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The Origin of Species: The Making of a Theory

Topic

  • Evolution
  • Natural Selection
  • Paleobiology
  • Scientific Skills & Literacy
  • Science as a Social Process

Resource Type

  • Videos
  • Short Films

Level

High School — GeneralHigh School — AP/IBCollege

Duration

00:30:51
Saved By
68 Users
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View in Spanish

Description

This film explores the epic voyages of Darwin and Wallace that led each to independently propose the natural origin of species and formulate the theory of evolution by natural selection.

Up until the early 1800s, most people, scientists included, believed that every species was specially created by God in a form that never changed. The epic voyages and revolutionary insights of two brave young British naturalists, Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace, overturned this long-held idea. Prodigious collectors of animals and plants, each man developed a keen appreciation for the variation within species, the relatedness of species, and the patterns of geographic distribution, all of which was hard to reconcile with special creation. This hard-earned knowledge led each to ask why and how creatures came to live in a given place.

The “Abbreviated Film Guide” provides a short summary of the film, along with key concepts and connections to curriculum standards.

An audio descriptive version of the film is available via our media player.

Key Terms

Darwin, fossil, species distribution, Wallace

Primary Literature

Darwin, Charles. 1859. On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, or the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life. London: John Murray.

Terms of Use

Please see the Terms of Use for information on how this resource can be used.

Accessibility Level (WCAG compliance)

PDF files partially meet criteria. Video files meet criteria. Spanish files meet criteria.

Version History

Date Published 11.12.13
Date Updated 05.14.20

NGSS (2013)

HS-LS2.A, HS-LS3.B, HS-LS4.B, HS-LS4.C, HS-ESS1.C

AP Biology (2019)

EVO-1, EVO-2, EVO-3

IB Biology (2016)

5.4, D.2, D.5

AP Environmental Science (2020)

Topic(s): 2.1, 2.6, 2.7

IB Environmental Systems and Societies (2017)

3.2

Vision and Change (2009)

CC1, CC5

Materials

HD (M4V) 1.18 GB
HD (WMV) 957 MB
SD (M4V) 372 MB
SD (WMV) 245 MB
Transcript (PDF) 430 KB
Spanish Dub (Español) (MP4) 542 MB
Transcript - Español (PDF) 258 KB
Abbreviated Film Guide (PDF) 144 KB

Use This Resource With

Activity Resource
Activity for The Making of a Theory
Activity Resource
Reading Primary Sources: Darwin and Wallace
Activity Resource
The Making of a Theory: Fact or Fiction
Activity Resource
Identifying Patterns in Observations
Activity Resource
Discovering the Wallace Line

Educator Tips

Hear how educators are using BioInteractive content in their teaching.
Educator standing in front of an phylogenetic tree diagram Play Video Next Slide Next Slide
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1-Minute Tips

Making of a Theory Film

Paul Strode explains how he incorporates "The Making of a Theory" short film into his second-year high school biology course. The film serves as an engaging introduction to natural selection.
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