The Offer of a Lifetime? English educational resource Key Stages 3-4 Darwin Correspondence Project

Who was Charles Darwin? Born in Shrewsbury in Educated at Christ’s College, Cambridge. Sailed around the world with the HMS Beagle, Became a famous gentleman- naturalist who published on many scientific topics. Lived and worked at Down House in Kent. Wrote the On the Origin of Species in 1859 which proposed the theory of evolution by natural selection. Died at Down House in Copyright © Cambridge University Library

What was the Beagle voyage? Charles Darwin circumnavigated the globe on HMS Beagle between He joined the voyage as a keen naturalist who would be a companion to the ship’s Captain; Robert FitzRoy. At sea and on land, Darwin observed a vast variety of plant and animal species and geological formations. During the journey, Darwin wrote letters to his friends and family at home about his research, the new lands and people he encountered, and the wonder of the natural world. Copyright © Cambridge University Library

How did Darwin get to go? In August 1831, the Beagle’s Captain Robert FitzRoy started looking for a qualified scientific- minded gentleman to accompany him on his survey of South America. Between 6 August and 23 September 1831, a flurry of letters passed through a network of British naval officers and Cambridge professors searching for an amiable and accomplished man for the job. After refusals from Leonard Jenyns and John Stevens Henslow, Henslow wrote to his student Charles Darwin, recommending the Beagle voyage as an excellent opportunity to collect, observe, and write about flora, fauna, and geology in South America and beyond.

What did Darwin’s family think? Darwin’s father, Robert Waring Darwin, objected to the voyage on many accounts: –He wanted Darwin to settle into his life as a clergyman and thought the voyage would be a dishonorable distraction. –He didn’t think Darwin would be comfortable at sea and was sceptical about the expedition in general. –He did not understand how such a ‘wild scheme’ would help his son’s career. –He had to pay Darwin’s way. Josiah Wedgwood II, Darwin’s favorite uncle, wrote to Robert Waring Darwin to convince him that this was an opportunity of a lifetime. After reading Josiah’s letter, Robert changed his mind and decided to fully support Darwin’s desire to set sail with the Beagle. Copyright © English Heritage. By permission of Darwin Heirlooms Trust. Courtesy of the Trustees of the Wedgwood Museum

English Activity 1: Right for the job? 1.In groups, read through the letters and answer the Understanding Letters questions. 2.As a class, discuss what a job description is for and what is important to include when writing one. 3.In groups, using the examples of job descriptions and information in the letters to help you, write a job description for the role that Darwin eventually took on. The job description could be in the style of a nineteenth century advertisement or a contemporary one. 4.Share with your class and select the best one. Copyright © English Heritage. By permission of Darwin Heirlooms Trust. Copyright © National Portrait Gallery London,

English Activity 2: ‘Dear Uncle Jos’ Darwin wrote to his uncle Josiah to ask his advice, outlining his father’s objections to the voyage. Sadly this letter has been lost. 1. In groups, read through the letters and answer the Understanding Letters questions. 2. Make a table listing Darwin’s father’s objections, for each objection write how Darwin may have responded. What other objections might his father have? Add these to the table. Share your results with the class. 3. In pairs or individually, look again at letters 109 and 110. Using the language and writing style expressed in these letters, recreate the missing letter to Darwin’s uncle. Remember to outline your dilemma as if you were Darwin and express why you think you should go. List of Robert Waring’s objections to the voyage Copyright © Cambridge University Library

English Activity 3: Writing Darwin’s diary 1.In groups, read through a selection of letters and answer the Understanding Letters questions. Share a summary of each letter and your responses with the class. 2.In groups, create a table with dates and events to outline what happened when. 3.Write down some words which you think express Darwin’s feelings at different stages (eg when he receives Henslow’s letter). Share with the class. 4.Individually, use the letters to help you write a personal diary for Darwin for key dates between 24 August and 23 September Remember to express how he feels about the changing course of events and why. Charles Darwin, Chalk and water-colour drawing by George Richmond ( ). Down House, Kent. J Image Reference # Copyright © English Heritage. By kind permission of Darwin Heirlooms Trust.

English: FitzRoy and Darwin Robert FitzRoy sailed on the first surveying voyage of the Beagle ( ) and was promoted to commander of the vessel after the death of the Captain Pringle Stokes. When they met for the first time after Darwin accepted the position, FitzRoy was 26 and Darwin was 22. FitzRoy and Darwin were close in age, but FitzRoy was much more experienced at sea and was an accomplished hydrographer. Although Darwin and FitzRoy got along while at sea, FitzRoy was known for his emotional outbursts. Copyright © English Heritage. By kind permission of Darwin Heirlooms Trust. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand,

English Activity 4: FitzRoy and Darwin: a short drama Tasks: Group A 1. Find out details about Captain FitzRoy. 2. Produce a short fact file to describe his career to this point. 3. Use your research and Letter 135 to describe FitzRoy’s personality. Tasks: Group B 4. Find out details about Darwin. 5. Produce a short fact file to describe his career to this point. 6. Read through the letters from Darwin to find out more about his personality and how he felt about Fitzroy. As a class 7. In pairs, drawing on your research, draft a short script based on Darwin and FitzRoy’s first meeting. The script should be no more than 4 minutes long. 8. Select your favourite script from the group. Select 2 actors and rehearse your script. 9. Perform the drama for the class. –Would you have accepted FitzRoy’s job offer? –What kind of personality characteristics would you look for in a working relationship? –What would your family think if you wanted to go on a similar voyage?

Where did the Beagle go?

What did Darwin do next? Darwin returned to England with a career’s worth of scientific observations. With his new vast collection of specimens and his impressive scientific observations, Darwin became an important member of the British scientific community. Darwin wrote four books based on his voyage, including the popular Journal of Researches, which made him famous. He continued to work on scientific topics and published the On the Origin of Species in Permission to reproduce granted by Sedgwick Museum, University of Cambridge

For more educational resources: Please visit the Darwin Correspondence Project’s school resources pages: – For more on the Beagle Voyage, visit our cross-curricular resource: Do you have feedback? We would love to hear from you! –Contact: