The Science and Technology of Leonardo da Vinci

by Elizabeth Pagel-Hogan, Micah Rauch (Illustrator)

Overview

A science biography that examines the life and work of Leonardo da Vinci and offers kids the opportunity to make their own designs and inventions with hands-on activities!

Leonardo da Vinci is famous for the Mona Lisa and other works of art. His other claim to fame? Being an inventor!

During the Renaissance, inventors and other creative thinkers designed and constructed many new things. It was a time of discovery, wonder, and exploration. And one of the people on the forefront of that awakening was Leonardo da Vinci. In The Science and Technology of Leonardo da Vinci, readers ages 9 through 12 explore the life of one of the world’s most amazing minds. They discover what it might have been like to live in the fourteenth century, when work, entertainment, medicine, travel, and food were very different. They ponder the same kinds of questions that drove Leonardo to tinker and experiment endlessly, even while creating artwork that influenced entire generations who came after him. What is the inside of the body like? How might humans fly? How can geometry be used to design stronger buildings?

His dedication to invention, experimentation, and art, along with his insatiable curiosity, gave the world new insight into anatomy, botany, engineering, and much more. Kids gain these same insights through hands-on STEM activities, essential questions, text-to-world connections, and links to online resources, including primary sources, that encourage readers to take a closer look at the world of the Renaissance.

The Science and Technology of Leonardo da Vinci is part of a set of three Build It Science Biographies that capture the curiosity of three science revolutionaries who were able to glimpse beyond the limits of human experience and make discoveries that continue to resonate today. Other titles in this set include The Science and Technology of Ben Franklin and The Science and Technology of Marie Curie.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781647410124
Publisher:	Nomad Press
Publication date:	05/15/2021
Series:	Nomad Press Build It Yourself Series
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	128
Lexile:	860L (what's this?)
File size:	79 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	9 - 12 Years

About the Author

Elizabeth Pagel-Hogan is an author and science educator. She is the author of several science fiction and non-fiction pieces for magazines, including Highlights for Children and Muse. For many years, she taught science and technology as an educator for Carnegie Science Center. She lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Micah Rauch is a freelance graphic designer and illustrator from the beautiful state of Montana. He received a BFA in graphic design from Montana State University in Bozeman, Montana, and is the illustrator of Crazy Contraptions: Build Rube Goldberg Machines that Swoop, Spin, Stack, and Swivel; Fairground Physics: Motion, Momentum, and Magnets; and Kitchen Chemistry: Cool Crystals, Rockin’ Reactions, and Magical Mixtures.

Table of Contents

Timeline

Intro: Meet Leonardo da Vinci

Chapter 1: Leonardo's Art
Make Your Own Zibaldone Notebook
Mix Your Own Tempera
Test Different Paint Pigments
Experiment with Your Own Food Coloring

Chapter 2: Civil Engineering: From Bridges to Tanks
Design and Test a Catapult
Map Your Neighborhood
Build a Bridge with Maximum Capacity

Chapter 3: Getting Under the Skin: Anatomy
Measure Human Proportions
Make a Camera Obscura
Make a Working Model of a Joint
Test Your Reflexes
Examine and Draw a Plant

Chapter 4: Visualizing Numbers: Mathematics
Construct a Rubber Band Box Lute
Work with Perspective
Design a Water clock
Experiment with Friction

Chapter 5: Astronomy & Light
Design a Sundial
Map the Phases of the Moon

Chapter 6: Taking Flight
Test Parachute Designs
Make a Paper Copter Glider
Design an Anemometer
Build a Bird Feeder to Observe Birds

Glossary
Metric Conersions
Resources
Essential Questions
Selected Bibliography
Index

Editorial Reviews

Praise for books in the The Renaissance for Kids series

The Renaissance Artists by Diane C. Taylor

Booklist Starred Review
This is a wonderfully enticing introduction to the Renaissance via the lives of five artists: Michelangelo, da Vinci, Titian, Botticelli, and Raphael. . .. This appealing package will attract browsers and be a boon to student researchers and their teachers.

The Renaissance Inventors by Diane C. Taylor

Dig Magazine
"The Renaissance Inventors is one in the new series "The Renaissance for Kids." Each chapter is devoted to an inventor: Gutenberg, Alberti, da Vinci, and Mercator. Sidebars, well-chosen illustrations and photos, along with a variety of boxes (Fast Facts, Wonder Why?, Words of Wonder, Connect, History’s Mysteries, and more) combine with 10 hands-on projects to make this an unforgettable read!"

Praise for other titles in the Build It Yourself series

Amazing Leonardo da Vinci Inventions You Can Build Yourself by Maxine Anderson

The New York Times Book Review
"Anderson regales us with tales of Leonardo's brilliant, often mischievous nature, and the nearly unfathomable range of his inventions."

School Library Journal
"A welcome addition to schools."

Booklist
"At the heart of the book . . . is Leonardo’s never-ending quest for knowledge. Imparting this curiosity to readers are 23 activities and experiments with lists of supplies, step-by-step directions, and ways to 'Think like Leo!' In the process, readers learn about Da Vinci’s genius and the relationship among STEAM’s components."

From the Publisher

04/01/2021

Gr 4–6—These combination biographies/experiment guides are a unique way to introduce famous scientific figures. A time line of significant events is followed by an introduction to the scientist. Details of their work are interspersed with suggested activities. Readers might design swim paddles as Ben Franklin did, build a catapult like Leonardo da Vinci, or even research medical technology like Marie Curie's X-ray vans. QR codes lead to primary sources, and suggested keywords for further internet searches are listed in the back matter. Essential questions encourage reflection on the material. "Words to Know" are defined in sidebars as well as in the glossary. The Curie title's experiments are less closely tied to her work due to its dangerous nature, but the book mentions several other famous female scientists readers might wish to know about. VERDICT An interesting way to provide readers with details of the life and work of famous scientists.

School Library Journal