Exhibits
Darwin
On Exhibit February 18 - April 27, 2007
Nearly 150 years after Charles Darwin published The Origin of Species, his theory of evolution by natural selection continues to be the central concept underlying all of modern biology. In Darwin, the most in-depth exhibition ever mounted on the highly original naturalist and his groundbreaking theory, find out how this scientific genius realized that biological life is not static, but changing through ongoing natural selection.
Shortly after Darwin graduated from Cambridge University at age 22, he spent five years as the naturalist aboard the HMS Beagle, sailing throughout South America and along the coasts of Africa and Australia. Throughout his journey, Darwin carefully accumulated observations and specimens from the areas he visited.
In this exhibit, a lush array of fossils, mounted specimens, and collections of beetles, butterflies, and moths suggest the astounding diversity Darwin encountered in his travels around the world. Complementing the assortment, live organisms (two 50-pound Galapagos tortoises, a five-foot-long green iguana, ornate horned frogs from South America, and carnivorous plants) evoke the sense of wonder that Darwin felt when first seeing so many magnificent, unfamiliar living things.
Following the Beagle expedition, Darwin spent over 20 years developing his theory of evolution by natural selection. Because his startling ideas ran counter to the prevailing belief that organisms were immutable, he feared scientific ridicule and public scorn, and so he adopted a comfortable yet reclusive lifestyle while gathering and examining evidence at his home in England.
A large-scale video presentation leads visitors on a contemplative "virtual walk" with Darwin along the path he created on the grounds of Down House. And, in an elaborate reconstruction of his study, visitors can see the very place where Darwin refined his profound idea, steadily filling notebooks with his observations and recording his experiments with pigeons, plants, and other forms of life.
In other parts of the exhibit, visitors can view contemporary examples of modern evolutionary research and use videos and interactive stations to get a better understanding of fundamental evolutionary concepts. Another area addresses social reactions to Darwin's theory, and it includes videotaped interviews with some of today's leading scientists.
Visitors can also dive deeper into one of Darwin's most famous destinations with Galapagos, an IMAX® film chronicling the work of a modern-day marine biologist who, like her famous predecessor, encounters previously unidentified underwater species.
Darwin is organized by the American Museum of Natural History (www.amnh.org) in collaboration with the Museum of Science, Boston; The Field Museum, Chicago; the Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto, Canada; and the Natural History Museum, London, United Kingdom.
| Format | Temporary Exhibit |
| Grades | 4 – Adult |
| Source/Publisher | n/a |
| Location | Nichols Gallery — Museum of Science, Boston |
| Website | n/a |
| Educator Guide | /darwinguide |
| Documents | darwin_guide.pdf |
| Related Links | Darwin at the American Museum of Natural History |
Darwin
+ View Detailed Standard Connections
Primary Connections:
National Science Education Standards (1996)
(National)
- Unifying Concepts and Processes > Evolution and equilibrium (Grade: K – 12)
MA Science and Technology/Engineering Framework (2006)
(Massachusetts)
- Biology > Evolution and Biodiversity (Grade: 9 – 10)
- Biology > Evolution and Biodiversity (Grade: 9 – 10)
- Life Science (Biology) > Adaptations of Living Things (Grade: 3 – 5)
- Life Science (Biology) > Changes in Ecosystems Over Time (Grade: 6 – 8)
- Life Science (Biology) > Evolution and Biodiversity (Grade: 6 – 8)
- Life Science (Biology) > Evolution and Biodiversity (Grade: 6 – 8)
Secondary Connections:
MA Science and Technology/Engineering Framework (2006)
(Massachusetts)
- Life Science (Biology) > Classification of Organisms (Grade: 6 – 8)
– View Concise Standard Connections
Primary Connections:
National Science Education Standards (1996)
(National)
- Unifying Concepts and Processes > Evolution and equilibrium (Grade: K – 12)
Evolution is a series of changes, some gradual and some sporadic, that accounts for the present form and function of objects, organisms, and natural and designed systems. The general idea of evolution is that the present arises from materials and forms of the past. Although evolution is most commonly associated with the biological theory explaining the process of descent with modification of organisms from common ancestors, evolution also describes changes in the universe. Equilibrium is a physical state in which forces and changes occur in opposite and off-setting directions: for example, opposite forces are of the same magnitude, or off-setting changes occur at equal rates. Steady state, balance, and homeostasis also describe equilibrium states. Interacting units of matter tend toward equilibrium states in which the energy is distributed as randomly and uniformly as possible.
MA Science and Technology/Engineering Framework (2006)
(Massachusetts)
- Biology > 5.1 Evolution and Biodiversity (Grade: 9 – 10)
Explain how the fossil record, comparative anatomy, and other evidence support the theory of evolution. - Biology > 5.0 Evolution and Biodiversity (Grade: 9 – 10)
Broad Concept: Evolution and biodiversity are the result of genetic changes that occur in constantly changing environments. - Life Science (Biology) > 06 Adaptations of Living Things (Grade: 3 – 5)
Give examples of how inherited characteristics may change over time as adaptations to changes in the environment that enable organisms to survive, e.g., shape of beak or feet, placement of eyes on head, length of neck, shape of teeth, color. - Life Science (Biology) > 18 Changes in Ecosystems Over Time (Grade: 6 – 8)
Recognize that biological evolution accounts for the diversity of species developed through gradual processes over many generations. - Life Science (Biology) > 12 Evolution and Biodiversity (Grade: 6 – 8)
Relate the extinction of species to a mismatch of adaptation and the environment. - Life Science (Biology) > 11 Evolution and Biodiversity (Grade: 6 – 8)
Recognize that evidence drawn from geology, fossils, and comparative anatomy provide the basis of the theory of evolution.
Secondary Connections:
MA Science and Technology/Engineering Framework (2006)
(Massachusetts)
- Life Science (Biology) > 01 Classification of Organisms (Grade: 6 – 8)
Classify organisms into the currently recognized kingdoms according to characteristics that they share. Be familiar with organisms from each kingdom.
Darwin
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Darwin
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