Education: Evolution and Darwin
Bring Darwin2009 to your school or home no matter where you live! Explore essential concepts and topics in evolution through a variety of interactive activities and guided discussions, both in the classroom and at your local zoo and/or aviary.
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Plants
Veggie Variation
Grades K-3
Concepts: species, variation, artificial selection, domestication
Did you know that broccoli, kale, kohlrabi, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts are all members of the same species, Brassicaceae oleracea? Compare the veggies’ similarities and differences while learning how domestication or artificial selection acts upon the natural variation in a species. Have students pot a basil seed to discover its particular variety as it grows!
Download Lesson Plan for Grades K-3  |
Family Trees
All Grades (K-12)
Concepts: genetics, inheritance, traits, evolution
Explore the role of inheritance and asexual and sexual reproduction in evolution through plant life. Lectures, discussions and a variety of hands-on activities for different grade levels combine the ideas of Charles Darwin, Gregor Mendel and Reginald Punnett. More advanced students can plant a ‘genetic garden’ of Punnett squares, and discover how understanding genetics helps us to better understand evolution!
| Download Lesson Plan for Grades 4-12 |
Grab Your Mystery Seed!
Get seeds of different types of basil plants, mix them up and plant them. How soon can you identify each type?
See what the different basils look like and find out why
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Fossils
Fleshing Out Fossils
Grades 4-7
Concepts: relatedness, comparative anatomy, common ancestor, evolution
In his trip around the world, Darwin studied fossils of extinct organisms and saw that they looked very similar to living organisms. This led him to realize that species change overtime, and all existing organisms descend from older ancestors! Students will actively learn about the connection between anatomy, evolution and common descent as they compare and contrast extinct ancestors to modern-day animals.
| Download Lesson Plan for Grades 4-12 |
Horse Evolution Exploration Station
Grades 5-8
Concepts: environmental pressures, adaptation, evolution
Did you know that horses used to be smaller than some birds? Discover the differences between horses and their earlier relatives, since they appeared about 60 million years ago! Using specially-designed fossil replicas, students can see, touch, and compare the modern horse foot to its ancestors’ and discover how environmental changes in North America impacted the evolution of the horse.
Find out more about the fossil replicas and how to purchase a set for your school!
| Download Activity Guide |
| Download "Horse Evolution" Poster |
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Animals
What Would I Do Without You?
Grades 5-7
Concepts: neutralism, competition, antagonism, predation, co-evolution and adaptation
Ever wonder why the zebra has black and white stripes? It’s not a fashion statement – rather, their stripes evolved for survival! Teach students about co-evolution and adaptation through the ecological relationship of predator-prey. Start your class in an unusual way, with a game of tag! This lesson plan also includes a guide for a trip to your local zoo.
| Download Lesson Plan for Grades 5-7 |
Zoo – A Class System
Grades 5-7
Concepts: taxonomy, species, phylogenetic model, evolution
Sometimes it may seem like life is a mess, but scientists constantly struggle to organize organisms into meaningful categories. This effort led to some of the most revolutionary work in Biology, as with Darwin's principle of evolution! Instruct students in the criteria used to construct the taxonomic model, beginning with an exciting, interactive activity that demonstrates how everyday objects can be arranged. Students will see how both common and exotic animals fit into the same taxonomic system. If you can, take a trip to your local zoo where students can create their own classification system!
| Download Lesson Plan for Grades 5-7 |
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Birds
Feathered Families
Grades 4-7
Concepts: relatedness, species and speciation, adaptation, environmental influences, taxonomy
What makes a bird, a bird? Explore the many different species of birds and how they are classified, focusing specifically on birds of prey. A classroom activity compares and contrasts birds of prey and explains how their physical traits, diet and environment determine how closely related they are. Afterwards, engage students in a discussion about the conservation of threatened species. Help students write letters to Congress or a conservation organization explaining what they know about the influence of the environment on birds of prey and their opinion on habitat destruction/conservation.
| Download Lesson Plan for Grades 4-7 |
Unique Beak Physique
Grades K-6
Concepts: natural selection, adaptation, favorable traits
You'll never look at beaks the same way again after exploring how Darwin's principle of natural selection has shaped the life of birds. Help your students discover how adaptations and favorable traits arose due to environmental factors. Using an interactive model of various beak shapes, students will be able to see how beaks have evolved to perform unique functions. An optional self-guided trip to your closest aviary helps to further expand upon the lesson’s concepts.
| Download Lesson Plan for Grades 4-7 |
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Technology-Based
Chatting with Darwin
Grades 3-6
If you could meet Darwin, what would you ask him? Now you can! With the revolutionary teaching tool Darwin Synthetic Interview, have a virtual conversation with Darwin and ask him up to 199 questions about his life and times, likes and dislikes, the discovery of evolution and much more! To complement Darwin’s answers, a roster of modern experts weigh in on several topics, including contemporary issues dealing with the principle of evolution and religion, environmental change and much more. Guide students through the Darwin Synthetic Interview DVD with discussions, exercises and extra material available in this Web Quest.
Find out more about the Darwin Synthetic Interview software and how to purchase it for your school!
| Download Darwin SI Web quest for Grades 3-6 |
The Evolution of Metabolism: Puzzle Race
Grades 3-6
How many cells are in the human body? Millions of millions! How did life become the myriad of shapes and sizes we see today, from humans to fish and single-celled bacteria? Immerse students in the early life of ancient oceans through the movie “Our Cells, Our Selves” and explore the evolution of multi-cellular organisms, metabolism and the immune system. Afterwards, delve deeper into the concept of metabolism and have students participate in a “puzzle race” where they learn how different organisms have different levels of cell specialization.
Find out more about “Our Cells, Our Selves” and how to purchase for your school!
| Download Lesson Plan for Grades 3-6 |
| Download Puzzle Race Puzzles |
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Reading List
Suggested Reading List
Catch up on your reading with the Carnegie Library’s suggested titles on all things related to Darwin, evolution, and more! The featured books span all reading levels.
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