The first trial of this experimental class involving electronic learning (History 333:Galileo in Context, taught by Professor Albert Van Helden) began by dividing the class into three different groups: experiments, astronomy and trial. The trial group was given the following task:

• Identify and read all relevant documents and become familiar with the sequence of events
• Identify and become familiar with different interpretations
• Assign roles
• Prepare for trial
• Act out the trial in class
• Review critically the appropriate links of the online Galileo project
• Write appropriate links for the network project

Our group gave two in-class presentations, one of which involved pre-recorded video. The first presentation was entitled "A Not So Current Affair" and satirically examined the 1616 Galileo "trial" as it might have been viewed today. The second presentation was more serious and examined the 1633 trial as it would have been by Galileo's contemporaries. Following the second presentation, we led a discussion in which we came to the conclusion that in the context of his times, Galileo was guilty of at least some of the accusations brought against him.

• The Galileo Project Homepage

• Meet the authors

• An Interpretation of Cacinni's Sermon

• The (False?) Special Injunction Given To Galileo

• The Inquisition

• Scripts used for our in-class presentation

• Bibliography

Questions or comments? etext@rice.edu.