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Inventive Recycling

Leonardo da Vinci's designs and technical drawings inspired many practical devices. Students will be inspired by da Vinci's foresight to create new inventions using recycled materials.

Lesson Plan

Supplies Needed

Gather all the supplies needed to bring your craft ideas to life! From paints and markers to glue and scissors, our crafts section has everything to spark creativity and make every project truly special.

  • Craft Materials
  • Craft Sticks
  • Recycled Cardboard
  • Recycled Cardboard Tube
  • Recycled Materials
  • Tape

Steps

  • Step 1

    Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) was a true "Renaissance man." He was a painter of renowned works such as the Mona Lisa and also excelled in the fields of engineering, mathematics, physics, chemistry and other areas. He conceived of and illustrated plans for inventions such as the parachute, the helicopter, an armored vehicle, and many others. Have students investigate his body of work. Ask them to discuss how innovative thinking can lead to technological advancements.

  • Step 2

    Ask students to conceive of and design a new invention or an innovation to an existing product that would benefit society. Then have them create a replica of their design using recycled materials and craft items.

  • Step 3

    When their inventions are complete have them present them to the class and discuss the item they designed or innovated and how it can be used.

Standards

SS: Time, Continuity, and Change: Read, reconstruct, and interpret the past. Imagine the future. Place oneself in various times and spaces and reflect on change. 

SS: Science, Technology, and Society: Identify how technologies such as communication and transportation have evolved and how people have employed advances in technology to modify daily lives including health and economics. Explore historical examples and imagine future technologies. 

Adaptations

One of Leonardo da Vinci's famous inventions was the self-supporting bridge, which is a structure that could be built quickly without the need for nails or ropes. This bridge was primarily for military purposes - soldiers could quickly build and dismantle it as needed. Students can build a prototype of this type of bridge using craft sticks laid out and then interwoven on a surface. There are several tutorials online of how to do this.

Have students explore other inventions and innovations that shaped history. For example, the steam engine revolutionized transportation and the telegraph reshaped long-distance communication.