Name ___________________________________
Global 10 In-Class writing
Thursday-Friday, 10/8 – 10/9/2015
THEMATIC ESSAY QUESTION
Scientific Revolution
Directions: Write a well-organized essay that includes an introduction, several paragraphs addressing the task
below, and a conclusion.
THEME: Change and turning points
Inventions and discoveries have often led to turning points that change the course of history
for nations and people.
TASK:
Identify two people from your study of the Scientific Revolution who changed the course of
history through their invention or discovery.
 Describe the invention or discovery.
 Explain how the invention or discovery changed the course of history for nations
and/or people.
You may use any scientific inventors that influenced the Scientific Revolution from your
study of global history. Do NOT use the United States in your answer. Some suggestions you
might wish to consider include:
Aristotle (the “Father” of Scientific Method and Geocentric Theory),
Ptolemy (incorrectly corroborated [supported] Aristotle’s Geocentric Theory)
Leonardo da Vinci (Renaissance scholar and artist whose work reflected a deeper understanding of science and human anatomy)
Nicolaus Copernicus (introduced Heliocentric Theory and publisher of a human anatomy textbook)
Andreas Vesalius (Flemish physician who detailed drawing of human organs, bones and muscle)
Tyco Brahe (astronomer - discovered new, bright stars – proof that the universe is changing; lunar theory)
Zacharias Jenssen (invented eyeglasses and precursor to the microscope)
Johannes Kepler (Elliptical orbit of planets – not circular; proved Heliocentric theory)
Galileo Galilei (his telescope supported Copernicus’ heliocentric theory; died while under house arrest from the Church due to his
teachings)
William Harvey (physician who revealed how the human heart functions; circulatory system)
Sir Francis Bacon (encouraged experimentation in science; “empirical” evidence)
Rene Descartes (Developed modern analytical geometry – linking algebra and geometry; quote: “there are no absolutes”)
Evangelista Torricelli (Discovered barometric pressure and a tool for measuring atmospheric pressure)
Robert Boyle (Discovers mathematical relationship between the pressure and volume of gases, known as Boyle’s law)
Anton van Leeuwenhoek (Discovered red blood cells under a microscope)
Sir Isaac Newton (published Law of Gravity; father of modern physics)
Gabriel Fahrenheit (invented the mercury thermometer, demonstrating water freezes as 32)
Anders Celsius (Created another mercury thermometer that showed freezing temperature at 0)
Edward Jenner (Small Pox vaccine)
Antoine Lavoisier (Discovered oxygen gas, and that it could be separated from other elements to form pure air)
You are not limited to these suggestions.