First Scientists Club

1. First Scientists Club In this activity, students imagine they are famous scientists from the 16th, 17th, and 18th century who have met to discuss their inventions as well as the difficulties they have had trying to get support for their theories.

2. Introduction • You will work with one other student to explore the background, inventions, and theories of one notable 16th, 17th, or 18th century scientist. You may choose a partner if you know someone in class, or I will assign pairs. There are physicists, astronomers, mathematicians, biologists, chemists and philosophers to choose from. • Using the web to learn about the scientist you and your partner have chosen, you will research your scientist and create a web page with required material. (Wikispaces page) • Next, you will all "become" your scientist in the first ever meeting of the "First Scientist's Club"-an exclusive club open only to scientists who contributed to the Scientific Revolution. (Another Wiki page). • During this meeting, you and the other "scientists" in the club will ask each other questions, learn about one another's discoveries, and discuss any problems faced by club members. Get ready to dive into history by learning firsthand what it was like to be a scientist who changed the world during the Scientific Revolution!

3. Task • You and a partner will take on the identity of a famous scientist during the Scientific Revolution. You will need to be familiar with his/her background and ideas as well as the difficulties he faced in his quest to create new theories and inventions. • Once you have learned about the scientific figure you have chosen to portray, you will participate in a mock "club meeting" where the "scientist" from each group presents his major accomplishments and setbacks. • During the meeting, your scientist will also discuss how his invention changed the course of world history and how things might have happened differently if he had not been able to reach his goals.

4. We will use a Wikispaces site for the First Scientists Club assignment and meeting. • Wikispaces allows participants to create, edit, and publish web pages. • I have created a Wikispaces account for this class. • You will need to follow these directions to access the site: • Look for an email from me to invite you to join my Wikispaces page. (Your Eagle mail). • Click the link in the email, and create a Wikispaces account if you don’t have one. • Join my page – http://ClarionSTS.wikispaces.com • Log in. • Edit your page with your partner.

5. Step One • Choose which of the following scientists you and your partner will research and portray in the group presentation: • Nicolaus Copernicus • Johannes Kepler • Galileo Galilei • Tycho Brahe  • Isaac Newton • William Harvey • René Descartes • Francis Bacon • Blaise Pascal • Edmond Halley • Maria SibyllaMerian

6. Step Two • Go to the Wikispaces page and add your names to the page of the scientist you and your partner have chosen. First come, first dibs! • Each group member will be responsible for researching two aspects of your scientist's life. You will be responsible for documenting your research on the aspect of your scientist's life you have chosen to study on your page, so be as thorough as possible in your work! • Decide who will research the following areas: • 1. The scientist's biography (background information, life story)2. The scientist's inventions and theories • 3. Setbacks faced by the scientist (and how he or she dealt with them) • 4. The impact of the scientist's discovery on the Scientific Revolution and the course of world history • Create your Wiki page using text and images. Please do not copy and paste from resources – that is tempting, but plagiarism. • This step is due by midnight, Feb 23.

7. Research your scientist and the causes of the European Scientific Revolution using  internet sources provided below, and any other periodical, article, book etc. of your choice (you will be formally citing these references so do not forget to record your sources).  • Nicolaus Copernicus • Copernicus' Universe • Nicolaus Copernicus • Nicolaus Copernicus Biography • Johannes Kepler • Johannes Kepler • Kepler Mission (Nasa.gov) • Galileo Galilei • Galileo Galilei • The Galileo Project • PBS: Galileo's Battle for the Heavens

8. Tycho Brahe • Tycho Brahe • Tycho Brahe Homepage • Isaac Newton • Issac Newton's Life • The Life and Work of Issac Newton • Issac Newton (Stanford Encyclopedia) • William Harvey • William Harvey • BBC History - William Harvey(1578-1657) • PBS: Red Gold Inventors and Pioneers - William Harvey • René Descartes • Rene Descartes • Rene Descartes Biography

9. Francis Bacon • Francis Bacon • BBC History - Francis Bacon (1561-1626) • Blaise Pascal • Blaise Pascal • Inventor Blaise Pascal • Edmond Halley • Edmond Halley Biography • Edmond Halley: Scientific Giant • Maria SibyllaMerianMaria SibyllaMerian • Maria SibyllaMerian Biography • Maria SibyllaMerianChronology • Timeline of events in the Scientific Revolution: http://web.clas.ufl.edu/users/ufhatch/pages/03-Sci-Rev/SCI-REV-Home/05-sr-lng-timeline.htm

10. Questions to think about while doing your research:Answer these questions for the ‘homework doc’ described in slide 11. • Why did the Scientific Revolution begin? Why did it have so much impact on world history? Which countries were involved and why? • What role did my scientist have on scientific theories and developments during this time? • What was my scientist's social standing? His or Her religious beliefs? Why would these have affected their research?  • What would have happened if my scientist had never lived? Had not continued in the face of adversity to develop new ideas and new technologies?

11. Step Three • Work together to construct your Wiki page about your scientist. Use the categories on slide 6. • List references in APA format. • Individual accountability: Each group member will also turn in an individual document to Dropbox ‘homework’ that answers the questions in slide 10. Due March 9.

12. Step Four – First Scientists Club meeting • The final step consists of the actual "meeting of the minds" between the various scientists. • First, each pair will need to review the pages created by the other ‘scientist pairs’ and construct 2 questions about each scientist. Each pair will go to the ‘Meeting’ page and list their questions. Due March 2. • Next, scientist pairs will edit the Meeting page to answer the questions in the ‘voice’ of their scientist. (i.e. from his/her point of view). Due March 9. • Finally, have fun! I look forward to learning more about your scientist's life, achievements, and setbacks-and I think we may find some similarities or trends to today's scientific discoveries in the process. Good luck!

13. TIPS • A few tips for taking on the role of your chosen scientist while at the club meeting are: • Imagine yourself in your scientist's particular time period. What was life like then? What country was he/she from? Which powerful people might he/she come into contact with? What were the different fashions, foods, and customs of the era? • What sort of challenges did your scientist face in the course of his life? Were his discoveries and theories well received at the time? Or did people find his ideas to be offensive or blasphemous? • If you had lived during this time, would you have agreed with this scientist's views? Why or why not? • How did his/her work affect world history? Did he/she have an impact on other areas of society? What about on the economy? How were his/her inventions/discoveries used over time? • And finally: How did your scientist get along with other important scientists of his era? Was he respected? Did he work with anyone else to achieve his goals? How might other scientists in the club feel about him? Why?

14. Reminder. • You will need to answer the questions in slide 10 in your ‘homework’ doc due the day of the presentation. All members of the group will turn in a separate homework questions.