GALILEO

GALILEO SCIENTIST HISTORY LESSON

Directions:

Print the Galileo reading comprehension passage and questions (see below).

Students should read the passage silently, then answer the questions.  Teachers may also use the text as part of a classroom lesson plan.

Lesson Excerpt

Do you think the earth stands still? If you said no then you have something in common with Galileo. He did not believe the earth stood still even when everyone else said it did. When Galileo was alive, people believed in the Ptolemaic system. That system stated that the earth was the center of the Universe.

This would mean that everything in space revolved around the earth but the earth would not move at all. Galileo did not believe this was true and set out to prove everyone wrong.

Young Galileo

Galileo Galilei was born on February 15, 1564. He was born and raised in Pisa, Italy. His father, Vincenzio, was a clothing merchant and a musician. The Galilei family was not wealthy. Growing up, Galileo was a very curious child. His main interest seemed to be science. He loved asking questions about the solar system, music, and math.

Like many children in those days, Galileo was taught at home until he reached the age of seven. When he turned seven, he got to go to school. Galileo was sent to the University of Pisa. His father sent him to the University to learn medicine.

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