Author: Amanda McGarrigle

Term 4

Background Information
The principal focus of science teaching in Upper Key Stage 2 is to enable pupils to develop a deeper understanding of a wide range of scientific ideas.
They should do this through exploring and talking about their ideas; asking their own questions about scientific phenomena; and analysing functions, relationships and interactions more systematically. At Upper Key Stage 2, they should encounter more abstract ideas and begin to recognise how these ideas help them to understand and predict how the world operates.
They should also begin to recognise that scientific ideas change and develop over time. They should select the most appropriate ways to answer science questions using different types of scientific enquiry, including observing changes over different periods of time, noticing patterns, grouping and classifying things, carrying out comparative and fair tests and finding things out using a wide range of secondary sources of information.
Pupils should draw conclusions based on their data and observations, use evidence to justify their ideas, and use their scientific knowledge and understanding to explain their findings.
Pupils might work scientifically by: observing and raising questions about local animals and how they are adapted to their environment; comparing how some living things are adapted to survive in extreme conditions, for example, cactuses, penguins and camels. They might analyse the advantages and disadvantages of specific adaptations, such as being on two feet rather than four, having a long or a short beak, having gills or lungs, tendrils on climbing plants, brightly coloured and scented flowers.

In this unit the children will…
Recognise that living things have changed over time and that fossils provide information about living things that inhabited the Earth millions of years ago.
Recognise that living things produce offspring of the same kind, but normally offspring vary and are not identical to their parents
Identify how animals and plants are adapted to suit their environment in different ways and that adaptation may lead to evolution.
Useful links: http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/adaptations
http://www.greatplanthunt.org/teachers

By the end of this unit….
All children will:
be able to recognise that living things have changed over time and that fossils provide information about living things that inhabited the Earth millions of years ago.
be able to recognise that living things produce offspring of the same kind, but normally offspring vary and are not identical to their parents.
be able to identify how animals are adapted to suit their environment in different ways and that adaptation may lead to evolution.
be able to record data in a table.
be able to identify how plants are adapted to suit their environment in different ways and that adaptation may lead to evolution.
Most children will:
be able to plan an enquiry that will answer a question.
be able to measure with a data logger.
Some children will:
use evidence to justify their ideas, and use their scientific knowledge and understanding to explain their findings.
be able to identify scientific evidence that has been used to support or refute ideas or arguments.
be able to present findings from an enquiry.

The children will explore:
What they know already (KWL grid)ime
Deep thinking time – How do we know about living things that have lived in the past? Hook – Darwin’s thinking path.
Look at fossils and figure out how they are evidence of living things changing.
Are all siblings of living things identical? Identify features that the young have inherited from their parents.
Deep thinking time – How are birds suited to survive in the habitat in which they live?
Deep thinking time– How is it that birds have the right features to help them survive where they live?
Model/Experiment – Which shape feet are best for swimming? Draw the types of bird feet, with labels explaining how they are adapted to help the bird to survive.
Research – How do different animals use camouflage to survive?
Deep thinking time – What must all living things be able to do in order to survive?
Deep thinking time – How are plants suited to, and adapted to their environment?
Research – How have different plants around the world evolved to survive?
fossils and figure out how they are evidence of living things changing. do we know about living things that have lived in the pahat We h materials allow electricity to pass through them?
Which metals are the best conductors of electricity?
What are the best conditions for dissolving sugar in the fastest time?
What is the best material for filtering?
Which changes cannot be easily reversed?

Key Vocabulary
Evolution, evolve, natural selection, survival, camouflage, adaption
Reproduction, offspring, parents, siblings
Environment, Variation—differences between living things of the same species
Inherited variation—characteristic that is a result of genetic inheritance; e.g. eye colour, hair colour and skin colour.
Fossils; ammonites, belemnites, micrasters, etc
Key Scientists—Charles Darwin (1809 – 1882), Alfred Russel Wallace (1823 - 1913)
Richard Owen (1804 – 1882)