Year 5 and 6 Science Lessons - Adaptations and Evolution - Darwin's Finches

Fully differentiated and resourced lesson for exploring how the environment an animal lives in will lead to adaptations and evolution. Looking at how Darwin built on his Theory of Evolution and the concept for Survival of the Fittest.

Set up the classroom with 4 corners set up as a different island from the Galapagos. Children then investigate how conditions on that island could lead to the beak of a finch being different. Multi-stage lesson progression. Link provided to a useful video for a connection task. Activation builds on class discussions around how animals would be more suited to survive than others. Activity is an open investigation. Demo applies covered knowledge and skills.

LO: To know adapting to an environment over a period of time may lead to evolution.
Achieve – I can investigate and draw finch beaks from the Galapagos islands.
Challenge – I can recognise that the beak shapes are varied on different islands depending on the type of food available.
Aspire – I can explain using the keywords how the beak shapes have evolved over thousands of years.