World History: Journey Across Time

"The Renaissance and Reformation"

Introduction
The Renaissance marked a time of renewed interest in art and learning. As you learned in this chapter, new perspectives on life brought the Middle Ages to an end. Europeans were interested in art and learning and the leaders of wealthy Italian city-states funded artists and writers. Perhaps the most famous of these artists is Leonardo da Vinci. A true Renaissance man, Leonardo was a talented artist, learned scientist, and crafty inventor. In this activity, you will visit the Boston Museum of Science's online exhibit to take a closer look at the life and works of Leonardo da Vinci.

Visit Leonardo • Inventor • Scientist • Artist to take a step back in time.

Destination Title: Leonardo • Inventor • Scientist • Artist

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Directions

Start at Leonardo • Inventor • Scientist • Artist

• Click on "Renaissance Man."
• After you've read through this page, click on the sections titled "scientist," "artist," and "inventor."

1			Leonardo's interests were very broad. Eventually, he began recording his works in notebooks. List the four main themes of these notebooks (or Leonardo's interests).
2			How did Leonardo capitalize on his city-state's constant involvement in war?
3			Leonardo mastered the technique of perspective. He led the way in painting the human body. What did he do to learn about the human body?
4			Leonardo was a big fan of levers and gears. Which of his inventions were based on this concept?
5			The term "Renaissance Man" is often used to describe someone who is good at many, many things. Can you think of a modern Renaissance Man or Woman? Using a Venn diagram, compare and contrast your candidate with Leonardo da Vinci.