Darwin Tweets
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In this activity students imagine that they are Charles Darwin, experiencing his travels aboard the Beagle and his reflections upon his return to England. Have students pretend that their Charles Darwin had a cellphone and a Twitter account. Have them create and record the short messages that they imagine Charles Darwin sending. Register to explore the whole course here: https://school.bighistoryproject.com/bhplive?WT.mc_id=Slideshare12202017
![BIG HISTORY PROJECT / UNIT 5 DARWIN TWEETS 1
Introduction
Charles Darwin traveled extensively by ship between 1831 and 1836, gathering specimens and
fossils, and observing all he could about the habitats he encountered and the species that lived
in them. In the years following his return home, Darwin focused on analyzing the evidence he
had collected and the observations he had made, but he did not publish his ideas about what he
thought they all meant until much later, in 1859. What if Darwin had had a cellphone and a Twitter
account while he was collecting his evidence and making his observations abroad? (Perhaps
your Darwin has done some time-traveling!) Would he have shared his ideas more quickly?
Would have enabled others to build on his ideas, their responses feeding his work, and moving
it along faster? What would he have said?
Instructions
Create a username for Charles Darwin
Think of 10 tweets that you believe Charles Darwin would have written if he had had
a Twitter account.
Use the graphic organizer provided on the next page to record each of your Darwin
tweets [lower case], its date, and from where it was sent.
You choose the subject matter for each tweet. You might, for example, write about a fossil
he found, a living species he observed, questions he had about what he saw, or everyday experi-
ences on the Beagle or in foreign lands. Be creative!
At least three tweets should come from Darwin’s time sailing on the Beagle and at least
three should come from his time at home after returning from his voyage.
Hashtag some of the important words or phrases that you include in the tweets you write
(for example, #evolution or #natural selection).
Be sure to include some abbreviations that are commonly used in Twitter. Here are a few
examples:
AFAIK = As far as I know
B/C = Because
BTW = By the way
FWIW = For what it’s worth
ICYMI = In case you missed it
IKR = I know, right
J/K = Just kidding
LMK = Let me know
OMG = Oh my god!
RN = Right now
SMH = Shaking my head
TBH = To be honest
TMB = Tweet me back
TMI = Too much information
5
DARWIN TWEETS](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)
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Darwin Tweets
- 1. TEACHING MATERIALS BIG HISTORY PROJECT / UNIT 5 DARWIN TWEETS 1 5 DARWIN TWEETS Summary In this activity students imagine that they are Charles Darwin, experiencing his travels aboard the Beagle and his reflections upon his return to England. Have students pretend that their Charles Darwin had a cellphone and a Twitter account. Have them create and record the short messages that they imagine Charles Darwin sending. Preparation for the activity Have students work alone or in small groups. Students should spend some time researching Charles Darwin and should try to get familiar with the places he traveled to, what he saw, and how he would later write about it. Student-facing materials In the following pages we have provided detailed instructions for your students and a table that can be used as a worksheet for students to record their tweets.
- 2. BIG HISTORY PROJECT / UNIT 5 DARWIN TWEETS 1 Introduction Charles Darwin traveled extensively by ship between 1831 and 1836, gathering specimens and fossils, and observing all he could about the habitats he encountered and the species that lived in them. In the years following his return home, Darwin focused on analyzing the evidence he had collected and the observations he had made, but he did not publish his ideas about what he thought they all meant until much later, in 1859. What if Darwin had had a cellphone and a Twitter account while he was collecting his evidence and making his observations abroad? (Perhaps your Darwin has done some time-traveling!) Would he have shared his ideas more quickly? Would have enabled others to build on his ideas, their responses feeding his work, and moving it along faster? What would he have said? Instructions Create a username for Charles Darwin Think of 10 tweets that you believe Charles Darwin would have written if he had had a Twitter account. Use the graphic organizer provided on the next page to record each of your Darwin tweets [lower case], its date, and from where it was sent. You choose the subject matter for each tweet. You might, for example, write about a fossil he found, a living species he observed, questions he had about what he saw, or everyday experi- ences on the Beagle or in foreign lands. Be creative! At least three tweets should come from Darwin’s time sailing on the Beagle and at least three should come from his time at home after returning from his voyage. Hashtag some of the important words or phrases that you include in the tweets you write (for example, #evolution or #natural selection). Be sure to include some abbreviations that are commonly used in Twitter. Here are a few examples: AFAIK = As far as I know B/C = Because BTW = By the way FWIW = For what it’s worth ICYMI = In case you missed it IKR = I know, right J/K = Just kidding LMK = Let me know OMG = Oh my god! RN = Right now SMH = Shaking my head TBH = To be honest TMB = Tweet me back TMI = Too much information 5 DARWIN TWEETS
- 3. BIG HISTORY PROJECT / UNIT 5 DARWIN TWEETS 2 DARWIN TWEETS Twitter Log Username: Date Place of origin Tweet Hashtag(s)