Unit: Renewal in Europe
Lesson Title:
Renaissance Science and Education
(See textbook pages 309-310)
The Renaissance brought about great changes in
art and literature. But it was also a time of great
advancements in science and education.
“Renaissance men” like Leonardo da Vinci pursued art
and science at the same time. Leonardo studied
human anatomy to make his paintings more lifelike.
He even did autopsies to learn about human muscles,
bones, and blood vessels.
Leonardo was also fascinated with flight, and
studied birds to try to design a human flying
machine.
Leonardo designed several flying machines, but none
worked.
Even though his designs did not fly, did
Leonardo help humanity move toward
learning how to fly?
Compare the first successful airplane built by the
Wright brothers in 1903 with Leonardo’s design.
In class reading activity
Read “Science and Education” (pages 309-310).
Answer these questions:
1. What mathematical symbols that we use today were
created during the Renaissance?
2. Why did advances in mathematics lead to advances in
architecture?
3. The foundations of modern astronomy developed out
of what Renaissance discovery?
4. What were the changes in education that occurred
during the Renaissance?
It wasn’t until the Renaissance that the use of our
modern numerals: the Hindu-Arabic decimal place
system—became common in Europe.
I II III IV V VI VII VIII IX X
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Before the Renaissance, Europeans used Roman
numbers. Leonardo of Pisa (in Italy) learned about
the Hindu-Arabic numbers as boy traveling in north
Africa with his father, and later wrote a book in 1202
suggesting the numbers be used in Europe.
The use of the Hindu-Arabic decimal place system
allowed for great advancements in mathematics in
Europe. The Roman numbers were hard to even count
with and did not include the number value of zero!
CDLIX and MDXLIII is MMII
459
+1543
2002
The two math operations above are the same. Which
system looks faster to use and more understandable?
The use of the Hindu-Arabic decimal place system
became very common and important in Europe by the
1300s—especially for doing business.
The Hindu-Arabic numbers also supported the use of
algebra (created by Islamic mathematicians) and
trigonometry to help solve problems in many areas of
life and science.
Advancements in mathematics led to advancements in
engineering and architecture in the Renaissance.
One of the best examples is the dome on the Cathedral
of Florence. The Italian cities and their ruling families
competed with each other by building the most
magnificent cathedrals. But in Florence, they built the
cathedral so large, they could not find a way to build
its dome. Filippo Brunelleschi found a way, using a
model and a combination of old and new ideas.
Brunelleschi designed the dome with bricks by using
special diagonal ribs and a double shell.
The dome of the Cathedral of Florence is still the largest
masonry dome in the world.
Right Side Notebook Activity
Using pages 309 and 310, create and complete the web
below. Put a picture-symbol and phrase in each box
to explain what was achieved in each category.
Mathematics
Architecture
Renaissance
Achievement
Astronomy
Cartography