The da Vinci Code

Scientist. Inventor. Painter. Sculptor. Architect. Cartographer. Mathematician. Maverick.

The list of attributes goes on and on. If I wasn’t referring to Leonardo da Vinci, this type of person surely seems too good to be true. Mythical, in fact. Really, who can excel in all of these subjects, and more?

Leonardo da Vinci is often referred to as the quintessential example of a Renaissance Man, or someone who excels spectacularly in a range of disparate subject areas. Far from being a dilettante, da Vinci is widely considered to have been a genius, and has left lasting significant contributions in fields such as medicine, art, mathematics, and engineering. Nearly 500 years after his death, da Vinci’s creativity, brilliance, and the sheer audacity of his ideas mark him as one of the greatest minds ever known. Contemporary scientists, inventors, and artists regularly cite him as an inspiration, and his relevance still reverberates today. In 1994, Microsoft founder Bill Gates bought one of da Vinci’s notebooks for about $30 million. This particular codex – one of 30 – contains da Vinci’s theories and observations on scientific matters such as fossils, air, the properties of water and rocks, astronomy, and celestial light. His relentless curiosity in various subjects is something that many students actively respond to.

Recently, I read of a new trend among some colleges and universities to shorten their degree programs to three years instead of the usual four. Electives and other classes not directly pertinent to students’ majors are dropped, thus enabling students to graduate a full year earlier. The reason, of course, is economic. College tuitions are staggering, and increasingly out of the financial reach for many families. I understand the motivation behind such a restructuring, yet what is lost to these students? For years, higher education has followed a classical model of education, with students taking classes in a variety of subject areas, with the goal of being well-rounded and, well, educated. Will we lose potential da Vincis – Renaissance men and women – as a result? What if da Vinci had only focused on painting, or only on medicine – would his legacy still loom as large as it does today? Or has the notion of a Renaissance education in the 21st century become antiquated?

Whatever the case, one of the beauties of learning about da Vinci (and there are many) is that he’s a perfect subject for cross-curricular studies. While he’s widely studied in art classes, his ideas in engineering, mathematics, and medicine in particular lend themselves to fertile exploration in a variety of subject areas. My picks this week focus on different aspects of Leonardo’s many legacies, which will hopefully spark some students to develop and nurture their own nascent ideas. We’ll also be featuring many more resources on da Vinci and his ideas on The Gateway’s Facebook and Twitter pages throughout the week, so please be sure to check in. Lastly, if some students have difficulty identifying with da Vinci’s dizzying array of attributes, you can always let them know that he, too, had his lesser moments: he was apparently a chronic procrastinator.

Breaking the Codex
Subjects: World history, Science, Language Arts
Grade: 4-6
In this lesson, students learn about Leonardo da Vinci and his legacy. The lesson contains activities in which students create advertisements in honor of one of da Vinci's inventions, and attempt to copy his mirror-handwriting technique. This lesson is part of the Time Warp Trio series produced by WGBH, the flagship PBS station in Boston. These lessons offer concise overviews of historical time periods, and include two activities, curriculum connections and standards, handouts, and recommended books and links. All lessons are linked to national standards.

Leonardo da Vinci Activity: Vitruvian Man
Subject: Algebra
Grade: 6-8
How can we trust a drawing? One of Leonardo da Vinci's drawings is called the Vitruvian Man. It is based on a model of ideal mathematical proportions. In this activity, students will measure each other, chart their data, and test whether their respective arm spans equal their heights. This lesson is offered by The Math Forum at Drexel University, which provides expert math help services, online resources for teaching and learning, and curricular materials.

Theft of the Mona Lisa
Subjects: Art, World history
Grade: 7-12
The theft of the Mona Lisa created a frenzy when it was stolen in 1911. In this lesson, students will investigate the question, "What is an icon?" They will compare their impressions and interpretations of the Mona Lisa to the hypothetical opinions of other people affected by this painting. This lesson is also a natural starting point for a discussion about which images have become, or will become, icons in the future, leading students to investigate the following Life-long Learning Question: What shared understandings does an iconic image communicate? This lesson is a product of PBS Treasures of the World, which highlights the stories behind various masterworks of art and nature.

~Joann's Picks - February 4, 2011~

The Art of Science

Leonardo da Vinci once wrote, “Study the science of art and the art of science.” As an artist, observer, scientist, and inventor, da Vinci showed us the importance of having a well-rounded set of skills and knowledge. Many of us aspire to create this kind of thinker in all of our students. 93% of Americans agree the arts are vital to providing a well-rounded education, according to a 2005 Harris Poll commissioned by Americans for the Arts. Meryl Streep asserts that “Young people who learn the arts do better in every phase of their lives.” Despite this, funding for art education is one of the first things many districts decide to cut when budgets are tight.

The National Gallery of Art provides online resources that students and teachers can use to incorporate art into classes in all different subject areas. The three resources Joann highlighted this week include abstract art, Dutch art and artists, and digital photography. If you browse through the NGA site, you might find some activities that will challenge the right side of your students’ brains. The digital photography resource, in particular, can be very useful to classes who are keeping a blog.

As of today, The Gateway has over 4000 resources related to the arts. When I narrowed my search with the keyword “art,” I came up with a list of 240. Many of these activities would be great for an art teacher in a school that still has funding to support this valuable education. For those of us who are not art teachers, there are some useful art-related tools as well. One collection that strives to incorporate the arts into many subject areas is ArtsEdge from The Kennedy Center. You can access this free collection on The Gateway with this link: http://www.thegateway.org/browse/4692.

The ArtsEdge compilation of resources allows you to type in a secondary subject to find lesson plans that combine art and your particular subject. This is similar to clicking on a secondary subject facet in a Gateway search. I thought math might be a hard subject to relate to the arts, so I typed in Math for my secondary subject. I came up with a list of 20 lessons that ranged from K-12 in the subjects of visual art and math. I was intrigued to see lessons about drawing with geometric shapes and patterns, architecture, measuring, and even using math to study one of Aesop’s fables.

I looked further into one lesson, “Mandalas and Polygons.” Mandalas are symmetrically-designed polygons and are a form of art in many cultures. This resource reminded me of my 7th grade math teacher, who was famous in our school for doing handstands and cartwheels in front of the class to keep us interested. (I haven’t personally tried this technique, but I remember loving it as a student!) At the beginning of our geometry unit, we made string art projects, or mandalas, to display in our room all year. This project was useful for illustrating how curves can be formed from straight lines. Students in the class really got into the project and the mandalas added a lot of color to our room throughout the year.

Have you done any art in your classes this year? Do you incorporate art history in any of your lessons? Browse The Gateway to see if there are art activities that can improve some lessons you are already planning to do. I’ll close with the wisdom of John F. Kennedy, "Above all, we are coming to understand that the arts incarnate the creativity of a free people."

~Peggy's Corner~

State of the Art

We all know that the current economy has forced schools to make some difficult cuts. In some districts, arts education is being downsized, or eliminated entirely. Throughout history, the arts have been central to people’s enjoyment and understanding of the world around them – art is deeply embedded in all world cultures. Art can be incorporated across the curriculum in a variety of ways: using different types of media to illustrate a book report, to highlight historical events, to illustrate or explain scientific theories – the possibilities are endless. The resources below are a sampling of some free online tools from The National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC, one of the crown jewels of American museums. Created in 1937 for the American public by Congress and financier/art collector Andrew W. Mellon, the Gallery has long been instrumental in educating visitors about art. The NGA – far from being a fusty mausoleum – has created the Art Zone, a neat nook on their Web site where users can create interactive art online. All animations require Adobe Shockwave.


BRUSHster
http://www.thegateway.org/browse/dcrecord.2010-03-22.7667464831/
Subjects: Art
Grades: K-12

Your students can get in touch with their inner Jackson Pollacks or other abstract artists with BRUSHster, an interactive painting tool that allows them to create art online. Colorful and easy to use, the program is appropriate for students of all ages and experience levels. BRUSHster offers over 40 online “brushes” of all sizes in addition to various textures and transparencies; there are also over 25 different special effects where students can blur, ripple, fragment, smudge, and blend colors. The program can be used to design screensaver art, as well as wrapping paper, notecards, and similar items. The “Auto” feature is a handy option for very young users, who may find the multitude of choices overwhelming.

Dutch Dollhouse
http://67.23.47.252:82/thegateway/recordBase/dcrecord.2010-03-22.4509012962/
Subjects: Art
Grades: K-12

Vermeer is one of my favorite artists, so I was immediately drawn to Dutch Dollhouse, an interactive 17th century Dutch house where users can redecorate rooms, add figures, and so forth. The various rooms of the doll house are representations of rooms in paintings by famous 17th century Dutch artists, and include a kitchen, art studio, courtyard, and other rooms. Here, students can change the lighting (day to night, for example), create decorative objects, and add, remove, or relocate objects from room to room. The program also includes a fun virtual lacemaker, an important economic industry for generations of Dutch.

Photo Op
http://67.23.47.252:82/thegateway/recordBase/dcrecord.2010-03-22.3574356762/
Subjects: Art
Grades: K-12

Photo Op is an interactive tool that the NGA bills as a “two-part introduction to digital photography and image editing.” The program allows students to use a virtual camera to capture images, and then edit them online. Users can employ the editing tools to radically change their image; features include the ability to warp, change color, mirror, and make collages from their images. In the process, students can learn about focus, lighting, shutter speeds, layering, filters, and image composition.

~Joann's Picks~