Combine science and social studies with this collection of notes on ancient astronomy. Ideas propagated by early scientists influenced the way people viewed life and our place in the universe. Examine the philosophies of Aristotle,...

Learners study the heliocentric theory of Copernicus, the ideas behind it and the explanations which it displaced. A discussion of retrograde motion of planets helps students explain the logic underlying the ideas of both Ptolemy and...

In this planets worksheet, students read about Mercury, Venus, and Earth and then complete 21 multiple choice, 2 true or false, and 1 short answer question.

Scientists participate in studying how new scientific advances have changed the world. They explain how astronomers have changed the way people view the universe, summarize the advances that were made in chemistry and medicine, and...

In this moon worksheet, students answer questions about the lunar surface and identify the features of the moon on a moon map. They include craters, bays, mountains, seas, oceans and craters.

Students engage in an overview of the story of Tycho Brahe and Johannes Kepler, and of Kepler's laws. Each of Kepler's laws be studied separately in more detail in later lessons. They examine Kepler's 3rd law.

Third graders develop questions they have about the solar system. After being read a book, they view and discuss different constellations in the sky. In groups, they are given a piece of butcher paper and glow in the dark crayons in...

Learners discover how Aristarchus, a Greek astronomer around 230 BC, used a simple observation of the eclipse of the Moon, plus clever reasoning, to deduce the distance of the Moon. They practice the same calculation technique.

In this telescopes instructional activity, students will read information about the differences between the early telescopes and the modern telescopes. Then students will complete 2 short answer questions.

An image of Nicolaus Copernicus.

This site provides a brief biography of Nicolaus Copernicus. Content includes 15 pictures, several cross-references to relevant history topics, a list of honors awarded to Copernicus, and more.

A portrait of Nicolaus Copernicus from the Dibner Library of the History of Science and Technology, made available through the Smithsonian Institution's Scientific Identity Collection.

A history of the differences in Euclid and Copernicus--their methods of proving geometric ideas.

A history of the differences in Euclid and Copernicus--their methods of proving geometric ideas.

A history of the differences in Euclid and Copernicus--their methods of proving geometric ideas.