Notre-Dame de Paris

High school (ages 12+)
History & Culture

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/notre-dame-de-paris

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the location?Île de la Cité, Paris, France
2. What is the construction start date?1163
3. Why does Notre-Dame have flying buttresses?Flying buttresses are outside arches that help hold up the tall walls and ceilings. They let the walls be thinner and let in lots of stained glass, making the inside feel very light and open.
4. How do the rose windows light up the inside of Notre-Dame?The rose windows are huge, colorful stained glass circles. When sunlight shines through them, it creates a rainbow of light that fills the church and tells stories from the Bible.

Gothic Architecture: A European architectural style characterized by pointed arches, ribbed vaults, flying buttresses, and large stained-glass windows, emphasizing height and light.
Flying Buttresses: External masonry arches that transfer the lateral thrust of vaults and roofs to external piers, enabling taller structures with thinner walls.
Rose Window: A large, circular stained-glass window, typically featuring intricate tracery radiating from a central point, common in Gothic cathedrals.
Iconography: The visual images and symbols used in a work of art or the study or interpretation of these.