Charles Darwin was an English scientist who studied nature.

An adaptation is a feature of a plant or animal that helps them to survive in their habitat.

Living things create offspring when they reproduce.

To survive means to continue to stay alive.

When living things reproduce they create their offspring.

The survival of the fittest

Science

Where fossils are found (non-statutory)

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

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

Which scientist suggested a theory about how living things change over time?

All living things in a species are equally as likely to survive as each other.

All living things must help others in their species in order to survive.

Some living things are more likely to survive than others in their species.

Living things that survive longer are more likely to {{}} and pass their favourable characteristics on to their offspring.

Organisms that are better adapted are most likely to survive and reproduce.

Organisms that have had the most exercise are the most likely to reproduce.

More healthy animals and plants will survive longer.

What does ‘survival of the fittest’ mean?

The strongest and most useful adaptations.

The weakest and least useful adaptations.

Which adaptations are generally passed on through several generations of offspring?

Why is a dark coloured moth the most fit to survive in a habitat with lots of dark coloured tree trunks?

Match the species to the habitat it is best adapted to survive in.

What is the name of the scientist who observed differences in species of birds living on the Galápagos Islands in the 1800s?

the date the species first came into existence.

the amount of time it takes a plant or animal to complete a full life cycle.

all of the species born and living around the same time.

They are passed from one generation of a species to another.

They learn to adapt as they become older.

How do living things get their adaptations?

Offspring are always alike to their parents in every way.

Both plants and animals can have offspring.

Offspring usually vary and are not exactly the same as their parents.

Which of these statements about offspring is not correct?

Offspring usually look similar, but not identical to, their parents. What are these differences known as?

The survival of the fittest

Lesson outcome