The life of Charles Darwin

The life of Charles DarwinHistory

Knowledge organiser

• Write down 5 facts you have learnt from your knowledge organiser.

• Explain what is going on in this picture below.

• DNA

• If the answer is Charles Darwin, what is the question?

• Write down 3 questions.

Use this circle map to write down key facts about Charles Darwin as you go through the lesson.

Charles Darwin

Watch the video about Charles Darwin

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vUZeywlId_s

Use the following slides, as well as this video, to fill your circle map.

Charles Darwin’s life

• Charles Robert Darwin was born on February 12, 1809, in Shropshire, England.

• He attended the University of Edinburgh and the University of Cambridge.

• Charles Darwin developed an interest in natural history. One of his professors encouraged him to take it further.

• Natural history is the scientific study of animals or plants.

• In 1831, Darwin joined an expedition to explore the coasts of South America.

• On December 27, 1831, Darwin and the others set sail on the ship, HMS Beagle.

• Darwin’s goal was to study the natural history of the areas they were to explore.

This is the HMS Beagle and Darwin’s adventures

This trip lasted 5 years and he made a lot of observations and it

led him to wonder how new species developed.

Darwin’s adventures

• Darwin visited a lot of countries such as: Brazil, Chile, Australia, Falkland Islands, South Africa and the Galapagos Islands.

• He stopped off on the Galapagos Islands and he saw giant Galapagos tortoises.

• He discovered birds on the Galapagos Islands and how they had different beaks, how they adapted to the habitats and the food sources available.

• To explain this process Darwin formed his theory of natural selection. This is the process whereby animals who adapt to their environment tend to survive and produce more offspring.

• Darwin first presented his theory in 1858. The idea of evolution and natural selection was not new then, but Darwin’s theory explained how evolution occurred.

• He arrived back in England on the 2nd of October 1936.

• Immediately he returned to Cambridge to begin examining the specimens that he had sent back during his trip.

• He had also made over 300 sketches and 1,000 notes and recorded them in his book!

• Darwin published On the Origin of Species in 1859, the book was an immediate success.

• However, it was not popular with people who believed that God created everything in the world all at one time.

• He continued writing about his theory in several other books.

• Charles Darwin died on April 19, 1882.

Quiz

• 1) Why is Charles Darwin famous?

• 2) What is the basis of Charles Darwin’s theory?

• 3) What is natural selection?

• 4) What does evolution mean?

• 5) What is Charles Darwin’s book called?

• 1) Because he came up with the Evolution and Natural Selection theory.

• 2) That all species of organisms/living things develop over time.

• 3) Natural selection is the process where organisms that are best suited to their environment survive and pass on their genetic traits and characteristics to their next generations.

• 4) Evolution is the theory that all the kinds of living things that exist today developed from earlier types.

• 5) On the Origin of Species

Your task

Create a flow map of Charles Darwin’s life.

Charles Darwin was bornFebruary 12, 1809

Charles Darwin diedApril 19, 1882