Science Year 6
Biology Strand: Evolution and inheritance
Session G
Programme of study: Identify how animals and plants are adapted to suit their environment in
Animal
adaptations
Working
scientifically
Resources
needed
Planning different types of enquiries to answer questions
Presenting findings
Discussion
drawing
different ways and that adaptation may lead to evolution.
Information books about animal adaptations, Just So Stories by Rudyard Kipling. Evolution Revolution
by Robert Winston. Access to internet
Lamarck’s theory of evolution published in 1809 suggested that living things changed because a feature
that was used more became bigger & stronger, e.g. an individual giraffe’s neck elongated during its
lifetime because it kept stretching up to eat high leaves. Then its offspring would be born with longer
necks too. If this was true then weightlifter’s children would be born with large bulging muscles!
Whole class teaching:
Remind children that they investigated the ways in which plants are adapted to their environment in the last session & explain
that they are going to find out ways in which animals are adapted to their environment in this session. Animals can live in very
hostile environments, e.g. hot deserts & Antarctica. They have adapted to these habitats. Show children
http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/adaptations which describes lots of ways in which animals (& plants) have adapted to different
habitats (some stunning videos). A more child-friendly site to visit is http://resources.woodlandsjunior.kent.sch.uk/homework/adaptation.htm. Watch a video clip at http://www.bbc.co.uk/education/clips/zyx76sg or at
http://www.bbc.co.uk/education/clips/z9y7tfr.
Look at the Discussion Drawing (session resource) together & ask what children think? Hopefully Darwin’s theory of natural
selection will be used to explain how giraffes evolved to have long necks. Use this example to discuss an earlier theory of
evolution put forward by Chevalier de Lamarck in 1809 (see above and session resources).
Show children a picture of a camel (session resources) & discuss the features that help it survive in sandy deserts, e.g. a double
row of long eyelashes, nostrils which can close, store of fat in hump, long strong legs, thick leathery pads on flat, wide feet &
on knees. They also have thick fur to keep them warm during cold, desert nights. Watch
http://www.bbc.co.uk/education/clips/z9ntsbk &/or http://www.vtaide.com/png/camel-adaptations4.htm to confirm the
adaptations.
Discuss another example with children. Penguins (session resources) have webbed feet for powerful swimming & their bodies
are streamlined to reduce drag in water. Their wings, shaped like flippers, help them ‘fly’ underwater at speeds up to 15 mph.
Penguins have tightly packed, overlapping feathers which provide waterproofing & warmth. Their thick skin with a layer of
blubber (fat) underneath keeps them warm & their black back feathers absorb warmth from the Sun.
Group activities:
Adult-led:
Read one (or more) of Rudyard Kipling’s Just So Stories to children, e.g. How the Leopard got his Spots. Discuss how these are
stories about adaptation, but not how it really happened. Read How the Elephant got his trunk pp84-85 in Evolution
Revolution by Robert Winston for one true version! Challenge children (some may wish to work together in pairs) to write a
Just So story of their own. List some examples of animals that they might use on f/c, e.g. tiger - stripes, zebra - stripes,
crocodile - teeth, duck-billed platypus – beak, mole – front legs, peacock – tail feathers, deer – antlers, etc.
Independent:
Create your own monster at http://www.bbsrc.ac.uk/society/schools/keystage1-2/darwin/monster.aspx – will it be adapted
to survive in the wild?
Independent:
Children tackle the quiz about animals (& plant) adaptations at http://www.educationquizzes.com/ks2/science/adaptation/
&/or work against time to identify the adaptations of a range of animals at
http://www.ecokids.ca/PUB/eco_info/topics/climate/adaptations/index.cfm.
Independent:
In pairs children research & draw a labelled diagram of an animal showing the adaptations to its UK environment. A list of
suggested animals is given in session resources.
Plenary:
Have fun listening to the camel adaptation rap at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YpGg-m8wyY4. Share some of
children’s Just So Stories. Remind children that evolution happens very slowly over many generations.
I can:
1. Give examples of how animals have adapted (evolved) to suit their environment.
2. Write my own Just So Story.
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