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Newton and Copernicus: Lesson #19
1: List someone who may have left the door open? What task might they have been doing?
2: What does Copernicus mean in panel 3 when he says “you know how I feel about that
whole thinking thing?
3: Why are there “really no rules” for rats?
A Newton and Copernicus Companion: Copyright August 2007, J.C. Olson.
Newton and Copernicus: Lesson #19
LESSON GUIDE:
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A: Have students read the text silently and carefully observe the background of
the drawing to look for supporting information. (V)
B: Have students read through the questions and circle the number of each question
they feel they would be able to respond to.
Pair/Share.
C: Give each student about half a minute to explain to their partner what they think
is happening based on what they see and read. (A)
D: The pair discusses questions 1-3, then each student draws a box around the
number (or circled number) of each question they would be able to respond to.
E: Select sets of volunteers to act out the strip in front of the class.
F: Students individually write out their responses to questions 1-3.
Answers for 1-3
1: Technician putting a rat back after an experiment, a student weighing a rat, a
custodian cleaning the cage, a caretaker putting food in the cage, a veterinarian
checking the rat’s health, etc. Accept any answer that would make sense in a lab.
2: He means he isn’t comfortable with thinking, and he isn’t comfortable with
Newton being able to learn things and become so smart.
3: In order for there to be rules, the rats would have to learn the rules and follow
them. They would not need any rules. They are kept in a cage so they can’t get loose
or into trouble. A rat couldn’t follow rules, it could only be trained to behave in a
certain manner.
A Newton and Copernicus Companion: Copyright August 2007, J.C. Olson.