The Making of a Theory: Fact or Fiction

Resource Type
Description
This activity supports the viewing of the film The Making of a Theory. Students evaluate and discuss several claims relating to the history and evidence that led to the theory of evolution by natural selection.
Before watching the film, students evaluate and discuss claims based on their prior knowledge. They then watch a 30-minute film about Darwin and Wallace’s discoveries and revisit those claims using information and evidence presented in the film.
The activity can serve as an anticipation guide to focus students on several key concepts covered in the film, such as the natural origin of species and natural selection and adaptation. It can also be used as a pre- and post-assessment.
Student Learning Targets
- Evaluate claims based on information and evidence presented in a film.
- Participate in a collaborative discussion of evidence and its interpretations.
Estimated Time
Key Terms
Alfred Russel Wallace, Charles Darwin, fossil, species, variation
Terms of Use
The resource is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International license. No rights are granted to use HHMI’s or BioInteractive’s names or logos independent from this Resource or in any derivative works.
Accessibility Level (WCAG compliance)
Version History
NGSS (2013)
HS-LS4-1, HS-LS4-5; SEP6
AP Biology (2019)
EVO-1.C, EVO-1.E, EVO-1.M, EVO-1.O, EVO-3.A, SYI-3.D; SP1, SP6
IB Biology (2016)
5.1, 5.2
AP Environmental Science (2020)
Topic(s): 2.6
Learning Objectives & Practices: ERT-2.H, SP3
IB Environmental Systems and Societies (2017)
3.1
Common Core (2010)
ELA.WHST.9–12.1
Vision and Change (2009)
CC1; DP1