A fossil is the remains or imprint of living things that are sometimes preserved in rock.

Prehistoric times are time periods which came before written records began.

Palaeontologists study fossils as a guide to the history of life on Earth.

Sedimentary rock is formed when sediment collects at the bottom of a lake or sea.

Secondary sources are texts, images or objects created using information gathered by others.

Where fossils are found (non-statutory)

Science

What fossils can tell us about the past

How living things have changed over time

Human skulls: using evidence from the past (non-statutory)

Offspring: similar but not identical

Family trees (non-statutory)

Inherited characteristics

Animal adaptations

Charles Darwin and finches

Plant adaptations

More about plant adaptations

The survival of the fittest

Evolution: evidence

Evolution: presentation

In this Evolution and inheritance unit, pupils learn that, normally, offspring vary and are not identical to parents. In the Heredity and DNA unit, they will build on this knowledge to learn about how genes and chromosomes work. 

In the New life unit, pupils learnt that animals, including humans have offspring which grow into adults. In this Evolution and Inheritance unit, pupils will build on this knowledge to recognise that living things produce offspring of the same kind, but normally offspring vary and are not identical to parents

This unit explores how living things have changed over time, using fossils as evidence of past life. It covers how offspring vary from parents and how adaptation leads to evolution. Emphasis is on planning scientific enquiries, recording data, and evaluating scientific evidence.

Evolution and inheritance

Physical activity and equipment requiring safe use

We can find out about fossil discoveries by carrying out {{}} using secondary sources.

Which of these are common types of fossils?

evidence of prehistoric life from millions of years ago

evidence of rocks from thousands of years ago

Fossils are mainly found in a type of rock called {{}} rock.

Which of these locations would not be a good place to hunt for fossils?

An animal dies in the sea or a lake and sinks to the bottom.

The soft parts of the animal decay, leaving behind the hard parts.

Layers of sediment build up on top of the hard remains.

Over time, more layers build up on top creating sedimentary rock.

Over many years, the hard remains are replaced by minerals creating a fossil.

Order the statements to show how fossils are formed in sedimentary rock.

the mark or impression left on a surface by something

the amount of time it takes for a fossil to form

a collection of theories created by famous scientists

a collection of ideas written down in a book

information we can use to prove or disprove scientific ideas

information which has been gathered a very long time ago

Fossils give us evidence about life in prehistoric times. What is evidence?

sources created using information that cannot be proved

sources created using information that is very old

sources created using information gathered by others

We can learn more about things by carrying out research using secondary sources. What are secondary sources?

Animals with a backbone and internal skeleton are called ...

Where fossils are found (non-statutory)

Lesson outcome

Content guidance