When Leonardo da Vinci is mentioned, either in an academic setting or in a casual conversation, one of several knee-jerk references usually comes to mind:

• His inventions
• , his painstakingly accurate depiction of the human form
• His influence on the Renaissance as a whole

What is more fascinating about da Vinci than his singular achievements, however, is that his portfolio of accomplishments 鈥� both achieved and never fully realized 鈥� spans more disciplines and fields than any other inventor, scientist, artist or influencer either before or since. (They don鈥檛 call him The Renaissance Man for nothing!)

Not one to rest on his laurels, da Vinci is oft quoted as having said, 鈥�Learning never exhausts the mind.鈥� Did you know he is widely considered to be the father of architecture, paleontology, ichnology and dabbled 鈥� with varying intensity 鈥� in invention, painting, sculpting, architecture, science, music, mathematics, engineering, literature, anatomy, geology, astronomy, botany, writing, history and cartography?

Whatever profession you most associate with da Vinci, here are some fun facts to get you excited about and our upcoming classes.

Simply put, da Vinci loved water and anything associated with it. Though they never came to fruition in his lifetime, da Vinci developed plans for a SCUBA-like underwater breathing device, a life preserver, a diving bell and floating snowshoes.

This fall, Academy is running an NAGC award-winning curriculum course on sustainability, developed by Fellow Shelagh Gallagher, called It鈥檚 Electrifying! Fueling the Future, which focuses on alternative forms of energy, including wave energy and tidal energy.

He also studied the erosion of rivers in Europe and figured out that the earth is older than previously believed, based on a scientific investigation of water and soil samples, maps and journals. Though discredited at the time, due to the cultural climate, da Vinci鈥檚 findings were eventually deemed accurate.

Is your child interested in learning about the universe鈥檚 origin, evolution and current structure? Check out 优蜜视频 Academy instructor Tristan Murphy鈥檚 new class From Dust to Dawn: Constructing the History of the Universe, where students will gain a comprehensive understanding of our universe鈥檚 complex development into what it is today.

da Vinci was a creative writer 鈥� not in the style or vocabulary he chose, but in the physical act of writing he executed. He wrote most of his work from right to left 鈥� the opposite of traditional written print. The result of this writing was a mirror script, which was difficult for most people to read. Historians have postulated that he did so intentionally, in order to keep his writing secret, though it may be simply because he was left-handed, making this unusual writing style was easier.

Check out Academy鈥檚 Saturday class Page One: Creative Writing for an opportunity to delve into language, style, and genre 鈥� and possibly the chance to develop your own mirror script!

Flight was another big area of focus for da Vinci, who is credited as being the first person to study the flight of birds scientifically. He spent considerable time delving into the field of ornithology and used what he observed and analyzed as inspiration to try and replicate wings and flying apparatuses for humans using biomimicry. One of da Vinci鈥檚 designs that he never got off the ground (no pun intended) was the parachute. It wasn鈥檛 until the year 2000 that a South African skydiver finally tested da Vinci鈥檚 design by developing a prototype based on his sketches.

Is your child interested in similar types of STEAM constructs? Be sure to have them join the Tuesday afternoon course STEAM Building: Creative Constructs, where students will design and test things such as marble runs, catapults, parachutes, spaghetti bridges, and much more. Or, have your child try Inventioneers, a class based on genius inventors like da Vinci, where students will play the dual role of inventor and engineer and come up with their own genius invention!

da Vinci believed that sight was mankind鈥檚 most important sense, which is why he focused so heavily on art, architecture, biological studies, sketching and the written word. He is quoted as saying, 鈥淧ainting is poetry that is seen rather than felt.鈥�

Does your child have a knack for design and visuals? Do they enjoy creating appealing graphics and imagery? Be sure to sign them up for Web Design II: Form and Function on Monday evenings, where students will gain the skills needed to transform their own personally-designed website from functional to fabulous.

Though da Vinci鈥檚 list of accomplishments and endeavors may seem overwhelming, there鈥檚 no denying that his is truly a canon of inspiration and motivation. For more information on Genius Day X: Da Vinci: Restless Renaissance Rebel, visit the . This exciting day of learning is open to students in grades 4-8 and will take place at the breathtaking Getty Center on September 30th.

To view Academy course descriptions and register for fall courses, visit the . Apply by August 27^th!

What is your favorite work from da Vinci? Tell us in the comments!

Source: https://www.leonardodavinci.net/

Four years ago,聽I took my first class at聽. It was a film making class and I created a Lego film titled 鈥淣ight of the Living Vacuum.鈥澛燬ince then I鈥檝e done chemistry experiments, learned to meditate and built a Rube Goldberg machine in 优蜜视频鈥檚 various locations.

But of all the classes I鈥檝e taken and all the instructors I鈥檝e had,聽Grayson Kent and his classes really stand out. I remember his first paleontology class where I discovered we both loved reptiles and dinosaurs. Grayson is a great teacher not only because he makes the information really engaging, but also because he is so supportive of students.

Grayson鈥檚 classes are interesting and fun. He doesn鈥檛 only lecture to us. We do a lot of activities, like in our Marine Biodiversity class when we made our own sea monsters and marine species. And we watch nature documentaries together, like National Geographic. He brings out lots of fossils every class, whether it be boney fish, whale baleen or even a narwhal tusk (it was a replica) and they never cease to amaze. He even sometimes brings in live specimens for us to check out or聽sometimes聽taxidermy, like a shark or a small mammal. It鈥檚 always cool. And he tells awesome stories that make the class more exciting and interesting, such as the story of a man who was diving of the coast of an island and an elephant seal came up to him and engulfed his head in its mouth! The seal let go and the diver was unharmed.

The best part about Grayson鈥檚 classes is that he treats me and his other students like equals. His class is like a conversation and not just Grayson telling us things. He is very helpful with whatever you need and he will always hear your ideas and answer your questions without making you feel like it was silly. We both keep reptiles,聽and when I lost my beloved pet聽Bearded Dragon, he talked to me about losing his Tegu and has been very kind and supportive of me.

Grayson is a good teacher and very encouraging, but he鈥檚 also funny and makes us laugh!聽When we were filling out the 优蜜视频 surveys for Marine Biodiversity he told us,聽鈥淭his is the opportunity you all get to say how much you hate me and want to get me fired!鈥澛燨f course, I would NEVER want that to happen.

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