Many school districts introduce Renaissance literature in 10th grade. Students may be surprised to find that some Renaissance textbooks discuss current social issues. For example, Shakespeare's "As You Like It" or Marlowe's "Edward II" deal with issues of homosexuality. Have students compare the discussion of these issues as the authors saw them with modern concerns surrounding the issue. For example, ask the students to explore how the characters in the Renaissance play or book reacted to poverty compared with how modern Americans react to poverty.
Renaissance art continues to influence modern art in many ways. The use of color and light, as well as a renewed concern with realism when depicting the human anatomy, continue in many types of painting and sculpting today. The students can identify these connections by choosing their favorite example of Renaissance art and finding a piece of art from the 20th or 21st centuries that has similarities to the Renaissance art. For example, students can compare the two works in terms of their treatment of the human form, the use of color or techniques.
The Renaissance was a time of renewed interest in classical Greek philosophy and the birth of new philosophical schools of thought, such as the naturalist school of philosophy. Tenth-grade students can learn the fundamentals of a sampling of these schools of thought and apply them to modern ways of thinking. For example, the naturalist school of thought held that the natural world was worthy of study because it is God's creation. Students can compare this rationale for science and the study of nature with modern reasons to study biology and medicine.
Many modern business practices had their roots in the Renaissance. This includes the use of patrons to help artists gain recognition and the birth of the small business trade and the merchant class. Tenth-graders can study one particular class of person, such as a small tradesman or a wealthy merchant, and give a presentation to the class about the person's job, lifestyle and importance in the community. This will help students learn about how Renaissance life differed from modern life, and how the Renaissance era shaped modern society and business.