![]() But Victorian society rejected this and other revolutionary ideas that suggested non-theological explanations for the placement of the continents, the nature of human intellect or the origins of life itself.Īt the conclusion of his famous voyage on the Beagle, in October 1836, young Charles Darwin (12 February 1809 – 19 April 1882) was welcomed by this Victorian scientific elite. Linnaeus, Lamarck, Erasmus Darwin (Charles’ grandfather) and other great scientists had theorized about what was then called the transmutation of species. The idea had spent almost a century floating about in the scientific ether. Credit: Maull and FoxĮvolution was not a brilliant and solitary brainstorm of Darwin. Modern biology and evolutionism were born on that day. The authors were Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace, and they used this theory to explain the evolution of the species. On July 1, 1858, at the Linnean Society of London, a summary of a theory of natural selection was presented. However, this view of history leaves out an even more important date for understanding how the theory of evolution was conceived. Have students select a demonstration that they can present to the class.The anniversary of the theory of evolution is usually celebrated on November 24, the day on which Darwin published his book “The Origin of the Species” (1859). Have students research and devise a demonstration of how natural selection works in plants or animals. Today, this idea is widely accepted by scientists. Tell students that Darwin, along with another scientist, Alfred Russel Wallace, were the first to propose the idea of evolution through natural selection. After research, have students summarize how the entry supports the legacy of an idea by writing a 280-character tweet that announces the evidence. Then have them research that entry to learn more about how the discovery came about and what it adds to our understanding of evolution. Have the groups present their demonstration to the class.Īsk students to read through the timeline and select one of the entries. Encourage the groups to build models to demonstrate how the shape of the beak is best suited for obtaining certain types of food. Have the groups select one type of finch and explain how its beak adapted through natural selection to gather its food. Have students work in groups to research the finches Darwin studied in the Galapagos. Then ask students to research Lucy and write a short paragraph describing why she is an important find. Ask students to identify where “Lucy” fits into the tree. Have students search to find a tree of life diagram of human evolution. Then have students write a response from Charles Darwin explaining why his theory of natural selection is correct. Ask the pairs to choose one scientist or idea and make a poster that explains why that scientist thinks Darwin is wrong. Have students work in pairs to research the scientists and ideas that were used to challenge Darwin’s theory about the role of natural selection. Introduce students to Charles Darwin’s research, Gregor Mendel’s work with pea plants, and James Watson and Francis Crick’s determination of the structure of DNA. ![]() These activities can be done as in-class assignments, small group work, or they can be completed outside of class time. Define key ideas such as natural selection, inheritance, and DNA. Introduce and share the infographic with students.
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