William Whewell

High school (ages 12+)
Science & Technology

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/william-whewell

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. When was William Whewell born?May 24, 1794
2. When did William Whewell die?March 6, 1866
3. What is the academic position?Master of Trinity College, Cambridge
4. What is the key publications?Works in mechanics, physics, geology, astronomy, economics, philosophy of science, and poetry
5. What did William Whewell do that helped scientists talk to each other?He invented new words like "scientist" and "physicist" so people could describe their work clearly.
6. How did William Whewell use volunteers to study tides?He asked thousands of people around the world to write down the height of the sea at their coast, and he used that data to learn about tides.

Polymath: An individual whose knowledge spans a significant number of subjects, drawing on complex bodies of knowledge.
Citizen Science: Public participation and collaboration in scientific research to increase scientific knowledge.
Neologism: A newly coined word or expression that has gained acceptance into common usage.
Coordinate System: A system of coordinates used to define the position of points in space.