Today we introduced our Scientific Revolution unit and upcoming project. It is due on May 1.

The project is as follows:

The Scientific Revolutionaries
The Scientific Revolution in early modern European history brought about a dramatic shift in the way that scientists described the universe and the place of the earth within it. Discoveries in astronomy, mathematics and physics contributed to this shift in worldview and led to conflicts with long-held beliefs, both scientific and religious.
Five of the most prominent participants in the Scientific Revolution were:

• Nicolaus Copernicus
• Galileo Galilei
• Tycho Brahe
• Johann Kepler
• Isaac Newton

You will begin a project that will illuminate the lives, discoveries, and controversies of these five famous Revolutionaries.

Components: Oral Presentation, Tri-Board, 3D Model

You will read through their biographies, plot their location(s) on a map, answer a set of guiding questions, and give an oral presentation with both a tri-board and 3D model of something relevant to your assigned scientist.

Guiding Questions:
The following questions will help focus your research:
• What biographical details are available on the scientist, i.e., dates and places of birth/death, family life, religious background, etc.?
• What kind of educational training did each scientist have?
• How did this compare with the access to education of most of the European population? What types of patronage did each scientist have?
• What does this tell you about the relationship between knowledge and power in early modern Europe?
• What are some reasons why monarchs and nobles would fund these types of scientific research?
• What was the driving force behind their interest?
• How was it connected to the expansion of trade and increased government support for trade and exploration?

To obtain basic biographical information including education and patronage, use the search engine at: http://es.rice.edu/ES/humsoc/Galileo/Catalog/catalog.html

Requirements:
Items Required for Tri-Board:
• Picture/illustration/depiction of Scientist
• Map with important locations pinned or marked
• Other visuals that display education and patronage (for example, a picture of the university they attended, portrait of their main patron, etc.)
• Some type of visual or written component that illustrates their major discovery

Specifications for 3-D Model:
Must be representative of something relevant to the understanding of the Revolutionary as a scholar, scientist, and/or controversial figure. For example, a clay bust or sculpture, a diorama or architectural rendering of a university, a mobile or model of their planetary vision, etc.

Oral Presentation:
Should take between 5 to 10 minutes. Note cards should be used during presentation to guide you and will need to be turned in by the specified date for review, along with a list of sources used. However, no other written component will be required for this part of the project.