ESL Holiday Lessons.com: Darwin Day

THE READING / TAPESCRIPT

February the 12th is Darwin Day. It is to celebrate the anniversary of the birth of Charles Darwin on February 12, 1809 and his life as a scientist. This day also aims to encourage children to get into science. Darwin was one of the world’s greatest scientists and greatly changed the way we look at how we got here. His theory of evolution is one of the most important theories ever. Scientists first came together to recognize and discuss Darwin’s contribution to science in 1909. Today, there are many events on Darwin Day all over the world. These include dinner parties with special recipes for evolutionary soup, recreations of Darwin’s journey in his ship the Beagle, and Darwin festivals.

Darwin was an English naturalist who had a passion for nature. Through his studies, he realized that all species of life evolved over time from common cells billions of years ago. He sailed around the world observing and drawing animals to demonstrate this. He published a book on his findings, “On the Origin of the Species”, which is accepted by most scientists as the theory of evolution. It is still the foundation of biology and provides a logical explanation for the diversity of life on Earth. He described the process of how new species started as ‘natural selection’, or ‘the survival of the fittest’. Darwin is buried in London’s Westminster Abbey, close to another great British scientist Sir Isaac Newton.

Sources: http://www.wikipedia.org/ and assorted sites.

PHRASE MATCH

Match the following phrases from the article.

Paragraph 1

1.	celebrate the anniversary of the	a.	into science
2	encourage children to get	b.	ship the Beagle
3.	the way we look at	c.	to science
4.	theory	d.	how we got here
5.	Darwin’s contribution	e.	birth of Charles Darwin
6.	Darwin’s journey in his	f.	of evolution

Paragraph 2

1.	an English naturalist who had a	a.	drawing animals
2	all species of life evolved	b.	the diversity of life
3.	observing and	c.	of biology
4.	the foundation	d.	passion for nature
5.	a logical explanation for	e.	the fittest
6.	the survival of	f.	over time

LISTENING GAP FILL

February the 12th is Darwin Day. __________________ anniversary of the birth of Charles Darwin on February 12, 1809 __________________ scientist. This day also aims to encourage children to get into science. Darwin was one of the world’s greatest scientists and greatly changed the way we look __________________ here. His theory of evolution is one of the most important theories ever. Scientists __________________ to recognize and discuss Darwin’s contribution to science in 1909. Today, there are many events on Darwin Day __________________. These include dinner parties with special recipes for evolutionary soup, recreations of Darwin’s __________________ the Beagle, and Darwin festivals.

Darwin was an English naturalist __________________ for nature. Through his studies, he realized that all species of life evolved __________________ common cells billions of years ago. He sailed around the world observing and drawing animals to demonstrate this. He published __________________ findings, “On the Origin of the Species”, which is accepted by most scientists as the theory of evolution. It is still the foundation of biology __________________ logical explanation for the diversity of life on Earth. He described the process __________________ started as ‘natural selection’, or ‘the survival of the fittest’. Darwin is buried in London’s Westminster Abbey, __________________ British scientist Sir Isaac Newton.

WHILE READING / LISTENING GAP FILL

Put the words into the gaps in the text.

February the 12th is Darwin Day. It is to __________ the anniversary of the birth of Charles Darwin on February 12, 1809 and his life as a __________. This day also aims to encourage children to __________ into science. Darwin was one of the world’s greatest scientists and greatly changed the __________ we look at how we got here. His __________ of evolution is one of the most important theories ever. Scientists first came together to recognize and __________ Darwin’s contribution to science in 1909. Today, there are many __________ on Darwin Day all over the world. These include dinner parties with special recipes for evolutionary soup, recreations of Darwin’s __________ in his ship the Beagle, and Darwin festivals.

theory
events
get
journey
celebrate
way
discuss
scientist

Darwin was an English naturalist who had a __________ for nature. Through his studies, he realized that all __________ of life evolved over time from common __________ billions of years ago. He sailed around the world observing and drawing animals to demonstrate this. He published a book on his __________, “On the Origin of the Species”, which is accepted by most scientists as the theory of evolution. It is still the foundation of __________ and provides a logical explanation for the __________ of life on Earth. He described the process of how new species started as ‘natural selection’, or ‘the __________ of the fittest’. Darwin is __________ in London’s Westminster Abbey, close to another great British scientist Sir Isaac Newton.

species
survival
passion
biology
buried
findings
diversity
cells

CHOOSE THE CORRECT WORD

Delete the wrong word in each of the pairs of italics.

February the 12th is Darwin Day. It is to celebration / celebrate the anniversary of the birth of Charles Darwin on February 12, 1809 and his alive / life as a scientist. This day also aims / aiming to encourage children to get into science. Darwin was one of the world’s greatest scientists and greatly / great changed the way we look at how we got here. His theory of evolution is one of the most importance / important theories ever. Scientists first came together to recognize and discuss Darwin’s contribution to / at science in 1909. Today, there are many events on Darwin Day all over the world. These include dinner parties with special recipes / recipe for evolutionary soup, recreations of Darwin’s journey in his ship the Beagle, and Darwin festivals / festive.

Darwin was an English nature / naturalist who had a passion for nature. Through his studies, he realized that all species of living / life evolved over time from common cells billions of years before / ago. He sailed around the world observing and drawing animals to demonstrate this. He published a book on / in his findings, “On the Origin of the Species”, which is accepted by most scientists as the theory of evolution. It is till / still the foundation of biology and provides a logical explanation for the diversity of life on Earth. He described the process of how new species started at / as ‘natural selection’, or ‘the survival of the fittest’. Darwin is buried / burial in London’s Westminster Abbey, close to another great / greatly British scientist Sir Isaac Newton.

MULTIPLE CHOICE

February the 12th is Darwin Day. It is to (1) ____ the anniversary of the birth of Charles Darwin on February 12, 1809 and his life (2) ____ a scientist. This day also aims to encourage children to get (3) ____ science. Darwin was one of the world’s greatest scientists and greatly changed the way we look at how we got (4) ____. His theory of evolution is one of the most important theories ever. Scientists first came together to recognize and discuss Darwin’s contribution (5) ____ science in 1909. Today, there are many events on Darwin Day all over the world. These include dinner parties with special recipes for evolutionary soup, recreations of Darwin’s journey in his ship the Beagle, and Darwin (6) ____.

Darwin was an English (7) ____ who had a passion for nature. Through his studies, he realized that all species of life evolved over time from common (8) ____ billions of years ago. He sailed around the world observing and drawing animals to demonstrate this. He published a book (9) ____ his findings, “On the Origin of the Species”, which is accepted by most scientists as the theory of evolution. It is still the (10) ____ of biology and provides a logical explanation for the diversity of life on Earth. He described the process of how (11) ____ species started as ‘natural selection’, or ‘the survival of the fittest’. Darwin is buried in London’s Westminster Abbey, (12) ____ to another great British scientist Sir Isaac Newton.

Put the correct words from this table into the article.

1.	(a)	celebration	(b)	celebrates	(c)	celebrate	(d)	celebratory
2.	(a)	was	(b)	has	(c)	as	(d)	is
3.	(a)	onto	(b)	into	(c)	on	(d)	in
4.	(a)	here	(b)	there	(c)	over here	(d)	there there
5.	(a)	at	(b)	in	(c)	on	(d)	to
6.	(a)	festival	(b)	festivals	(c)	festivity	(d)	festive
7.	(a)	nature	(b)	naturalist	(c)	naturally	(d)	natural
8.	(a)	cells	(b)	cell	(c)	cellular	(d)	cellos
9.	(a)	in	(b)	at	(c)	on	(d)	to
10.	(a)	findings	(b)	found	(c)	finds	(d)	foundation
11.	(a)	new	(b)	gnu	(c)	knew	(d)	knowing
12.	(a)	closed	(b)	closely	(c)	closeness	(d)	close

SPELLING

Spell the jumbled words (from the text) correctly.

Paragraph 1
1.	his life as a isctnties
2.	ltaeyrg changed
3.	His thyero of evolution
4.	Darwin’s contribution to sincece
5.	special crspiee for evolutionary soup
6.	Darwin’s rynojeu in his ship
Paragraph 2
7.	a napssoi for nature
8.	all ceipsse of life evolved over time
9.	a book on his idisfngn
10.	the foundation of iobyolg
11.	the survival of the fettsit
12.	Darwin is rdeiub in London

PUT THE TEXT BACK TOGETHER

Number these lines in the correct order.

( )	got here. His theory of evolution is one of the most important theories ever. Scientists first came together to recognize
( )	and discuss Darwin’s contribution to science in 1909. Today, there are many events on Darwin Day all over the
( )	journey in his ship the Beagle, and Darwin festivals.
( )	science. Darwin was one of the world’s greatest scientists and greatly changed the way we look at how we
( )	by most scientists as the theory of evolution. It is still the foundation of biology and provides a logical explanation
( 1 )	February the 12th is Darwin Day. It is to celebrate the anniversary of the birth of Charles Darwin
( )	selection’, or ‘the survival of the fittest’. Darwin is buried in London’s Westminster Abbey,
( )	on February 12, 1809 and his life as a scientist. This day also aims to encourage children to get into
( )	Darwin was an English naturalist who had a passion for nature. Through his studies, he realized that all species of
( )	life evolved over time from common cells billions of years ago. He sailed around the world observing and drawing
( )	animals to demonstrate this. He published a book on his findings, “On the Origin of the Species”, which is accepted
( )	close to another great British scientist Sir Isaac Newton.
( )	world. These include dinner parties with special recipes for evolutionary soup, recreations of Darwin’s
( )	for the diversity of life on Earth. He described the process of how new species started as ‘natural

SCRAMBLED SENTENCES

With a partner, put the words back into the correct order.

1.	anniversary is of to the celebrate birth the It
2.	to children encourage science into get
3.	how here way at got the look we changed we
4.	important ever of most theories one the
5.	in recreations his of ship Darwin’s the journey Beagle
6.	English passion naturalist for who nature had an a
7.	time that of over realized species evolved he all life
8.	findings published book his He a on
9.	of It still foundation biology is the
10.	new the species process started of He how described

DISCUSSION (Write your own questions)

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)
1.	________________________________________________________
2.	________________________________________________________
3.	________________________________________________________
4.	________________________________________________________
5.	________________________________________________________
6.	________________________________________________________

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)
1.	________________________________________________________
2.	________________________________________________________
3.	________________________________________________________
4.	________________________________________________________
5.	________________________________________________________
6.	________________________________________________________

THE DARWIN DAY SURVEY

Write five questions about Darwin Day in the table. Do this in pairs/groups. Each student must write the questions on his / her own paper.

Without your partner, interview other students. Write down their answers.

	STUDENT 1 _____________	STUDENT 2 _____________	STUDENT 3 _____________
Q.1.
Q.2.
Q.3.
Q.4.
Q.5.

Return to your original partner(s) and share and talk about what you found out. Make mini-presentations to other groups on your findings.

WRITING

Write about Darwin Day for 10 minutes. Show your partner your paper. Correct each other’s work.

______________________________________________________________________________

HOMEWORK

1. VOCABULARY EXTENSION: Choose several of the words from the text. Use a dictionary or Google’s search field (or another search engine) to build up more associations / collocations of each word.

2. INTERNET: Search the Internet and find more information about Darwin Day. Talk about what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.

3. MAGAZINE ARTICLE: Write a magazine article about Darwin Day. Write about what happens around the world. Include two imaginary interviews with people who did something on this day.

Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your articles.

4. POSTER: Make your own poster about Darwin Day. Write about what will happen on this day around the world.