1. WORLD HISTORY READERS
Level 4-②
Leonardo da Vinci

2. Leonardo da Vinci Who was Leonardo da Vinci? What were his talents?
Leonardo da Vinci was an artist, an engineer, a sculptor, a scientist, and an inventor. He was also a skilled musician and writer.
What did Leonardo want to do with his life?
He wanted to make the world a better place.
Leonardo da Vinci
When and where was Leonardo born?
He was born in 1452 near a small town in Italy called Vinci.
What does his name mean?
Leonardo da Vinci means Leonardo from Vinci.
The town of Vinci, where Leonardo got his name

3. Leonardo’s Apprenticeship
How old was Leonardo when he moved to Florence?
He was fourteen years old.
What did Leonardo learn during his apprenticeship with Verrocchio?
Leonardo’s sculpture Horse in Bronze
A statue of Leonardo
He learned to paint pictures, make sculptures, and even design buildings.
What is one story about Leonardo, Verrocchio, and The Baptism of Christ?
They say that Verrocchio put down his brush and never painted again because he saw that Leonardo’s painting skill was better than his own.

4. Desire for Flight What ideas about wings did Leonardo have?
His first designs for flying machines had moving wings, just like birds. He then began drawing “fixed-wing” machines similar to the airplanes that we see today.
One of his drawings even looked like a modern-day helicopter with a blade at the top.
What is so amazing about these ideas?
He had these ideas 400 years before the first airplane was built!
Leonardo’s designs for wings and flying machines

5. What was Leonardo’s unique way of writing?
His Notebooks
What was Leonardo’s unique way of writing?
Weapon designs
Mechanical ideas
Engineering ideas
He wrote every word backwards.

6. What were some of Leonardo’s ideas?
Amazing Ideas
What were some of Leonardo’s ideas?
• the first parachute
• bicycles
• a robot
• underwater breathing equipment
• submarines

7. Despite his hatred for war, what weapons did he design?
A giant crossbow that would fire many arrows at once
A chariot with many sharp blades that could be pulled by horses
A tank

8. Drawings of the Human Body
How did Leonardo learn about the human body?
He spent a lot of time studying dead bodies. He learned how the parts of the body and the muscles were connected and how they functioned. He then drew all of this in great detail.
A drawing of a human skull
Drawings of the human body
Details of the arm muscles
How was this helpful?
The information was useful for doctors.
It also helped Leonardo make his paintings look even more real.

9. The Most Famous Paintings
What is Leonardo most famous for today?
Today, he is most famous for his paintings.
What are two of his most famous paintings?
The Mona Lisa
The Last Supper
No one is exactly sure who Mona Lisa was. Some people believe the painting was of the wife of Francesco del Giocondo, yet other people think it was of Leonardo’s mother. Some people even think Leonardo painted himself!
Who was the real-life Mona Lisa?

10. Leonardo’s Mistakes Which of his inventions had mistakes in design?
Many of his war inventions had mistakes in design.
Why might he have done this?
Some people argue that he put those mistakes in on purpose due to his hatred of war.

11. Leonardo’s Influence Today
What is a Renaissance Man?
This is a man with many talents and areas of knowledge.
Does this describe Leonardo?
Everyone wants to see Leonardo’s art.
Yes, he is considered by many to be the most talented man who has ever lived.
The Chapel St. Hubert in Amboise, France—where it is assumed that Leonardo is buried

12. Vocabulary muscle n. submarine n.
a piece of tissue inside the body which connects two bones and produces movement
submarine n.
a boat that travels underwater

13. Vocabulary bouquet n. monastery n.
a bunch of flowers tied together in a group
monastery n.
a building where men live as a religious group

14. Vocabulary architect n. robot n. someone who designs buildings
a machine that behaves, moves, and sometimes looks like a human

15. Vocabulary sculpture n. apprenticeship n.
a figure made from stone or metal by an artist
apprenticeship n.
a time when you learn your skill or trade from a skilled teacher