unit2 lesson3

The Renaissance

Lesson 3

Making Inferences: Leonardo da Vinci’s

Ideas and Accomplishments

Essential Question

What made the

Renaissance such a
cultural revolution?

Lesson Guiding Question

What is the
“spirit of the

Renaissance”?

TEKS

Reading
Students will make inferences about Leonardo da
Vinci’s ideas and accomplishments using
evidence from the text, “The Spirit of the
Renaissance.” TEKS 5.6.F; TEKS 5.7.E

Writing
Students will plan an informational paragraph
about da Vinci’s ideas and accomplishments by
identifying a topic, reasons, and evidence related
to the topic. TEKS 5.7.C; TEKS 5.11.A

Lesson 3 Objectives

Students will make inferences
about Leonardo da Vinci’s ideas
and accomplishments using
evidence from the text, “The Spirit
of the Renaissance.”

Students will plan an informational
paragraph about da Vinci’s ideas and
accomplishments by identifying a topic,
reasons, and evidence related to the topic.

Review

What do you remember
from other lessons about
Leonardo da Vinci?

Vocabulary

Lesson 3

Activity Page 3.1
Vocabulary

uncharted

That belief drove

Leonardo da Vinci to
explore uncharted

territory in many

fields.

unknown; not previously
explored or experienced

adjective

spirit

If we had to pick just one

person to represent thespirit
of the Renaissance, it might

be Leonardo da Vinci.

noun

the most important
characteristics or

qualities of something

genius

It didn’t take long

for people to notice
Leonardo’s artistic

genius.

noun

remarkable talent and

creativity

commission

The painting was

commissioned by the

Duke of Milan.

verb

to hire an artist to

produce a work of art

betrayal

Some scholars believe that, in

particular, Leonardo focused on the
betrayalof Jesus Christ and the part

of the story when Jesus made the
shocking announcement, “One of

you will betray me.”

noun

the act of being disloyal

to and dishonest with

someone who trusts you

fresco

The painting itself did not
last very long. Leonardo

experimented with

a newfrescotechnique,

using oil and varnish

mixed in with his colors.

noun

a style of painting in which the artist first
applies a layer of plaster onto a wall and

then paints directly on the wet plaster; once
dry, the paint and plaster become a part of

the wall

restore

Recently, artists and scientists
who specialize in restoring old
paintings have used advanced
techniques to try to make The

Last Supper look more like

Leonardo’s original creation.

to return something to an
earlier or original condition
by cleaning or repairing it

verb

refinement

In a book he wrote on
painting techniques,

Leonardo added some

refinementsto the
rules of perspective.

noun

a small change that
improves something

portrait

While Leonardo lived in Milan

for the second time, he painted
what may be the most famous
painting of all time, a portrait

called Mona Lisa. noun

a painting, drawing, or

photograph of a person that

usually only includes the

person’s head and shoulders

visionary

Leonardo da Vinci
was a man whose
boundless curiosity,
multiple talents, and
visionary imagination
summed up the spirit
of the Renaissance.

adjective

having a powerful or

far-reach

Reading

Purpose for

Reading

Read closely to make
inferences about
Leonardo da Vinci’s ideas
and accomplishments
using evidence from the
text, “The Spirit of the
Renaissance.”

Activity Page 3.2
The Spirit of the
Renaissance

Activity Page 3.2
The Spirit of the
Renaissance

Examples of “Man can do anything he sets his mind to do!”

Page

Example and Explanation

Area of Study (painting,

science, engineering,

sculpture, physics,

anatomy, etc.)

Activity Page 3.2
The Spirit of the
Renaissance

How is the spirit of the

Renaissance

represented in Leonardo

da Vinci’s ideas and
accomplishments?

This portion of the
text is different from
the text in the
remainder of the
chapter.

The italicized text is
an imagined
dialogue, or
conversation
between Leonardo
da Vinci and his
assistant, Carlo.

Record your explanation of
the quote for question 1 on
Activity Page 3.2 and record
this example of Leonardo’s
work on the chart in question
2 on Activity Page 3.2

How might this
illustration connect
to the story?

Explain this quote in
your own words:
“Man can do
anything he sets
his mind to do!”

What is the GIST of pages

20 and 21?

Check for Understanding

What sorts of tasks would an
apprentice artist do for a
master artist?

According to legend, what
happened after Leonardo
outshone his master?

Even as an apprentice, how
did Leonardo supposedly
demonstrate his “artistic
genius”?

Record and explain one
example from the text that
illustrates the quote in the
chart for question 2 on

Activity Page 3.2.

What is the GIST of the pages
we have read so far? Share

your statement with a

partner.

Check for Understanding

What is the GIST of the pages

24, 25, and 26? Share your
statement with a partner.

Check for Understanding

What does Leonardo’s attempt
to make man fly tell us about
his personality?

Based on this chapter, how is
Leonardo an embodiment of
the belief that man can do
anything he sets his mind to?

Challenge: How does the story
of Leonardo and Carlo from the
beginning of the chapter
contribute to our knowledge of
Leonardo’s personality? How
do the story and the text differ
in conveying this information?

Record and explain another
example from the text that
illustrates the quote in the
chart for question 2 on
Activity Page 3.2.

What is sfumato?

Where was sfumato
used in the Mona
Lisa?

What did the
technique of
sfumato add to the
Mona Lisa?

What is the GIST of the pages

27 and 28? Share your

statement with a partner.

Check for Understanding

Look at Leonardo’s
sketch, The Head
of a Woman (also
known as La
Scapigliata),
created around
1508, on the cover
of the Reader.

How is it similar
and different from
the Mona Lisa?

How did Leonardo create
depth in a flat painting?

How did Leonardo refine,
or improve upon,
Brunelleschi’s rules of
perspective?

What effect might the
addition of the landscape
(as seen through an open
door and windows) have
on the painting?

On page 21, the last line of
the 1st paragraph reads
“Man can do anything he
sets his mind to do...!”

Check for Understanding

Examples of “Man can do anything he

sets his mind to do!”

Page

Example and Explanation

Area of Study (painting,

science, engineering,

sculpture, physics,

anatomy, etc.)

20, 21

Leonardo’s creation of a
flying machine - because
no one had ever tried to
create a flying machine
before

Engineering, physics

Activity Page 3.2 Question 2

24-25

Leonardo’s creation of The
Last Supper

painting

27

Leonardo’s highly detailed
drawings of human
bodies
anatomy

Discuss what the phrase “spirit of
the Renaissance” means using
da Vinci’s accomplishments as a
starting point.

Write down your thoughts on
Activity Page 3.2 question 3.

Discussion

Answer
question 1 on
Activity Page
3.2.

Activity Page 3.2
The Spirit of the
Renaissance

“In a book he wrote on painting techniques,
Leonardo added some refinements to the
rules of perspective.”

After the students wrote the rough draft of
their essays, they worked with a partner to
add refinements to their essays, such as
more descriptive language or quotes from
the text.

Refinement means “a small change that

improves something.”

- refinement

.

- refinement

Think of a refinement you have
made to your own writing
recently. Be sure to use the word
refinement in your response.

“A refinement I made to my
writing recently was . . .”

.

- refinement

We are constantly making refinements to
what we do to make the next time go
better, faster, smoother, etc. Talk to your
partner about why people often want to
make refinements to things that are
already established.

What is a refinement you would
make if you could? Be sure to use
the word refinement in the
discussion.

Over the next two lessons you will be
planning and drafting an
informational paragraph based on the
information you read in Chapter 3.

Prompt:How is the spirit of the
Renaissance represented in Leonardo
da Vinci’s ideas and accomplishments

Informational Paragraph Plan

Topic Sentence:

Reason

Text Evidence

Explanation

Precise Vocabulary:

Think-Pair-Share

Leonardo da Vinci’s ideas and
accomplishments represented the spirit of
the Renaissance in many ways.

There are many things Leonardo da Vinci
thought and did that showed the spirit of the
Renaissance.

Come up with 2 different

possible topic sentences for

your paragraph.

Write your topic sentence on
your graphic organizer.

Leonardo da Vinci’s ideas and accomplishments
represented the spirit of the Renaissance in many ways.

Strong informational
paragraphs include
several reasons that

support the topic

sentence. What evidence

can you find to support

your topic sentence?

Think-Pair-Share

Discuss possible reasons

that support your topic

sentence.

Leonardo worked in different areas of science.

Leonardo studied anatomy.

Leonardo was interested in painting and
sculpture.

Write your three reasons on
your graphic organizer.

Leonardo da Vinci’s ideas and accomplishments
represented the spirit of the Renaissance in many ways.

Leonardo worked
in different areas
of science.

Leonardo studied
anatomy.

Leonardo was
interested in
painting and
sculpture..

What kind of evidence
should our paragraphs

include?

Where do we find this

evidence?

Think-Pair-Share

Discuss evidence you could

use to prove each of your

reasons.

Write your evidence on your
graphic organizer.

Leonardo worked
in different areas
of science.

Leonardo studied
anatomy.

Leonardo was
interested in
painting and
sculpture..

The last row on your graphic organizer says “precise
vocabulary”. As you look back through the chapter,
you should record any words you think you may want
to use in your paragraphs.

Leonardo worked
in different areas
of science.

Leonardo studied
anatomy.

Leonardo was
interested in
painting and
sculpture..

What is precise language?

As you look through the chapter,
record any words that you see that
you might want to use in your
paragraph.

Examples: accomplishment,explore

You can leave the column that says
“Explanation of Evidence: blank for now.

Sharing
what
you
wrote…

Share your topic sentence,
favorite reasons, and
supporting text evidence.

You will use your
chart in the next
lesson when we

begin drafting the

paragraph.

Leonardo da Vinci’s ideas and accomplishments
represented the spirit of the Renaissance in many ways.

Leonardo worked
in different areas
of science.

Leonardo studied
anatomy.

Leonardo was
interested in
painting and
sculpture..

Teacher modeling

Provide at least one example

from the text about Leonardo da
Vinci and his accomplishments
to support the quote, "Man can
do anything he sets his mind to

do!"

Homework

No homework today!