Goal:

Students research important astronomers and scientists from the past and make presentations on their achievements.

Grade Level:

7-12

Objectives:

Identify and use different documents for research

Synthesize information around a theme or topic

Develop theme that the advances in science are built on the past achievements and scholarship of many individuals

Develop and present the information as part of the theme

Subject Area or Standard:

History, Creative Writing

Materials Needed:

• Internet access
• Books and articles
• Representation of sun on poster board sliced into wedges.
• Classroom presentation tools
  

Websites:

Jeremiah Horrocks
http://www.uclan.ac.uk/facs/science/physastr/misc/horrock.htm
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/horrocks_jeremiah.shtml
Heracleides of Pontos
http://www.astunit.com/tutorials/greek.htm
Tycho Brahe
http://www.geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/Hangar/7990/
Aristarchus of Samos
http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/GreekScience/Students/Kristen/Aristarchus.html
Nicolaus Copernicus
http://www-gap.dcs.st-and.ac.uk/~history/Mathematicians/Copernicus.html
http://www.phy.hr/~dpaar/fizicari/xcopern.html
Giordano Bruno
http://www.positiveatheism.org/hist/bruno.htm
Galileo
http://es.rice.edu/ES/humsoc/Galileo/
Johannes Kepler
http://www-gap.dcs.st-and.ac.uk/~history/Mathematicians/Kepler.html
Isaac Newton
http://www-gap.dcs.st-and.ac.uk/history/Mathematicians/Newton.html
James Bradley
http://micro.magnet.fsu.edu/optics/timeline/people/bradley.html

Heracleides of Pontus
Aristarchus of Samos
Nicolaus Copernicus
Jeremiah Horrocks
Giordano Bruno

Tycho Brahe
Galileo Galilei
Johannes Kepler
Isaac Newton
James Bradley

Bibliography:
Caspar, Max, Kepler
Dreyer, J.L.E., A History of Astronomy from Thales to Kepler
Koestler, Arthur, The Sleepwalkers
Heath, Thomas, Aristarchus of Samos: The Ancient Copernicus
Eastwood, B.S. Before Copernicus: Planetary Theory and the Circumsolar Idea from Antiquity to the Twelfth Century.

Procedures:

1. Explain to students that most great ideas are the product of the thinking and work of many individuals and there are many examples throughout history.
2. List the scientists of the heliocentric revolution and tell the students that these men all contributed to the same work from ancient times until today
3. Make assignments to individual students or team to find out what role each of the mean played in development of the heliocentric (sun-centered universe) theory of the universe.
4. Slice a circular piece of poster board (colored to resemble the sun)into pie-like pieces. As students present their findings place they should add one piece of the "sun" to a display until it is completely filled in.

Alternatives:

Students list some of the errors in thought or precision that were made by early scientists and that were later corrected when technology became available. For example Tycho Brahe estimated the distance between Sun and Earth at 8 million kilometers, Kepler estimated it at 14 million kilometers, Cassini estimated it at 140 million kilometers. The actual distance as measured by radar signal is 149,597,870.691 kilometers.