read aloud project

I enjoy art history as much as I enjoy painting. With that in mind I bought a book Studio Projects in Art History. It is a simple way to incorporate history with art. Over the years my students have enjoyed the duality of the projects. The lesson I want to share is concerning the Italian Renaissance.
Students should have a slight background knowledge, but teaching high school is different than teaching lower grades. I begin reading excerpts to the class lasting approximately 8 minutes. We discuss what was read and finding other definitions for the vocabulary in the reading. We view maps of the region and even discuss what was happening in other parts of the world at the same tim. That's always an eye brow raiser.
In this particular lesson we discuss:
humanism,Renaissance, medieval(not midevil), Classical past, purpose, linear perspective , shading, foreshortening and grids.
We cover several standards in this lesson :
VAHSDRCU.2-UNDERSTANDING ART HISTORY IMPACT ON CREATIVE PROCESS
VAHSDRPR1-INCORPORATING ELEMENTS AND PRINCIPLES OF ART
VAHSDRAR.2-CRITIQUES USING PROPER DIALOGUE
VAHSDRMC.4-ANALYSING ORIGIN OF OWN IDEAS IN RELATION TO COMMUNITY,CULTURE,AND WORLD
If i dug deeper and wante dto pull out more I am sure we could go across the entire curriculum, but i stop here.

after our discussion we get to create. We do three to four projects referring back to the Renaissance and turning it it to a modern experience. My question to students is how is linera perspective improtant to us today.  answers range to the obvious- art production to medical advances in viewing the inside body to the weather channel. I do teach a wide range of thinkers in class.

If anyone would like to take a look at the book, just let me know. It can be modified for any level reguardless of prior knowledge.