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Blenheim Primary School and Children’s Centre – Science Plan for a 1 hour 50 minute lesson.
Year group: 6
Term:
Topic: Evolution
Skill focussing on: using scientific vocabulary to
explain thinking.
Middle expectations:
More able expectations:
Less able expectations:
Identify that most living things live in
habitats to which they are suited and
describe how different habitats provide
for the basic needs of different kinds of
animals and plants, and how they
depend on each other.
Describe in simple terms how fossils are
formed when things that have lived are
trapped within rock.
Identify how Animals, including humans
and plants are adapted to suit their
environment in different ways and that
adaptation may lead to evolution.
Recognise that living things produce
offspring of the same kind, but normally
offspring vary and are not identical to
their parents.
Variation between species and between
individuals of the same species leading
to competition which can drive natural
selection.
Changes in the environment may leave
individuals within a species, and some
entire species, less well adapted to
compete successfully and reproduce,
Recognise that environments can change which in turn may lead to extinction.
and that this can sometimes pose
dangers to living things.
Recognise that living things have
changed over time and that fossils
provide information about living things
that inhabited the Earth millions of years
ago.
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Lesson
1
Key
Vocabulary
& Resources
Characteristic
s
Generations
Offspring
Reproduction
Vary
Identical
Inheritance
Variation
Environmental
characteristics
Genes
DNA –
genetic code
Organism
Adaptation
Evolution
Evolve
Species
Roll of toilet
paper.
Key
Questions
How do you  Introduce evolution on powerpoint. Big questions. Has anybody got any other questions
think it
about plants or animals?
happened
 Given chn AfL sheet called Amazing Adaptations to assess current understanding and so
that…(e.g.
can show progression throughout unit. Will need to read and scribe for LA.
giraffes neck
so long)?
L.I. To know that characteristics are passed through generations.
What
L.I. To know that these characteristics may change over time.
caused…
Recognise that living things produce offspring of the same kind, but normally offspring
(e.g.
vary and are not identical to their parents.
caterpillar to
taste so bad)? http://www.bbc.co.uk/education/clips/zfx2tfr film clip - Why do tortoises look different
What has
in different parts of the world? Animation describing how different tortoises have
changed/adap developed different characteristics.
ted over
Vocab check – what does characteristics mean? Hint: root word character. What do we
time?
think of when writing a character description? Personality and appearance. Do animals
and plants have different personalities and appearances too?
What are
 A characteristic is a feature of an organism. It can be something we can see (like
characteristics?
hair colour) or something we can’t see (like blood group).
 All humans have different combinations of characteristics, meaning we all look
What does
different.
generations
 This difference in our characteristics is called variation.
mean?
What is
variation?
Coloured
balls (from
PE or the
plastic ones
from
children’s
ball pits).
Transparent
containers.
Teaching and Learning
How might
these
characteristics
change over
time?
or survival?
Look at Simpsons family tree – what characteristics of appearance have been passed
through generations (hair colour, nose, mouth, eyes).
What have you inherited from your parents? (Will need to be sensitive to step families,
LAC and adopted chn.) Grandparents? http://www.bbc.co.uk/learningzone/clips/twinssimilarities-and-differences/2481.html Short film about inherited characteristics and twins.
Coloured balls - Inheritance
Start with 2x2 sets each consisting of 8 balls in two colours. Put the sets into couples.
Divide balls for one set evenly into 2 groups to represent the male and the female
Mix half of the balls from 2 sets randomly to represent reproduction
How do the colours in the offspring compare with the parents
How can you represent identical twins, how can you show genetically different siblings?
Pair the offspring into couples and randomly divide and mix again
Plenary
In pairs decide what the
scientific words
characteristics and
variation mean.
Share as a class to
check understanding.
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Compare the third generation to the initial parents
Look at pics of Mr Men and Miss Men. Check chn’s understanding of characteristics by
asking them to name some that can see. E.g. Mr Nosey has long nose, Little Miss Tiny is
tiny and Mr Sneeze is blue. Go through Powerpoint Mr Men quiz.
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2
Sweets
(brightly
coloured and
boring
brown) in a
transparent
bowl.
Stop watches.
Hunting
caterpillars
(strips of
double sided
tape on a
sheet of card
and 15cm
wool in lots
of different
colours).
Wigglies
(lots of 15 cm
wool strips of
different
colours and a
piece of
fabric).
Bird food.
Best beak
sheet and
Random
mutation
Characteristic
s
Generations
Offspring
Reproduction
Breeding
Inheritance
characteristics
Genes
DNA –
genetic code
Climate
Adaptation
Evolution
Environment
Camouflage
Habitat
Natural
selection
Competition
Variation
Species
Extinct
What things
might plants
Less able:
Middle:
More able:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesi
Simpsons family tree and
ze/ks2/science/living_things Simpsons family tree and
questions.
/variation/play/ sort these
questions.
Deadly 60 animals into the
Extension – last 3 slides on
different groups, based on
powerpoint. What would
their characteristics. Quiz
happen if identical twins
and read. On ipads or
bred with identical twins?
laptops.
L.I. I can identify how animals are adapted to suit their environment in different.
Optional: during this lesson, offer children a sweet every time they get a correct answer.
Let them choose, so by the end of the lesson you should have the dull boring sweets left.
When you are re-capping during the plenary, show the children the bowl of the sweets that
are left. What do you notice about the sweets that are left? Why are the brown ones
left?(because look dull and disgusting). Remind them of the disgusting caterpillar from the
beginning of the lesson. Can they make links between the caterpillars and the sweets that
were left? If the sweets/ caterpillars look disgusting will they be eaten? No one wants to
eat them so the disgusting looking and tasting caterpillars, so they survive and pass on
their disgusting tasting changing genes. Did you consciously think about this when
choosing a sweet? Evolution isn’t a conscious decision.
Powerpoint - lesson 2 evolution of birds timeline.
 Introduce Charles Darwin and his theory of natural selection.
 Use a roll of toilet paper to show that this happened over many years. Again, emphasise
we are talking about different generations that have reproduced over time and that
they can’t reproduce if have died. On first sheet write name birds in powerpoint,
names chn in your class and how many years ago they were born, how long ago their
parents were born. Rest of details are on powerpoint.
 Caterpillar slide possible responses: The food the caterpillar eats is disgusting so the
caterpillar tastes disgusting. But won’t the caterpillar suffer because of this? It has to eat
disgusting food? What tastes gross to us might taste delicious to a caterpillar.
 Wigglies (game to develop understanding of natural selection). Have put questions in a
separate doc so you can take with you to the table. Whole class must play at once to
emphasise competition for survival and how it leads to natural selection.
Chn write 3 statements
(one for each activity)
in their book saying
what they have found
out today.
Must write in their own
words.
Start feeding birds in
the area you plan to
carry out lesson 4’s
investigation. You will
need to do this at least
every other day for two
weeks.
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resources.
Dice.
Coloured
post stick
notes (3
different
colours).
and animals
 Activities: didn’t want to be too prescriptive so up to you (and timing) how you
compete for?
organise. Could do as a carousel, split class into three groups and they have to feed back
(Link to what
findings to rest of the class, or each activity as a whole class.
they need to
survive!)
How has ….
Adapted?
How has …
evolved to
overcome
this
competition
for food?
Space? Prey?
Why did you
survive?
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Activity 1:
Best beak?
3
Activity 2:
Hunting caterpillars
Collecting different colour
worms from piece of fabric.
Same as staff meeting apart
from one child needs to time
the others so after each minute
they collect worms on a
different bit of tape. Means can
see difference over time in
what colours collect.
Activity 3: Adult
support needed.
Start by laying out the bird
Wigglies part 2 (see
‘food’ in 5 locations, then
separate Wigglies doc.
divide into 5 groups. Each
group will have a set of
Encourage chn to
‘beaks’. At each location, the
adapt their ‘collecting
group predicts which ‘beak’
and eating’ style so
they think will work best for
they are more
that food, then tests the ‘beaks’
competitive.
to see if their prediction is
correct, recording on the
Chn write names on a white
worksheet as they go. Based on board and take a photo before
the results of the experiment,
put worms back on fabric.
you can finish by matching the
beak to the food on the final
worksheet.
Adaptation
What do
L.I. Identify how animals and plants are adapted to suit their environment in different
Chn leave new
Evolution
living things ways and that adaptation may lead to evolution.
organism on table and
Environment compete for
spend time going
Habitat
in their
 Differentiated pictures of animals and plants in their habitats. Give chn time to annotate around room looking at
Competition habitat?
everyone else’s.
picture with how it has adapted to suit its environment.
Variation
Go back to their table
 First: Model with a picture of a dinosaur. Make sure chn are clear that over time these
Species
How are they
and write a prediction
adaptations may lead to evolution.
Organism
adapted/how  What might this dinosaur be competing for? Remind wigglies game – what do living
of whose they think will
Characteristic have they
survive a battle of the
things compete for in their habitat? What do plants and animals need to survive?
s
evolved to
species. Must give
How have they adapted/ evolved to overcome this competition for survival?
Extinct
survive?
reasons for prediction
Predator
based on adaptations
Adaptations to animals and plants in pond environment that have led to their survival:
prey
How are they  Chn will be designing own organism to survive in pond habitat. Remind them of
organism has to the
adapted/how
pond habitat.
relationship between predator and prey. At the end of the lesson there will be a class
have they
competition - who will be the ultimate survivor?
Pond dipping evolved to
Have class competition
 Show chn pond habitat and how plants and animals adapted - ideally go outside into pond area.
equipment
overcome
to discover the ultimate
or http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/ponddip/x_index.html
this
survivor.
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/biomes/pond/pondlife.shtml Focus chn on different parts of
pond habitats (pond bottom, pond margin, mid-water, pond surface and above surface).
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Soap to wash
hands.
Plastecene
Pictures
animals and
plants in their
habitats.
competition
for survival?
 Conditions to consider that affect competition for resources and survival include: light
availability (lily pads and duck weed on pond surface), oxygen availability (room to come up to
surface, higher oxygen concentration near surface, spiders and boatman trap air in their long
hairs so can survive under water), shelter (from predators, weather etc, will find more species in
reeds), predators (blood worms at bottom where silt is dark for camouflage, water boatman is
upside down so can kill prey on pond surface like pond skaters).
 Give chn hints – details how animals and plants adapted to survival on a separate doc
and you could use laptops to research adaptations/evolution species to survive in a pond.
Chn could draw their new organism or use plastecene. All must label the characteristics
of their organism that they have designed for survival (and which condition are
surviving).
First – in pairs, which
organism is more likely
to survive? Why do you
think that? Then pairs
join up in fours. Which
organism is more likely
to survive and why?
Then semi final and
final done by a class
vote.
Give chn time to go
back to their organism
and adapt it (magpieing
ideas from the rest of
the class) further. Draw
adaptations in a
different colour so can
see progress from
earlier in lesson.
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Less able:
Give chn a picture of an animal
already discussed e.g. pond
skater or water boatman for
them adapt so it is more
competitive and more likely to
survive.
Give chn conditions their
organism has to adapt to.
4
Evolve
Evolution
Adaptation
Survival
Natural
selection
Variation
Species
Prediction
Fossil
Predators and
prey
Extinction
Offspring
Reproduction
Generation
Food dye
(red and
green)
Spaghetti
Middle:
Chn need to design an
organism that is adapted to
survive in pond habitat.
More able:
Chn need to design an
organism then complete
challenge: What if the
environment changes
because of humans?
(e.g. someone puts a
hole in pond lining,
which happened 4 yrs
ago and lost half pond
water, or child pulls out
the reeds and grasses.)
How have
birds adapted
over time?
L.I. I can understand that variation between individuals of the same species can lead to
natural selection.
L.I. I can make a prediction based on my scientific thinking and understanding.
How long
does it take
for a species
to evolve?
Starter: Play wigglies game again. This time ask chn who ‘died’ because lack of food to
step away. Play again with those that survived whilst emphasising that these chn will
reproduce and a new generation will live on when they die. Point out characteristicss this
new generation will have depending on what chn have left (e.g. tall, wearing cardigans,
dark hair, sporty).
What do you
think birds
were
competing
for?
Discuss how worms
Survival rivals – I’m a worm get me out of here!
have adapted to survive.
 Video to introduce http://www.survivalrivals.org/i-am-a-worm-get-me-out-of-here/video
 Powerpoint – shows what will be doing during investigation. Important that chn know
that worms (dyed spaghetti) will be replaced every day (pretend reproduction). The
same number of worms will be put out every day but the number of worms of each
colour will depend on what the birds (prey) eat the day before, because the more that are
eaten, the less of that colour there are left to reproduce, so the less there will be the next
day. There is a formula for CT to use to work out new ratio. Writing prediction –
examples of predictions based on scientific thinking and understanding near the end of
the video. Girl: “I’m looking forward to getting the results and I think the reds will have disappeared the most ‘cause I think that’s the
How have
these
species/birds
adapted to
survive?
What do you
predict will
happen?
most natural colour to a worm, rather than the vibrant green.”
Boy: “I think the greens might have disappeared the most ‘cause birds are used to hunting worms in grass, which is the same colour as
green, so I think a load of greens are going to have gone.”
 There is a model investigation sheet for you.
 You will need to change the worms every day until the next lesson and record the
results.
http://www.survivalriva
ls.org/i-am-a-worm-getme-out-of-here/game
Game with 10 secs to
eat as many worms as
possible. Start with easy
level then go on to hard
level.
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Gloves
Soap to wash
hands
Why do you
think that
will happen?
Wigglies
(wool)
Less able:
TA to scribe.
Work in a group to plan
investigation using
school planning format.
Middle:
Plan investigation using
school planning format.
CT support with fair
testing.
More able:
Plan investigation using school
planning format.
Work on fair testing
independently at first, using
prompt sheet (sep. doc).
What did
Charles
Darwin think
had happened
to species
over time?
5
Evolve
Evolution
Adaptation
Survival
Natural
selection
Variation
Species
Prediction
Fossil
Predators and
prey
Extinction
Offspring
Reproduction
Prediction
Conclusion
Graph paper
What did
L.I. I can draw scientific conclusions from my findings.
 Watch video again. http://www.survivalrivals.org/i-am-a-worm-get-me-out-of-here/video and
Charles
recap what investigation was about. Remind chn aim.
Darwin think

What do you think has happened over the last week? What have you found out?
had happened
 Was your prediction correct? Do you think it is correct for the same reason you made your
to species
prediction?
over time?
What have
you found
out?
Was your
prediction
correct?
What is a
conclusion?
Which colour
worm did the
birds prefer?
Which colour
was left on
the bird
table?
What would be the
impact/effect of
environmental change?
(changes to the habitat)
Eg no rain so grass
dies/doesn’t grow.
 What have we learnt about natural selection and evolution?
Ground is now a
Graph and conclusions.
different colour. How
 The results should be plotted as a graph of the number of each type of ‘worm’ present vs time. would this affect
 What is a conclusion? The answer to the question you asked at the start.
worm’s survival? How
 Once chn have drawn graph, show examples of conclusions from other investigations. Levels
will it affect the worm’s
for conclusions are in notes in Powerpoint. Emphasise how important it is that chn explain why
ability to compete
they think it happened. This shows their understanding of natural selection and the part it
successfully?
played in evolution over time. So it is really important they write their own explanation for
findings.
 Conclusion – give vocab for each ability group to include in their conclusion. Make sure
children write their own conclusion without support. Then model if chn have struggled and
give time for improving / rewriting conclusion. Does your conclusion answer the question we
investigated?
Natural selection is:
 Individuals in a species show a wide range of variation.
 This variation is because of differences in genes.
 Individuals with characteristics most suited to the environment are more likely to survive and reproduce.
 The genes that allowed the individuals to be successful are passed to the offspring in the next generation.
Individuals that are poorly adapted to their environment are less likely to survive and reproduce. This means that their genes are less
likely to be passed to the next generation. Given enough time, a species will gradually evolve.
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What affect
did this have
on the
number of
birds
available to
reproduce
and have
offspring?
What affect
would this
have over
time?
Less able:
Bar graph with only one
colour. X and Y axis
labelled and intervals
already marked.
Write own title.
Conclusion – which colour
did the birds prefer? Why
do you think this happened?
Vocab to support in a
separate doc.
Middle:
Bar graph with both colours.
Nothing else labelled.
Write own title, label x and y
axis and write intervals.
Conclusion - which colour
did the birds prefer? Why do
you think this happened?
What was the impact of this
on the evolution of worms?
Vocab to support in a
separate doc.
More able:
Bar graph with both
colours.
Nothing else labelled.
Write own title, label x
and y axis and write
intervals.
Conclusion - which colour
did the birds prefer? Why
do you think this
happened? What was the
impact of this on the
evolution of worms?
Vocab to support in a
separate doc.
CT Extend understanding:
variation between species
and between individuals of
the same species leading to
competition which can drive
natural selection.
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Fossils lesson – suitable for years 4 - 6.
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Fossil
Fossilisation
Fossilised
remains.
Evolution
Formation
Competition
Survival
Rocks
Living things
Carnivore
herbivore
omnivore
Organism
species
Fossils.
Plastic bones
from
dinosaur
skeleton.
Pictures of
bones on
worksheet.
Books on
fossils,
evolution etc.
M Skull
pictures: 1-6,
What is a
fossil?
How are
fossils
formed?
What do
fossils tell us
about living
things in the
past? Now?
Why might
palaeontologi
sts get an
incomplete
set of bones
to piece
together?
What does
this tell us
about the
past? What
do we know
about how
human skulls
evolved?
What does
this tell us
about how
they lived in
the past?
L.I. LA I can explain how fossils are formed.
L.I. M and MA I can explain how fossils help us understand changes to living things over
time.
Starter: Silly African story - illustrates of the competitive element in survival. Successful
individuals are better than their peers. It also shows that mental agility is well able to
compensate in some circumstances for any lack of physical strength.
Make sure chn know what a fossil is (did as part of rocks and soils unit). Give each table a
selection of plastic bones (e.g. from the dinosaur skeleton). Ask them to fit bones together
to create the most likely species. Tell them they probably don’t have all the bones and that
they can draw some missing ones on scrap paper if they need to (support LA with bones
from worksheet). Highlight that this is what palaeontologists did with the fossils and
fossilised remains they discovered. So our knowledge of dinosaurs is actually theory not
fact.
Discuss what chn can infer from bones about the species they have created. Show chn
some pictures of dinosaurs from the internet and explain that a lot of what we know about
dinosaurs is based on piecing together bits of evidence from lots of different parts of the
world.
How are fossils formed? Fossils are formed when organisms are buried as sedimentary
rocks are formed under particular conditions. Geologists categorise fossils into trace
fossils, where a trace of the activity of an organism is preserved, and body fossils, where
part of the organism itself is fossilised. Show chn fossils and give them time to
investigate. Explain these are all small but that means all these organisms were also small.
So larger organisms would have had larger fossils.
Sedimentary: This is when the igneous rocks are worn down and carried by rivers and
wind to the sea where they form a sediment. Over time, layers of sediment build up and
are compressed into rocks. These rocks are softer than igneous rocks and sometimes
contain fossils (e.g. chalk, limestone, sandstone, clay).
Useful websites: http://www.jurassiccoast.com, http://www.sedgwickmuseum.org/ and
www.fossil-facts-and-finds.com
Give pupils a list of
present-day organisms
(eg ones you might find
in your
garden…worms, snails,
slugs, ladybirds, frogs,
birds, cats, mice) and
ask them which ones
they think would be
most likely to become
fossils if the conditions
were right, and which
parts they would be
most likely to see?
(Geologists often use
comparison with the
present day to help
them understand what
might have happened in
the past).
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HA Skull
pictures: 1-6,
12, 13, 14,
24, 25.
LA soils
from science
cupboard.
Food eaten?
How moved?
etc
Less able:
Describe in simple terms
how fossils are formed
when things that have
lived are trapped within
rock.
Instructions for how to
make a fossil. Can actually
make with soils in science
cupboard if you prefer.
Middle:
Recognise that living things
have changed over time and
that fossils provide
information about living
things that inhabited the
Earth millions of years ago.
Use evidence of evolution
picture pack (Skull pictures:
1-6,).
Order pictures of skulls
Extension: Sort fossils into from past to present day.
Use books to research skulls
groups of their own
choice. Need to be able to and match with labels.
say why each fossil in each What does this tell us about
the past? What do we know
group.
about how human skulls
evolved?
What does this tell us about
how they lived in the past?
Food eaten? How moved?
etc
More able:
Recognise that living things
have changed over time and
that fossils provide
information about living
things that inhabited the Earth
millions of years ago.
Use evidence of evolution
picture pack
(Skull and skeleton pictures:
1-6, 12, 13, 14, 24, 25).
Order pictures of skulls and
skeletons from past to present
day.
Use books to research them
and match with labels.
What does this tell us about
the past? What do we know
about how humans evolved?
What does this tell us about
how they lived in the past?
Food eaten? How moved? etc