How Can da Vinci Be Characterized as a True Renaissance Man?

Leonardo da Vinci can be characterized as a true Renaissance man because the Renaissance was focused on new ideas concerning architecture, art, and science. I think that Leonardo's life expressed the main idea of the Renaissance. He was an architect, artist, scientist, and inventor. In Milan, he helped to make military devices used for wars. He was interested in coming up with a formula for a square with the same area as a circle. He painted the Mona Lisa and Last Supper. Leonardo da Vinci did so many things that influenced the Renaissance, and his ideas flourished. Thats why Leonardo da Vinci truly was a Renaissance man.

Brunelleschi's Dome- How do the actions and decisions of people effect change?

I believe that taking risks most prompted Brunelleschi to succeed in constructing the dome. There were many risks he had to take along the way that he didn't know would work, but simply building the dome was a risk in and of itself. Nobody knew if Brunelleschi's design would work. Even he himself didn't know for sure, but he built the dome anyway. Many people would be afraid to construct something without knowing what the results would be, or whether the dome would topple over or not, but its the true geniuses who take risks with their artwork and architecture. 

Where Do Ideas Come From?

Ideas can come from anything. A writer can be inspired from a whole world of things, from friends to strangers to school to a flower on the sidewalk. A good writer will be able to think of something their friend told them last week and turn it into a wonderful story. A songwriter will be able to look at a bumblebee and write a hit song. Many things can inspire us. Ideas don't have to come from professionals; anyone in the world can think of something and turn in into something completely different. All you need is an idea and a bit of imagination.

My Favorite Story-What Makes a Good Story?

Out of all the short stories we read in the short story unit, my favorite was "Lambs to the Slaughter". I liked it because of the characters. Mary's character was very well built; her characterization was the most detailed. Roald Dahl used characterization very well to make the characters come to life in the story. The plot was also interesting and suspenseful, and I liked how Mary Maloney got rid of the evidence. The theme the author communicated, identity, related to the story well, and I thought that the story had a lot of body.