Starter quiz
What is the name of this part of a bird?- 'beak' ✓
- What is an island?
- a body of land surrounded by water ✓
- a body of land surrounded by other countries
- a continent made up of many countries
- a place with mainly desert habitats
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Which is the continent of South America?- A
- B ✓
- C
- D
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- What is a species?
- a unique animal
- a group of living things
- a distinct type of living thing ✓
- a habitat for living things
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Adaptations are …- changes to outward appearance such as hair styles and clothing.
- special features that help living things to survive in their habitats. ✓
- the food sources of a particular living thing.
- the way a living thing moves around its habitat.
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- A __________ is all of a species born and living around the same time.
- characteristic
- classification
- habitat
- generation ✓
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Exit quiz
Charles ______ was a scientist born in 1809 who studied nature. His ideas about how living things adapt to suit their environments changed people’s ideas.- 'Darwin' ✓
In 1831, Darwin and others set sail on HMS Beagle to study the plants and animals living on the coasts of which continent?- North America
- South America ✓
- Africa
- Asia
- Antarctica
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- What was the name of the group of islands where Darwin noticed differences in species of tortoises and finches?
- Galápagos Islands ✓
- Falkland Islands
- Shetland Islands
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- While he was investigating nature on the Galápagos Islands, Darwin made many __________ that led him to wonder how new species develop.
- photographs
- observations ✓
- rock samples
- secondary sources
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- What did Darwin notice about the beak shapes of finches living on different Galápagos Islands?
- They were all best suited to the type of weather on each island.
- They were all best suited to escape the type of predators hunting on each island
- They were all best suited to the types of food available on each island. ✓
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Which of these statements best describes Darwin’s theory about why the birds on each island had differently shaped beaks? He thought the birds had ...- adapted to the available food sources over many generations. ✓
- flown to the island with the best food source for their beak.
- chosen to grow a beak in a shape that was best for the available food source.
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Worksheet
Presentation
Lesson Details
Key learning points
- Charles Darwin was an English scientist who studied nature.
- In 1831, Darwin set sail to study the plants and animals living on the coasts of South America.
- Darwin observed that the beak shape of finches was best suited to the food sources found on different Galapagos Islands.
- Darwin’s observations led him to wonder how new species developed.
- Darwin’s ideas about how living things adapt to suit their environments would eventually change people’s ideas.
Common misconception
Pupils may think that animals, such as finches with differently shaped beaks, have been able to change or adapt during their lifetime based on the conditions they live in.
Explain that adaptations take many years and generations of animals to happen and it is not possible for an animal or plant to change like this during its lifetime.
Keywords
Charles darwin - Charles Darwin was an English scientist who studied nature.
Observations - We make observations when we look closely at something and use other senses, too.
Species - A species is a group of animals or plants that are similar and can have babies together.
Finch - A finch is a type of small bird with a short beak.
Adapted - A species that is well suited to its environment has adaptations that help it survive there.