History of Science OnlineWeek 3: Science in Ancient Egypt and the Aegean |
|
|
|
|
Web Project assignment: Explore Secondary Sources and Brainstorm Topics
| # | Due Date | Pts | Activity | Time |
| 6 | Monday
11:59 p.m. |
10 | Web
Project this is a semester-long project where, little-by-little and step-by-step each week, you create your own web project on an aspect of the history of science of special interest to you |
90 min
- 2 hours |
In this assignment you will:
Today you will brainstorm some possibilities for an overall topic for your web project that will tie your three episodes together into one coherent project. Most of all, choose a web project topic that is meaningful to you! This is your opportunity to make sure that what we study in this course best matches your own individual interests in the history of science. And you will have lots of fun preparing your web pages for your classmates, who will give you great feedback about your project.
As you are brainstorming topics, you also need to be figuring out what possible episodes you want to focus on. For example, you might choose to do history of astronomy or history of medicine, but to narrow it down you will choose three episodes to explore in particular. Each episode needs a primary source, a text written in the period. You have already browsed many websites that provide online texts; other English translations are available in the library. You are welcome to arrange a time with me to meet in the History of Science Collections and see the original printed editions of the primary sources you choose, and even photograph them for your web page images. Many images from the Collections are already available online.
Finally, do remember that the episodes must fall into the time period covered by this course (up to Newton; see the Timeline link at the top of any course web page). Also, remember that you need one episode from each period (ancient, medieval and early modern).
As
you begin to search for possible secondary sources, start by using your textbooks
(Crowe, Lindberg and Debus) which can provide you with ideas (but which do not
count as your required secondary sources). Browse the textbook tables of contents
and indices. They may be all the help you need to choose a topic for your web
project, although once you get farther along you will need another secondary
source that goes into more detail than your textbooks and assigned readings
(the latter include Exhibits Online and the course website). One way to find
a more detailed source is to look out for "Starting Points" (marked
by the graphic on the left). Many assignment pages for Background and Primary
Source weekly assignments suggest "Starting Points for further exploration."
These "Starting Points" are a great place to go if you want to delve
more deeply into a topic touched upon in the assigned readings. Depending on
your interests, the textbooks and the Starting Points sources provide a first
level of guidance to find acceptable secondary sources.
Complete the assignment in a simple text processor, saving often. When all steps of the assignment are completed, paste the text into an email message as instructed below.
1. Reflect upon the kind of secondary sources you might use to research your Web Project. Study all pages linked to below.
2. Isis Bibliography for the History of Science.
3. OU Libraries online databases and e-journals.
4. Brainstorm four different, specific topics you might choose for your Web Project.
5. Explore some actual secondary sources you might use to research your Web Project.
TO COMPLETE THIS ASSIGNMENT
Copy the text between the next two horizontal lines and paste it into an email. Replace the text in ALL CAPS with your own words. Answer the four questions, describe your four possible topics, and send it to the instructor. When completed, the possible topics parts of the assignment should be at least 500-1000 words in length. (I will double-check this!) Please make sure that you have proofread the assignment and run a spellcheck and a word count. When you are done, send the email to the instructor in an email. Please give the email a subject line that says "3013-WebProject-Week3".
Warning: Please do not send a document attachment. Just cut-and-paste the assignment into the message body of the email. Microsoft Word is not required for this course. Because of the risk of passing on Windows viruses through Microsoft Word documents, if you send me a Word document I will delete the email without reading it and you will receive a zero for this assignment.
NAME:
1. What reliable professional secondary source would you consult to find out who was Tycho Brahe, and what were his accomplishments and books? (You don't need to answer this question; just identify an appropriate source.)
2. What reliable professional secondary source would you consult to find out who was Sophie Brahe, and what was her contribution to science? (You don't need to answer this question; just identify an appropriate source.)
3. What reliable and historically appropriate source would you consult to find out what was the definition of "natural philosophy" in the 17th century? (You don't need to answer this question; just identify an appropriate source.)
4. Using the guidelines explained on the web page for evaluating the reliability of secondary sources, which source would you trust to be more reliable: (1) an unsigned article about Aristotle's physics on the website of a famous publisher of science textbooks, or (2) a personal web page about Aristotle by a historian of ancient science?
5. What is a complete bibliographic citation for Newman's article on Newton's alchemy?
6. What is the first word on the third page of Newman's article?
Possible topic #1:
Why I am interested in the topic (two or three sentences): TYPE YOUR ANSWER HERE.
What I would like to learn by working on this topic (two or three sentences): TYPE YOUR ANSWER HERE.
I think this will be basically an EASY OR HARD topic because.... TYPE YOUR ANSWER HERE.
Possible reliable secondary source about this topic: ENTER COMPLETE BIBLIOGRAPHIC CITATION HERE, THEN TYPE A SENTENCE OR TWO EXPLAIning WHY IT MIGHT BE USEFUL TO YOU.
Possible topic #2:
Why I am interested in the topic (two or three sentences): TYPE YOUR ANSWER HERE.
What I would like to learn by working on this topic (two or three sentences): TYPE YOUR ANSWER HERE.
I think this will be basically an EASY OR HARD topic because.... TYPE YOUR ANSWER HERE.
Possible reliable secondary source about this topic: ENTER COMPLETE BIBLIOGRAPHIC CITATION HERE, THEN TYPE A SENTENCE OR TWO EXPLAIning WHY IT MIGHT BE USEFUL TO YOU.
Possible topic #3:
Why I am interested in the topic (two or three sentences): TYPE YOUR ANSWER HERE.
What I would like to learn by working on this topic (two or three sentences): TYPE YOUR ANSWER HERE.
I think this will be basically an EASY OR HARD topic because.... TYPE YOUR ANSWER HERE.
Possible reliable secondary source about this topic: ENTER COMPLETE BIBLIOGRAPHIC CITATION HERE, THEN TYPE A SENTENCE OR TWO EXPLAIning WHY IT MIGHT BE USEFUL TO YOU.
Possible topic #4:
Why I am interested in the topic (two or three sentences): TYPE YOUR ANSWER HERE.
What I would like to learn by working on this topic (two or three sentences): TYPE YOUR ANSWER HERE.
I think this will be basically an EASY OR HARD topic because.... TYPE YOUR ANSWER HERE.
Possible reliable secondary source about this topic: ENTER COMPLETE BIBLIOGRAPHIC CITATION HERE, THEN TYPE A SENTENCE OR TWO EXPLAIning WHY IT MIGHT BE USEFUL TO YOU.
"But I claim there will be some who remember us when we are gone." Sappho
|
HSCI 3013. History
of Science to 17th century
Many thanks to Mythology
and Folklore and other online courses developed by Laura Gibbs.
|
Search course websites: |
Disclaimer | Academic Calendar
|
|
