The Big Bang hasn’t always been the generally accepted explanation of how our Universe came to be. In fact, our views on the origin and structure of the Universe have changed drastically over the last thousand years. As new thinking and evidence have built upon one another, our understanding has evolved.
Driving Question: How and why did our understanding of the Universe change over time?
- For nearly 1,500 years, most people in the world believed that the Earth was at the center of the Universe. We call this the geocentric, or earth-centered, view. That seems pretty outrageous to us now, so why was it so popular nearly 2,000 years ago? Think about what might have led people to change their minds about our position in the Universe.
Word of the Day: Claim
- An assertion that something is true.
Lesson
- Go to Khan Academy and watch the video How Did Our View of the Universe Change?. As you watch, think about how each scientist contributed to our current view of the Universe. It might even be helpful to keep a running timeline of those changes so that you can see them progress over time.
Historian’s Journal Prompt
- As you learned today, our understanding of events often changes with the introduction of new ideas, new technology, and new evidence. How do you think our understanding of pandemic diseases has changed over time? Why do you think that is?
