Amazing Leonardo da Vinci Inventions: You Can Build Yourself (Build It Yourself)

Category: Books,Crafts, Hobbies & Home,Crafts & Hobbies

Amazing Leonardo da Vinci Inventions: You Can Build Yourself (Build It Yourself) Details

From School Library Journal 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.-Delia Carruthers, Sunset Ridge Middle School, West Jordan, UT Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Read more Review 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"Old Schoolhouse Magazine"Will keep the kids occupied with constructive activities and is sure to spur on their own creative inventions."Seattle Post-Intelligencer"More than an activity book, this nifty volume explores Leonardo's life, times and endless imagination."KLIATT"A pleasurable read. . . encourages the young reader to appreciate the unconventional pathfinder."Publishers Weekly"Bring[s] an immediacy to da Vinci's life and work."Science News"This educational guide gives children age 9 and up hands-on experience, using materials found readily around the house, with creating their own version of some of Leonardo's inventions."Calliope Magazine"Amazing Leonardo Inventions You Can Build Yourself by Maxine Anderson is a terrific resource, with its detailed step-by-step instructions, diagrams and templates for creating projects that Leonardo designed. The accompanying text introduces the reader, in a personal way, to one of the world's greatest inventors"Curriculum Connections"Anderson offers an ingenious introduction [to Leonardo] that cross the curriculum."Science Books and Films"The book is perfect for capturing a middle schooler's attention! Highly Recommended."Chosen as one of "Our Favorite Things" for the 2006 holidays by Family Fun Magazine—"Decoding Da Vinci's sometimes ingenious, sometimes outlandish discoveries proves to be great fun in Amazing Leonardo da Vinci Inventions You Can Build Yourself "Children's Digest"Experience the ingenuity of Leonardo da Vinci firsthand."Children's Literature"This is a book of fun and creativity." Read more From the Inside Flap Amazing Leonardo da Vinci Inventions You Can Build Yourself introduces readers to the life, world, and incredible mind of Leonardo da Vinci through hands-on projects that explore his invention ideas. Most of Leonardo's inventions were never made in his lifetime—they remained sketches in his famous notebooks. Amazing Leonardo da Vinci Inventions shows kids how to bring these ideas to life using common household supplies. Detailed step-by-step instructions, diagrams, and templates for creating each project combine with historical facts and anecdotes, biographies and trivia about the real-life models for each project. Together they give kids a first-hand look into the incredible mind of one of the world’s greatest inventors.But one might ask, how could someone who lived so long ago be so relevant today? This title brings an immediacy to Leonardo da Vinci's life and works. It makes it relevant to kids in that it teaches them how to think outside the box, and to explore their own creativity. Furthermore, Amazing Leonardo da Vinci Inventions meets Common Core State Standards in language arts for reading informational text. Guided Reading Levels and Lexile measurements indicate grade level and text complexity. Read more From the Back Cover "Amazing Leonardo da Vinci Inventions You Can Build Yourself" introduces readers to the life, world, and incredible mind of Leonardo da Vinci through hands-on projects that explore his invention ideas. Most of Leonardo's inventions were never made in his lifetimethey remained sketches in his famous notebooks. "Amazing Leonardo da Vinci Inventions" shows kids how to bring these ideas to life using common household supplies. Detailed step-by-step instructions, diagrams, and templates for creating each project combine with historical facts and anecdotes, biographies and trivia about the real-life models for each project. Together they give kids a first-hand look into the incredible mind of one of the world s greatest inventors. But one might ask, how could someone who lived so long ago be so relevant today? This title brings an immediacy to Leonardo da Vinci's life and works. It makes it relevant to kids in that it teaches them how to think outside the box, and to explore their own creativity. Furthermore, "Amazing Leonardo da Vinci Inventions" meets Common Core State Standards in language arts for reading informational text. Guided Reading Levels and Lexile measurements indicate grade level and text complexity." Read more About the Author Lauri Berkenkamp is the author of six books for kids. Writing under the pen name Maxine Anderson she has written Amazing Leonardo da Vinci Inventions You Can Build Yourself, which was excerpted in the New York Times Book Review and Christian Science Monitor, chosen as the #7 BookSense Children’s Pick for Summer 2006 and named Book of the Year by the Society for School Librarians International in 2006; Great Civil War Projects You Can Build Yourself, which was excerpted in Boys’ Life magazine and called “a fascinating gem of a book” by the New York Times Book Review; Explore Spring, and Explore Winter, which were chosen as Parents’ Choice Recommended Books for 2007, Discover the Amazon, as well as Discover the Oceans. Read more

Reviews

I have been using this book for a co-op with nine students (4th and 5th graders) at the request of the 4th -6th grade coordinator. I thought the students would hate several of these projects, but they have enjoyed making tempera paint, parachutes, webbed gloves, and water shoes. Honestly, I was surprised the kids enjoyed making tempera so much. We did crack the eggs and get messy so that's probably part of the appeal.The plastic glass project was a fail. Directions didn't specify that ultra pasteurized cream is also homogenized and will not work. I thought I was being careful by avoiding homogenized cream so this was disappointing. Thankfully the kids were unaffected because it was a secondary activity (an "if we have time" project).The helical air screw was a FAIL. We can make it look like the instructions, but there is no way it would fly because the spiral wouldn't stay put so it flopped around not the chopstick. Our class is one hour and I was extremely glad that I didn't bother to bring the launcher materials. I would have been livid if I had cut all the wood and predrilled holes for this dud of a project.The hygrometer was a successful build but no one bothered to hang it outside and test it. The monkey wrench project was enjoyed, but I think it's because I let them use hammers. Also I am looking for an alternative wheel for the armored tank. The directions say to use yogurt lids, but yogurt isn't sold with lids anymore in my town. I will be trying the baby food squeeze pouch caps out or wood circles.I don't think the description should state that templates are included as they are only sketched into the directions and not at scale. Perhaps I am assuming too much, but any other craft book with templates has a separate section of templates or includes a separate page or two with the shapes needed.I am regretting using this book as the spine for our course. I wish I had ordered Primary Physics because all of those projects worked, and I now have some trust in the author. If you decide to use Marti Ellen's book for a class, be sure to allow more time than you think is necessary. We did Roman Machines and it was very difficult to finish a build in a one-hour class period.If you are using this for a child at home, it might still be worth a look because the background info and stories are fun. Don't expect more than half the projects to work. There are several arts and crafts projects included that really aren't "inventions".