The Renaissance: Leonardo and Galileo
The Renaissance: a rebirth of art and science, Leonardo da Vinci and Galileo Galilei. Read one part at a time and tap “I know this”. Then test yourself in the quiz.
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Two big names
| Leonardo da Vinci | Galileo Galilei | |
|---|---|---|
| Lived | 1452–1519; born near Vinci in Italy | 1564–1642; born in Pisa, Italy |
| Known for | Paintings and inventions | Observations with a telescope |
| Special | His designs were centuries ahead of their time | His idea was controversial: most thought the Earth was the centre |
| Result | A “Renaissance person”: excels in many fields | Put on trial and confined to his home |
Leonardo also painted The Last Supper. Galileo did not invent the telescope (it was invented in the Netherlands in 1608), but in 1609 he built a much better one. What he saw supported Copernicus’s idea that the Earth moves around the sun. In 1633 the Catholic Church put him on trial, and he had to stay in his home for the rest of his life.
Ideas spread
The printing press with movable letters (Johannes Gutenberg) spread ideas quickly. Michelangelo painted the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in Rome.
Remember this and test yourself
- Renaissance means rebirth: a time of new art and science in Europe, about 1300 to 1600.
- It began in Italy; Florence was a centre, and the rich Medici family paid artists.
- Leonardo da Vinci: the Mona Lisa, the Vitruvian Man, flying machines and anatomy in his notebooks, in mirror writing.
- Galileo’s telescope: four moons at Jupiter, mountains and craters on the Moon; the Earth moves around the sun.
- Renaissance thinkers observed and tested: the start of modern science.
Write these points in your book. Read them again the night before the test.
Renaissance = re-birth: art and science wake up again.
Important words
First say what the word means, then turn the card over.
Match column A to column B
Tap a word in column A, then its meaning in column B. You can also start in column B.
True or false?
Read the question and the answer. Is the answer right? Tap True or False.
Now the real quiz!
The quiz has many more questions on this topic. Every question shows straight away whether you are right and explains why.
Take the quiz: The Renaissance: Leonardo and Galileo- Read one part together and ask your child to tell it back in their own words.
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Follows CAPS for Grade 6 Social Sciences (History). Always check your teacher’s notes and textbook too.