Evolution and inheritance
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Threads
Why this why now
This unit builds on pupils' prior learning from New life, where they explored how animals, including humans, reproduce and grow. In Evolution and inheritance, pupils will learn how traits are passed down through generations and how species evolve over time through adaptation and natural selection. This prepares them for the next unit, Heredity and DNA, where they will explore the genetic mechanisms that underpin inheritance, deepening their understanding of how DNA carries the information responsible for the traits of living organisms.
Prior knowledge requirements
- Describe in simple terms how fossils are formed
- Notice that animals, including humans, have offspring which grow into adults
- Identify that most living things live in habitats to which they are suited
- Describe how habitats provide for the basic needs of different kinds of animals and plants, and how they depend on each other
Threads
Why this why now
This unit builds on pupils' prior learning from New life, where they explored how animals, including humans, reproduce and grow. In Evolution and inheritance, pupils will learn how traits are passed down through generations and how species evolve over time through adaptation and natural selection. This prepares them for the next unit, Heredity and DNA, where they will explore the genetic mechanisms that underpin inheritance, deepening their understanding of how DNA carries the information responsible for the traits of living organisms.
Prior knowledge requirements
- Describe in simple terms how fossils are formed
- Notice that animals, including humans, have offspring which grow into adults
- Identify that most living things live in habitats to which they are suited
- Describe how habitats provide for the basic needs of different kinds of animals and plants, and how they depend on each other
Biology
Evolution and inheritance
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.
14 lessons in unit
slide decks, worksheet PDFs, quizzes and lesson overviews. You can select individual lessons from the Evolution and inheritance unit and download the resources you need, or download the entire unit now. See every unit listed in our primary science curriculum and discover more of our teaching resources for primary science programmes.