Big Era Six: Closeup Unit 6.7.1


		Complete Teaching Unit in PDF format

The Protestant Reformation
1300 – 1570

Why This Unit?

The Reformation was a movement that aimed at reforming the Roman Catholic Church. Instead, it resulted in a tumultuous schism that put an end to the unity of the Western Christian world. The Protestant Reformation led to a restructuring of the social system of Europe and changed the face of Christianity. The Reformation is the root of all the branches of modern-day Protestantism.

In nailing his Ninety-Five Theses to the door of Wittenberg Cathedral, Martin Luther, a Catholic monk and teacher, hoped to draw attention to what he saw as corruption in the Church. In particular, he objected to the selling of indulgences. Luther also objected to the Church’s teachings on a more fundamental level. He had come to believe that salvation was obtainable only through faith and was not something that could be granted by the Church. Luther’s actions began the movement that became known as the Protestant Reformation.

Unit Objectives

Upon completing this unit, students will be able to:

1. Analyze the factors leading to Martin Luther’s decision to publish his Ninety-Five Theses.

2. Describe the response to Luther’s call for reform.

3. Explain the basic teachings of Protestantism and how they differed from those of the Roman Catholic Church.

4. Describe the reaction of the Roman Catholic Church to Luther’s criticisms.

5. Trace the spread of Protestantism to other parts of Europe.

Time and Materials

The unit will require four or five single period lessons. A computer will be needed for the PowerPoint presentation.

Table of Contents

Why this unit?	2
Unit objectives	2
Time and materials	2
Author	2
The historical context	2
This unit in the Big Era timeline	4
Lesson 1: Vocabulary: The Language of the Reformation	5
Lesson 2: Martin Luther and the Protestant Reformation	10
Lesson 3: Primary Sources: Martin Luther and Pope Leo X	13
Lesson 4: Review and Summary: The Church after Luther	21
Lesson 5: Calvinism	24
This unit and the Three Essential Questions	30
This unit and the Seven Key Themes	30
This unit and the Standards in Historical Thinking	31
Resources	31
Correlations to National and State Standards	32
Conceptual links to other teaching units	34
Complete Teaching Unit in PDF Format

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