Abraham Trembley & the Creature that Defies Classification

We describe a historical inquiry case based on the investigations of hydra (H. viridissima) by the 18th-century naturalist Abraham Trembley, who ultimately received the Royal Society’s prestigious Copley Medal for his work. Students are invited to participate in the research by working virtually alongside Trembley. They engage in many fully contextualized scientific practices and discuss reflective questions that help highlight aspects of the nature of science. Here, the dilemma of classifying zoophytes serves as an occasion to invigorate the often dry topic of classification by focusing on the distinction between plants and animals—not nearly as simple as it may seem to the novice.