Process Paper
Charles Darwin's theories and discoveries are of the most important and impactful. It is widely known, and contributes to the way that people think today. As I read through the topics given to us in the NHD information packet, I found Darwin's encounters in the Galapagos Islands to be the most interesting. I thought that it would bring upon an opportunity to further expand my knowledge of the history behind a scientist's adventure in creating a scientific theory. Therefore, I decided to research Charles Darwin and the Galapagos for my NHD project.
Firstly, I decided to research about Charles Darwin's background and how he came about to discover new species on the islands. So, I had looked online and kept a note on all of the websites that I found. I repeated this, but for the history of the Galapagos, as well. Then, I looked for primary sources, but I was only able to find some notes from him about the Galapagos. There weren't any documentations or recordings of him, because it occurred in the 1800s, so I had to suffice with some excerpts and quotes. I ended up with more secondary sources, but I was able to find some useful quotes from him to add to my project.
After contemplating on the type of project to create, I decided to make a website. I thought that it would be simple and easy to manage, because it's online, and Weebly was set up a simple template that I could follow. I decided to use a nature theme, as I thought that it would be appropriate with my topic. I began my website by creating a title and home page with a brief introduction and thesis. I then continued to my background page, where I included the history of Darwin, the islands, and the ship that he sailed on. I tried to focus on generalizing at first so that I could manage my time efficiently and come back to any details later on. Later, I added an "Encounter" page, with the different animals that Darwin observed. This would be the bulk of my project, as it is the main purpose from my thesis. From there, it was easy to add some extra pages and images for aesthetic purposes and I was able to produce and clean and straightforward website.
The theme for the 2016 NHD project was about exploration, encounter, and exchange. I chose Darwin and the Galapagos Islands to refer to the encounters that Darwin had. It relates to the theme in that during Darwin's voyage, he met new species that ignited his theory of evolution. He was able to meet animals that differed from anything near what he had witnessed previously, and discovered islands that carried their own distinct traits.
Firstly, I decided to research about Charles Darwin's background and how he came about to discover new species on the islands. So, I had looked online and kept a note on all of the websites that I found. I repeated this, but for the history of the Galapagos, as well. Then, I looked for primary sources, but I was only able to find some notes from him about the Galapagos. There weren't any documentations or recordings of him, because it occurred in the 1800s, so I had to suffice with some excerpts and quotes. I ended up with more secondary sources, but I was able to find some useful quotes from him to add to my project.
After contemplating on the type of project to create, I decided to make a website. I thought that it would be simple and easy to manage, because it's online, and Weebly was set up a simple template that I could follow. I decided to use a nature theme, as I thought that it would be appropriate with my topic. I began my website by creating a title and home page with a brief introduction and thesis. I then continued to my background page, where I included the history of Darwin, the islands, and the ship that he sailed on. I tried to focus on generalizing at first so that I could manage my time efficiently and come back to any details later on. Later, I added an "Encounter" page, with the different animals that Darwin observed. This would be the bulk of my project, as it is the main purpose from my thesis. From there, it was easy to add some extra pages and images for aesthetic purposes and I was able to produce and clean and straightforward website.
The theme for the 2016 NHD project was about exploration, encounter, and exchange. I chose Darwin and the Galapagos Islands to refer to the encounters that Darwin had. It relates to the theme in that during Darwin's voyage, he met new species that ignited his theory of evolution. He was able to meet animals that differed from anything near what he had witnessed previously, and discovered islands that carried their own distinct traits.