The Voyage to the Galapagos is a six course independent study series for grades K-Community College that provides an opportunity to explore the natural wonders of the Galapagos Islands. You will follow in the footsteps of Charles Darwin as you learn the fundamentals of his Theory of Descent with Modification. You will explore 10 Galapagos Islands and observe 37 animal species. You will be "escorted" around the fascinating and unique islands as you discover what makes the islands and their animal inhabitants so special. The content, images and videos are able to be adapted for all grade levels and student interaction, from simple observation to higher-order activities. The choice is up to the teacher.
By the end of the course series the participant will have:
- a better understanding of the theory of Decent with Modification
- acquired unique visuals that could be used to enrich course curriculum
- learned strategies on how to teach the concepts of variation and adaptation to environment
- developed a sense of the delicate balance of the earth's ecosystem
- acquired unique resources to better meet a variety of learning needs and styles in the classroom
- acquired a better understanding of Artificial and Natural selection.
The six courses are as follows, with EDU 560TA being a prerequisite for all other courses in the series. The Setting Sail courses (EDU 560TB, EDU 560TD and EDU 560TF) focus on implementation in the classroom for the paths learned in the corresponding courses (EDU 560TA, EDU 560TC and EDU 560TE).
- EDU 560TA - Voyage to the Galapagos: Darwin and the Tortoise Path (2 units)
- EDU 560TB - Setting Sail: The Tortoise Path (1 unit) (PREREQUISITE: EDU 560TA)
- EDU 560TC - Voyage to the Galapagos: The Finch Path (1 unit) (PREREQUISITE: EDU 560TA)
- EDU 560TD - Setting Sail: The Finch Path (1 unit) (PREREQUISITES: EDU 560TA and EDU 560TC)
- EDU 560TE - Voyage to the Galapagos: The Iguana Path (1 unit) (PREREQUISITE: EDU 560TA)
- EDU 560TF - Setting Sail: The Iguana Path (1 unit) (PREREQUISITES: EDU 560TA and EDU 560TE)
USD will award a certificate to teachers who successfully complete all six courses in the Voyage to the Galapagos Series!
Required Materials to complete courses in this series, to be purchased directly from the instructor of this series, see the EDU 560TA course website page for details. Comes in one set:
- 4 CD-ROM Set- Voyage to the Galapagos, A Revolutionary Journey MW Productions ($55 per set, includes shipping and handling) Only one set is needed if you are taking multiple courses from this series.
Computer Hardware Requirements:
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CD’s will run on either a Mac or PC. However, there are a few exceptions: if you have a PC running Windows you are fine. If you have a Macintosh computer, it will have to be capable of running system OS 9, or system OS X running Windows XP (most of the newer Macs have this capability with special software and a Windows license agreement).
HOW DO I RECEIVE MY COURSE INSTRUCTIONS?
After registering for courses, allow 48 business hours and then your course instructions will be available through this website. Log in to our website by using your e-mail address and password. Go to MY ACCOUNT and the course instructions will be there for you to download and print. Please allow 48 business hours for this access.
For course content information, contact Allan Varni at galapagos@usd-online.org
| COURSE TITLE | CLASS CODE | SERIES | UNITS |
| Voyage to the Galapagos: Darwin and the Tortoise Path | 560TA | Voyage to the Galapagos Series | 2.0 |
| Setting Sail: Implementing the Tortoise Path | 560TB | Voyage to the Galapagos Series | 1.0 |
| Voyage to the Galapagos: The Finch Path | 560TC | Voyage to the Galapagos Series | 1.0 |
| Setting Sail: Implementing the Finch Path | 560TD | Voyage to the Galapagos Series | 1.0 |
| Voyage to the Galapagos: The Iguana Path | 560TE | Voyage to the Galapagos Series | 1.0 |
| Setting Sail: Implementing the Iguana Path | 560TF | Voyage to the Galapagos Series | 1.0 |