Semester II - Week of 03/09 to 3/26
MEETING OF THE ACADEMIE ROYALE DES SCIENCES
OVERVIEW
The seventeenth century saw the introduction of academic societies and academies. This week we will all take on the role of various scientists, mathematicians, and philosophers. As such, we will apply to enter the Academie Royale des Sciences. Some of us will then go on to be interviewed. We will also role play being part of the membership committee and, as such, evaluate the applications, interview, and vote on new members.
Each person is to pretend to be a person from the Scientific Revolution who is trying to gain membership to the Academie Royale des Science. The Academie will be meeting Monday, March 23, at which time its members will elect five new members. All prospective members must submit FIVE copies of a letter of introduction (samples), a curriculum vitae (sample), and an annotated bibliography at the beginning of class on the 23rd.
Everyone will participate in a membership committee to create a short list. We will meet in small groups to read and discuss applications. Each group will be given a list of criteria and, using the list, must choose two applicants to interview.
Those chosen for the short list will be interviewed by the rest of the class. Anyone not being interviewed must come ready to provide at least one general (to ask everyone) and five specific (for five different specific interviewees) questions. None of these questions should be for your character. Please collect an index card from me on which to write your questions. Everyone will then vote on who to invite to join the Academie.
LIST OF PROSPECTIVE MEMBERS:
Francis Bacon
Robert Boyle
Tycho Brahe
Nicolaus Copernicus
Marie Cunitz
René Descartes
Galileo Galilei
William Gilbert
Otto Von Guericke
Edmund Halley
William Harvey
Elisabetha Hevelius
Robert Hooke
Marie Meurdrac
Johannes Kepler
Antoine Lavoisier
Anton van Leeuwenhoek
Wilhelm von Leibniz
Carolus Linnaeus
Marin Mersenne
Isaac Newton
Santorio Santoria
Willebrord Snellius
Evangelista Torricelli
Blaise Pascal
Maria Sibylla Merian
Maria Winkelmann
GRADING RUBRIC
Curriculum Vitae (everyone): 15 points
13-15 points: Properly formatted, accurate, and complete.
10-12 points: Minor formatting errors, minor factual errors or omissions.
7-9 points: Major formatting errors or minor factual errors and omissions.
4-7 points: Major formatting errors and either minor factual errors or omissions.
2-3 points: Major formatting errors, minor factual errors, and omissions.
0-1 points: Many major errors.
Annotated Bibliography: 5 points
4-5 points: Three or more sources, including at least one textbook and one non-internet source.
2-3 points: Two or more sources, including at least one textbook.
0-1 points: No textbook, only internet sources.
Letter of Introduction (everyone): 15 points
13-15 points: 1 page in length; accurate, clear, informative, and convincing.
10-12 points: More than one page in length; accurate, clear, informative, and convincing.
7-9 points: Less than one page in length; some errors or unconvincing.
4-6 points: Too long and unfocused or too short and uninformative.
2-3 points: major errors.
0-1 points: totally off topic.
Presentation (short listed): 15 points
13-15 points: Solid command of material, easily and smoothly answers all questions, no inaccuracies.
7-9 points: Shaky command of the material, hesitancy, minor errors.
4-6 points: Shaky command of material with errors.
2-3 points: Many errors or gaps of knowledge.
0-1 points: Clearly does not know role.
Questions (not short listed): 15 points
13-15 points: Asks at least one general and ten specific questions; demonstrates an understanding of the assignment, and the Scientific Revolution.
10-12 points: Asks more than one general question and less than ten specific questions; demonstrates an understanding of the assignment and the Scientific Revolution.
7-9 points: Asked questions which demonstrates shaky understanding of the various characters and the Scientific Revolution.
4-6 points: Asked too few questions, which demonstrate shaky understanding of the Scientific Revolution.
1-3 points: Asked too few questions which do not demonstrate an understanding of any aspect of the assignment.
Costume (Friday): 5 points
4-5 points: Wears something evocative of both the period and the person.
2-3 points: Wears something evocative of the period.
0-1 points: Nicely dressed in 21st century garb!
Voting (everyone): 5 points
4-5 points: character is voted into the Academie and own vote is not for self and has solid reasons.
2-3 points: Votes cast are not for self and have solid reasons.
0-1 points: Votes cast for self or for poorly articulated or no reasons.