Scientific Revolution Stations Activity With Graphic Organizer
Scientific Revolution Stations Activity With Graphic Organizer
Centered
with 2
Mini-Labs!
Includes: 9 Stations,
3 Worksheet/Graphic Organizer
options, Station Signs & Teacher
Instructions
Includes 2
cool no set
up mini-
experiments
Includes: 9 Stations,
3 Worksheet/Graphic Organizer
options, Station Signs & Teacher
Instructions
Scientific Revolution Stations Teacher Notes
This activity is designed for students to investigate different theories of the Scientific
Revolution and the men who contributed to a new era of scientific thinking and technology.
Students will read, extract important information and conduct mini-experiments. Students
answer questions on the bottom of each station reading, on their own paper, on the
worksheet provided, or on the folding graphic organizer provided. Consider instructing the
students to write the name of the station at the top of each question set for quick reference.
1. Stations Option- Arrange desks so there nine stations. Place resources on each station
(you may want to have a copy of the reading available for each student at each station).
Students read and answer questions in groups at the rate of about six minutes per
station. Students switch stations after six minutes. It helps to pre-determine the order of
station progression, so there is an even amount of students at each station, and so there
is less confusion when students are told to switch stations. Consider if skipping ahead is
acceptable (I often do not allow it, so it is less competitive to finish).
2. Task Card Option- Provide several copies of each station and place the resources at a
central spot in your room. Students use resources one at a time as needed until all
stations have been completed. Consider letting students work in pairs.
3. Jigsaw Groups of Four Option- Assign each group member a reading. Students read his/
her assigned reading and share with his/her group. Students answer questions together.
4. On the last few pages of this bundle a graphic organizer foldable option was added for a
more creative, yet Common Core twist. See explanation there.
Tycho Brahe:
Up until the 1500s, everyone in Europe assumed that the ancient Greek philosophers
such as Ptolemy and Aristotle were the authorities on the universe. As the age of
exploration disproved some of their theories, people started to question what else was
inaccurate. Nicolaus Copernicus is considered the first man brave enough to not only
use logic and observation to do so, but to also publish the book that triggered the
Scientific Revolution. This book was titled THE REVOLUTION OF THE CELESTRIAL
SPHERES and he published it in 1543. He observed that the earth-centered, or geo-
centric, planet rotation theories of Ptolemy that the Catholic church supported
couldn’t be true because the planets’ patterns in the sky would be too complicated.
Instead of assuming the theories of the past were correct and
making his observations fit them, he dared to theorize a different
possibility. He considered the possibility of a sun-centered, or
heliocentric, universe model.
2. Would you be scared to publish your ideas if they were different from what most people thought like
Copernicus did? Why or why not?
Galileo is perhaps one of the most well 1-“I hope to show that I proceed with much greater piety
known figures of the scientific revolution. He than they do, when I argue not against condemning this
created the first telescope that resembles book, but against condemning it in the way they suggest-
what modern science uses today. Using it, he
that is, without under standing it, weighing it, or so much
observed craters in the Earth’s moon, and
that Jupiter had its own moons. Galileo did as reading it.” -Letter to the Grand Duchess Christina of
scientific experiments to test his theories of Tuscany, 1615
motion of objects, or mechanics. For this
reason, he is considered the Father of 2-“and because I had prepared a very excellent
Experimental Science.
instrument for myself, I perceived (as I had not before, on
Most importantly, Galileo found evidence that account of the weakness of my previous instrument) that
backed up Copernicus’s theory of a sun-centered beside the planet there were three starlets, small indeed,
universe. He wrote a highly controversial book but very bright. Though I believed them to be among the
called DIALOGUE OF THE TWO CHIEF WORLD
host of fixed stars, they aroused my curiosity somewhat
SYSTEMS in which a discussion between two
fictional characters about helio-centric, (or sun by appearing to lie in an exact straight line parallel to the
circled by planets system) and geo-centric ecliptic,” -1610, Galileo Discovers the Moon
(earth centered with sun, planet, and stars
circling it) universal system models was held.
3-“First we must propound all those that have been
It covertly pushed Copernican Theory of sun-
centered system. This book lead to his trial by put forward to prove the earth’s stability by Aristotle,
the Catholic Church for heresy, or a belief Ptolemy, and others, trying next to resolve them.
opposed to the religious beliefs of the church. Finally we must produce those by which a person may
He tried to stay true to his beliefs, but
become persuaded that the earth, no less than the
eventually he recanted them when
threatened with death. moon or any other planet, is to be numbered among
the natural bodies that move circularly.” - Dialogue of
the Two Chief World Systems
1. Which one of the Letters and Discoveries of Galileo is about the movement of the Earth? How does he
state the Earth moves?
2. What is the meaning of the word “recanted” in the following sentence: “He tried to stay true to his
beliefs, but eventually he recanted them.”
His other three laws had to do with motion. They explained how the universe is like a machine, and described exactly
how everything moves in space.
Step 1: Drop a book and a piece of paper from the same height at the
same time.
Question #1: Which object falls faster? Which object falls slower? Why
do you think that is?
Step 2: Place the same paper on top of book. Drop the book again.
Question #2: Do they fall separately or together? How does the way the fall confirm his
theory about gravity?
The book and the paper form a vacuum, making them stick together. Newton asserted
that if all objects were in a vacuum, or space without any matter or air resistance, an
elephant and a feather would fall at the same time...
Newton’s first and second laws of gravity discuss how two objects respond to each other and
air resistance. In short, an object will accelerate, or gain speed, if the forces acting upon it are
unbalanced; the amount of acceleration is directly proportional to the amount of net force,
or unbalanced force, acting upon it.
Tycho Brahe was given the island of Hven by King Fredrick II of Denmark in 1576, and as he set up his
observatory, he found an assistant. This assistant was the German astronomer Johannes Kepler. Kepler
dedicated his own study time to the orbits of the planets. Up
Did you know? until this time, Copernican theory that the planets move in
circular orbits around the sun was considered the most
A young Johannes Kepler
suffered from a horrible accurate theory. Orbits are the paths heavenly bodies (suns,
infection of smallpox. The stars, moons, planets) make around each other. However,
disease left him with weak vision and Kepler observed Mars closely and discovered that it moved in
crippled hands.
a elliptical, or oval, orbit around the sun. This discovery not
only confirmed Copernican Theory, but built upon it, and
rocked the Scientific Revolution community.
In addition to his orbit deduction, Kepler also found that the closer to the sun a planet was, the faster it
moved. This theory helped Sir Isaac Newton with his laws of motion in
later years.
Lastly, Kepler also discovered that the human eye sees images in reverse
like a camera lens. He toyed with the newly-invented refractor telescope
and wondered how light works within it to show the heavens upside
down. From there, he took the data he’d gathered and applied it to the
human eye. He also created an upgraded version of the telescope, called
the Keplerian telescope. He also invented glasses for the near- and far-
sighted and wrote a book about his optic research titled ASTRONOMIAE
PARS OPTICA.
1. Define the meaning of the word deduction in the following sentence: “In addition to his orbit
deduction, Kepler also found that the closer to the sun a planet was, the faster it moved.”
2. Why did Kepler’s discovery of elliptical orbits “rock the scientific community?” Use a quote from the
text to prove it.
A study in November 2015 used The Scientific Method to test fat rats. The problem was obesity in Americans. The scientists gathered
information on the topic, looking at previous studies and experiments as well as the diets of the American population, and realized that
previous experiments weren’t controlled enough to give good data. They hypothesized that high-fat, high-calorie foods would make the rats
fat. They tested the hypothesis by feeding rats high-fat, high-calorie foods. They recorded how much food they fed the rats and how fat the
rats became. Then they drew the conclusion that their hypothesis was correct.
1. Do you think the Scientific Method would work without one of its steps? Why or why not?
2. If you were the King of England and Bacon argued that you should fund science, would you? Why or
why not?
3. Define the word “vehemently” in the following sentence: “If done in this way, he felt vehemently that scien-
tific research should be funded...”
Copyright © 2016 Instructomania
Rene Descartes:
Descartes wrote a book called DISCOURSE ON THE METHOD, and he wrote it in French
rather than in Latin so that all common men and women could learn to think for themselves.
2. Do you think Descartes’ theories would have been as well known if he’d written “Discourse on the Method” in
Latin? Why or why not?
3. What is the meaning of the word “contradicted” in the following sentence: “This highly contradicted the way
people of his time and the church approached the natural world.”
Thermometer barometer
Though it is not certain, Galileo probably made the In 1643, Italian scientist Evangelista Torricelli created
first thermometer. A German scientist named Daniel the barometer by placing liquid mercury in a glass
Gabriel Fahrenheit created a more accurate model in tube and placed it upside down in a dish. He observed
the early 1700s. He placed liquid mercury in a glass how it moved up and
tube and observed how down with changes in
it expanded and rose pressure of the
within it as the atmosphere over a couple
temperature increased. days. The barometer
He also created the became a great tool for
Fahranheit studying weather.
temperature scale that
is still used in the U.S.
Use: Measuring barometric
Use: Measuring air temperature. Did you know?
pressure in the atmosphere.
These basic tools led to major
advances in technology, such
as steam trains and other
industrial creations that made Europeans the
most advanced continent in the world afterward.
Telescope Microscope
1. Which of these tools has made the greatest impact on our lives? Defend your answer with two examples
proving its great impact.
Copyright © 2016 Instructomania
With student reading about the physics behind the sound of a finger snapping.
5 pointer (1). C. Try snapping so that all other fingers are pointed up (5,4,3,1). D. Now, snap
1 normally. Why is it louder?
5. Record and analyze data on the experiment (record what your findings were from A,B,C
palm
and D).
6. Draw conclusions on what the experiment’s data revealed. What is actually making the
noise?
Now read the upside down explanation. Were your observations correct?
finger lands anywhere on top of the third finger and ends up only hitting the palm.
properly with the striking point of the second finger. In this case, no part of the second
not in contact with the palm, but it can also happen if the third finger doesn't align
reduction in the total "snap" sound. This usually happens because the third finger is simply
experiment), only the first two components will be heard and there will be a significant
order to get the full "snap" sound. If the second finger only hits the palm (like in 4C of the
second finger must hit both the palm and a small portion of the top of the third finger in
a compression of air between the fast moving second finger, the palm and third finger. The
third "pop" sound is the most audible of the three components and because it is caused by
(3) The "pop" sound from the rapid compression and subsequent decompression of air. The
fourth (ring) finger with the palm.
(2) The "impact" sound from the third finger colliding with a groove created by contacting the
(1) The "friction" or "sliding" sound between the third (middle) finger and the thumb.
1. The question to analyze: What makes the noise when a person snaps his/her fingers?
2. Gather information about the question: Snap your fingers and write down what you observe. Write at least
three observations down.
3. Theorize a hypothesis, or assumption about the question: After observing, hypothesis how and at what point the
noise is actually being made.
4. Test the hypothesis by experimentation. Try isolating each action: A) Try to snap your fingers so that your
middle finger (2) does not actually touch your palm. If this is too difficult you can use your other
3
4 2 hand to block the middle finger from making contact with the palm. B) Try snapping with your
5
pointer (1). C. Try snapping so that all other fingers are pointed up (5,4,3,1). D. Now, snap
1
normally. Why is it louder?
palm 5. Record and analyze data on the experiment (record what your findings were from A,B,C
and D).
6. Draw conclusions on what the experiment’s data revealed. What is actually making the
noise?
After reading the “Physics Behind Finger Snapping” with the class analyze if your
observations were correct!
(1) The "friction" or "sliding" sound between the third (middle) finger and the thumb.
(2) The "impact" sound from the third finger colliding with a groove created by contacting the
fourth (ring) finger with the palm.
(3) The "pop" sound from the rapid compression and subsequent decompression of air. The
third "pop" sound is the most audible of the three components and because it is caused by
a compression of air between the fast moving second finger, the palm and third finger. The
second finger must hit both the palm and a small portion of the top of the third finger in
order to get the full "snap" sound. If the second finger only hits the palm (like in 4C of the
experiment), only the first two components will be heard and there will be a significant
reduction in the total "snap" sound. This usually happens because the third finger is simply
not in contact with the palm, but it can also happen if the third finger doesn't align
properly with the striking point of the second finger. In this case, no part of the second
finger lands anywhere on top of the third finger and ends up only hitting the palm.
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
2. Would you be scared to publish your ideas if they were different from what most people thought as
Copernicus did? Why or why not?
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
Galileo galilei
1. Which one of the Letters and Discoveries of Galileo is about the movement of the Earth? How does he
state the Earth moves?
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
2. What is the meaning of the word “recanted” in the following sentence: “He tried to stay true to his
beliefs, but eventually he recanted them.”
________________________________________________________________________________________
Mini Experiment Question #1: Which object falls faster? Which object falls slower? Why do you think that
is? _____________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Mini Experiment Question #2: Do they fall separately or together? How does they way they fall confirm
his theory about gravity?
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
2. Why did Kepler’s discovery of elliptical orbits “rock the scientific community?” Use a quote from the
text to prove it. _______________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
2. If you were the King of England and Bacon argued that you should fund science, would you? Why or why
not? ________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
3. Define the word “vehemently” in the following sentence: “If done in this way, he felt vehemently that
scientific research should be funded...”
________________________________________________________________________________________________
Took accurate notes about what he observed and encouraged other scientists to do so as well.
2. Would you be scared to publish your ideas if they were different from what most people thought like
Copernicus did? Why or why not?
Answers will vary, but should talk about the fear or defiance of the church.
Galileo Galilei
1. Which one of the Letters and Discoveries of Galileo is about the movement of the earth? How does he
state the earth moves?
Dialogue of the Chief World Systems declares that the Earth is among the natural bodies that moves
circularly.
2. What is the meaning of the word “recanted” in the following sentence: “He tried to stay true to his
beliefs, but eventually he recanted them.”
Mini Experiment Question #1: Which object falls faster? Which object falls slower? Why do you think that
is? Book falls faster than the feather. Answers will vary, but should talk about the paper floating, or air
resistance.
Mini Experiment Question #2: Do they fall separately or together? How does they way they fall confirm his
theory about gravity?
Scientific Revolution Answer key
Page 2 of 3
Together. The book and the paper form a vacuum together that makes them stick, which confirms his idea
that if all objects were in a vacuum they would fall at the same rate!
Kepler: The Planets’ Path
1. Define the meaning of the word deduction in the following sentence: “In addition to his orbit
deduction, Kepler also found that the closer to the sun a planet was, the faster it moved.”
2. Why did Kepler’s discovery of elliptical orbits “rock the scientific community?” Use a quote from the text
to prove it. Up to that point, everyone believed that the planets circled in a perfect circle. “Up until this time,
Copernican theory that the planets move in circular orbits around the sun was considered the most
accurate theory.”
Answers will vary, but should discuss how important each step is.
2. If you were the King of England and Bacon argued that you should fund science, would you? Why or why
not? Answers will vary, but should discuss how important science was to the advancement of the countries
and how kings would see how science could make them more powerful.
3. Define the word “vehemently” in the following sentence: “If done in this way, he felt vehemently that
scientific research should be funded...” Vehemently means strongly or intensely.
Everything should be doubted, and then tested until proven to be right. (Answers will vary).
Do you think Descartes’ theories would have been as well known if he’d written “Discourse on the Method” in Latin?
Why or why not? Answers will vary but should talk about how writing them in French made them more accessible
for all his country men or the common people.
2. What is the meaning of the word contradicted in the following sentence: “This highly contradicted the way people
of his time and the church approached the natural world.” Contradicted means different than or against.
The following is the format students will use for the mini lab. Answers will vary
1. The question to analyze: What makes the noise when a person snaps his/her fingers?
2. Observations:
1.____________________________________________________________________________________________
2. ____________________________________________________________________________________________
3.____________________________________________________________________________________________
3. My hypothesis :_______________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________
4 and 5- Test and record: A.__________________________________________________________________________
B._______________________________________________________________________________________________
C._______________________________________________________________________________________________
D._______________________________________________________________________________________________
6. Conclusions:___________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
7. Read information and decide if you were correct! How did your conclusion differ?
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
Scientific
Revolution:
___________
front page 1 : 2 sided copy front to back
Galileo
Draw 2 details that show your understanding of this section.
1.
____________________________________ 2.
____________________________________
____________________________________
1.
____________________________________ 2.
____________________________________
____________________________________
Step 1: Law of Gravity Mini Experiment! Step 2: Mini Experiment - Question #2: Do they fall
separately or together? How does they way they fall
Question #1: Which object falls faster? Which object
confirm his theory about gravity?
falls slower? Why do you think that is?
_________________________________________ __________________________________________
_________________________________________ __________________________________________
_________________________________________ __________________________________________
1.
____________________________________ 2.
____________________________________
____________________________________
front page 2 : 2 sided copy front to back
1. The question to analyze: What makes the noise when a person snaps his/her fingers?
2. Observations:
1.____________________________________________________________________________________________
2. ____________________________________________________________________________________________
3.____________________________________________________________________________________________
3. My hypothesis :_______________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________
4 and 5- Test and record: A.__________________________________________________________________________
B._______________________________________________________________________________________________
C._______________________________________________________________________________________________
D._______________________________________________________________________________________________
6. Conclusions:___________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
7. Read information and decide if you were correct! How did your conclusion differ?
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
Which invention do you think has made the most Support your answer with two Examples as proof!
impact on our lives? 1.
___________________________________
2.
Recall! Write the last name of a scientist and his/her contribution to science in each bubble!
Example!
Descartes-
Believed that all
knowledge should
be proven!
Scientific
Revolution
Scientists