FREE Galileo Galilei Unit Study at 3 Reading Levels

This week in our Famous Scientist Series, we are learning about the “Father of Modern Science”. That would be the famous Renaissance philosopher, inventor, scientist, astronomer and mathematician: Galileo Galilei.

Do you ever look up at the sky in wonder, specifically the moon and want to know what is on it and what it is made of?

If you have ever taken your children outside with a telescope, you have Galileo to thank for that! He was the first person to ever study the sky with a telescope that he built himself. His discoveries are amazing, like finding out that the moon has mountains on it. He discovered the rings of Saturn, the moons that travel around the earth and so much more.

Not only did he have so much to contribute to the science of astronomy, he was a great physicist as well. He proposed the first theory of relativity: that the laws of physics are the same for all observers moving in a straight line at constant speed. He also stated the principle of inertia.

Biography of Galileo Galilei:

Galileo Galilei was born on February 15, 1564 in Pisa, Italy. He was the oldest of seven children. His father was a well-known composer who played the lute. Galileo also played the lute string instrument. He was torn between wanting to be a Catholic priest or a doctor when he grew up. His father wanted him to go to school to study medicine at the age of 17.

When he was 18, he became fascinated with mathematics and the movement of pendulums. He recognized and understood the principal of movement from being a musician. This stirred so much excitement and passion in him to study math and physics instead of medicine. 

He continued to want to learn even more, and also began to study art and drawing! Galileo never even finished his college degree. His first scientific book was published at the age of 22. With more and more of his discoveries, he got into trouble with the Catholic Church. His publications on his discoveries greatly went against what they were teaching. He was on house arrest for 8 years because of it. He died on January 8, 1642, at the age of 77, shortly after he was released.

• You can find out even more about his life, education, family and all of his discoveries HERE at Biography.com.
• Galileo Galilei Biography for Kids – Ducksters
• Galileo Scientist Facts – Science Kids

FREE Galileo Galilei Unit Study

We’ve created free Galileo Galilei learning packs to help kids of multiple ages learn more about this scientist and his revolutionary work. Use the whole pack as a small unit study of Galileo or grab just a couple of page as a supplement to any homeschool curriculum you may already be using.

The free digital printable pack includes:

• Image Analysis of the scientist and/or his or her work
• Read a Passage about the scientist with a place to take short notes
• 5 Key Vocabulary Words from the passages with definitions as well as opportunity to use the word in a sentence and/or draw an image to help your student learn the word
• Vocabulary Flashcards to use 2 ways: fold and learn or cut apart to use as a memory game
• 3-2-1 Reflection which gives a child the opportunity to write 3 things learned, 2 connections made, and 1 thing he or she would like to learn more about
• 3 Multiple Choice Questions with an opportunity to explain the their answer
• 3 Short Answer Questions
• 3 Reflect and Discuss Questions which can be used for personal reflection or to discuss as a family, homeschool co-op or classs.

And because we know that homeschool families may want to learn about the history of Galileo’s life and work together, we’ve also designed it at 3 different reading levels:

• Level 1 = Approximately Grade 3 reading level
• Level 2 = Approximately Grade 6 reading level
• Level 3 = Approximately Grade 9 reading level

Grab your copy of one or all three reading levels below today!

More Printables and Resources About Galileo Galilei:

Are you learning about astronomy in your science studies, or the Renaissance time period in history? If so, you will enjoy learning more about Galileo in your homeschool studies Check out the options on our HSG FREE Resource Roundup list:

• All About Galileo Worksheet – Education.com
• Father of Modern Science Printable Poster of Galileo – Art Skills
• Galileo Fun Activity Worksheets – TPT
• Galileo Galilei Notebooking Page – Homeschool Helper Online
• Scientific Revolution Lesson Plan: Galileo on Trial Power Point (for grades 9-12) – TPT
• Galileo Guided Biography Study – TPT
• Lego History Galileo Unit Study – Adventures in Mommydom
• Galileo Facts for Kids – Cool Kid Facts

Hands-on Projects and Activities

A unit study just isn’t complete without a project or activity. Check out these options to add to your homeschool study of Galileo Galilei:

• Galileo Star Viewer Craft – Teach Beside Me
• Swinging with Galileo Physical Science Experiment – Kids Fun Science
• What Goes Up Must Come Down Galileo Falling Objects Experiment – Science Buddies
• Galileo Gravity Experiments for Kids – Science Sparks

Websites about Galileo

• The Galileo Games: Galileo’s Experiments at the Leaning Tower of Pisa with video – Nova Online PBS
• The Galileo Project  – has a Galileo biography with links to his life and his discoveries. There are lesson plans for science, church history, the Inquisition, the Renaissance and more.
• Museo Galileo is a museum devoted to Galileo and his discoveries. The website is a treasure trove of information, photos. research information and lesson plans.

Galileo Books

These books will go great with any Galileo unit study in your homeschool:

Who Was Galileo?World History Biographies: Galileo: The Genius Who Charted the UniverseGalileo for Kids: His Life and Ideas, 25 Activities (For Kids series)Who Was Galileo Galilei?: Galileo Galilei Biography for KidsStarry Messenger: Galileo GalileiAlong Came Galileo

Paid Resource: Famous People Notebook: Scientists

Daily Skill Building has created an open-and-go notebooking study called Famous People Notebook: Scientists to explore the life and work of 10 scientists that changed history. This biographical unit studies include text, comprehension questions, written narration, and answers. If you are looking for one book your older students can use to independently explore multiple scientists, then this is a great option!

What to Explore More Famous Scientists?

This is part 4 of our 12 post series on famous scientists. If you would like to add even more scientists into your lesson plans then be sure to go to our Johannes Kepler unit study below to get another free pack.