In the Footsteps of Galileo

Details In the Footsteps of Galileo In the Footsteps of Galileo

May 2008

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2008aas...212.6701e&link_type=abstract

American Astronomical Society, AAS Meeting #212, #67.01; Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, Vol. 40, p.257

Astronomy and Astrophysics

Astronomy

Scientific paper

This workshop links the goals of IYA to needs in science education. Lack of understanding of how science is practiced exists at all levels of society and is perpetuated by the way science is presented in classrooms and informal settings, often illustrated by the scientific method as a rigid multi-step process.
This workshop presents an alternative to misleading scientific method lessons by highlighting some of Galileo's work. Looking through his telescope at four moons orbiting the planet Jupiter, Galileo gave priority to evidence over popular belief, completely changing the existing world view.
We have adapted an activity developed by UC Berkeley's Lawrence Hall of Science in which students simulate observations of Jupiter's moons over several nights. The activity emphasizes the nature of science in regard to observations, evidence, predictions, models, hypotheses, and theories. A direct link is made between Galileo's work and the Five Essential Features of Inquiry as outlined in the National Science Education Standards.
Participants will "observe” the Galilean moons of Jupiter, record data, make predictions, and analyze and model the data to determine orbital periods and distances for each moon.
Extensions of this activity will be presented, including comparisons of the Jupiter system to the Earth-Moon system. Participants will also learn about Slooh, a robotic telescope that can be used by students to obtain their own images of Jupiter and its moons.
As one way to have a multitude of learners in a variety of settings participate in IYA, this activity will be made available to many audiences for presentation in the fall of 2009. Participants in this workshop will discuss adaptations suitable for different groups and mechanisms for encouraging and enabling the presentation of this activity.
Participants will receive a preliminary version of the adapted Jupiter activity and the BSCS publication: "Why Does Inquiry Matter?"

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