Search all MERLOT
Select to go to your profile
Select to go to your workspace
Select to go to your Dashboard Report
Select to go to your Content Builder
Select to log out
Search Terms
Enter username
Enter password
Select OK to launch help window
Cancel help


Advanced Search


Search > Learning Exercise Results > The Scopes Trial

Learning Exercise: The Scopes Trial

The Scopes Trial
Course: U.S. History


Submitted by:
William Paquette
Date Last Modified:
August 04, 2009


Instructions: CLICK "go to material." SCROLL to the bottom of the page. CLICK "Famous Trials." CLICK "Scopes Trial." READ "The Scopes Trial: An Introduction." Answer the following questions: 1. What is the theory of evolution?, 2. Who was Charles Darwin?, 3. What was the state of Tennessee's position about teaching evolution in public schools?, 4. Who was John Scopes?, 5. What crime did Scopes commit?, 6. Who were Clarence Darrow and William Jennings Bryan and what roles did they play in the trial?, 7. Who was H.L. Mencken and what role did he play in the trial?, 8. What was the verdict and on what was the verdict based?, 9. Why was the case appealed and what was the appeals verdict?, 10. What happened to to William Jennings Bryan after the trial?, 11. Why was the Scopes Trial called the Monkey Trial?, 12. Why was the Scopes Trial called the Trial of the Century?, 13. What did Scopes letter years later say?, 14. What does interest in the Scopes Trial tell us about the United States in the 1920s?



  • College General Ed
  • College Lower Division
  • High School


Evolution; Charles Darwin; John Scopes; Clarence Darrow; William Jennings Bryan.



Learning Objectives

To evaluate whether or not evolution should be taught in public education.

Type of Task

  • Individual
  • Student-centered
  • Supplemental Activity
  • Unsupervised



Technical Notes