Charles Darwin Discussion Prompts and Pause Points

Before the Movie:

Who do you think Charles Darwin was?

What do you know about the theory of evolution? What do you hope to learn? 

During the Movie (Pause Points):

Stop at the following times in the movie and ask questions or prompt a discussion to keep students focused and to assess their understanding before moving on:

Timecode 1:10: Why would Darwin have expected a species from one island to be identical to the same species on another island?

Timecode 2:00: How did Darwin’s theory of evolution differ from Jean-Baptiste Lamarck’s theory? 

Timecode 2:40: Why are animals with disadvantageous traits less likely to survive and have kids to pass traits on to?

Timecode 3:21: According to Darwin, why might species from a common ancestor evolve to be very dissimilar?

After the Movie:

Look at the four related movies at the bottom of the page. Explain how each is connected to the Charles Darwin Topic

Why would it take so many years for natural selection to become apparent? 

BrainPOP recommends reading  the movie description that appears on the Charles Darwin Topic Page to your class. Then show the movie once through without pausing.  Watch it again, this time using the discussion prompts.

*BrainPOP’s Discussion Questions and Prompts align to CCSS Speaking and Listening Standards.