"Human subtelty will never devise an invention more beautiful,
more simple or more direct than does Nature, because in her inventions, nothing is lacking and nothing is superfluous."
Leonardo da Vinci

If you think Leonardo da Vinci's most important work was primarily as an inventor, your final project will be a multimedia presentation that includes words, images and music supporting your view.  You will show his work as an inventor, keeping in mind the following questions as you do your research and collect your images:

1.  What is the definition of a machine?
2.  What new ideas about machines did Leonardo have?  What types of machines interested him the most?  
3.  What kind of building materials were available to Leonardo da Vinci?  How did that influence the design and success of his new machines?
4.  How did Leonardo's machines compare with other inventions of his time?   What was the Renaissance?
5.  Who sponsored Leonardo da Vinci's work, and what did they hope to gain from his knowledge? 
6.  Are Leonardo's designs still useful today?  What have you learned from Leonardo da Vinci that could this help you with inventions of your own?

You may use the following web sites to complete your assignment:

KIDS SITES
Inventor's Workshop http://www.mos.org/sln/Leonardo/InventorsWorkshop.html
Leonardo's Mysterious Machines http://www.mos.org/sln/Leonardo/LeosMysteriousMachinery.html
Elements of Machines http://www.mos.org/sln/Leonardo/InventorsToolbox.html

RESEARCH SITES
Leonardo's Machines http://www.museoscienza.org/english/leonardo/
The British Library http://www.bl.uk/whatson/exhibitions/leonardo/leonardo.html
da Vinci Invented Natural Plastic http://www.smithhopen.com/News/news_briefs_display.asp?ID=392 
Renaissance Man:Inventor http://inventors.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?site
=http://www.mos.org/leonardo/inventor.html
Leonardo da Vinci Collection http://www.lib.stevens-tech.edu/collections/davinci/inventions/index.html
Civil Machines http://www.lairweb.org.nz/leonardo/clocks.html
War Machines http://www.lairweb.org.nz/leonardo/armoured.html
da Vinci Invented Car Forerunner http://www.thesupernaturalworld.co.uk/index.php?act=main&code=01&type=00&topic_id=360

The Question of Leonardo's Bicycle http://www.kausal.com/leonardo/bicycle.html
Leonardo da Vinci Bicycle Hoax http://users.aol.com/pryordodge/Leonardo_da_Vinci.html
The Leonardo da Vinci Bicycle Hoax http://www.cyclepublishing.com/history/leonardo%20da%20vinci%20bicycle.html

Did da Vinci Invent the Car? http://www2.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2004-04/25/content_326077.htm

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