Good morning Year 6!
Last week, in Science, we began our new topic ‘Evolution and Inheritance’.
They are two big words so let’s define them again;
Inheritance: When living things reproduce they pass on characteristics to their offspring. This is known as inheritance. You’ve probably noticed that you might look like your parents. This is because you inherit key characteristics from them, like your eye colour, skin colour and height.
Evolution: Evolution is the way that living things change over time. Evolution is a broad term that refers to any change over time.
Last week, lots of you created super presentations, posters and information leaflets about animals that have specific adaptations to help them to survive.
Today we are going to focus on ‘Evolution’ and ‘Natural Selection’.
Has anyone heard of Charles Darwin?
Charles Darwin was an English scientist who studied nature. He is known for his theory of evolution by natural selection. According to this theory, all living things are struggling to survive. The living things that have the most helpful traits for their environment tend to survive. These living things then pass along their helpful traits to their young. In this way, animals change, or evolve, over hundreds of years.
Learn more below!
Natural Selection
Natural selection is a process by which a species changes over time in response to changes in the environment, or competition between organisms, in order for the species to survive .
The members of the species with the most desirable characteristics are able to produce the best-adapted offspring. If a species is unable to adapt then it is at risk of becoming extinct.
Evolution
Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution suggested that different species have evolved from simpler life forms and that the organisms able to survive are those that have adapted best to their environment.
Evolution is a slow process that can take many thousands, even millions, of years to happen. Scientists have used fossil evidence to look at how organisms have adapted over millions of years and how their characteristics have changed.
If a species is unable to adapt quickly enough to its environment, then it is at risk of becoming extinct. This can happen for many reasons:
- New predators
- New diseases
- Destruction of habitats
- Changes to the environment
- Increased competition for resources
Task:
We are going to play the Natural Selection Game! Will you survive…!?
This is our ‘early mammal’.
You will be selecting adaptations to add to your mammal in order to help it survive .
Which adaptations do you think will suit it best?
Choose 5 adaptations and then draw your newly evolved mammal on a piece of paper or your Home Learning Book. Make sure you colour it in and label your adaptations!
Pick 5 from the following list:
- Large eyes
- Large ears
- Sharp canine teeth
- Camouflage fur
- Whiskers
- Claws
- Thick fur
- Strong running legs
- Large grinding molars
- Horns
- Small ears
- 360⁰ Vision
- Long tongue
- Thick skin
- Strong climbing legs
- Spines
Once you have drawn, coloured and labelled your mammal it is time to play the game!
You start with 10 points. Scroll through the pictures and add or minus points each round-did you survive!? Comment below!
Send in your ‘adapted mammals’ so I can share them on the blog!
Miss Gorick and Mrs Healy xx
Have a look at Ariella’s creature below!
Have a look at Aryan’s creature below!
Have a look at Elly’s animal below!
Have a look at Paloma’s animal!
Have a look at Gabriel’s animal!
For a printable version of the blog, click here Science-Thursday
I have survived! I finished with 120 points.
A brilliant score-well done!
Good morning,
This is a very exciting project and I will have a fun time doing it. I hope we go back to school soon!
Good luck and I hope that you survive!
I also hope that we come back to school soon 🙂
Good Morning Miss Gorick, this sounds like a very exciting lesson!
I’m glad and I hope that you survive!
I got 85 points!
My adaptations were:
-Large eyes
-Large ears
-Thick fur
-Claws
-Strong running legs
Well done Charles! Did you draw your animal?
This is really fun.
But I didn’t survive. ??
Oh no…!
I survivied with my second mammal!
I really enjoyed this, I also did this with members of my family and some friends through the internet!
That’s great to hear-I’m glad you enjoyed it 🙂
Yes i agree with Eliza!my ending number was 45!
Also,did you get the picture of my animal?
I’ve just received it! I will add it to the blog so everyone can see!
Wow I really enjoyed this!
I’m so pleased to hear that Aryan! Did you ‘survive’!?
Me and Rosa Survived
Phew…I’m glad to hear it!
Hello, my mum is asking how to send my work to you?
Hi Aryan 🙂 I look forward to receiving your work! https://www.stvincentsprimary.org.uk/news/sharing-photos-and-files/
Click this link which gives you the instructions.
Any problems, just let me know!
Thanks Miss Gorick. By the way did you get it?
I did-thank you! I’ve just received it and I have uploaded it to the blog. It certainly has sharp looking teeth…!
I had 130 points:
-Whiskers
-Claws
-Thick Skin
-Strong Climbing Legs
-Long Tongue
I really enjoyed it and played with my mum.
You did well!!
I got to the end with 100 points.
Yayy…that’s great news!
Hi Miss i was so close of getting 50 points but then i coudn’t find a mate 🙁
so i only got 20 points and i didn’t die:)
I really enjoyed this game thank you!!!
I’m glad to hear that you didn’t die…!!
Hi Miss Gorick, really enjoyed doing this piece of work .
I’m really pleased to hear that!
I didn’t survive,I only had 60 points, but it was really fun.
This is what I added to my animal:
-360 degree view
-Horns
-Thick fur
-Strong running legs
-Claws
I’m glad that you enjoyed it but I’m sorry that you didn’t survive…:(
Thank you for sending in your animal-I have added it to the blog above!
Hi Elly 🙂 Thank you for sending in a photo of your animal! I have added it to the blog above-I can see that it has ‘strong running legs’!
Hi Paloma! Thank you for sending in your animal-I have added it to our blog. Its teeth certainly look very sharp…!
For my first mammal I got a 100 and I am going to make a second one if I have time.
I had:
-Camouflage skin
-whiskers
-thick fur
-strong running leg
-strong climbing leg.
The problem of camouflage skin is that you win a lot of point but lose 40 ;(
Hi Gaspard 🙂 It is great to hear from you! Ahh that’s interesting to hear…!
Hello,This is Olaf Antonia asked me to do this… and I did it, it was very fun?
Hello Olaf!
It’s lovely to see that you are participating in the Blogs. I’m pleased that you enjoyed the activity.
I hope you and your family are all keeping well.
Best wishes, Miss Coleman