Name:___________________________________
Date: ________
Science 6- Ms Gerace
Period: ______
The Great Debate! Models of the Solar System
SCENE:
COURTROOM
Year: 1515.
Characters: Narrator, Bailiff, Judge, Prosecutor, Defense Council
Narrator: The judge comes out of his chambers!
Class: *Praise and Cheers!*
Bailiff: This is docket number 2345, on this day Tuesday, August 18, 1515 the people of Thorn,
Poland versus Nicolaus Copernicus. All rise. Judge Solarview of Lovejoy Middle is presiding.
Judge: Silence in the courtroom – tracking me! Mr. Prosecutor please bring us up to date on why
we’re here.
Prosecutor: Today, your honor, the state is here to imprison Astronomer Copernicus, the son of a
wealthy merchant who was born in Thorn, Poland on February 19, 1473, on charges of spreading
viscous lies against the state. Copernicus has been saying that Greek Astronomer Ptolomy’s theory
about our solar system is hog wash. He has created heresy against the church. Your honor, he has
no proof of his alleged theories, and he doesn’t have any tools to support his claims. He’s causing
the entire community to be in an uproar.
Judge: What does the defense have to say?
Defense Council: Thank you, your honor. Astronomer Copernicus is a very scholarly and well
respected member of the community. Yes, he opposed the view of the solar system that Ptolomy
proposed over 1,000 years ago. His investigations have been carried on quietly and alone, without
help or consultation, for the last thirty years. He made his celestial observations from a turret
situated on the protective wall around the cathedral and yes, his observations were made by "bare
eyeball." However, he has sketches and notes that have been checked and re-checked by fellow
experts, who agree with his theory. Today we have models for the court to view of Ptolomy’s and
Copernicus theories.
1. Ptolemy’s Model of the Solar System
2. This is the ____________________________model of the solar system.
3. “Geo” is Greek for _________________.
4. Nicolaus Copernicus’ Model of the Solar System
5. This is the ____________________________model of the solar system.
6. “Helios” is Greek for _________________.
SCENE:
ITALY
Year: 1610.
Characters: Narrator, Galileo, Galileo’s Mother
Narrator: One day Galileo, an Italian mathematician, scientist, and inventor was looking through
his telescope and made an interesting discovery.
Galileo: Well, Jupiter looks great tonight! It seems so far away. I wonder what life would be like on
Jupiter. Hmmm…. Maybe I should invent a way to get to Jupiter! Wait, what are those things
moving around it? Ma, come over here!
Galileo’s Mother: What do you want Galileo?
Galileo: Look through the telescope! I think there might be MOONS moving around Jupiter! If that’s
true, I bet the moon moves around us, and that must mean that we move around the SUN!
Copernicus was right all along!
Galileo’s Mother: Well that’s impossible. You know that everyone thinks that the Earth is the
center of the universe.
SCENE:
COURTROOM
Year 1610
Characters: Galileo, Narrator
Galileo: (taking the stand): I support the heliocentric model of Copernicus. With the new invention
of the telescope I have made two discoveries: The first one that I made is that there are four moons
revolving around Jupiter. The second one is that Venus goes through phases similar to Earth’s
moon. The phases of Venus could not be explained if Earth were at the center of the systems of
planets. So I state that Ptolemy’s geocentric system could not be correct.
Narrator: The court was in an uproar! This was totally against the popular understanding of the
day. Galileo was taken from the courtroom and excommunicated from many communities.
7. What was the first discovery that Galileo made? Why does this suggest that the sun could be the
center of the solar system?
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
8. What model of the solar system do we now know to be true?
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Connection: The Nature of Science
9. From what you have seen and heard today, do scientific theories change over time? Why do
they change over time?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Name:_________________________
Date: __________
Science 6- Ms. Gerace
Period: _______
Practice:
Geocentric Model of the Solar System
Heliocentric Model of the Solar System
Description (in words):
Description (in words):
Draw:
Draw:
Historical scientists who supported this
view: (name the one discussed today):
Historical scientists who supported this
view: (name the two discussed today):
1.
1.
2.