Amazing Leonardo da Vinci Inventions You Can Build Yourself

Grade 5-8-Anderson has combined biography with doable activities that mirror ideas found in Leonardo s notebooks. Using common household objects (duct tape, foil, cereal boxes, paper-towel tubes, etc.), readers can make a parachute, hydrometer, invisible ink, walk-on-water shoes, etc. Anderson introduces each project with an explanation of why Leonardo came up with the idea and whether he created just the sketch or the sketch and the object. Detailed steps and illustrations provide clarity. Adult supervision is noted where appropriate. Readers will probably be more interested in the activities than in Leonardo s life and the Renaissance background that Anderson provides, but this title will be a welcome addition to schools in which cross-curricular teaming is in place. Science classes can re-create Leonardo s ideas while English classes can read excerpts from his notebooks and history classes can discuss the Renaissance.