L28_cw_Film Ques-ch16_Reformation & Scientific Revolution

Martin Luther & the Protestant Reformation

Film Questions

Your responses to these film questions will form the foundation of, or supplement, your
notes for this lesson.
Dating back to the earliest fathers of the Catholic Church, the role of the Church and
its relationship to the secular world had to be defined and redefined. Great battles over
authority between pope and monarch (remember Gregory VII and the Holy Roman
Emperor?) made society turbulent at times. Outside the halls of power there were other
questions about the clergy and its responsibilities to believers, local rulers, and the Church
hierarchy.
The core values and concepts of the Renaissance makes the 'questioning of what
could not be questioned' possible. The Church was not spared from this inquisitive tendency.
The changes wrought by the Reformation are as striking and impactful today as anything
else emerging from the Renaissance. The impact is as much Renaissance as any
masterpiece of art.

How to Use Video as a Source

Step #1: Familiarize yourself with film questions prior to viewing the film. By reading the questions and understanding the
vocabulary contained within, you allow yourself the luxury of viewing the film without having to look at the questions continuously.
Step #2: View and Listen Attentively. Unlike a book, a video provides information via visual images and audio. Both forms of data
are more valuable together than separately. For example, turn the volume off on your TV during your favorite program. Then, raise
the volume while blacking-out the image. Under which conditions was the data most richly delivered? Always make sure that you
have unobstructed viewing of a film and that the sound is audible.
As you view the video, pay attention to visual and/ or audio cues that reflect the issues raised by the questions below. Your
responses should refer to video content as well as your current knowledge and understanding of history.
Step #3: Organize Your Thoughts. Unlike a book, the data from a video is often delivered at a constant rate. With a book, you can
slow your reading speed when you encounter a particular segment that is complicated. You can also turn back to a previous page to
review information. A film is a bit different in that you may not always have the option to use slow motion or rewind. Therefore,
maintaining focus on the imagery and sound is important. Targeted Notes will reduce the amount of time you're looking away from
the film. By writing quick and simple phrases of a few words each, you maintain greater attention to film events. Targeted notes use
key words/ phrases that will ignite a thought or idea when you read them later. There is no concern for grammar or spelling while
doing this. After the film has ended, you look at your targeted notes and manipulate the data to compile responses in complete
sentences.
Organizational Tip: Vertically divide the sheet of paper where your responses will go. On the left half, take targeted notes for each
question given. After viewing the video, use the targeted notes to compose complete responses to each question (on the right half
of the sheet).

SOURCE: Luther ©2003. MGM [~2 hours run time/ ~1 hr 15 min class time]
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Context
15th – 16th C.
Holy Roman Empire (Germany), Europe

1. What Church abuses does Luther witness in Rome during his visit there?
2. Pope Leo X (a Medici) has plans for raising funds to complete the
construction of St. Peter's Basilica. What iare those plans?
3. How did Luther react to Tetzel's fund raising effort, which was approved by
the Arch-Bishop of Mainz and the Pope?