Unit 1

Renaissance: The Origins of a Western Worldview

Lesson 1

How do discoveries in science shape people's worldview?

The growth of cities and increased trade caused a renewed interest in science and mathematics, particularly because improved technology and maps were needed more than ever.

Scholars went back to the classics to learn about these subjects, and then they discovered new knowledge.

Challenging the accepted beliefs of their time resulted in the discovery of much of the scientific knowledge we continue to use today. Their discoveries changed people's long-held ideas about the world.

Watch

Many scientists from the Renaissance are still famous today because of what they discovered.

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Click the link to watch the video, Beyond the Big Bang: Copernicus, to learn about one of the first Renaissance scientists and his then-revolutionary discoveries.

While you are watching, keep these ideas in mind:

• Copernicus's ideas were unorthodox for his time. Think about what you know about the solar system today. Then, review Copernicus's ideas.
  
• What were the commonly held beliefs at that time?
• Why would Copernicus's ideas be considered revolutionary almost 500 years ago?