by James Morris
Charles Darwin’s On the Origin of Species is frequently cited, often celebrated, sometimes debated, occasionally rejected, but seldom read. I decided to do something about that.
Lesson Plans
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Tag Archives: Darwin
Seeing Red
by James Morris
In celebration of Valentine’s Day, let’s take a look at how we evolved to see the color red, and all of the other colors in the rainbow. It’s not as complex as you might think.
Photo credit: Mariah Beck
Point of View
by James Morris
In Dead Poet’s Society, the late Robin Williams urged his students to stand on their desks to look at the world in a different way. This is a fitting message for this week, as November 24, 2015 marks the 156th anniversary of the publication of Darwin’s On the Origin of Species. This book challenged us all to do just that.
Photo credit: Ella Daniels-Koch
Stamp of History
by James Morris
November 24, 2014 marks the 155th anniversary of the publication of Darwin’s On the Origin of Species. Anniversaries are an opportunity to look back – in this case, way back. The Origin changed the way we look at the world and gave us a new window on the past. This essay is a celebration of our remarkable history. Continue reading
Laundry List
by James Morris
I’m a list-maker. I keep all kinds of lists. I have lists of books I want to read, movies I want to see, things I need to do, projects that are unfinished, things I don’t want to forget to tell someone, ideas for classes I am teaching.
I am not alone. Many people keep lists, from shopping lists to bucket lists. Students memorize spelling and vocabulary lists. David Letterman is well known for his Top Ten lists. There are even apps these days to help you manage your lists: keep track of tasks, prioritize them, or be reminded of them.
Charles Darwin too was a list maker. Continue reading
Why?
by James Morris
Over the summer, I read an article called “Teaching that Sticks” by Chip and Dan Heath. Why do some lessons stick and others don’t? The authors identify several characteristics that describe what they call “sticky teaching.” One of these is curiosity. If students are curious, they engage more and tend to remember what they learn years later. Continue reading