ESL WORKSHEET - Copernicus

LESSON PLAN FOR ENGLISH TEACHERS

NICOLAUS COPERNICUS

LinguaHouse
Nov. 2, 2021

Level: Pre-Intermediate (A2-B1)
Type of English: General English
Tags: Celebrities and Historical Figures; Science and Technology; Beliefs, Religion and Superstition; The Universe and Space; Vocabulary and Grammar
Publication date: 11/02/2021

This audio-aided lesson tells the life story of the astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus (1473-1543). The lesson focuses on vocabulary, listening comprehension, speaking and noun/verb word families. There is also an optional extension activity about space vocabulary (by Stephanie Hirschman).

• CLICK HERE to download the student’s worksheet.
• CLICK HERE to download the teacher’s lesson plan.
• CLICK HERE to listen to/download the American English audio (MP3).
• CLICK HERE to listen to/download the British English audio (MP3).

TRANSCRIPT

Reader: Nicolaus Copernicus was born in Torun in Poland in 1473. His family was rich, but his father died when he was ten, and his uncle, a Catholic bishop, took care of him.
Reader: When he was 18, Copernicus went to study astronomy and mathematics at the University of Krakow. He enjoyed his studies, but he didn’t graduate because his uncle sent him to study church law in Italy. Copernicus secretly continued studying astronomy and mathematics, so he didn’t graduate from this university either. Finally, after further years of study, he received degrees in medicine and law and returned to Poland in 1503 to work with his uncle.
Reader: During Copernicus’s time in Italy, he made friends with the Italian astronomer Domenico Novara. Working without telescopes, they made many observations of the night sky. Copernicus continued this work when he returned to Poland.
Reader: He read the Greek astronomer Ptolemy’s description of how the Sun, Moon, and planets moved around the Earth and found some mathematical mistakes. This made Copernicus think that there might be more serious problems with Ptolemy’s theories. For example, perhaps the Earth and other planets moved around the Sun. Copernicus shared his ideas with friends in 1514.
Reader: Copernicus’s theories were against the teachings of the church, and it was dangerous to say this publicly. However, after many years, in 1543, the German scientist Georg Rheticus helped him to publish a book. Without their permission, the publisher included a note saying that these ideas might not be true and dedicated the book to the Catholic pope.
Reader: Although this made Copernicus and Rheticus angry, it meant that they were not in danger and people could still read about these new ideas. Copernicus’s theory inspired future astronomers and changed people’s understanding of man’s place in the universe. Copernicus died in 1543.

Adapted from: https://www.linguahouse.com/esl-lesson-plans/general-english/nicolaus-copernicus. Accessed on December 27, 2021. LinguaHouse.com © 2008 - 2021.