Teacher Resources

Teachers are key conservation advocates. They play a vital role in helping us grow future environmental stewards. That's why The Morton Arboretum has launched a new initiative to provide online resources just for you. We will be adding resources to this area of our web site periodically, so please check back.

2010 TEACHERS INSTITUTE PROGRAM
Friday, February 26, 2010
Thank you participating teachers for a great day!
(Session handouts now available online)

RESOURCES TO CELEBRATE ARBOR DAY IN YOUR CLASSROOM
Friday, April 30, 2010
(Planning a community event?  Check out our Community Trees Program!)

RESEARCH OPPORTUNITY FOR K-12 TEACHERS AT THE MORTON ARBORETUM
Letter from the National Science Foundation

BENEDICTINE UNIVERSITY offers a Master of Science in Science Content and Process program specifically for teachers. Courses are taught by members of a consortium that designed the program including representatives of The Morton Arboreum. See more information.

CHARLES DARWIN
VIDEOS OF SCIENTISTS ANSWERING COMMON QUESTIONS
The year 2009 marked the 150th anniversary of Charles Darwin's ground-breaking book, On the Origin of Species. We asked modern-day scientists to answer frequently asked questions about Darwin, his theory of evolution by natural selection, and the relevance of his ideas for researchers today. What were Darwin's key ideas and how are modern scientists using them? Click on one of the questions below to view the video clip.

• Who was Charles Darwin?
• Why was Darwin so interested in plants? Why did he write four books about plants after On the Origin of Species?
• How does natural selection work?
• Darwin wrote about pollination as a partnership. The flower gets pollinated and the pollinator gets food. Why do so many orchids "fake out" their pollinators and never offer any reward for services? Isn't this contrary to Darwin's theories on natural selection?
• Did Darwin study pollination systems in the flowers of other, non-orchid, plants?
• Darwin once wrote to a friend that the evolution of flowers was an "abominable mystery." Why was this topic such a mystery in Darwin's day?
• Did Darwin have any religious beliefs?
• Dr. Hipp, what are the implications of Darwin's work for your own research?
• Did humans evolve from monkeys?
• How does natural selection work?
• How are modern humans related to Neanderthals?
• Can we learn anything about humans from looking at modern primates?
• Isn't evolution just a theory that's still unproven?
• How long does evolution take?
• Why does the theory of evolution matter?

Darwin's Flowers Online...

Our current exhibit in Sterling Morton Library is Darwin's Flowers: Unlocking Natural Selection. It can also now be viewed online. Be sure to save it in your favorites as in the coming months, we will be posting additional content and resources to enhance and expand our exhibit in the library.