Reformation Webquest

With the posting of his Ninety-Five Theses, Martin Luther set in motion not only a drastic change in religion, but in politics and society all over Europe. Europe, as well as the rest of the world, has never been the same since. This WebQuest has you explore and analyze the causes of the Protestant Reformation as well as the short and long-term effects of it including today. 

It was the cause of numerous deaths, wars, movements, expulsions, emigrations,  and changes in thought. Some deemed it as heresy while others saw it as just. For many it started with just one man, regardless if what happened was his intention or not.

Due to his overwhelming animosity and agitation towards the Catholic Church, particularly in regards to indulgences, Martin Luther wrote his Ninety-Five Theses and reportedly nailed them to the doors of a church in Germany on October 31st, 1517. This document sought to point out various practices within the Catholic Church that Luther saw to be corrupt. Soon after, his theses were published and the arguments within it sparked the Protestant Reformation. It spread swiftly throughout Europe causing not only religious schisms, but political ones as well that have had ramifications lasting even to this day. The Protestant Reformation changed the way man looked not only at the papacy, or Catholicism, but also at Christianity. For many this signaled the end of the so-called Middle Ages and the start of the Renaissance.

This WebQuest will have you explore the causes of the Protestant Reformation as well as the effects.

YOU are the historian! You will be working  to answer several questions. Your goal is to go through provided resources to find the causes as well as the short-term, long-term, and permanent ramifications of the Protestant Reformation. You will be charged with the job of political advisors to a European monarch during the 16th century. Your role is to cooperatively come up with political, social, and economic reasons for allowing or condemning Protestantism in your country and present your arguments to your monarch. After this you will then write an address to your monarch explaining why you would support or be against the Reformation. 

Below are several links that you should explore at this point.

1. http://www.theopedia.com/protestant-reformation

2. http://www.fsmitha.com/h3/h18-eu.html

3. http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/12700b.htm 

4. http://www.socialstudiescms.com/renaissance-and-reformation

5. https://www.britannica.com/event/Reformation 

6. https://sites.google.com/site/protestantreformationwebquest/luther-posts-his-95-theses

7. http://www.pbs.org/empires/martinluther/about_driv.html

Let's begin!

Go through the several Internet resources provided (on the Task page).  Feel free to use other resources, but please run them by the teacher to make sure they are appropriate and credible.  When going through the resources you and your group should answer these following questions:

1. What was the Reformation? 
2. Who was for it, who opposed it, and why?
3. Who was Martin Luther?
4. What were Luther's problems with the Catholic Church?
5. Who was Pope Leo X and what was his role in the Reformation?
6. What happened to the Catholic Church as a result of this?
7. Was Martin Luther happy with the results of the Reformation? 
8. How has it shaped the world, as we know it today? 

This is where you will be stepping into the shoes of political advisors to a European monarch.  It is your duty to come up with reasons in support of or in opposition to allowing Protestantism in your country.  You must create a well-balanced argument to present to your monarch that considers and addresses the political, social, and economic well being of your country.  This is a difficult task but your country's counting on you to cooperatively come up with a side!  Other resources than the ones provided may be necessary and are allowed to tackle this issue. Once you all have collaboratively created an argument, you can move on to writing your argument. It is an individual task.  You will be writing a short amount (1  paragraph minimum) exploring the issue of the Protestant Reformation.

You have explored the web and other resources to get to the bottom of the Protestant Reformation.  Through research, group work, and individual work you have sought out and found the causes ad the political, social, and economic consequences of the Reformation throughout Europe in the 16th century.  You were able to share your arguments and absorb your group's in or order to tackle a 16th century issue.  You've even traced the Reformations ramifications all the way to today and were hopefully able to see the way it shaped the modern world.  Congratulations!