September 12, 2005 Dear Librarian, Produced for PBS by the Sir Isaac Newton was one of the greatest scientists who ever lived. He invented calculus, WGBH Science Unit fi gured out the composition of light, and determined the laws of gravity and motion. His 125 Western Avenue rules about how objects move were so accurate that—more than 300 years later—they are Boston Massachusetts still being used to launch rockets and understand space travel. 02134 But research is uncovering a Newton no one ever knew existed. The study of Newton’s own personal papers, many written in secret code, is bringing to light an intense, private Telephone 617-300-4340 Fax 617-300-1003 man for whom religion and science were inseparable. Historians now know that Newton www.pbs.org/nova owned more than 30 Bibles, and that he used alchemy as an avenue to study the nature of matter. On November 15, tune into NOVA’s “Newton’s Dark Secrets” to discover a Major funding is complete picture of this enigmatic man—his science, his personal beliefs, and the times provided by Google in which he lived. With generous support from the National Science Foundation, we’ve produced this library resource kit to accompany the program. The kit, which has been reviewed by a national board of public librarians, has been designed for libraries of all sizes and visitors of all ages. Use the display sheets to illuminate Newton’s work in gravity, light, and alchemy; conduct the activities to provide children with the sense of wonder Newton felt about the natural world; and engage visitors with handouts that offer doorways into Newton’s life and the science that excited him. We hope you will use this library kit to create science programming that helps your community gain insight into who Newton really was and how his science changed our view of the world. We would love to hear how this kit works for you; please send your comments to [email protected]. Your feedback will help ensure that future projects like this one are interesting and useful to all librarians. Paula S. Apsell NOVA Executive Producer Credits The Newton’s Dark Secrets Library Advisory Board Resource Kit was producedproduced by the Frances L. Ashburn Educational Outreach department of North Carolina Center for the Book the WGBH Educational Foundation. State Library of North Carolina Raleigh, North Carolina Director, Educational Outreach Karen Barss Catherine M. Clancy Boston Public Library Manager, Educational Content Honan-Allston Branch Sonja Latimore Boston, Massachusetts Editorial Project Director Kathleen T. Horning Karen Hartley Cooperative Children’s Book Center University of Wisconsin Assistant Editor School of Education Joan Pedersen Madison, Wisconsin Writer Sue McCleaf Nespeca Margy Kuntz Kid Lit Plus Consulting Youngstown, Ohio Designers Peter Lyons Deb Robertson Rusha Sopariwala Public Programs Offi ce American Library Association Photo Researcher Chicago, Illinois Debby Paddock Lisa Sheffi eld Illustrator Transylvania County Library Hannah Bonner Brevard, North Carolina Print Production Lenore Gibson Major corporate funding for NOVA is provided by Google. NOVA is a trademark and service mark of the WGBH Educational Foundation. Additional funding is provided by the Howard Hughes Medical Permission is granted for reproduction of this printed Institute, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and public material by schools and librarians for educational use television viewers. only. All other rights reserved. Other than as discussed above, no part of the Newton’s Dark Secrets Library Resource Kit maymay be reproduced,reproduced, storedstored in a retrievalretrieval Major funding for “Newton’s Dark Secrets” provided by the system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, National Science Foundation. This material is based upon electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or work supported by the National Science Foundation under otherwise, without the prior written permission of the Grant No. 9901978. Any opinions, fi ndings, and conclusions WGBH Educational Foundation, 125 Western Avenue, or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the Boston, MA 02134. author(s) and do not necessarily refl ect the views of the National Science Foundation. NOVA is closed captioned and described by the Media Access Group at WGBH for viewers who are deaf, hard The NOVA television series is produced by WGBH Boston, of hearing, blind, or visually impaired. The descriptive which is solely responsible for its content, and distributed by narration is available on the second audio program (SAP) the Public Broadcasting Service. channel of stereo TVs and VCRs. © 2005 WGBH Educational Foundation All illustrations © 2005 Hannah Bonner NEWTON’S DARK SECRETS AIRING ON PBS NOVEMBER 15, 2005 Using This Contents Who Was Sir Isaac Newton? Newton Activities Library Use this handout to help your patrons Use the activities with programs you discover more about the life of Sir host at your library or copy them to Resource Kit Isaac Newton. distribute to patrons. • Newton’s Discovery Welcome to NOVA’s Newton’s Dark Program Ideas and Tips (ages 4 and older) Secrets Library Resource Kit. This kit Find ideas to help you incorporate • Catch a Rainbow accompanies NOVA’s program about NOVA’s “Newton’s Dark Secrets” into (ages 5 and older) Isaac Newton—his work and his life— your event and program schedule and • Parachute Play which is scheduled to air November 15, tips for how you can work with partner (ages 6 and older) 2005, at 8 pm. (Check local listings as organizations to interest your audiences • Light’s Mysteries dates and times may vary.) We hope in Newton and other scientists. This (ages 8 and older) you will use this kit to create displays, section includes: • Marble on the Move conduct science activities, create library • Programs and Events (ages 10 and older) programs, and plan community events • Activities Using Library Resources • Who Am I? to help engage your audiences in the • Library Display Ideas (ages 12 and older) excitement of science. • Resources for Programs and Events Display Sheets Bibliography Use the display sheets to create or Use the bibliography to create displays supplement an exhibit on Newton. Copy Our Handouts! and activities using reference books, • Newton’s Apple Please feel free to copy any of the handouts or to help patrons learn more about • The Better to See Stars With in this kit. We have designed them to be Newton. The bibliography includes • Rainbow of Light reproducible. Find downloadable PDF resources for: • The Philosopher’s Stone color versions of all the pages in this kit at • Newton’s Life and Works www.pbs.org/nova/newton/lrk.html • Calculus, Physics, and Astronomy • History of Science and Mathematics Science Lesson www.pbs.org/nova/teachers Provide local teachers with a classroom activity that explores alchemy. Find the activity (available in October 2005) on the NOVA Teachers site listed in the section “Teacher’s Guide by Program Title” under “Newton’s Dark Secrets.” For grades 6–8 and 9–12. Available in html and PDF formats. WWW.PBS.ORG/NOVA/NEWTON ©2005 WGBH Educational Foundation. All ©2005 WGBH rights Educational is reserved. Foundation. Permission granted for reproduction of this printed material for educational use only. NEWTON’S DARK SECRETS AIRING ON PBS NOVEMBER 15, 2005 Newton’s Life 1642 Born in Woolsthorpe, England, Who Was Sir Isaac Newton? on December 25. 1654 Enrolls at King’s School in Grantham, Isaac Newton was one of the leading fi gures England, and boards with the town of the scientifi c revolution in the seventeenth apothecary, Mr. Clark. century. Considered one of the greatest scien- 1659 Leaves school and returns to Woolsthorpe to learn to manage tists who ever lived, Newton devoted his life the family farm. to the study of the natural world, discovering 1661 Enters Trinity College at the the laws of gravity and motion, analyzing light, University of Cambridge in England. 1664 Becomes more immersed in the study and developing the mathematics of calculus. of mathematics and optics. 1665 Graduates from Trinity. Newton was born prematurely on December 25, 1665–67 Plague breaks out in Cambridge. 1642, in Woolsthorpe, England, to a poor Newton returns to Woolsthorpe, farming family. His father had died before his where he establishes the fundamentals birth, and he grew up in the care of his mother of calculus and continues thinking about gravitation. and grandmother. At the age of 16, after his stepfather’s death, Newton was taken 1667 Made Fellow of Trinity College. out of school to work on the family farm. However, Newton preferred to spend his 1668 Builds the fi rst functioning refl ecting time reading. So, at his uncle’s urging, the family sent him back to school. telescope. 1669 Becomes the Lucasian Professor of Newton arrived at Trinity College, University of Cambridge, in 1661. He learned Mathematics at Cambridge University. Begins experiments in alchemy. of the scientifi c revolution that had been going on in Europe through the work of 1672 Elected Fellow of the Royal Society. Galileo Galilei, Nicolaus Copernicus, Johannes Kepler, and René Descartes. Newton Publishes his theory on light and color began to question the environment around him, including the nature of matter, light, in the Royal Society’s journal. and color. At the same time, to better understand the texts he was reading, Newton 1687 Publishes Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica. began to study mathematics in earnest, laying the foundation for his later discoveries. 1689 Elected as a Member of Parliament for Cambridge University. The summer after Newton graduated, in 1665, the plague was spreading in 1696 Appointed Warden of the Royal Mint, Cambridge. Newton, who had returned to the family farm for the summer, stayed and moves to London. there for the next two years. During this time, Newton established the fundamentals 1699 Becomes Master of the Mint.