WEBQUEST: “A CONVERSATION WITH DARWIN”

Names:______________________________________________________________________

Introduction:
When we talk about Evolution in biology, one of the first names that tends to come up is
Charles Darwin. 160 years after the publishing of his most famous work, ​On the Origin of
Species,​ Darwin’s ideas still hold up remarkably well to all of the ongoing research conducted by
the scientists that came after him. In this Webquest, you’ll learn about Charles Darwin and the
conclusions he came to about Evolution and Natural Selection, and about the types of evidence
that we have in the 21​st​ century to support the Theory of Evolution. Then, you’ll work with your
group to write and film a short skit based on what you have learned.

Part One: Learning about Darwin

Visit each of the following sites and answer the questions with your assigned group (2 points per
question).
Read: ​https://www.biographyonline.net/scientists/charles-darwin.html
1. What did Darwin study in University?
Do you think his education helped
prepare him for eventually coming up
with his theory of Evolution?

2. How did Darwin’s vogage on the HMS

Beagle start shaping his ideas about
Evolution? Identify two types of
information that Darwin used to
shape his theory.

3. Why did it take Darwin so long to

publish his work? What did he do in
the time between his voyage and the
writing of ​The Origin of Species, ​and
what happened that made him
decide it was time?
Read: ​https://www.britannica.com/list/what-darwin-got-right-and-wrong-about-evolution

4. Darwin’s work described two different

ways of creating new species,
anagenesis​ and ​speciation​. What is
the difference between the two?

5. Is the variation in species of finches

(small birds) that Darwin observed in
the Galapagos islands an example of
anagenesis ​or ​speciation​?

6. Based on the section about Darwin’s

lines of evidence for Evolution, how
would you define the phrase, “lines of
evidence”?

7. Briefly describe three different types

of evidence Darwin had for his theory
of Evolution.

8. Why is the age of the earth important

in explaining the theory of Evolution?

9. What is difference between Darwin’s

theory of “pangenesis” and our
modern science of genetics?
Part 2: More Research
Parts three and four of this webquest will have you write, and then film a short skit about a
modern-day science student meeting Charles Darwin. In part two, you will do more research
about what biologists now know about lines of evidence for Evolution. Explore the following
links and take down some notes in the chart below to help you write the script for your skit
tomorrow (10 points total for filling in the chart).
Evidence for Evolution
https://necsi.edu/evidence-for-evolution
Lines of Evidence
https://evolution.berkeley.edu/evolibrary/article/lines_01
Molecular Evidence for Evolution
https://www.ck12.org/biology/molecular-evidence/lesson/Molecular-Evidence-for-Evolution-M
S-LS/
“Missing link” fossils
https://www.livescience.com/3306-fossils-reveal-truth-darwin-theory.html
Line of Evidence Description Example(s)
Remains of ancient organisms
(fossil evidence)
Similarities between living
organisms (homologies)
Similarities in developing
organisms (embryology)
Genetic evidence

Comparisons to artificial
selection
Part 3: Writing
Using what you have learned over the past few days about Darwin and the lines of evidence for
evolution, today you are going to write a script for a short skit.

Charles Darwin is transported 160 years into the future and into your high
school biology classroom. Wow, crazy, huh? He hears that you’ve been
studying his theories and would like to know what natural scientists in 2019
think about them. You, a helpful and well-informed student, are going to
answer his questions and let him know some of what scientists have found
since he wrote his book.
Some guidelines for writing your script:
● The finished skit should be a minimum of 3 minutes long
● Reference at least ​3​ different lines of evidence
● This is a conversation, so Darwin should be sharing what he knows and the students
should be sharing what they know.
● Have fun and be creative!
Write your script in a separate Word Document or Google Doc, which will be submitted to your
teacher with this document and the video. At this point you’ll also want to choose who is playing
which role in the group: camera operator/director (films the skit), script supervisor (follows
along on the script and makes sure no important parts are missed or mis-said), and actors (2-3
actors playing Darwin and the student(s).)
Director/Camera Operator
Script Supervisor
Darwin
Student(s)

Extra Credit (up to 2 points): Feel free to gather props or costumes for your skit!
Part 4: Film your skit!
Perform your skit using the roles you decided on in the last part. Make sure you speak clearly,
addressing each other instead of speaking to the camera. You can film it all in one go, or in
several pieces and then edit it together using iMovie or other video editing software. It’s okay if
your finished product doesn’t match your script word-for word, but make sure you cover
everything that was in your script.
When your video is finished, submit this worksheet, your script, and the video to your teacher
for grading.

Scoring Guide
At least three separate lines of evidence are addressed, including 10 points
both Darwin’s knowledge and modern knowledge.
Scientific information presented is accurate and relevant. 10 points
Script is clearly formatted and free of spelling and grammatical errors. 5 points
Content of video matches content of script.
Actors speak clearly and loudly enough to be easily understood. Video 5 points
is filmed with a good angle and framing to show actors well, and any
editing used improves the final product without being distracting.
Use of props or costumes in video. 2 ​points extra credit

Part 1 total: __/18

Part 2 total: __/10
Part 3+4 total: __/30
Worksheet, Video, and Script properly submitted on time: __/2
Total: __/60