Investigation (Unit 2) Question: When and why should people change their minds? Why do historians, scientists, and others care about this question? The development of collective learning is a central theme not only in this course, but in the history of ideas as well. “In science,” Carl Sagan once wrote, “it often happens that scientists say, ‘You know that’s a really good argument; my position is mistaken,’ and then they would actually change their minds and you never hear that old view from them again.” In developing a “modern origin story,” big historians rely on the most compelling ideas from all the disciplines, acutely aware that these ideas often undergo profound change. A powerful example of this is our switch from the geocentric view of the Universe to the heliocentric view. Why should teachers and students care about this question? This investigation is a baseline writing assessment. Students are to use the documents in the Investigation Library and their understanding of our shift from the geocentric view of the Universe to the heliocentric view to develop an argument about when and why people should change their minds. The investigation helps assess students’ initial skills in comprehending a range of texts — pictures, primary and secondary sources — and in applying what they learn to write an argument for when and why people should change their minds, using Copernicus and Galileo as case studies. Students must write their essay in class. We encourage you to give the question and the texts to them in advance. They may use their notes and handouts to write their answer. Please allow about 40 minutes in class for students to write a four‐ to five‐paragraph, evidence‐based argument explaining when and why people should change their minds. Primary Sources • Path of the planets • Galileo’s letter to Kepler • Galileo discovers the moons of Jupiter • Galileo’s telescope Secondary Sources • The geocentric view • Epicycles • Copernicus’s heliocentric view • The heliocentric view grows in popularity When writing about documents… Your essay needs to make reference to ALL of the documents that are part of the Investigation Library. You do not need to use direct quotes; in fact you should keep this to a minimum. But when you write about a document, you do not need to write “In document ___ it says…”. Instead you should write about how the document supports your thesis/topic sentence and then just put (Doc #) at the end of the sentence. For example: Carl Sagan, an American astronomer and cosmologist, explains that our ancestors supported Ptolemy’s geocentric view because they saw with the naked eye that everything revolved around the Earth (Doc 1). Planning Your Essay for Investigation #2 Paragraph #1: Your thesis paragraph. Respond to the prompt in the space below (do not write in 1st person). A possible sentence would be “People should change their mind ________________________________ because ____________________________.” Connect your response to what you have learned in the unit and to Copernicus and Galileo. An example would be “A powerful historical example of this process is when scientists changed their view of the Universe from being geocentric to heliocentric. Two leading scientists of the time, Copernicus and Galileo, led the efforts to change people’s minds.” Paragraph #2: The Geocentric View If you are writing about change, you have to start with how something was originally. This paragraph is going to explain the geocentric view and why Ptolemy and our ancestors would have logically believed this view. Complete the chart below. What information can you take from that document/picture that will help with your Documents that explain explanation of the geocentric view? Be specific and use short, exact quotes if possible. the geocentric view (just write the number) Paragraph #3: The Heliocentric View Now your focus shifts to the heliocentric view. In this paragraph, you’re going to explain how Copernicus and Galileo came to their new conclusions about the Universe. What evidence did they have that challenged Ptolemy? What information can you take from that document/picture that will help with your Documents that explain the heliocentric view (just explanation of the heliocentric view? Be specific and use short, exact quotes if possible. write the number) Paragraph #4: Connecting the Example to the Question Now that you’ve explained both views it’s time to explain the PROCESS that took place. This wasn’t just a couple of scientists who changed their minds. Their views eventually became the accepted view for most people. However, that process wasn’t easy and both Copernicus and Galileo faced many challenges in their efforts to change people’s minds. This is where you would talk about that process using examples from Document 8 (the timeline in the change in collective learning) and what you already know from the unit about Copernicus, Galileo, and other scientists that supported these revolutionary ideas. A key element of this paragraph is in explaining how and why certain people and/or groups (for example the Roman Catholic Church) would have disagreed with Copernicus and Galileo. Go on to explain how despite the disagreement, their views still became the standard view of the Universe until Hubble’s time. Wrap up your essay by restating your thesis and summarizing your explanation. You can do this in a separate concluding paragraph or at the end of the paragraph #4. Write some of your ideas/notes for paragraph 4 in the box below. Unit 2 Investigation Essay Rubric
10-9 points
8 points
7 points
6 points
Content
Knowledge
Extremely
knowledgeable of
content. Uses
appropriate
evidence to
support thesis
throughout essay.
Knowledgeabl
e of the content
and supports
thesis with
evidence
throughout
essay.
Basic
knowledge of
the content.
Mostly supports
thesis with
evidence.
Little content
knowledge. Has
difficulty supporting
thesis with evidence.
Organization
Structure is clear
and appropriate
for writing type;
includes clear
introduction, welldeveloped body,
and clear
conclusion;
writing is
organized
logically into
paragraphs and
sentences with
transitions.
Structure is
generally clear
and appropriate
to writing type;
includes
introduction,
body, and
conclusion;
writing is
organized into
paragraphs and
sentences with
transitions.
Structure may
be partially
unclear,
inappropriate,
or lacking;
introduction or
conclusion is
lacking or
minimal;
organization of
paragraphs or
construction of
sentences is
flawed.
Structure is largely
unclear,
inappropriate, or
lacking; introduction
or conclusion is
missing; there are
significant flaws in
the organization of
paragraphs or
construction of
sentences.
Thesis
statement is
clearly stated
but lacks
strength in
language.
The thesis is
Presented, but is
ambiguous,
weak, or
unclear.
Uses all 8
documents and
references them
correctly in the
writing.
Uses all 8
documents and
references
them in the
writing,
although not
correctly.
Uses at least
half of the
documents and
references them
correctly in the
writing.
Flawless spelling,
punctuation, and
grammar.
Some minor
spelling,
punctuation, or
grammar
mistakes.
Skillfully
evaluates
information
gathered from
observation,
experience,
reflection, or
reasoning.
Adequately
demonstrates
reasonable
relationships
among ideas.
Thesis
Use of
documents
Mechanics
Critical
Thinking
a. precision
b. depth
c. accuracy
d. logic
Notes
The thesis is
presented clearly
and uses strong
language.
The thesis is poorly
stated, hard to find or
understand.
5-0 points
Student does
not grasp
content.
No
organization of
essay is
attempted.
No thesis is
evident.
Total
/10
/10
/10
Uses at least half of
the documents and
references them in the
writing, although not
correctly.
Does not
address the
documents in
the writing.
Careless
spelling,
punctuation, or
grammar
mistakes.
Significant spelling,
punctuation, or
grammar mistakes
throughout.
Essay is
difficult to
understand
because of
spelling and
grammar
errors.
/10
Simplistic
analysis of
complex issue;
limited clarity
and complexion
of thought.
Insufficient reasoning
and lacks complexity
of thought.
No analysis is
attempted.
/10
Total Points:
/60