UKS2 Topic: Dinosaurs and Fossils Block J: Charles Darwin and his theory of evolution
Session 3 Darwin the geologist
National
Science: Find out about the work of Charles Darwin.
Curriculum
To find out about Darwin's work on geology and the age of the earth.
Teaching
Objectives
National
English: Write for a particular purpose.
Curriculum
To write a haiku about the age of the earth.
Teaching
Objectives
Resources
Weblinks
Darwin on geology
presentation; Practical
experiments to demonstrate
geological phenomenon;
Haiku support; Milky Way
bars for experiment.
https://thehaikudiaries.wordpress.com/tag/charles-darwin/ - Haikus about Darwin;
http://academic.hws.edu/kendrick/anz/haiku.html - Haikus about geology;
http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/history-of-geology/2012/02/12/darwin-the-geologist/ Article about Darwin the geologist; http://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/darwin-geology - Short
article about Darwin and geology;
http://darwin200.christs.cam.ac.uk/pages/index.php?page_id=c3 - Article about Darwin and
geology; http://sms.cam.ac.uk/media/605166 Podcast about Darwin and geology (good
section from 1m55s to 2m55s); http://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fairprojects/project_ideas/Geo_p045.shtml#summary - Making a model river valley;
http://www.education.com/science-fair/article/how-frozen-water-can-split-rock/ The effects
of freezing water on rock.
Whole class: Read one or two haikus from the selection in the weblinks to the chn. Tell them that they will have the chance
to write a haiku about Darwin later on. Explain that Darwin started out as a geologist. Can you explain what a geologist is?
(Someone who studies rocks and how they were formed). Show the Darwin on geology presentation on the w/b.
Children will try out some experiments to explore how forces can shape the earth using the Practical experiments resource.
Ask chn to work in pairs to conduct the experiments and record their observations using the session resources. Ask pairs to
report back on one of their experiments to the whole group. What forces could happen in nature on the earth? (e.g. pressing
down of ice sheets, moving of the tectonic plates, earthquake). What effects could these have on the earth, based on their
observations? (Making mountains, breaking up of crust to make volcanoes more likely.) After they have recorded their
observations and shared their results with the class, let them eat their experiments! If you have time, try out the experiments
on the weblinks.
Explain that Darwin saw evidence that small changes like these, happening gradually over many thousands and millions of
years, could make mountains and valleys and change the shape of the coast.
Give out the Haiku support resource. Ask chn to write a haiku about geological processes.
Easy/ Medium/ Hard
Group chn in mixed ability pairs to work on the experiments.
Less able chn may be able to write their haikus after being given the basic rules of how to write them (session resources).
More able chn can be stretched to use the advanced support in the session resources.
Plenary
Outcomes
How is the haiku different to writing a rhyming or humorous poem? How does it make you feel when you listen
to a haiku? Does writing, reading or listening to the haikus help you understand or remember as well as the
other methods?
Children will:
 Conduct demonstrations to illustrate geological processes
 Understand that slow and gradual processes can lead to large effects
 Apply some of the research they have done in a creative writing format
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