
Scuola Secondaria di Secondo Grado
Classe: III Liceo linguistico

Learning Unit Plan
The Protestant Reformation
Type of school/ Class
Subjects involved
Duration of Unit/ Number of lessons
Liceo / Third Year
HISTORY - ENGLISH
Four hours in the second term
TEACHING AIMS
● To make learners aware and build on prior knowledge
● To explain step by step the historical process which led to the most relevant crisis inside the
Catholic Church
● To make learners able to reason by identifying cause-effect processes
● To develop students’ high thinking skills by comparing and contrasting
● To improve the students’ awareness of achieving knowledge in a second language
● To improve the students’ capacity of using the specific language of the subject in L2
● To make learners realise the similarities and the differences between English and Italian language
concerning words and concepts
Learning outcomes
●
At the end of the units learners will
KNOW
BE ABLE TO
BE AWARE OF
causes, events, consequences
of the historical phenomenon
main principles of Lutheranism
and other Protestant Churches
religious and political war and
its conclusion
recognise the cause-effect
processes
use the specific vocabulary
linked to the topic
compare and contrast the ideas
in the Catholic and Protestant
theology
the relationship between
religion and politics in the 16 th
century in Europe
the peculiarities of English
history related vocabulary in
comparison with Italian
Prerequisites
- Papacy and Empire in the Middle Ages
- Investiture Controversy
- Challenges to the Church: Avignon Captivity and anticlerical criticisms
- The Anglican Reformation (explained by the English teacher in her lessons)
Content
●
The Protestant Reformation: background, events from the selling of indulgences up to the
war and the peace of Augsburg; the Lutheran doctrine and some notes about Zwingli and
Calvino’s ideas; the aftermath in Christian Europe in the second half of the 16 th century

Communication (vocabulary; structures; functions)
● interaction, progression in language using and learning
LANGUAGE OF LEARNING
LANGUAGE FOR LEARNING
LANGUAGE THROUGH LEARNING
key vocabulary
subject specific language
past tenses
future in the past
modals
if clauses
phrasal verbs
following instructions
asking questions
using appropriate connectives
to define
to describe
to explain
to narrate events
to read a map
to interpret an image
to interpret a written document
to hypothesise
to discuss an idea
to compare and contrast
to express an opinion
Cognition
● identifying causes and consequences
● comparing and contrasting
● making hypotheses and checking them
● accepting challenges and reflecting on them
Culture
● reasoning about the peculiarities of English and Italian language to define and describe some
historical concepts, understanding the different perspective between the Catholic Church and the
Protestant Churches
Resources
Computer, projector, LIM; worksheets, handouts , power point presentations (provided to the
students)

SINGLE LESSON PLAN
Learning Unit 1
Title The Protestant Reformation: introduction to the topic
Time 1 hour
TEACHING AIMS
To enable learners to activate and connect their prior knowledge with new historical developments;
make learners reason about the phases of an historical phenomenon
Learning outcomes (students will)
KNOW
the meaning of specific words
basic information to interpret
the starting context
Content
BE ABLE TO
identify in a paragraph the
main information
put the information in a logic
order
connect new information with
prior knowledge
find information using the
internet
BE AWARE OF
the fact that an historical
phenomenon has to be
understood considering
different aspects
• Concept of “protest” and “reform/reformation”
• Introduction to the topic
• Short review of the concept of “anticlericalism”
• Martin Luther’s biography
Communication
LANGUAGE OF LEARNING
key vocabulary
subject specific language
connectives
LANGUAGE FOR LEARNING
past tenses
future in the past
modals
if clauses
phrasal verbs
using appropriate connectives
LANGUAGE THROUGH LEARNING
to define
to explain
to discuss an idea
to compare and contrast
to express an opinion

Cognition
• Identify the right elements in a cause-effect process
• Connect previous knowledge with new data
Culture
Compare English and Italian specific terms and find similarities and differences
Resources
Computer, projector, LIM, handouts (materials for readings) and worksheets (with the activities
proposed during the lessons and the homework) , power point presentation
TEACHER’S NOTES
- Activity 1
Brainstorming about the concept of “protest” and “reform/reformation”, showing a
slide with a list of terms derived ; comparing and contrasting the Italian uses. The
teacher concludes showing the definitions of the historical terms Reformation and
Protestant
- Activity 2
The teacher distributes the handouts to the students.
Reading a text: “Introduction to the Protestant Reformation” (read by the teacher)
Scaffolding: glossary (handout)
- Activity 3
The teacher distributes the worksheets to the students .
Work in pairs: the students are asked to complete the mind map about the text; they
are invited to use L2 in their communication; in the end the teacher checks students’
solutions
- Activity 4
Individual work about the review of “anticlericalism”: the teacher asks the students to
activate their prior knowledge about the topic. Every student individually has to
complete the definitions on the worksheet. Finally the students check their solutions

comparing them with the other mates, discuss quickly and propose their answers to
the class
- Activity 5
Online research: the teacher invites the students to look for information about Martin
Luther’s biography. The Students are asked to do the research using the most serious
and reliable websites they have already searched and experienced in order to find
out the most relevant and useful information; in the end they have to organise it in a
table (Five Ws). This activity has to be completed as their homework
Learning Unit 2
Title The Protestant Reformation: the sale of indulgences and Luther’s criticism
Time 1 hour
TEACHING AIMS
To enable learners to connect and compare different elements of an historical situation; to make
learners used to working on primary sources and interpreting them; to improve the students’
capacity of using the specific language
Learning outcomes (students will)
KNOW
the doctrinal justification of
the sale of indulgences
Content
BE ABLE TO
identify the roles of the main
characters
use the specific language
work in groups, using l2
BE AWARE OF
the relationship between the
corruption and the weakness of
the Catholic Church
achieving new results also
through prior knowledge
The sale of indulgences
Luther’s protest: issue of the 95 theses

Communication
LANGUAGE OF LEARNING
key vocabulary
subject specific language
Cognition
LANGUAGE FOR LEARNING
past tenses
future in the past
interrogative forms
modals
if clauses
phrasal verbs
useful connectives
to follow instructions
LANGUAGE THROUGH LEARNING
to define
to explain
to interpret a written document
to hypothesise
to discuss an idea
to compare and contrast
to express an opinion
Structuring the information in a hierarchical order
Interpreting documents
Expressing opinions
Culture
the way to protest (publication, debate, preach, etc,) and the response to that (debate, compromise,
order to recant, excommunication, persecution, etc.)
Resources
Computer, projector, LIM, worksheets, handouts, power point presentation
TEACHER’S NOTES
- Activity 1
Homework correction, discussing with students the possible solutions
- Activity 2
General and short assessment of the level of understanding the contents of the
previous lesson through some questions asked both by the teacher and by the students
- Activity 3
The teacher distributes the handouts to the students.
. Reading of a text: “The sale of indulgences” (partly by the teacher, partly by some
students). Scaffolding: glossary (handout) and images (power point presentation)

- Activity 4
The teacher distributes the worksheets to the students .
Interpretation of a document: work in small groups on four theses, translated into
English. The students are asked to read the theses and understand what they mean; they
can try to solve possible doubts with a cooperative peer to peer learning and with the
help of an English dictionary (also online); then they are asked to answer some questions
(writing)
- Activity 5
The teacher assigns the homework : the students will have to finish the interpretation of
the document individually.
Learning Unit 3
Title The Protestant Reformation: Martin Luther’s ideas; from the debate in Leipzig
to the war and its conclusion
Time 1 hour
TEACHING AIMS
To make learners recall what they have already studied and understood; to enhance learners’
capacity of understanding historical processes; to involve students in a general discussion
Learning outcomes (students will)
KNOW
theological matters
remote and immediate causes
of the war;
Content
its consequences
BE ABLE TO
compare and contrast Catholic
and Lutheran beliefs
take part in a general
discussion
BE AWARE OF
the prior knowledge
the capacity of making
comparisons
Luther’s main ideas
The escalation of the crisis and the outbreak of the war
The Peace of Augsburg

Communication (vocabulary; structures; functions)
LANGUAGE OF LEARNING
key vocabulary
subject specific language
Cognition
LANGUAGE FOR LEARNING
past tenses
future in the past
interrogative forms
modals
if clauses
phrasal verbs
to follow instructions
appropriate connectives
LANGUAGE THROUGH LEARNING
to define
to describe
to explain
to narrate events
to interpret an image
to interpret a written document
to hypothesise
to discuss an idea
to compare and contrast
to express an opinion
Identifying the significant elements in a historical phenomenon
Expressing opinions
Thinking about the consequential development of events
Culture
The concept of religion war in our contemporary times
Resources
Computer, projector, LIM, worksheets, handouts, power point presentation
TEACHER’S NOTES
- Activity 1
The teacher distributes the worksheets to the students and give them ten minutes in
order to do the short test for an intermediate assessment. In the end the students have to
deliver their test to the teacher.
- Activity 2
The teacher distributes the handouts to the students.
Reading : “Luther develops his ideas”
The teacher explains the contents, rephrasing the text and introducing slide which
shows a comparison between Catholic and Lutheran beliefs.
- Activity 3
Speaking: checking the results of their last lesson activity (work in small groups and

individual homework), students are asked to integrate their answers with the new
information in a general discussion.
- Activity 4
Reading: “Luther’s teachings spread around Germany
- Activity 5
In connection with the reading the teacher presents a timeline to the students, recalling
the previous knowledge; then she clarifies briefly the succession of events according to the
cause-effect processes, including the outbreak of the war, the two parts involved in the
fight and the conclusion of the conflict.
Scaffolding: slides
- Activity 6
The teacher distributes the worksheets to the students and assigns the homework : they
will have to complete the table about Luther’s beliefs compared to Catholic teachings.
Learning Unit 4
Title The Protestant Reformation: the Protestant Churches spread all over Europe
Time 1 hour
TEACHING AIMS
To make learners aware of the activities performed; to make learners develop high thinking skills
by connecting all the information; to enable learners to outline the dynamics of the whole process
Learning outcomes (students will)
KNOW
the consequences of the crisis
between the Catholic church
and Luther
BE ABLE TO
watch a video understanding
the contents
BE AWARE OF
the fact that the knowledge has
been achieved through different
activities and using different
sources

Content
Spread of Lutheranism
Creation of different Protestant Churches
The fundamental points of the thought of Zwingli and Calvino
Few notes about Anglicans and Calvinists in England and France
Communication (vocabulary; structures; functions)
LANGUAGE OF LEARNING
key vocabulary
subject specific language
connectives
Cognition
Reading a map
Narrating events
LANGUAGE FOR LEARNING
past tenses
future in the past
interrogative forms
modals
if clauses
phrasal verbs
to follow instructions
logic connectives
LANGUAGE THROUGH LEARNING
to define
to describe
to explain
to narrate events
to read a map
to interpret an image
to interpret a written document
to hypothesise
to discuss an idea
to compare and contrast
to express an opinion
Understanding different points of view
Combining information
Culture
The variety of interpretations and beliefs within a religion; the relationship between religion and
politics
Resources
Computer, projector, LIM, worksheets, handouts, power point presentation, video
TEACHER’S NOTES
- Activity 1
Homework correction, discussing with students the possible solutions
- Activity 2
Revision: listening.

The teacher distributes the worksheets to the students and ask them to watch and listen
carefully to the video. The students watch the video twice; in the end they complete the
sentences on the worksheet.
- Activity 3
The teacher distributes the handouts to the students.
Reading of a text: “The Protestant Reformation spread in Europe” (read partly by the
teacher, partly by some students).
Scaffolding: images and definitions(power point presentation).
- Activity 4
The students have to do individually the comprehension exercise, combining the
information in the text, in the map (slide) and their general knowledge (English
literature programme)
- Activity 5
The teacher assigns the revision of the units as homework, following the instructions on
the worksheet.
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