process paper & annotated bibliography

8/3/2019 Process Paper & Annotated Bibliography

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Process Paper

Caleb Kramer

Mrs. Hughes

When one thinks of a revolution, they often tend to think of an event which has the word

Revolution in it or a period where ideas changed from one view to another. The fact

that the sun is in the center of our solar system and that we rotate around it is a fact

people take for granted and is typically not the first thing one thinks of. It was not the

first thing that popped into my head either. I knew I wanted to do something quite

original. As I was scanning a provided list of possible topics, I asked wh at geocentric

meant. It led to a conversation of how the heliocentric theory was a great topic. I like

science, and the topic captured my curiosity. It was something I could learn about, be

interested in, and do a project on all at the same time.

Once I was sure I was working on the heliocentric theory, I started research by doing the

obvious thing I was taught to do as a child. I typed heliocentric theory into Google and

started looking at sites, clicking links, and searching for more things I could possibly put

in my project. In class, I went to the library and found a very resourceful book basically

explaining the whole theory from beginning to end going through each section of

Copernicuss publication. I took notes on that, and read around on the internet.

Eventually, I was ready to start actually doing something.

How does one transform a massive amount of information into an organized website?

The answer is to create middle ground. With anything, it is much easier to create

sentences when one already knows what the sentence needs to be about. I created a


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detailed outline, going through the websites and organizing the notes I had taken. I

organized it into three basic categories of before, during, and after. The only thing left to

do was to type it up and put it in paragraphs on the website. During this time, I also

managed to piece together an image in Photoshop that would operate as a banner for the

website.

The heliocentric theory almost defines the word revolution. As much as we believe now

that we revolve around the sun, people thought that it revolved around us. Imagine if

someone today told us the earth was in the center of the universe, they would be seen as

crazy. The theory took common belief and shattered it. It was definitely controversial;

Galileo was put on trial for supporting it. Eventually though, scientists saw that the theory

made the calculations simpler and that Copernicus was right. Copernicus, by publishing

the heliocentric theory, created a revolution, which was not widely accepted, but

astrological ideas were eventually reformed because of it.


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Annotated Bibliography

"heliocentric system."Encyclopdia Britannica. Encyclopdia Britannica Online.

Encyclopdia Britannica, 2011. Web. 06 Oct. 2011.

.

This online encyclopedia article on the heliocentric theory gives a brief description of

what the heliocentric theory is and how it was received and does not just focus on Copernicus

and his publications as many other sources do. It told of different people before Copernicus who

believed in a heliocentric universe, which I used in the project.

Chavis, Jason C. "The Copernican Revolution - The Heliocentric Model of the Solar System by

Nicolaus Copernicus." Find Science & Technology Articles, Education Lesson Plans, Tech Tips,

Computer Hardware & Software Reviews, News and More at Bright Hub . Web. 21 Oct. 2011.

.

Like many other sources, upon introducing the theory to people who are unfamiliar, this

website builds upon it by showing what Ptolemy thought of the universe. It gives details about

the theory, such as who helped Copernicus prove it. This was used in the project as well as the

effects of the theory, mainly on the Church, which lost authority from being proved incorrect.

"Science | Ptolemaic System." The Galileo Project. Web. 17 Nov. 2011.

.

In this site all about Galileo, this particular page explains what Galileo was dealing with.

Aristotle had his own ideas about the universe, which was very similar to Ptolemys. Aristotle

believed in a universe where the elements were the reason for the Earths centeredness, which isthe main point I understood from this website and implemented into the project.

"Celestial Spheres." Web. 17 Nov. 2011.

.

Being a picture, this source is very simply described as a photo of Ptolemys ideas of the

shells of the universe. This is the very thing Copernicus revolutionized. Also used in the banner

of the website.

Matthews, Charles. "Paradise Lost." Ten Pages (or More). 28 Feb. 2011. Web. 17 Nov. 2011.

.

Another picture, this source is Copernicuss views in picture form, which is the simplest

way to express the essence of the heliocentric theory.
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/260027/heliocentric-systemhttp://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/260027/heliocentric-system


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Westfall, Richard S. "The Construction of Modern Science ... - Richard S. Westfall." Google

Books. Web. 17 Nov. 2011. .

Although mainly based on the whole scientific revolution, this book does provide specific

details on Copernicuss revolution. It also relates his ideas back to the main topic of the scientific

revolution. I took information from this book about how the Copernican revolution fits into it.

"Copernican Model."About Astrology - Horoscopes, Zodiac Signs, Love, Tarot. Web. 14 Dec.

2011. .

This article was mainly used for the picture, which relates to Copernicus and his book.

The graphic was used in the banner for the website.

Vollmann, William T. Uncentering the Earth: Copernicus and the Revolutions of the Heavenly

Spheres. London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 2006. Print.

This extremely helpful source goes through piece by piece Copernicuss book. It explains

the diagrams used and why things said in the book are important and what it meant in historical

context. I used it to learn much of what I understand about the heliocentric theory.

"GALILEO GALILEI - DIALOGUE CONCERNING THE TWO CHIEF WORLD SYSTEMS:

THE PTOLEMAIC AND THE COPERNICAN."Home. Tel Aviv Univ. Web. 14 Dec. 2011.

.

This website talks about Galileo Galilei and his book The Dialogue. I used it to gain

information about what the book was and how it helped reform the theory or spread it.

Elert, Glenn. "Heliocentrism." The Physics Hypertextbook. 1996. Web. 06 Oct. 2011.

.

This website explains the different discoveries and quotes of various astronomers that

added to the heliocentric theory. I used it as a source to explain that Copernicuss theory made

calculations easier from Ptolemys.

Copernicus, Nicholas. "Nicholas Copernicus | Calendars." Webexhibits. Web. 06 Oct. 2011.

.

These are the very words of the revolution. They are not used often, as the alternative

book which summarized his writings was used more often. This source is used for specific

details.

"The Prohibition of the Heliocentric Theory." Tel Aviv Univ. Web. 06 Oct. 2011.

.


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This website focuses on Galileo and how he tried to prove the heliocentric theory. It laid

out the Inquisition and how Galileo was put on trial. I used the source for ideas of what kind of

things Galileo did and details on the reactions of the people who supported the theory.

"Primary Sources."Redirection to Equivalent @ Cengage. Web. 21 Oct. 2011.

This source illustrates Ptolemys view of the universe. Provides a basic overview of what

one would need to know in order to get an fundamental understanding of his ideas. I used it to

introduce the ideas that Ptolemy presented for his geocentric view of the universe.

Dipity < http://cdn.dipity.com/uploads/events/be7bf4d5ac9cee9fdc491d0167130632_1M.png>

I could not find any information on the publishers of this picture. It was found on google

images and used before realizing that it had no real website it belonged to. Used in the banner of

the website.

Pogge, Richard. "Astronomy 161." Web. 17 Nov. 2011. .

This website shows the supposed orbital of the different planets of a geocentric universe. I used

it to explain how the planets rotation was irregularly shaped if the Earth was placed in the

center of the universe.

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