STEP1: ENGAGE
Find out for the students if they know who Jean Lamarck, Alfred Russel Wallace and Charles Darwin were.
STEP 2: EXPLORE
If there were any misconceptions that you pick up from the discussion in step 1, try and fix these. Then, hand out the paper “Zoological Philosophy” originally done by Jean Lamarck (1809) and let them discuss the Lamarckian way of thinking. Is this a scientific way of thinking? After this has been discussed in class, hand out the next paper, “On the tendency of varieties to depart indefinitely from the original type”, originally done by Alfred Russel Wallace (1858). Is Wallaces’ way of thinking really that different from Lamarck’s way of thinking? Now hand out the final paper, “On the origin of species”, originally done by Charles Darwin (1859). How does Darwins explanations differ from his predecessors?
STEP 3: EXPLAIN
Divide the class into small groups and let them discuss how the thinking process changed from Lamarck in 1809 to Darwin in 1859, then let one person in the group, or however they see fit, explain what they discussed to the class. If there are any misconceptions, you as the teacher have to fix them. Ask if they think each person brought something new or is it just add on to what was already known.
STEP 4: ELABORATE
Give the class an example of evolution in progress. If at university level, and there is a molecular laboratory, you can let them test themselves to see what resistance their staphylococcus have to different types of penicillin. Here you can bring in new concepts that you haven’t discussed with them because now they will see it and thus understand it better.
STEP 5: EVALUATE
Give a written or oral exam in which the students discuss how the views of evolution changed from Lamarcks time to Darwins, and also discuss their experiment, using their newly found knowledge.
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