Darwin-inspired learning

Description

Charles Darwin has been extensively analysed and written about as a scientist, Victorian, father and husband. However, this is the first book to present a carefully thought out pedagogical approach to learning that is centered on Darwin?s life and scientific practice. The ways in which Darwin developed his scientific ideas, and their far reaching effects, continue to challenge and provoke contemporary teachers and learners, inspiring them to consider both how scientists work and how individual humans?read nature?. Darwin-inspired learning, as proposed in this international collection of essays, is an enquiry-based pedagogy, that takes the professional practice of Charles Darwin as its source. Without seeking to idealise the man, Darwin-inspired learning places importance on:? active learning? hands-on enquiry? critical thinking? creativity? argumentation? interdisciplinarity. In an increasingly urbanised world, first-hand observations of living plants and animals are becoming rarer. Indeed, some commentators suggest that such encounters are under threat and children are living in a time of?nature-deficit?. Darwin-inspired learning, with its focus on close observation and hands-on enquiry, seeks to re-engage children and young people with the living world through critical and creative thinking modeled on Darwin?s life and science.;TABLE OF CONTENTS; FOREWORD; ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS; OPEN WINDOW; INTRODUCTION:Darwin-Inspired Learning; DARWIN'S HERITAGE; DEVELOPING A SENSE OF PLACE; THE IMPORTANCE OF ACTIVE HANDS-ON ENQUIRY; CRITICAL THINKING ABOUT WHAT AND HOW WE KNOW; INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES; DEVELOPING WORK WITH LEARNERS; EPILOGUE; REFERENCES; DARWIN'S HERITAGE; 1. ENTERING DARWIN'S LIFE; INTRODUCTION; SCHOOLBOY -- EXPLORING AND EXPLOSIONS; UNIVERSITY -- FIELD TRIPS WITH EXPERTS; THE BEAGLE VOYAGE; LONDON AND SPECIES THEORY; DOWNE 1 -- A PLACE TO WORK; BARNACLES; EXPERIMENTS; DARWIN-INSPIRED LEARNING. TABLE OF CONTENTS FOREWORD ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS OPEN WINDOW INTRODUCTION:Darwin-Inspired Learning DARWIN'S HERITAGE DEVELOPING A SENSE OF PLACE THE IMPORTANCE OF ACTIVE HANDS-ON ENQUIRY CRITICAL THINKING ABOUT WHAT AND HOW WE KNOW INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES DEVELOPING WORK WITH LEARNERS EPILOGUE REFERENCES DARWIN'S HERITAGE 1. ENTERING DARWIN'S LIFE INTRODUCTION SCHOOLBOY -- EXPLORING AND EXPLOSIONS UNIVERSITY -- FIELD TRIPS WITH EXPERTS THE BEAGLE VOYAGE LONDON AND SPECIES THEORY DOWNE 1 -- A PLACE TO WORK BARNACLES EXPERIMENTS DARWIN-INSPIRED LEARNING. Noticing, Questioning and TestingObserving Closely Discerning Patterns and Exceptions Experimenting Measuring 'Fools' Experiments ' CONCLUSION NOTES REFERENCES 2. THE WORLD OF DOWNE:Charles Darwin's Living Laboratory INTRODUCTION DARWIN AND DOWNE1 WARDROBES AND CORSETS PLACE: THE LAB-FIELD BORDER DARWIN'S WAYS OF WORKING OBSERVATION AND EXPERIMENT SCIENCE IN THE GARDEN LONG-TERM MONITORING CONCLUSION NOTES REFERENCES 3. 'PESTER THEM WITH LETTERS': USING DARWIN'S CORRESPONDENCE IN THE CLASSROOM:The Darwin Correspondence Project WHAT CAN THE LETTERS TEACH US ABOUT DARWIN? LEARNING ABOUT DARWIN IN SCHOOLSCase Study 1: English Case Study 2: History Case S tudy 3: Science CONCLUSION ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS NOTES DEVELOPING A SENSE OF PLACE 4. LEARNING IN CULTIVATED GARDENS AND OTHER OUTDOOR LANDSCAPES INTRODUCTION LEARNING OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM Learning Science Outside the Classroom Real Science Outside of the Classroom Creativity at the Centre of Learning Outside the Classroom HIDDEN SPACES DARWIN-INSPIRED LEARNING THROUGH THE EXAMPLE OF A BIOLOGY FIELD VISIT CONCLUSION REFERENCES. 5. LEARNING TO READ NATURE TO UNDERSTAND THE NATURAL WORLD AND HOW IT WORKSINTRODUCTION Ecological Literacy LEARNING TO READ NATURE Darwin's Ability to Read Nature How Students Can Learn to Read Nature The Legacy of Linnaeus The Importance of Being Able to Read Nature for Teaching and Learning Important Features of Reading Nature from Research Knowledge of Species: What Is Its Name? Autecology: Why Does It Live Here? Systems Ecology: How Does It Relate to Everything Else? Ecological Puzzling How Can We Know if the Students Can Read Nature? From Concrete to Abstract: Learning to Speak 'Ecologish'From the Abstract to the Concrete System in a Forest Ecosystem Transferring Ecological Literacy to Another Ecosystem CONCLUSIONS Implications for Teaching NOTES REFERENCES 6. WALKING WITH DARWIN IN RIO DE JANEIRO:Learning about Cultural and Historical Values INTRODUCTION DARWIN'S TRAILS Between the Past and the Present Exploring the Darwin Record s DARWIN IN RIO DE JANEIRO, 1832 WALKING WITH DARWIN Revisiting Darwin's Walks on the Serra da Tiririca Darwin's Walk in Rio de Janeiro HOW DARWIN INSPIRES LEARNING.