Leonardo Da Vinci – Artist, Inventor, Scientist, Mathematician and Genius!
Born: April 15, 1452 in Florence, Italy.
Died: May 2, 1519
*How old was Leonard Da Vinci? How old would he be today? Involve kids in math in art!
 Style/Period: Italian Renaissance – what does this mean? Renaissance was a time period when paper and type
became available during the 1500s, therefore books and idea sharing were more available and ideas &learning
spread more quickly. Imagine, 500 years ago, paper was an invention!
 Leonardo da Vinci was an important person in many subjects like art, music, engineering, biology, and
mathematics. He mainly lived and worked in Italy during what is known as the Renaissance period, which is
known as the birth of ideas!
 Da Vinci loved to paint, sculpt, write, come up with new inventions, learn about plants, animals, and how the
body works.
 You might know his name from one of the most known paintings in the world, the Mona Lisa (Fig. 1). He had
several engineering achievements in his lifetime as well. Some of his most famous engineering achievements
was his own invention of a flight machine which resembles the modern day helicopter, as well as coming up with
the idea of a calculator, both of which did not exist in his time and were unthinkable to most people living in the
Renaissance era (Fig. 2).
 One of the reasons Leonardo da Vinci was such a great artist, engineer, and biologist is that he loved figuring out
how things work. He learned much of what he knew by observing things he saw and in nature.
 As a child, Leonardo da Vinci enjoyed spending time outside and would closely examine things he saw in
nature such as leaves of plants, seeds, bark, trees, bugs, or birds. To help him examine and remember the things
he saw in nature, he would bring a pencil and notebook with him and draw or paint detailed drawings of what
he was observing (fig. 3-4). He became such a great artist and biologist from drawing what he observed in
nature because when you draw things you see, you notice certain details that you might not normally notice.
 Main take-away: Leonardo da Vinci used his observational skills combined with drawing to help him better
understand things he saw in nature, as well as to help him draft up sketches of his inventions and new ideas.
Figure 1. Leonardo da Vinci. Mona Lisa 1503-1517. The Louvre. 2’6” x 1’9”.
Figure 2. Leonardo da Vinci, “aerial screw” c. late 1400’s.
Figure 3. Leonardo da Vinci, Study of horses c. 1490. Silver point on prepared paper, 250 x 187 mm. Royal Library,
Windsor.
Figure 4. Leonardo da Vinci, Flower study. Metalpoint, pen and ink on
slightly brownish paper, 183x201mm. Gallerie dell’Accademia, Venice.
Materials:
 Images of the work of Famous Artists mentioned in this lesson plan
 ……board (the cardboard) 5-1/2” x 7-1/2” & Long sheets (pre-cut to 11”x43”) of different colored butcher paper
or notebook that you want to create for your students. If using paper, please use drawing paper for projects, not
copy paper
 Elmers glue OR gluesticks
 Masking tape
 Fine Art Paper-suggested to use drawing paper
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Art Pencils- H&B
Art Erasers – art pencils don’t have erasers because there are no mistakes in art, but just incase ;0)
Rulers
Objects for discovery tables
Project: Discovery Notebook & Observation Drawings.
After discussing Leonardo da Vinci point out that Leonardo da Vinci always carried around a notebook/journal where he
would record his drawings of his observations from nature and as a draft book to draw out his inventions.
Discuss with the students how we can use our own observational skills along with drawing as a way to help us
understand how things work and even for problem solving.
Just like Leonardo da Vinci did, we can draw objects in order to learn more about those objects. Likewise, we can draw
out ideas in our mind to help organize and problem-solve how our ideas or inventions would work. For this project,
students will incorporate measuring.
1. Each student will get a set of materials to assemble their own “discovery notebook/portfolio” inspired by
Leonardo da Vinci. Teacher will show students how to assemble their discovery portfolio. (If you would like to
assemble your notebook in a different way, then skip to step 2).
How to make your own Discovery Notebook:
Start here if you want students to create their own Discovery Portfolio
1. Distribute to each student a piece of pre-cut butcher paper and 2 pieces of cardboard sheets.
2. Instruct the students to lay the paper horizontally in front of them.
3. Measure 3-1/2 inches from the bottom and make a small mark.
4. Fold the paper from the bottom towards the middle to the 3-1/2 inches mark.
5. Next Measure 5-1/2 inches from the left end and make a mark.
6. Fold the paper from the left to the right on the 5-1/2 inch mark.
7. Continue folding from left towards the right in a fan like fashion, lining each fold up with the first 5-1/2
inch measurement, until all the excess paper is folded under the first 5-1/2 inch fold.
8. When finished you should have a book full of pages with pockets on each page.
9. Take a small piece of masking tape to bind the pocket to the page at each end of the book.
10. Keeping all pages folded underneath each other, glue the first cardboard piece to the top of the book.
11. Next glue the second cardboard piece to the back end of the book.
2. Students use their discovery notebooks and observe and create drawings of objects while observing at stations.
3. Teachers set up discovery stations as follows: I try to create a station that 4 or 5 kids can be at at a time.
Imaginaion Station may need to be last. – Remind students that when they are drawing, they need to draw and
record quickly with observation, draw from what we see, not from our mind, we must look at the objects and
study them. Touch them, see how they react. – Use senses in observation. You may wish to have magnifying
glasses, gloves or other scientific tools for students to use at each station.
Nature Station – leaves, flowers, grasses, seashells, rocks, pinecones, other natural materials.
Machine Station – bike or trike, wagon, remote control cars, toy cars and toys that move, broken clocks or
watches, old wooden toys, computers taken apart, radio insides, etc…
Reflection Station – pool of mirrors on table for kids to look in and reflect on themselves.
Measuring Station – rulers, measuring length of grasses, seashells, natural objects, random objects etc…
Imagination Station – Students reflect and create their own inventions of machines. What did they see in their
observations that inspired their imagination and inventions?
4. After students have created drawings at each station, they will have a discovery notebook. Ask students to share
their favorite discovery or invention and choose to post one in the EVA gallery.
Takeaway? - Tell students to write problems they may have on a daily basis, inventions are solutions to problems.
Art is scientific and mathematic; there are rhythms, patterns, and many situations in which these subjects overlap.
Based on Utah State Visual Arts Core Curriculum Requirements (5th Grade)
Standard 1
(Making): The student will explore and refine the application of media, techniques, and artistic processes.
Objective 1
Explore a variety of art materials while learning new techniques and processes.
Observe objects in detail and portray them with greater accuracy in works of art.
Simplify the beginning of a work of art, using start-up skills; e.g. blocking-in, gesture drawing, stick figures.
Objective 2
Predict the processes and techniques needed to make a work of art.
Preplan the steps or tasks to achieve a desired image.
Use preparatory sketches to solve visual problems before beginning an actual work of art.
Objective 3
Handle art materials in a safe and responsible manner.
Practice appropriate behavior with sharp or dangerous tools at all time
Dispose of waste materials in keeping with EPA standards and appropriate recycling methods.
Clean and put back to order art making areas after projects.
Respect other students’ artworks as well as one’s own.
Standard 4
(Contextualizing): The student will interpret and apply visual arts in relation to cultures, history, and all learning.
Objective 3
Recognize the connection of visual arts to all learning.
Collaborate in small groups to discover how works of art reveal the history and social conditions of our nation.
Describe how science has employed and benefited from the use of artists; e.g. the artists documentation and
observation of biology (flowers, plants, trees, insects, animals), observing and recording certain mechanisms such as the
flight of a bird to incorporate and inspire new inventions such as the idea of a helicopter or airplane, da Vinci’s use of
drawing to help him organize, conceptualize, and create his inventions.