ESL WORKSHEET - Historical Figures, Science

LESSON PLAN FOR ENGLISH TEACHERS

ISAAC NEWTON

LinguaHouse
Mar. 1, 2023

Level: Intermediate (B1-B2)
Type of English: General English
Tags: Celebrities and Historical Figures; Science and Technology; Beliefs, Religion and Superstition; Challenges; Dimensions and Shapes; 18+ Years Old; 16-18 Years Old; 13-15 Years Old; Vocabulary and Grammar
Publication date: 03/01/2023

This audio-aided lesson tells the life story of mathematician and physicist, Isaac Newton (1643-1727). The lesson focuses on vocabulary, listening comprehension and speaking, and includes a short look at how cause and effect can be expressed. There is also an optional extension activity to review some vocabulary from the main lesson (by Stephanie Hirschman).

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

AUDIO TRANSCRIPT

Isaac Newton was born in the east of England in 1643. His father had died before he was born, and he was a sick baby, not expected to live. His mother soon remarried and left young Isaac with his grandmother. As a result, he felt anxious and insecure throughout his life.
Newton was educated locally. When he was twelve, his mother took him out of school hoping he would become a farmer, but he was so unhappy that she had to give up this plan and he returned to his education. His uncle later helped him to get into Cambridge University, where he was only an average student. However, he was reading independently and exploring new scientific ideas about the universe, proposed by Copernicus, Kepler and Galileo, stating that the earth circled the sun.
Although these ideas were becoming more accepted, they were not yet part of the curriculum at Cambridge. When the university closed between 1665 and 1667, due to an epidemic, he continued working on his own. It’s possible that his famous observation of an apple falling from a tree during this time influenced his work. In 1669, he published a paper dealing with the branch of mathematics known as calculus. The work was well-received and led to a professorship at Cambridge.
In fact, Newton’s interests were wide-ranging, and he also formulated the three basic laws of motion, which became the foundation of the modern science of physics. His work could be applied to explanations of gravity and the orbits of the planets around the sun. As Newton’s reputation grew, he attracted some criticism from other scientists, which he found very difficult. In particular, he developed a lifelong rivalry with Robert Hooke of the Royal Society.
The resulting stress contributed to a nervous breakdown in 1678 and for some time, Newton disappeared from public life, although again, he continued working on his own. When he published his most famous work, the Principia, in 1687, Hooke claimed that Newton had stolen his ideas. After Hooke’s death in 1703, Newton became leader of the Royal Society, but he allowed no opposition from anyone. Therefore, he was not a popular leader.
In later years, Newton’s interests expanded. He became the Member of Parliament for Cambridge and also took up the post of head of the Royal Mint. In this position, he introduced a number of important reforms to banking and currency, including a move to the gold standard. Newton was a wealthy man by this time, and he was generous to charities. In addition, his intellectual interests moved towards religion, philosophy and even alchemy.
However, his mental health continued to be unstable. Consequently, his friends were often worried about him. Newton died in 1727, aged eighty-four. His work transformed mathematics and the sciences, and although some of his ideas were later corrected by Albert Einstein in the 20th century, he deserves to be remembered for the power and originality of his thinking.

Adapted from: https://www.linguahouse.com/esl-lesson-plans/general-english/isaac-newton. Accessed on March 15, 2023. © 2008–2023 LinguaHouse.com. All rights reserved.