Darwin and Evolution for Kids: His Life and Ideas with 21 Activities (For Kids series)

163 Pages·2003·31.19 MB·English

by  Kristan Lawson

HISTORY/SCIENCE AGES 9 & UP Law K ris t a n Lawso
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o
n
W hen Charles Darwin left England in 1831 aboard the HMSBeagle,he never expected his
voyage would change the way humans viewed the world—the 22-year-old was looking for
adventure!As the ship’s naturalist, he was hired on to collect specimens of animals, plants,
and fossils from faraway lands and ship them back to England for study, and to write about what he
observed. The two-year voyage turned into five, and by the time he returned home, he was a national
D
celebrity. Darwin and Evolution for Kidstraces the transformation of a privileged and somewhat scatter-
a
brained youth into the great thinker who proposed the revolutionary theory he called the Transmutation of
r
Species Through Natural Selection, what most people now call the Theory of Evolution. By encouraging readers w
to define the differences between theories and beliefs, facts and opinions, Darwin and Evolution for Kidsdoes not shy i
n
away from a concept that continues to spark heated public debate more than a century after it was first proposed.

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Darwin and Evolution

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Kids
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his life and ideas
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Darwin’s voyage and ideas are explored through engaging and fun
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activities where children can: n
n with 21 Activities
Make their own fossilsusing clay, seashells, and plaster f
n o
Keep field notesas backyard naturalists r
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K
Investigate whether acquired traitsare passed along to future
generations i
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Explore the various adaptive strategiesplants have s
developed to distribute seeds
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Observe how carnivorous plantstrap and
$16.95 (CAN $25.95)
devour their prey
n
Go on a botanical treasure hunt
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Darwin and Evolution
Kids
for

Darwin and Evolution
Kids
for
his life and ideas
with 21 Activities
Kristan Lawson
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Lawson, Kristan.
Darwin and evolution for kids : his life and ideas,
with 21 activities / by Kristan Lawson.— 1st ed.
p. cm.
Summary: A biography of the English naturalist
who, after collecting plants and animals from
around the world, postulated the theory of evolu-
tion by natural selection. Includes related activi-
ties. Includes bibliographical references and
index.
ISBN 1-55652-502-8
1. Darwin, Charles, 1809–1882—Juvenile literature.
2. Naturalists—England—Biography—Juvenile lit-
erature. 3. Evolution (Biology)—Study and teach-
ing—Activity programs. [1. Darwin, Charles,
1809–1882. 2. Naturalists. 3. Scientists. 4. Evolu-
tion (Biology)] I. Title.
QH31.D2L39 2003
576.8'2'092—dc21 2003007473
Front cover photos: Blue-footed boobies, © Digital Vision/Wonderfile;
Darwin portrait © North Wind Picture Archives
Back cover photos:
Cover and interior design: Laura Lindgren Design
Activity illustrations: Laura D’Argo and Anneli Rufus
©2003 by Kristan Lawson
All rights reserved
First edition
Published by Chicago Review Press, Incorporated
814 North Franklin Street
Chicago, Illinois 60610
ISBN 1-55652-502-8
Printed in the United States of America
5 4 3 2 1
Note to Readers
If you can’t wait to learn about evolution, a clear explanation of Darwin’s theory can
be found in Chapter 6. Readers mostly interested in learning about evolution (instead
of Darwin’s life story) are encouraged to skip ahead and read Chapter 6 first. More
information about the development and growth of the theory can be found in the
other chapters.
Acknowledgments
Thanks to Jerome Pohlen and Anneli Rufus for their help.
Contents
Time Line viii • Introduction xi
M N M N
1 3
Before Darwin To Distant Lands
1 33
Taxonomy 4 Botanical Treasure Hunt 39
Tying the Knot 43
South American Comida 49
M N
2
Voyage Journal 57
A Comfortable Youth
M N
4
13
The Search for Reasons
Be a Backyard Naturalist 17
Acquired Characteristics 19
61
Making Shrewsbury Cakes 21
A Classical Education 30 Make Your Own Fossils 64
Traveling Plants 77
M N M N
5 8
A Turning Point in After Darwin
Human Understanding 129
The Great “Monkey Trial” Debate 138
79
Future Evolution 140
Going Ape 86
Count the Generations 89
M N
6
Glossary 142
Resources 144
The Idea That
Selected Bibliography and Further Reading 144
Changed the World Index 145
91
Make Your Own Geological Strata 93
Camouflage Egg Hunt 100
The Benefits of Beauty 106
M N
7
Reluctant Celebrity
109
Carnivorous Plants 110
Seed Strategies 114
Emotions Left and Right 123
Time Line
1654 1832
Bishop James Ussher calculates that the Earth was created Darwin explores the jungles of Brazil and the coast of
on October 23, 4004 B.C. Argentina, collecting thousands of plants, animals, and fossils
1735 1835
Linnaeus devises the system for classifying all types of The Beaglevisits the Galapagos Islands
animals that is still used to this day
1836
The Beaglearrives back in England after nearly five years at sea
1798
Thomas Malthus writes his Essay on the Principle of
1838
Population Darwin begins a secret notebook all about evolution, or “the
transmutation of species,” as he called it
1809
Charles Darwin is born in Shrewsbury, England
Darwin reads Malthus’s Essay on the Principle of Population
1825 and formulates the theory of natural selection
Darwin is taken out of school due to poor performance, and
sent to Edinburgh to study medicine
1839
Darwin marries his cousin, Emma Wedgwood
1827
Darwin quits medical school and transfers to Cambridge,
Darwin’s first book, about his voyage on the Beagle,is published
where he studies to become a clergyman
1831 1842
Darwin begins an around-the-world voyage on the HMS Beagle Darwin writes the first rough draft of his theory of evolution
Darwin’s family moves to Down House, Kent
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