We continued our investigation into the history of biological research by moving past Charles Darwin and learning about the work of Carolus Linneaus, the father of modern taxonomy. To help place the concept of taxonomy into historical perspective, we took a few notes connecting the discovery of the structure of DNA, the publication of Darwin’s work on evolution, and the publication of Linneaus’ work on taxonomy. Class notes are shown below:
- Structure of DNA discovered in 1953
- James Watson (1928- )
- Francis Crick (1916-2004)
- Rosalind Franklin (1920-1958)
- Theory of Evolution, The Origin of Species (published 1859)
- Charles Darwin (1809-1882)
- Biological Classification / Taxonomy (Systema Naturae, published 1735)
- Carolus Linneaus (1707-1778)
After the notes, students each received a copy of the Biological Classification POGIL and we worked through the first two pages together as a class. Students who would like additional learning about taxonomy are encouraged to watch the Crash Course video below:
Students who complete the POGIL activity early are encouraged to assemble and share with me a Google Slides consisting of organisms from as many different diverse species as possible. Each slide should include a picture of the organism, it’s common name, and the complete taxonomic naming (from Kingdom through Species).
On Friday, we will review the POGIL and work through the final problem of the (question 23) as a class. For the last few minutes of class, we will review slides 5-8 of a PowerPoint describing complex relationships between organisms.
Students are encouraged to watch a National Geographic video about zombie parasites this weekend. The presenter, Anand Varma, applies his expertise in photography to the study of parasites. Mr. Varma travels the world collecting specimen for study, and his ability to apply biological concepts to his work, think creatively, and drive to overcome failure make him and his work truly remarkable.
The Art of Science 