Try Styrofoam Printing

Try Styrofoam Printing

Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing press during the Renaissance. Before this invention, books were made by hand. The text was copied word by word. The printing press made the creation and distribution of books much easier, so more people could have access to books and read them. In this activity, you’ll try your own method of printing.
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A Different Kind of BattleField

A Different Kind of BattleField

From World War I

In the early years of WWI, army recruiters mined soccer games and rugby matches for recruits. According to historian Adam Hochschild, soccer games “proved the single best venue for recruiters.” Arriving spectators would see recruiters wearing sandwich boards bearing the message, “Your Country Needs You.” The game would start with a patriotic speech. Players often stepped forward to enlist, and fans quickly followed their lead.

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My World

My World

From Global Citizenship

Through the “My World” Survey, people can identify which of the 17 SDGs matter most to them. At www.myworld2030.org, you can take the survey and select six SDG priority areas. You can also view results by country to see what people care about across the globe.

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Create a Paleontological Diorama

Create a Paleontological Diorama

From Gutsy Girls Go for Science: Paleontologists

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Behind the Scenes

Behind the Scenes

From Gutsy Girls Go for Science: Programmers

Go Behind the Scenes!

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Reviews

Dig Magazine 
The Renaissance Inventors is one in the new series “The Renaissance for Kids.” Each chapter is devoted to an inventor: Gutenberg, Alberti, da Vinci, and Mercator. Sidebars, well chosen illustrations and photos, along with a variety of boxes (Fast Facts, Wonder Why?, Words of Wonder, Connect, History’s Mysteries, and more) combine with 10 hands-on projects to make this an unforgettable read! Other titles are: “Artists,” “Explorers,” and “Thinkers”! Have fun with all four!

Praise for other title in the series: The Renaissance Artists

Booklist Starred Review
“. . .This appealing package will attract browsers and be a boon to student researchers and their teachers.”

Kirkus Reviews
“The tone is conversational and provokes curiosity over fact mastery and passive consumption. A conscientious examination of the subject that encourages critical thinking, application, and broad perspective.”

Praise for Amazing Leonardo Inventions You Can Build Yourself

 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.”

 

Detailed Book Description

Why was the Renaissance such an important period of time in Western history? Who were the innovators who thought of the inventions we still use today?

In The Renaissance Inventors: With History Projects for Kids, readers 10 through 15 explore the period of European history from the fourteenth to seventeenth centuries while focusing on the biographies of five inventors from that time and the creations they brought to the world. The lives of Leonardo da Vinci, Galileo Galilei, Leon Battista Alberti, Johannes Gutenberg, and Gerardus Mercator are brought to life as kids discover the challenges these men faced and the discoveries they made using their critical and creative thinking skills combined with their passion for science and engineering.

With 10 hands-on projects that use the engineering design process, kids create their own versions of many amazing inventions from the Renaissance right at home. Fun facts, primary source illustrations, and links to online resources spark an interest in the Renaissance. Even without a time machine, learners can “experience” the Renaissance!

The Renaissance Inventors is one of a set of four books in the Renaissance for Kids series. Other titles in the series are The Renaissance Explorers, The Renaissance Artists, and The Renaissance Thinkers.

Try these STEAM projects from the world of the Renaissance!

  • Build an anemometer
  • Make a cipher wheel
  • Engineer a parachute
Available In:
Hardcover, $22.95
9781619306837
Paperback, $14.95
9781619306851
Includes: Table of Contents | Timeline | Maps | Glossary | Resources | Index
Specs: 8 x 10 size | 4-color interior | 112 pages
Content Focus: Language Arts | World History

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction
Invention During the Renaissance

Chapter 1
Johannes Gutenberg The Written Word for Everyone

Chapter 2
Leon Battista Alberti Writing, Painting, Architecture, and Science

Chapter 3
Leonardo da Vinci A Renaissance Man with Ideas on Everything

Chapter 4
Gerardus Mercator Mapping the World

Chapter 5
Galileo Galilei Astronomy, Math, and all the Tools We Need

Glossary
Resources
Index