Da Vinci was born in a. Florence b. Venice c. Anchiano
One of da Vinci’s famous inventions was a. a communication device b. a flying machine c. a printing press
More than a century after his death, da Vinci’s __________ were discovered. a. talents b. sketches c. notebooks
Discussion/essay questions
Da Vinci’s notebooks are famously difficult to read. He did not organize them by subject, and he often wrote backwards. Some people say that disorganization is connected to creativity. Do you think this is true? Why or why not?
Transcript
Leonardo da Vinci was an Italian artist and engineer. He was born in Anchiano, Tuscany in 1452. Da Vinci is one of the most famous figures from the Renaissance period. He is especially well known for his paintings, including the iconic Mona Lisa. However, da Vinci was also an accomplished inventor. He even designed a flying machine, called an ornithopter, hundreds of years before the Wright brothers flew the first airplane. Because of his many talents, da Vinci is often called a polymath. For many years, most people only knew about his paintings. His notebooks were discovered more than a century after his death. They contained a complicated mix of designs, theories, and calculations. Although da Vinci died more than 500 years ago, his genius still fascinates artists and scientists today.
*Correction: Tesla was actually born in the village of Smiljan, formerly in the Austrian Empire and now in Croatia
Comprehension questions
See answers below
Tesla was born in the a. 19th century b. 20th century c. 21st century
In 1884, Tesla moved to New York to work for a. George Westinghouse b. Thomas Edison c. Alexander Graham Bell
The motor that Tesla invented used a. alternating current (AC) b. direct current (DC) c. high-voltage direct current (HVDC)
Discussion/essay questions
Today, Tesla is a very well-known inventor. But for years, his work was not widely acknowledged. Do you know any other people from history who were not originally recognized for their accomplishments? Why do you think this happens?
Transcript
Nikola Tesla was a Serbian-American inventor. He was born in Austria* in 1856. In 1884, Tesla moved to New York and began working for Thomas Edison. Tesla helped Edison improve his electrical motors, but he eventually left the company after an alleged dispute about payment. Later, Tesla invented an electrical motor that ran on alternating current, or AC. This was different from Edison’s direct current motors, where electricity flowed in only one direction. An inventor and businessman named George Westinghouse funded and promoted Tesla’s project, and eventually AC made it possible to send electricity over long distances. Although Tesla was a brilliant inventor, he struggled with mental illness and financial difficulties throughout his life. As he grew older, he began to mention more ominous inventions, such as a “death ray.” The FBI investigated his possessions after his death, but found nothing dangerous.
*Correction: Tesla was actually born in the village of Smiljan, formerly in the Austrian Empire and now in Croatia
