Lesson Plan
ARKive

Biodiversity and Evolution – Darwin’s Finches

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Teens experience natural selection firsthand (or first beak) in an activity that has them act as finches foraging for food. Using different household items  to act as different beak styles, your little finches will collect as much...
Lesson Plan
Field Museum

The Case of Darwin's Finches

For Teachers 7th - 12th Standards
One of the most striking pieces of evidence for Darwin's Evolution of Species was his observations of finches and how their beaks differed from island to island, depending on their primary food sources. So what would happen to the theory...
Activity
Howard Hughes Medical Institute

Natural Selection and the Evolution of Darwin's Finches

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Darwin explained the connection between species of finches 150 years before scientists understood DNA. Technology and progressing science proved he was right, yet many struggle to understand how natural selection happens. Scholars use...
PPT
ARKive

Biodiversity and Evolution

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Why is diversity in biology so important for an ecosystem? Explore biodiversity, evolution, and natural selection with a presentation for your biology class. It features clear information, activities for further understanding, and...
PPT
Curated OER

Darwin's Principles

For Teachers 9th - 12th
The author invested plenty of time in the presentation of this information; it is visually appealing, contains sound-effects, and displays creative animations and photos! Unfortunately, blank lines are included on most of the slides with...
Lesson Plan
Virginia Department of Education

Adaptation and Evolution

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Um may be the atomic symbol for confusion, but it won't be needed in this lesson. Scholars rotate through seven stations completing experiments, hands-on activities, writing exercises, and analysis. Stations include material on...
PPT
Biology Junction

Lamarck vs. Darwin: Introduction to Change in Organisms

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
How are traits passed down from parents? Jean Baptiste Lamarck and Charles Darwin envisioned conflicting theories. Learn about both scientists and their theories with an insightful presentation. Giraffes and dogs serve as examples of...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Darwin's Finches

For Teachers 7th
Seventh graders engage in a study of the Theory Of Evolution with the use of Darwin's finches as examples while making a connection to adaptive radiation. They use class discussion in order to further the lesson and focus upon...
PPT
Curated OER

Evidence of Evolution by Natural Selection: Testable Hypotheses #2

For Teachers 9th - 12th
These slides will activate prior knowledge with real-life examples of natural selection. The predictions and outcomes for those examples are explained. Your students will like the information about the relevant chromosome tests that can...
Lesson Plan
Berkeley Engineering and Mentors

Darwin's Finches

For Teachers 5th - 12th
Try a twist on the old finch beak and chopsticks activity by using M&Ms on a Twister mat. Spoons, knives, forks, and chopsticks represent beaks and are randomly assigned to your little birds, who must collect as much food as possible...
Interactive
Curated OER

Charles Darwin

For Students 9th - 12th
In this online interactive history worksheet, students respond to 9 short answer and essay questions about Charles Darwin. Students may check some of their answers on the interactive worksheet. 
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

How Evolution Works

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers discuss the evolution of the eye and how a complex organ can evolve through natural selection. They research genetic variation, adaptation, and sexual selection. They analyze data to determine how beak length of Gal??pagos...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

WHAT DARWIN NEVER SAW: Evolution, Science, Biology, Natural Selection

For Teachers 7th - 9th
Young scholars view video showing recent field work on a twenty two-year study of finch beaks on a small island in the Galapagos, showing natural selection clearly operating in the wild.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Our Universe: Designed or Evolved?

For Teachers 9th - Higher Ed
Students brainstorm and write arguments for Evolution and Intelligent Design. They research the history of each of these ideas. They also examine the controversy of teaching one or both ideas in schools.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Birds of a Feather Flock to the Web

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Pupils define the term "evolution" and relate it to species adaptation, supporting their ideas with examples. They locate, correctly cite, and briefly review two Web sites with information on finches commonly found in their state or count
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Natural Selection

For Teachers 10th - 12th
Students use discussion questions, handout information and research topics to explore several issues related to natural selection and evolution. They examine Darwin's research on the finch and antibiotic resistance.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Beaks of the Finches

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers become birds and are given "beak-types". After completing the simulation, students relate results to adaptations and natural selection. Extensions of the simulation allow for comparative results and include population...
Worksheet
Curated OER

Lizard Lab

For Students 9th - 12th
In this detailed and comprehensive multi-day activity, budding evolutionary biologists use real data from lizard populations in the Canary Islands to examine evolution and natural selection. 
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Nowhere to Hide

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students examine the topic of natural selection. As a class, they write their own definition to survival of the fittest and watch a video. Using the internet, they research how Darwin started to examine this process using finches and how...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Curious Crossbreeds

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students discover the diverse roles of hybridization among animals. They research certain examples of animal hybrids as a springboard to analyzing a zoo's potential exhibit of animal hybrids.
Website
New York Times

New York Times: Charles Darwin and Evolution

For Students 9th - 10th
An outstanding collection of materials for learning about Charles Darwin and Evolution. There are many different lessons on the topics of evolution, paleontology, biodiversity, and adaptation. Each lesson is paired with an actual New...
Graphic
PBS

Pbs Learning Media: Adaptive Radiation: Darwin's Finches

For Students 9th - 10th
Finches on the Galapagos Islands have evolved to exploit almost every possible niche. This diagram shows the range of food sources available on the island and the different beak shapes adapted to exploit each of them. Includes background...
Lesson Plan
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College

Serc: Being Darwin's Finches

For Teachers 9th - 10th
In this biology activity, young scholars will be investigating evolution by "competing" for food like Darwin's finches might have competed. Each student group is given a different type of "beak" to work with and there are also different...
Website
PBS

Pbs Learning Media: Finch Beak Data Sheet [Pdf]

For Students 9th - 10th
This graphic from Ecology and Evolution of Darwin's Finches by Peter Grant presents data from the Galapagos Islands, showing that a severe drought put selective pressure on the population of Darwin's finches and resulted in a change in...