Recording of In the Footsteps of Galileo

This workshop was recorded live Wednesday, February 19, 2025. It will remain available through May 19, 2025.

In this 90-minute workshop classroom and informal educators will experience activities recreating the observations Galileo used to promote the heliocentric model of the solar system.

When Copernicus set out a heliocentric model for the solar system, there was scant evidence in support of the idea. It took the observations of Tycho, the calculations of Kepler, and the observations and promotions of Galileo to solidify scientific support for the notion the Sun, not the Earth, was the center of the solar system. In this workshop, educators from the Astronomical Society of the Pacific facilitated investigations to explore and recreate two of the most important sets of observations in support of heliocentrism. Participants will explore Galileo’s observations of the moons of Jupiter, and the phases of Venus through modeling the motion of both Jupiter’s moons and the planet Venus. Group discussions included looking at the historical context and legacy of Galileo’s observations as keystone events in the history of science, and how they expanded our perceptions of the universe. Other topics included how to use Galileo’s observations as vehicles to teach fundamental concepts in astronomy as well as basic scientific concepts and principles. The activities presented have immediate use in the classroom where students will engage in collaborative and inquiry-based activities as they learn the process of science.

Registrants for the live workshop received a toolkit with materials for use during the live session. The toolkit is not available for registrants of this recording-only product.

Participants will gain the following through the workshop:

• An understanding of the historical context for Galileo’s observations.
• An understanding of, and ability to model the key observations Galileo made which were essential in promoting the eventual acceptance of the heliocentric model of the solar system.
• Strategies we have found to successful at engaging learners of all ages
• A certificate of completion for participating in two clock hours of professional development.

Registration: $40

Attendance/Refund Policy

Refunds are not available for recording-only products.