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Teacher Resources

Charles Darwin – Voyages and ideas that shook the world Australian National Maritime Museum Teacher ResourcesTEACHER RESOURCES

When on board HMS Beagle, as a naturalist, I was much struck with certain
facts in the distribution of the inhabitants of South America, and in the
geological relations of the present to the past inhabitants of that continent.
These facts seemed to me to throw some light on the origin of the species…
Charles Darwin 1859
Charles Darwin’s circumnavigation of the world aboard HMS Beagle,
between 1831 and 1836, laid the groundwork for what was to become a
famous career. The voyage was truly a voyage of discovery, and proved the
perfect opportunity for observing nature at its most pristine.

Two hundred years after the birth of Charles Darwin, and 150 years since
the publication of On the Origin of Species, we invite you to join Darwin
and his colleagues on the voyage of a lifetime!

HMS Beagle, 1835, pencil sketch by Conrad Martens (Ref:DL Px 13/8)
Dixson Library, State Library of New South Wales

2

SYLLABUS CONNECTIONS (NSW) ABOUT THE TEACHER RESOURCES

SECONDARY This resource material provides a context to your
Science visit through content summaries, images and
Stages 4/5 PFA – history of science; nature and connected classroom activities. It is designed as a
practice of science; current issues and research pre- and/or post- visit tool as the emphasis of your
Stage 4 – Classification (4.8.2); Stage 5 – The theory visit is the interaction between students and the
of evolution and natural selection (5.8.3) museum teacher-guide.
Stage 6 Biology Preliminary Course 8.4 – Life on
Earth; Evolution of Australian Biota The information cards are written at an adult
Stage 6 Biology HSC Course 9.3 – Blueprint of Life; level and the teacher should disseminate the
Stage 6 Biology PFA – history of biology, current information at a suitable level for their students.
issues and research The activities are related to the content summaries
but are neither prescriptive nor exhaustive and
History teachers may freely adapt and reproduce them for
Stage 4 Mandatory Topics 1& 4 – Investigating use in their classroom.
History; Shaping the Modern World
Stages 4/5 Elective Topic 1 – Constructing History The icons on each card identify the skills base for
(museum studies) each activity:
Stages 4/5 Elective Topic 2 – Ancient, Medieval and
Early Modern Societies (19th century studies) to discuss
Stages 4/5 Elective Topic 3 – Thematic Studies
to write
Geography
Stage 4 (4G1) – Investigating the World; (4G2) to read/research
Global Environments

PRIMARY to do
Science & Technology
Stage 2 – Living Things
Stage 3 – Living Things; Earth and its Surroundings;
What’s the Weather? Unit

Charles Darwin – Voyages and ideas that shook the world Australian National Maritime Museum Teacher Resources HSIE
Stage 3 – Change and Continuity CCS3.1; Patterns of
Place and Location ENS3.5

Workshops also include aspects of Mathematics
(mapping, measuring) and English (writing,
research, talking and listening) and Creative/Visual
Arts (drawing, making).

3

SOUTHERN PRELUDE A fateful invitation
Mindful of the stressful conditions, FitZroy felt it
Following the Napoleonic Wars many resource-rich would be prudent to invite a companion to join the
Spanish colonies in South America were pushing for Beagle as a supernumerary* on its’ second South
independence. This attracted interest from British American voyage (1831). He wanted a gentleman of
industrialists so the British Admiralty sent two survey suitable quality with whom he could ‘converse
ships to chart the continent’s coast in the hope of freely’ and several names were considered.
establishing new trade routes. The lead vessel of Although not first choice for the position, a young
the surveying expedition (1826–1830) was HMS naturalist with a very strong family tree and a
Adventure and the assisting vessel was HMS Beagle. recommendation from his Cambridge professor was
eventually chosen to join the Beagle. His name was
A tough assignment Charles Darwin.
The South American peninsula was a strangely
rugged place to the British explorers, abounding in *WORD TO KNOW: supernumerary
diverse wildlife and rocky coastlines. Rio de Janeiro A passenger who pays their own way; not an
was the British naval headquarters in South official member of the crew.
America and accurate charts of the area were vital.
The survey work completed by the crews of HMS INTERESTING FACT:
Adventure and HMS Beagle resulted in much more
accurate charts of Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego. Darwin’s maternal grandfather was Josiah
The Commander of HMS Adventure, Phillip Parker
King, had a keen interest in natural history and Wedgewood of the famous china manufacturers. His
completed many watercolour paintings of the
surrounds. One shows the prominent cliffs of Sugar father was a noted physician as was his paternal
Loaf & Corcovada where the famous statue of Christ
now overlooks the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro. grandfather, who also had a keen interest in

In this time before photography, naval officers natural history and published two books The
were taught to draw as part of their training as
coastal profiles and landmarks were vital to Botanic Garden and Zoonomia.
navigators. However, conditions were harsh and the
Charles Darwin – Voyages and ideas that shook the world Australian National Maritime Museum Teacher Resources work stressful. In 1828 Captain Pringle Stokes
succumbed to the pressure and shot himself. The
Admiralty decided to replace him with a young,
well-connected naval lieutenant named Robert
FitzRoy.

Views of the Galapagos Islands
Watercolour Artist unknown 1814 ANMM Collection

4

SOUTHERN PRELUDE – SWAPPED FOR A BUTTON!
CLASSROOM ACTIVITES
In South America the crews of the Adventure and
Find a modern image of Rio de Beagle had mixed encounters with the Tierra del
Janeiro and the surrounding area. Imagine what it Fuegians. In 1830 relations plummeted when one
would have been like before the city was built, of the Beagle’s whaleboats was stolen. During the
when the Beagle first arrived. ensuing search for the culprits FitzRoy took a
number of Fuegians hostage. He later took four of
Make a chart showing what each of these them to England to learn English.
people did on a 19th century ship:
Commander, Midshipman, Naturalist, Surgeon, The Beagle’s sailors ‘christened’ the Fuegians
Assistants, Artist York Minster, Boat Memory, Fuegia Basket and
Jemmy Button (a reference to the pearl button with
Find out more about the which he was ‘purchased’). In England Boat Memory
Napoleonic Wars and why Britain emerged as a died, but the others were cared for by the Church
sea-power. Write a newspaper article reporting on Missionary Society and attended school for 10
the Adventure and Beagle’s South American voyage. months.

Visit an area close to you and have each In 1831 the Fuegians returned to South America
person in the class sketch a different part of the aboard the Beagle accompanied by a missionary.
natural environment. Bind them together and make However the attempt to establish a Christian
a cover to create a class ‘explorer’s sketchbook’. outpost in Tierra del Fuego failed miserably, and
the Fuegians were left to their own devices.
Compose a letter from Captain Fitzroy
asking Charles Darwin to join the Beagle What does this story tell us about views
expedition. Think about why Darwin might have and attitudes in 19th century England?
been a ‘suitable gentleman’ for this position.
Charles Darwin – Voyages and ideas that shook the world Australian National Maritime Museum Teacher Resources
Sea travel was complicated in the
19th century. Research how each of these
navigational instruments work: sextant,
chronometer, compass.

Research Darwin’s early
life up until he joined the Beagle at age 22.
Present your findings as a timeline.

Organise a class visit to a
nearby coastline, creek, river or other natural
feature and map the area.

Why do you think conditions were so
harsh for the European explorers in South America?

5

DARWIN ABOARD HMS BEAGLE Life on board
Darwin occupied the poop-cabin* and the
The image of Charles Darwin that often comes to conditions must have seemed very cramped. Being
mind is that of a bearded, suit and waist-coated, a tall man, he would not have been able to stand
somewhat serious-looking 19th century gentleman upright inside. He even made a note in his diary
of advancing years. Darwin published On the Origin about having to remove the top drawer of his
of Species in 1859 when he was fifty years old, and dresser to make room for his feet when sleeping in
continued his scientific endeavours until his death his hammock! Still, there was a table for his charts
in 1882. However, his ideas and eventual theories and microscope and shelves to hold his books.
were cultivated long before when as a 22 year old
he joined HMS Beagle as a naturalist on its 1831 The Beagle carried a professional artist to
expedition to South America. It was a voyage that record the voyage. Originally this was Augustus
would change Darwin’s life and plant the seed for Earle but when he became sick he was replaced by
ideas that would indeed shake the world! Conrad Martens. Darwin also employed Syms
Covington as his ‘shooter’. He shot specimens for
HMS Beagle Darwin’s collection and absorbed his lessons on
HMS Beagle was launched on 11 May 1820 with a collecting, preserving, labelling and packing. His
crew of 65. It was a 10-gun brig and was re-fitted journal, with sketches of places visited during the
as a survey vessel in 1825. It was involved in three voyage, has helped give us an idea of what it would
expeditions: have been like.
1826–1830 (South America)
1831–1836 (Darwin’s voyage) After the South American survey the Beagle
1837–1843 (Australian surveys) headed west across the Pacific and Indian Oceans,
arriving back in England in October 1836. On this
Statistics: part of the voyage Darwin also developed an
Length on deck: 27.5m interest in coral reefs and examined the reef
Beam: 7.5m formation at the Cocos Keeling Islands. This led to
Draught 3.8m his 1842 publication The Structure and Formation of
Displacement 235 tons Coral Reefs.

Charles Darwin – Voyages and ideas that shook the world Australian National Maritime Museum Teacher Resources *WORD TO KNOW: poop-cabin
The poop-deck, at the rear of the ship, formed the
roof of the poop-cabin underneath it. The name
comes from the French la Poupe which means stern
(the rear of the ship).

INTERESTING FACT:

In 2003 the European Space Agency launched a

mission to investigate the surface of Mars. The

British-built landing craft was named Beagle 2!

Model HMS Beagle

ANMM Collection

6

DARWIN ABOARD HMS BEAGLE –
CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES

The model of the Beagle was Work in groups and make a board game of
specially commissioned for this exhibition. Why do Darwin’s voyage on the Beagle. Think about what
you think accurate models are helpful to elements you would like to include. Take turns
historians? Create a model of your own and talk playing each group’s game.
about it to the class.

The Beagle carried artists such as For Europeans, going to
Conrad Martens and Augustus Earle. Would we take the other side of the globe in 1831 must have been
an artist today? Who might we take instead? These as exciting, strange and fascinating as us going to
artists had pay attention to detail as their audience another planet! Darwin made many entries in his
most likely would not have seen the subject of the diary describing what he saw on his travels. Some
artwork before. Try to accurately sketch or paint an of these are listed below. Choose several students
animal, plant or landscape. Before you start, make from the class (or the teacher) to read out the
a class list of the types of things you would need diary entries while the rest of the class close their
to consider. eyes and try to imagine the scene. Write your own
diary entry of a fascinating place you have visited.

Mark the second voyage of the “HMS Beagle was the ship that
Beagle on a large world map. Make a class display took Darwin on his voyage around the world in the
by placing the quotes below in the correct place. 1830s and led to our knowledge about life on Earth,
making a real quantam leap. We hope Beagle 2 will
The Beagle was 27.5m in length along the do the same thing for life on Mars.”
deck. Mark this out in the playground and think Professor Colin Pillinger
about being at sea in a ship this size with a crew of Find out more about the Beagle 2 space probe
65 people! project.

Charles Darwin – Voyages and ideas that shook the world Australian National Maritime Museum Teacher Resources Make a list of the things you would have
taken on board if you were a young naturalist like
Darwin. Remember that you are in the year 1831!
Compare your list with the rest of the class.

Quotes from Darwin’s diary:
Bahia – Brazil 29th February 1832
...noise from the insects is so loud that in the evening it can be heard even in a vessel anchored
several hundred yards offshore,...

Galapagos Islands 16 September 1835
– the black rocks heated by the rays of the vertical sun like a stove, give to the air a close and sultry
feeling.

Cocos Islands 1 April 1836
The shoal, clear and still water of the lagoon, resting in its greater part on white sand, is when
illuminated by a vertical sun of the most vivid green.

Cape Town 2 June 1836
...the upper part forms an absolute wall, often reaching into the region of the clouds.

7

THE YOUNG COLLECTOR

Courtesy Oxford Museum of Natural History

Charles Darwin – Voyages and ideas that shook the world Australian National Maritime Museum Teacher Resources Darwin’s voyage aboard HMS Beagle transformed Darwin’s crabs
him. He was fascinated with the teeming diversity The crab specimens on display were collected at
of the world and collected many specimens various locations throughout the voyage. The
including plants, fossils, insects, birds and other preserving alcohol has bleached much of their colour,
animals. He sent many of them to Professor but some still have the numbered metal tag attached
Henslow at Cambridge University who forwarded by Darwin, showing his numbering system. Darwin
them to various experts for classification. By the sent these and his reptile specimens to Thomas Bell,
time he returned to England in 1836, Darwin’s Professor of Zoology at King’s College. In his book
meticulous approach to preserving, labelling and Zoology of the Voyage of the Beagle Bell described the
packing his specimens had earned him reptile collection but never worked on the
acknowledgement as a respected scientist. crustaceans. They eventually became part of the
Oxford University Museum of Natural History
…I must be allowed to return my most sincere Collection, who loaned them to us for this exhibition.

thanks to the Reverend Professor Henslow, who, Australian Encounter
The Beagle visited Australia in 1836, calling at
when I was an undergraduate at Cambridge, was Sydney, Hobart and King George Sound. While not
overly enthusiastic about Australian society, the
one chief means of giving me a taste for Natural unique landscape and wildlife caught Darwin’s
attention. He took many overland expeditions to
History, and who, during my absence, took charge collect specimens and while in the Blue Mountains,
west of Sydney, he came across a platypus and was
of the collections I sent home… amazed! He wrote in his diary ‘A disbeliever in
everything beyond his reason might exclaim surely
Charles Darwin 1839 two distinct Creators must have been at work.’

Voyage of a lifetime *WORD TO KNOW: ornithology
The Beagle spent five weeks surveying the The scientific study relating to birds
Galapagos Islands. The extreme diversity of the
place thoroughly captivated Darwin and he INTERESTING FACT:
collected many specimens. Among these were
finches from the different islands. Sent to John Gould moved to Hobart in 1838. He produced
ornithologist* John Gould for classification, it was
noted that the birds of each island showed slight a major work called The Birds of Australia and is
variations in their beaks. Darwin used this as
evidence to support his theory of natural selection, often referred to as the ‘Father of Ornithology’.
proposing that over time the finches had evolved
slight mutations in their beaks to suit the food The Gould League of Bird Lovers, named in his
supply particular to their environment.

honour, has operated since 1909 and now has an

emphasis on environmental education in schools.

8

THE YOUNG COLLECTOR – Darwin
CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES collected many specimens on his voyage around the
world. Organise an expedition where students can
What is natural history? Create a class definition collect their own specimens or ask them to bring
and display it in your classroom. them from home (discuss appropriateness of items
beforehand). Students should consider what they
Do a class survey as to what types of are trying to show, how the specimens will be
things they and their families collect. Why would preserved and displayed and then create their own
collecting specimens help scientists? exhibit. Students should devise and implement a
labelling system, including scientific names, and
Why do you think Darwin used tin tags give a talk about their specimens to the class.
for his specimens? Students can work individually or in groups.

Darwin collected many plant specimens. Can you find any evidence of your
Collect some of your own and use a flower press to specimens having evolved a mechanism to help
make your own display. Make sure you label your them survive in their environment? Write down
specimens! your findings.

Look up Darwin’s work on Choose one animal or plant that
the finches of the Galapagos Islands. Explain in interests you and complete a taxonomy
your own words how their development supported (classification) chart for it. Include Kingdom,
his theory of natural selection. Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species.

Charles Darwin – Voyages and ideas that shook the world Australian National Maritime Museum Teacher Resources Darwin was very ordered and detailed in Why might Darwin’s time on the Beagle
researching, labelling, packing and preserving the from 1831–1836 be described as the ‘voyage of a
specimens he collected. Why was this good lifetime?’
scientific practice?

Courtesy Powerhouse Museum, Sydney

9

Charles Darwin – Voyages and ideas that shook the world Australian National Maritime Museum Teacher ResourcesA JIGSAW OF IDEAS

Darwin had grown from a young amateur naturalist
into a man of careful analysis, developing his ideas
through accumulating data and examining the
evidence. He also corresponded heavily with other
scientists. In an era before e-mail and even before
the telephone, people communicated through
letters and Darwin wrote many – around 14,500 of
his letters survive today!

Connected Personalities
Darwin developed his ideas slowly and although his
notes show he had sketched a draft of his treatise*
as early as 1842, he would take another 17 years to
publish his famous work. A great correspondent of
Darwin’s was Joseph Hooker – a fellow scientist and
close friend who supported Darwin’s ideas and
urged him to publish.

In the meantime another naturalist, Alfred
Russel Wallace, had independently been developing
ideas on the theory of natural selection. In fact, in
1858 when Wallace sent Darwin a paper outlining
his own theory, Darwin nearly stood aside. Their
colleagues decided it would be fitting to present
both Wallace and Darwin’s ideas to the Linnean
Society in July 1858.

Surprisingly, the presentation did not cause a
major stir in the scientific world until Darwin
published his On the Origin of Species by Natural
Selection the next year. In the introduction to his
book Darwin acknowledged the importance of his
voyage aboard HMS Beagle in forming some of his
ideas. The book was a tremendous success and
produced great debate, ensuring it was Charles
Darwin whose name was forever associated with the
idea of natural selection and the theory of evolution.

*WORD TO KNOW: treatise
A formal exposition on a particular subject

INTERESTING FACT:
In 1844 Darwin wrote: “I have just finished my
sketch of my special theory, if, as I believe…my
theory is true, and if it be accepted even by one
competent judge, it will be a considerable step in
science.”
(Charles Darwin, note to his wife Emma 1844)

However until 1854 Darwin was occupied writing a
multi-volumed work on barnacles!

10

A JIGSAW OF IDEAS –
CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES

Charles Darwin – Voyages and ideas that shook the world Australian National Maritime Museum Teacher Resources Why did scientists discuss and Look up Darwin’s Tree of
share information about their work? Darwin wrote Life diagram. What is your opinion of it?
letters to over 2000 people to share ideas and gather
information. Write a letter to another scientist in Research the 1860
your class about specimens in your collection (see ‘Huxley/Wilberforce debate’ at the Oxford Museum
The Young Collector classroom activities) of Natural History – discuss the historical context
and outcome of the exchange. Work in groups to
Create a Powerpoint re-stage the debate as a dramatic interpretation.
presentation on the life and work one of Darwin’s
contemporaries. Choose from Wallace, Huxley or There were a number of
Covington. cartoons about the debate published in magazines
and journals at the time, such as Vanity Fair.
Create a wall display on life Research one and examine its value as an historical
in 19th century England. Make a class list of tool.
categories you could include then work in groups
to research a topic from the list. Read all you can about
Darwin’s theory of natural selection and how he
Why do you think Darwin is more well- came to develop it (remember, it took him more
known for his theories on evolution than Wallace? than 20 years!). Including what you have also
learned from researching 19th century England,
Create a ‘Who wants to be a write an essay entitled
naturalist?’ TV quiz game. Make up your rules and How did Darwin’s theories on natural selection shake
questions then play the game in class. Perhaps you the world?
could even film it!
What was the Linnean
Society and why was it important?

11

BLOOMING IDEAS PROVING THE POINT – ONE EXPERIMENT

Darwin married his cousin Emma Wedgewood in STEP 1
1839 and they had ten children. In 1842 they Darwin covered five plants with netting to ensure
moved to the tranquil surrounds of Kent, outside self-fertilisation while leaving the rest uncovered
London. There Darwin became interested in the to ensure cross-fertilisation. Darwin found that the
cultivation and reproduction of plants and built self-fertilised plants produced only a few seed pods
a glasshouse where he conducted experiments. where the cross-fertilised plants were crowded with
In 1860 he turned his attention to orchids. What seed pods.
he found excited him!
STEP 2
A Matter of Attraction In his glasshouse, Darwin planted equal numbers of
Darwin developed the idea that cross- seeds from both the self-fertilised and cross-
fertilisation* aided the growth of orchids. He fertilised orchids. By measuring the height and
found that virtually all species of British condition of the plants he established that
orchids had the same reproductive system – an cross-fertilisation produced superior plants.
adaptation that ensured cross-fertilisation. He
then set up experiments to prove his point by *WORD TO KNOW: cross fertilisation
comparing self-fertilised and cross-fertilised Reproduction between different individuals of the
plants. same species.

He found that when insects visit an orchid to INTERESTING FACT:
get nectar, sticky pollen sacks from the male part of Darwin was also interested in other plants. He
the flower (stamen) become attached to the insect’s conducted experiments showing how climbing
head or body. When the insect continues on to plants ‘searched’ for footholds to support their
another orchid the pollen is transferred to the upward growth and became fascinated at how
female part (stigma) resulting in cross-fertilisation. plants like Sundews and Venus Fly Traps devoured
After conducting hundreds of experiments Darwin insects!
saw that nature had developed many ways of
Charles Darwin – Voyages and ideas that shook the world Australian National Maritime Museum Teacher Resources attracting insects and birds to cross-fertilise plants.
These include giving off scents to attract moths at
night and brightly-coloured flowers that attract
bees, butterflies and hummingbirds.

Darwin’s study of plants indicated that cross-
fertilisation was a natural adaptation that had
evolved among particular plants as a powerful
survival mechanism – a clear example of evolution
by natural selection!

Darwin’s glasshouse at Down House, Kent

12

BLOOMING IDEAS – Charles Darwin – Voyages and ideas that shook the world Australian National Maritime Museum Teacher Resources
CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES

Represent the process of cross pollination
in plants as a flow diagram.

Choose ONE
insect-eating plant and make a study of it. Look at
the way it has adapted to its environment, variations
within the species the science of how it operates, the
botanical classification, and anything else you think
is interesting. Present your study as a wall display,
lecture, Powerpoint presentation or documentary.

Investigate how glasshouses work.

Darwin also did much
work on earthworms, barnacles and coral reefs.
Write a report on his work in these areas.

Create a botanical crossword based
on Darwin’s work with plants. Swap it with other
members of the class.

Hold a class on botanical drawing – try to
arrange a guest artist if possible. Look at some
prints of 19th century botanical drawings and have
students complete their own, including labelling,
from a plant ‘model’ such as an orchid.

Darwin conducted many
experiments with orchids and always had
something he wanted to prove by conducting those
experiments. Working in groups, devise your own
experiment with any plant, based on something
you want to prove through testing. Write up your
findings and make a class book of the results.

13

THE WEATHERMAN The Times newspaper issued the first weather
forecast in Britain in 1860. Three years later Captain
Robert FitRoy (1805–1865) was the captain of the Fitzroy published his Weather Book which included
Beagle during its second voyage when Charles examples of his forecast maps and cloud charts. At
Darwin was aboard. Off the coast of Patagonia in first Fitzroy’s ideas were not welcomed or accepted
South America, the ship was caught in a terrible by scientists and government officials who had
storm that flared up with very little warning and always seen weather as an unpredictable part of
two of the crew drowned. FitzRoy started to look nature. However, as time went on his work was not
for ways to predict bad weather and investigated only accepted but seen as a major breakthrough.
the connection between changes in barometric
pressure and the development of storms at sea.

Charles Darwin – Voyages and ideas that shook the world Australian National Maritime Museum Teacher Resources What’s the forecast? Measuring and forecasting ocean weather today
In 1854 FitzRoy took charge of the first British Contemporary meteorologists aim to predict weather
Meteorological* Office and devoted himself to conditions at sea accurately, just as Robert FitzRoy

developing a practical storm warning system. He did in the 19th century. Today scientists use
developed ground-breaking information on how to satellites to continually measure the sea-level, sea
interpret the movement of the mercury in surface temperature and wind. Over 3,000 free

barometers, created weather forecasting maps, drifting Argo robotic ocean profilers have been
issued marine weather reports in newspapers and deployed worldwide to observe the upper two
sent barometers to seaports all over Britain. Later kilometres of ocean and transmit data to satellites.

he set up weather stations across Britain and linked *WORD TO LEARN: meteorology
them to his office by the new telegraph system. By The science referring to the atmosphere and its
collating all the data sent to him FitzRoy was able phenomena, especially weather and climate
to develop a weather forecast which became of

life-saving importance to the Royal Navy, shipping INTERESTING FACT:
industry and seafaring communities. A relatively inexpensive, portable barometer was

Weather in action named the FitzRoy Barometer after Captain FitzRoy
In 1859 a massive storm hit Britain and the ship but he didn’t invent it. It did, however, carry his
Royal Charter was tragically wrecked near Liverpool, famous explanation on how to read the movement
England. More than 400 people were killed and of the mercury.
many more on land lost their lives as the storm

raged along the coast. FitzRoy drew synoptic charts
for the days before and after the storm to show how

14 it could have been anticipated and warnings issued.

THE WEATHERMAN –
CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES

Charles Darwin – Voyages and ideas that shook the world Australian National Maritime Museum Teacher Resources Create a timeline showing Divide the class
how instruments and methods of forecasting weather into five groups. Each group do a report/talk on
have changed from the time of Captain Fitzroy to ONE of these groups of weather instruments:
the present. i) wind socks, weather vanes and anemometers
ii) thermometers and hygrometers
Set up a weather station at your school and iii) barometers
start a daily weather record. Log the date, cloud iv)weather balloons and satellites
cover, temperature, rainfall, wind direction, wind v) synoptic charts and cloud charts
speed and humidity. Collect and display weather
maps from the newspaper and compare them with Research the Bureau of
your readings. Collate the information and work Meteorology. Before you start, make a list of the
out monthly and seasonal averages then enter questions you need to ask, for example when did it
them on a spreadsheet and create tables showing start, who runs it, what services does it provide?
the results. You could even swap your data with
schools in other areas and compare the results! Investigate the role
weather plays in the climate change debate. Write
Take photos or collect images of amazing a report on your findings.
weather conditions in your area. Write reports on
what happened then post your work on a school Create a panel of experts and hold
blog. You could even have an exhibition of the a forum on weather. Gather together your panel
photographs in your school library as an end of from as many fields as you can, for example
year activity! teachers and students from the science, geography
and economics faculties, government officials,
Once a month do a weather university educators, experts from organisations
report for the school assembly – you could even try such as CSIRO, members of the public such as
to predict the weather for a special event eg the parents, business people, media. Topics could
athletics carnival, school fete etc include the climate change debate, the role of
weather as an indicator of change, the importance
Do a research project on of weather forecasting to the economy and where
weather phenomena at sea – tsunamis, water do we go from here? Each member of the class
spouts, cyclones, storms etc Investigate how they should prepare at least one question to ask.
work and their impact on humans.
Find movies, books,
Look up the Bureau of poems and songs about weather. Present a report
Meteorology website at www.bom.gov.au Look at then create a list so you can swap with other class
the marine weather warning data. Do a report or members. You could even write your own!
speech on why weather warnings are important for
the shipping industry and recreational boating.

15

AUSTRALIAN CONNECTIONS Indigenous Encounters
The Rattlesnake’s work frequently brought the ship
The Beagle’s final voyage (1837) was to continue into close contact with the local inhabitants,
surveying* work around Western Australia, Bass resulting in some of the first contact between
Strait and northern Australia. Survey ships Europeans and Indigenous people. The crew and the
provided an excellent way for budding naturalists local people were keen to barter and exchanged
to make a name for themselves. Two who followed many objects. John MacGillivray, the naturalist on
Darwin’s example were Joseph Hooker and Thomas board, collected birds, plants, animals and fish
Huxley. They each played a role in Darwin’s work while the vessel was surveying in northern
and its publication, but also made their own Australia and New Guinea. He also recorded detailed
valuable contributions to science. Both conducted vocabularies of the local inhabitants.
some of that work in Australia.
*WORD TO LEARN: surveying
Determining form, boundaries and position by
linear and angular measurements and the
application of trigonometry and geometry.

Charles Darwin – Voyages and ideas that shook the world Australian National Maritime Museum Teacher Resources Collection of dried seaweed made by Joseph Hooker Specimen collected for Joseph Hooker by a Ronald

during the voyage of the Erebus (1839–1842) Gunn in 1841

Joseph Hooker INTERESTING FACT:
Hooker knew of Darwin’s higher profile as a result John Wickham, second in command during
of his voyage on the Beagle and joined HMS Erebus Darwin’s voyage and captain of the Beagle on its
during its Antarctic expedition (1839–43) as third expedition, named Port Darwin after his old
assistant surgeon and botanist. During this time he shipmate.
visited Hobart and Sydney and later published a book
Flora Tasmaniae (1855–59) – a detailed account of It was later to become the city of Darwin in what is
Tasmania’s flora. Hooker also became one of Darwin’s now the Northern Territory.
closest friends, classifying the plants he sent back
from the Galapagos and also reading a draft of his
ideas on natural selection as early as 1844.

Thomas Huxley
Thomas Huxley entered the Royal navy as assistant
surgeon on HMAS Rattlesnake on an expedition to
survey the northern Australia, the Great Barrier
Reef, Torres Strait and southern New Guinea
(1846–50). His special area of study was marine
invertebrates and he made a name for himself in
the field, eventually becoming a Professor of
natural history later in life. He championed the
teaching of science in schools and universities and
enthusiastically and influentially promoted
Darwin’s theories on natural selection – so much so
that he was nick-named “Darwin’s Bulldog.”

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AUSTRALIAN CONNECTIONS –
CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES

How does a theodolite How important was Darwin’s success after
work? If you have access to one, try taking his voyage on the Beagle in fostering the
readings of a conspicuous landmark in your area advancement of science?
and plot it on a map (you may need the
mathematics faculty to help you!) Investigate European
contact with Indigenous communities during the
Write a short biography mid 1800s in Australia. What does this tell us
on either Thomas Huxley or Joseph Hooker. about European exploration in this period?

Working in pairs,
write a conversation between Darwin and either
Thomas Huxley or Joseph Hooker as a piece of
historical fiction. Perform your script for the class.

Charles Darwin – Voyages and ideas that shook the world Australian National Maritime Museum Teacher Resources © National Maritime Musem, London Examine the image of Fitzmaurice and
Keys dancing for their lives. What can you say
Dancing for their lives about it as an historical resource? Think about
Finding himself in a tight spot in 1839 the Beagle’s perspectives – from whose point of view is this
mate Lewis Fitzmaurice found a novel way to defuse image constructed?
the situation. He amazed his attackers by dancing!
He was joined by clerk Charles Keys. Fascinated by
the antics, the Aborigines gradually lowered their
spears and the incident ended happily.

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THE VOYAGE OF DISCOVERY CONTINUES! sponges, and many more are new records for
Australia. Further taxonomic* work is expected to
Charles Darwin and his contemporaries were driven reveal hundreds of others, particularly in less well
by a quest for knowledge and understanding of the studied invertebrate groups and algae.
natural world. There is still much to discover and
scientists today continue to explore new frontiers
such as our deep oceans. Here we highlight some
recent examples of exploration carried out by
today’s scientists at sea.

Charles Darwin – Voyages and ideas that shook the world Australian National Maritime Museum Teacher Resources Climate change and deep sea corals Sorting sea species
In January 2008 a team of scientists from Australia Photo courtesy CSIRO
and the USA filmed and collected fossilised corals
from extinct reefs in the Tasman Sea. They used a “We think that this project would leave a legacy
robotic submersible vehicle launched from Australian much like many of the first voyages of discovery
marine science research vessel Southern Surveyor. hundreds of years ago in that samples would be
kept and preserved in museums and people may
By studying ancient corals scientists may be continue to work on them for quite some time yet
able to determine if their extinction was linked to – confirming new species’ identifications and so on
changes in climate. The composition of deep sea for quite a long time.”
corals is used to determine past ocean conditions, Dr Roland Pitcher CSIRO January 2007
such as temperature, salinity and the mixing of
surface and deep-water layers, over tens to hundreds
to thousands of years.

Searching for sea-species in the Great Barrier Reef

From 2003 until 2006 a team of 50 scientists *WORD TO LEARN: taxonomy

participated in the Great Barrier Reef Seabed The process of science that deals with classification
Diversity Project. Their aim was to map seafloor INTERESTING FACT:
habitats and their associated marine life across the

Great Barrier Reef. While the coral reefs have been Did you know that deep-sea corals have age rings,

studied, little is known about what lies in the just like trees?
deeper waters between them. The team used

underwater cameras to record footage of the sea bed

and towed sleds to collect samples of plants and

animals from approximately 1,500 different sites.

Scientists from CSIRO and Queensland Museum

continue to work on classifying the thousands of

species retrieved during the project. Over 50 species

18 are new to science including fishes, crustaceans and

Charles Darwin – Voyages and ideas that shook the world Australian National Maritime Museum Teacher ResourcesTHE VOYAGE OF DISCOVERY CONTINUES! –
CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES

In January 2008 a robotic submersible vehicle named
Autonomous Benthic Explorer (ABE) was launched from the Australian marine
science research vessel Southern Surveyor by a team of scientists from Australia
and the United States. Research the findings of the ABE project.

The CSIRO research vessel Southern Surveyor visits various ports and
sometimes conducts public tours.
Visit http://www.marine.csiro.au/nationalfacility/features/vessel.htm to find
out more about the vessel. If it comes to a port near you organise a class visit.

Find out more about the CSIRO at http://www.csiro.au

In 2007 a collaborative ocean forecasting project titled BLUElink
involving the CSIRO, the Royal Australian Navy and the Bureau of Meteorology
(BOM) was launched. BLUElink uses powerful computer networks to process the
vast volumes of data from satellites and Argo floats. You can go to the BOM
website and access information on ocean conditions in near real-time
specifically for areas around Australia. You can select a coastline area and watch
animated seven–day forecasts predicting ocean ‘weather’ with data on
temperature, salinity, sea surface elevation and ocean current velocity

Below are labels for two of seastars (lent by the
Queensland Museum) on display in the exhibition. They were found as part of
the Great Barrier Reef Seabed Diversity Project. The sp indicates the second
specimen has not been classified beyond genus level.

Specimen 1
Common name: Seastar
Class: Asteroidea
Genus & Species: Fromia ghardaquana

Specimen 2
Common name: Seastars
Class: Asteroidea
Genus & Species: Asterodiscides sp

Research some of the other new species discovered on this expedition and why
they are classified as new species. Mark on a map the project search area and
where the new species were found.

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DARWIN’S CRAB COLLECTION 5

12
34

67

Charles Darwin – Voyages and ideas that shook the world Australian National Maritime Museum Teacher Resources Courtesy Oxford Museum of Natural History 5 Paralomis granulosa
Darwin’s diary entry:
1 Dilocarcinus (Dilocarcinus) pagei cristatus January 1834 Straits of Magellan; Crab. White
Darwin’s diary entry: above tile-red with pimples of blood [5 fathoms].
June 1833 Maldonado; Crab caught in dry hole
in one of the low islands of the River Parana 6 Ovalipes punctatus
above Rosario. Darwin’s diary entry:
May 1832, Rio de Janeiro; Salt water crab.
2 Gaudichaudia gaudichaudii
Darwin’s diary entry: 7 Grapsus grapsus
July 1834 Chiloe; Brachy; tinged with dark Darwin’s diary entry:
crimson red. August 1834 Valparaiso; Crab.

3 Peltarion spinulosum East Falkland Island
Darwin’s diary entry:
E. Falkland Isl; Cancer

4 Cancer plebejus
Darwin’s diary entry:
January 1835 Chiloe; Crab; above uniform dull
red.

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Charles Darwin – Voyages and ideas that shook the world Australian National Maritime Museum Teacher ResourcesFURTHER READING
Websites

Australian National Maritime Museum: http://www.anmm.gov.au
Darwin on Line: http://darwin-online.org.uk
About Darwin: http://www.aboutdarwin.com
Darwin 200 Project: http://www.darwin200.org
Australian Bureau of Meteorology: http://www.bom.gov.au
CSIRO: http://www.csiro.au
http://www.biology-online.org (search ‘Darwin’)
American Museum of Natural History:
http://www.amnh.org/education/resources/exhibitions/darwin/index.php
http://kids.earth.nasa.gov/archive/air_pressure/barometer.html
Books
In the wake of the Beagle – science in the southern oceans from the age of Darwin
Edited by Iain McCalman and Nigel Erskine, 2009 UNSW Press
The Tree of Life
Peter Sis, 2003, Walker Books
Charles Darwin in Australia
F.W.Nicholas and J. M Nicholas, 2002, Cambridge University Press
One Beetle Too Many – the extraordinary adventures of Charles Darwin
Kathryn Lasky, Illustrated by Matthew Trueman, 2009, Candlewick Press
Who was Charles Darwin?
Deborah Hopkinson, Illustrated by Nancy Harrison, 2005, Grosset & Dunlap
Charles Darwin – a photographic story of a life
David C King, 2007, DK Publishing

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