Meeting Abstract

82.2  Tuesday, Jan. 6  Back to the Origin: Incorporating Darwin in Introductory Courses VOLTZOW, J.; Univ. of Scranton voltzowj2@scranton.edu

The year 2009 marks the 200th anniversary of Charles Darwin’s birth and the 150th anniversary of the publication of On the Origin of Species. Many of Darwin’s writings were widely read by a non-specialist public interested in natural history and thus are easily understood by undergraduate students. I have developed exercises that incorporate readings and short writing projects from the Origin, The Voyage of the Beagle, and other works by Darwin. These exercises give students first-hand experience with the richness of his writing and provide them with a strong foundation in natural history, natural selection, and the origins of modern evolutionary theory.