Darwin Week - Spring 2009

Darwin Week: inspiring young minds

JLS celebrated this year’s bicentenary of Charles Darwin’s birth and the 150th anniversary of the publication of On the Origin of Species with a special Darwin Week.

Teachers from subjects across the curriculum devised innovative Darwin-themed lessons, while there were also special assemblies, competitions and displays around the School.

The Science Faculty took the lead in organising the biggest cross-curricular event at JLS for some years, which combined fun with the serious aim of stimulating learning among the boys.

Head of Biology Louise Clayton explained Darwin’s importance: “Darwin’s theory of evolution by natural selection forms the basis of modern Biology. Botany, zoology, genetics and behaviour all have a basis in his work, and he fuelled arguments that still go on to this day.

“I was delighted with the response from other departments, which embraced Darwin Week as an opportunity to stimulate teaching and learning. In RSP and PSCHE lessons, for example, the secular nature of Darwin’s theory inspired some impassioned debate, which encouraged the boys to find out more for themselves about the ethical, political and religious issues involved.”

Such cross-curricular approaches to learning correspond to the latest thinking on personalised learning from the National Council for School Leadership, she added.

Science lessons during Darwin Week included the dissection of locusts by Year 12 students. “Students showed maturity, precision and skill and were amazed by the intricate physiology of the locust, its life cycle and role within ecosystems,” said JLS Head of Science Saaj Rana. “Discussing abstract scientific concepts as they relate to such real-life situations gave students the chance to discover the same interests and pleasures that Darwin - a keen entomologist - would have experienced himself. “

Here is just a selection of other events, lessons and activities during the week:

 Year 7 studies of birds in Art inspired by Darwin’s famous finches
 A competition in identifying plants and animals for Years 7-9
 Specially themed menus in White’s including ‘iguana shepherds’ pie’!
 Discussion of the adaptation of bodies in Games lessons
 Looking at the implications of the ‘survival of the fittest’ in English – should Dracula survive, for example, and what about William Golding’s chilling novel about children left to their own devices, Lord of the Flies?
 Cartoon strips of the Adventures of Young Darwin handed out to boys each day in registration
 A Drama exercise focusing on the family memory box put together for Darwin’s daughter, Annie, who died young

Competition winners during Darwin Week were: Nicholas Dimpsey, Year 9, (Key Stage 3 photography competition); Krisant Valentine, Year 11 (Key Stage 4 quiz) and William Wilson, Year 13 (Key Stage 5 crossword).

The week after Darwin Week, boys from Years 10-12 visited the Natural History Museum. A number of young scientists from JLS will also be attending Cambridge University's Darwin Day during the Summer Term.

Below is a selection of pictures from the Darwin Week. To see an image at full size please click on it, then follow the instructions to move to another image.