Who were the scientists and philosophers of the Renaissance?
The Renaissance Thinkers with History Projects for Kids introduces
readers ages 10 through 15 to the biographies of five of the most
influential scientists and philosophers of the Renaissance era,
including Filippo Brunelleschi, Machiavelli, Copernicus, Thomas More,
and Francis Bacon. All of these men made huge leaps in philosophical and
scientific thought and introduced concepts to the world that have
resonated for centuries!
In The Renaissance Thinkers, kids learn how the Italian goldsmith
Filippo Brunelleschi solved the decades-old architectural problem of the
Florence Cathedral dome and introduced artists to the concept of linear
perspective. They meet Machiavelli, the Italian statesman whose book,
The Prince, described Renaissance politics as they truly existed and
whose name became synonymous with political manipulation. Readers
explore the nature of the solar system with Copernicus, and experience
the life and death struggles of Thomas More, one of the Renaissance
era's greatest legal minds and also one of the world's first writers of
science fiction. Plus, they'll meet Francis Bacon, who developed and
promoted the scientific method that still guides scientific inquiry to
this day.
Using an inquiry-based approach to learning, each chapter of The
Renaissance Thinkers includes hands-on activities and open-ended
assignments that challenge young readers to engage in scientific
experiments of their own that incorporate the scientific method and the
engineering design process. Kids learn to think critically and
creatively about the political and social forces at work in their own
lives. They will build arches, draw with linear perspective, argue the
points of a legal case, create their own Utopias, and engage in
philosophical debates. Fun facts, primary source illustrations, and
links to online resources spark an interest in the Renaissance. Even
without a time machine, learners can experience the Renaissance!
The Renaissance Thinkers is one of a set of four books in the
Renaissance for Kids series. Books in the Renaissance for Kids
series invite readers ages 10 to 15 to learn about the inventors,
artists, explorers, philosophers, scientists, and politicians who lived
in Europe and around the world during the Renaissance and who made
contributions to the wealth of human knowledge and experience that have
lasted far into the future. Primary sources, color photography, relevant
quotes, and hands-on STEAM activities that promote the scientific method
or engineering design process keep even the most curious kids satisfied!
Titles in this series include The Renaissance Thinkers: With History
Projects for Kids; The Renaissance Inventors: With History Projects
for Kids; The Renaissance Artists: With History Projects for Kids;
and The Renaissance Explorers: With History Projects for Kids.
