I, Galileo by Bonnie Christensen

Christensen, Bonnie. I, Galileo. Knopf Books for Your Readers, 2012.

Lexile Level: 940L

I, Galileo, by Bonnie Christensen, is a wonderful biography about the scientist Galileo Galilei. The book is told from the perspective of Galileo himself, an old man living out his final years under house arrest, as he recounts the events of his life that have led to this point. He tells us of his childhood, during which he learned about music and mathematics from his father, as well as observing the phenomena of the world around him. These observations would hint at the discoveries that he would make later in his life. Galileo is not shy about his tendency to get himself into trouble either. Having left college without finishing, Galileo still managed to be invited back only a few years later, to serve as a professor. Almost immediately, Galileo turned his nose up at the idea of wearing the traditional professorial robes. This kind of behavior eventually led to Galileo being forced out of his teaching job. Galileo was undeterred however, continuing his experiments without hesitation. Eventually, he makes what is perhaps is finest invention, as well as his finest discovery. But you'll have to read I, Galileo, in order to find out what they are!

I, Galileo also features fun, engaging illustrations that depict Galileo's world as he unravels its mysteries. His numerous experiments are shown by the illustrator, giving the reader a better idea of exactly what Galileo was up to. This, combined with the energetic narration from Galileo, add up to an excellent biography that is well worth a read. Definitely recommended.

Learning Activity

I would use this book as part of a lesson on the solar system. Galileo is responsible for proving that the planets in our solar system revolve around the sun, rather than the Earth, as was believed at the time. For this activity, I would ask the students to draw a diagram of the solar system as we know it today. I would read the book aloud to the class, focusing primarily on the end of the book, during which Galileo makes his discovery, and subsequently gets punished for it. Afterward, students would draw a second diagram, depicting the solar system as it was believed to exist in Galileo's time. We would then discuss the differences between the two, and how Galileo was able to discover the true nature of the solar system.

Learning Standards

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.2.3
Describe how characters in a story respond to major events and challenges.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.2.7
Use information gained from the illustrations and words in a print or digital text to demonstrate understanding of its characters, setting, or plot.

Goal

Students will learn how a great discovery changes our understanding of the world around us.

Objective

Students will be able to identify and illustrate the difference between the former and current models of our solar system, as well as identify how Galileo was able to prove which model was accurate.

Outcome

Students will be able to exhibit their creativity and understanding of the history of our interpretation of the solar system.