Evolution - Teacher Explanation

Welcome to lesson 6.11 on Evolution, a key component of the Year 6 curriculum on Evolution and Inheritance. In this lesson, pupils will explore the concept that living organisms have evolved over time and that fossils serve as a record of life on Earth millions of years ago. This lesson is safe from a health and safety perspective and offers exciting cross-curricular opportunities. Students can delve into geography by tracing the origins and migration of early humans across the globe, create a human evolution timeline poster in art, and even engage in some mathematical calculations to reinforce their understanding of the topic.

The lesson includes a hands-on activity where pupils line up and whisper a message from one to another, illustrating how information can change as it is passed along, much like genetic mutations in evolution. They will also work on a PowerPoint presentation about human evolution, detailing the timeline and characteristics of ancient humans like Australopithecus and Neanderthals. Another activity, inspired by Charles Darwin's observations on the Galapagos Islands, involves children using different tools to simulate bird beaks and compete to gather food (rice), demonstrating the principle of natural selection. This practical experiment is designed to show how advantageous traits become prevalent in a species over time. The lesson promises to be an engaging and informative exploration of evolution, with the hope that students will enjoy the activities and carry forward their newfound knowledge to the next lesson.