Year 7 Science · Unit 4 · Lesson 7
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Learning Goals
Because… chain
Fill in the missing steps. This chain follows how new evidence changed the model of the Solar System.
Overall conclusion:
Real-world context
For more than a thousand years, most people used the geocentric model, which placed a still Earth at the centre of everything. In 1543 Copernicus published the heliocentric model, with the Sun at the centre. At first there was no clear way to decide which model was right. Then, in the early 1600s, the telescope and careful measurements of the planets provided new evidence. Galileo saw moons orbiting Jupiter and the phases of Venus, and Kepler showed that planets move in elliptical orbits. Slowly, the new evidence convinced scientists that the Sun-centred model was the better one.
(a) Match each scientist to their contribution. Write the scientist's name next to each contribution.
| Contribution to the model of the Solar System | Scientist |
|---|---|
| Wrote down the Earth-centred model around 150 CE | |
| Published the Sun-centred model in 1543 | |
| Saw Jupiter's moons and the phases of Venus through a telescope around 1610 | |
| Showed that planets move in elliptical orbits, not perfect circles |
(b) Explain how seeing moons orbiting Jupiter was a problem for the geocentric model. What did it suggest about the centre of the Solar System?
(c) A scientific model can be kept, modified or rejected. Which of these happened to the geocentric model, and what caused it? Give two reasons.
1. A friend says "The old scientists were silly for believing the Earth was at the centre." Explain why this is unfair, using the idea of evidence.
2. Why did the new telescope make such a big difference to our model of the Solar System? Explain in two or three sentences.
Wrap Up
In one sentence, what was the main idea of this lesson?