Session 5 Darwin and evolution
: Find out about the work of Charles Darwin
To find out about Darwin theory of evolution
: Write for a particular purpose; Prepare poems and plays to read aloud and to perform.
To write a Horrible Histories style song about evolution
Darwin’s theory of Evolution presentation; Evolution game checklist; Writing an evolution song support.
http://vimeo.com/99417590 - Horrible Histories song about Darwin and natural selection; http://www.sciencechannel.com/games-and-interactives/charles-darwin-game.htm
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Extinction game – try to survive one million years; http://www.funnygames.biz/evolution.html
- Bug breeding game https://web.archive.org/web/20150509025510/http://www.nhm.ac.uk/natureonline/evolution/what-is-evolution/natural-selection-game/the-evolutionexperience.html - Natural selection game.
Show chn Darwin’s theory of Evolution presentation. Recall how every aspect of Darwin's work so far helped him formulate his ideas about evolution.
Ask children to play the evolution games on the weblinks in pairs. Ask them to play each of the games using the checklist
(session resources).
Bring the class together to discuss if they managed to find something useful in each of the games from what it taught them about evolution. They mainly illustrate natural selection: that useful traits will help an animal survive and have babies more than animals of the same species that don't have the useful trait. Eventually, the useful trait will spread throughout the population as most of the group will now be a descendant of the original animal with the useful trait. The species will have evolved.
Show them the Horrible Histories song. In pairs or larger groups, ask chn to write their own Horrible Histories style song about evolution.
More able chn may be able to write their Horrible Histories song after being given the basic rules of how to write them (session resources). Less able chn can use the further support with more structured support in the same session resources.
Ask groups of chn to perform their songs to the group. Support each performance with praise for all the rich information about evolution they managed to get into their song.
Children will:
 Explain what Darwin thought about evolution
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Explain natural selection based on the evolution games
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Apply some of the research they have done in a creative writing format
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