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Amazing Leonardo da Vinci Inventions You Can Build Yourself
Kids Learn the History of Leonardo and the Renaissance
From fantastic flying machines and webbed gloves, to "plastic glass" and
self-propelled tanks, this new book by
Maxine Anderson brings to life one of the world's most visionary inventors through hands-on
building projects. Amazing Leonardo da Vinci Projects You Can
Build Yourself explores the life, times, and ideas of Leonardo da
Vinci through more than 30 building and crafts projects that focus
on Leonardo's amazing inventions.
Children are introduced to the
major figures and discoveries of the Italian Renaissance as they learn how to build
inventions such as a camera obscura, shoes that allow kids to walk on water, a "helical air
screw," and more. Most of the building can be done with simple household supplies and
minimal adult supervision, and the result is a working model of the original invention.
Detailed, step-by-step instructions, illustrations and diagrams, and templates for each
project are interspersed with historical facts, biographies, anecdotes, and trivia about the
real-life models, offering kids and adults alike a hands-on way to experience the remarkable
genius of Leonardo da Vinci.
Interesting Facts about Leonardo da Vinci
(Adapted from Amazing Leonardo da Vinci Inventions
You Can Build Yourself)
- Leonardo loved animals: he was a vegetarian, and it is said that he would
walk through the markets in Florence and buy caged birds so he could let
them go free.
- Leonardo often made lists of things he wanted to learn more about it, and he
usually started the lists with the phrase, "Tell me."
- Leonardo and Michelangelo (the artist who painted the ceiling of the Sistine
Chapel and carved the world's most famous statue of David) both lived and
worked in Florence at the same time-and hated each other.
- Leonardo had seventeen half brothers and sisters.
- Leonardo designed the first automobile, which ran on clockworks.
- Leonardo played the lute and sang beautifully.
- Leonardo dissected human corpses in order to study anatomy.
- Leonardo's painting of the Mona Lisa is the world's most vandalized work of
art.
- The Mona Lisa was originally larger than it is today-Leonardo had originally
painted two columns surrounding the figure of the seated woman, but at some
time those columns were cut off.
- Not a single sculpture by Leonardo exists today-at least not that anyone
knows about!
- Leonardo was left-handed and wrote in what is called "mirror writing." He
wrote from right to left, instead of left to right, and all of his words were
backwards-if you held it up to a mirror you could read it perfectly. Some
historians think Leonardo wrote this way to keep others from spying on his
ideas, while others think it's just that he was left handed and writing
backwards kept his ink from smudging.
- During the Renaissance, most people were given only a first name when they
were born. Leonardo da Vinci means "Leonardo, from Vinci."
Return to Famous Artist Materials.
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Children explore the incredible mind of Leonardo da Vinci through hands-on building projects and activities. Detailed step-by-step instructions and diagrams for projects from armored tanks and gliders to drawing machines are presented with historical facts about Leonardo and the Renaissance. A wonderful book focusing on inventions in their historical context. For students ages 8 and up....Size: 8 x 10, paper, 128 pages, two-color fully illustrated.
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