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Science lesson plan · 6th grade (Year 7 in England) · 30 minutes

Evolution and fossil evidence

Cells, genetics and evolution

CCSS NGSS.MS-LS4-1CCSS NGSS.MS-LS4-2CCSS NGSS.3-LS4-1England: KS2 Y6 Evolution and inheritanceEngland: KS3 Biology: Genetics and evolution

Objective and success criteria

Students will: Evolution and fossil evidence.

  • I can answer questions on today's skill on my own, without help.
  • I can explain each step and say why it works.
  • I can check my answer and spot a mistake.

Before and after

Needs first: Inherited and environmental characteristics

Leads to: Natural selection and resistance

Materials: Microscope images or slides, Cell diagrams, Mini whiteboards, A diagram or short video clip of the idea, Printed student sheet (below).

Warm-up · 4 min

  • Quick retrieval from earlier learning (Inherited and environmental characteristics). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
  • Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.
  1. Is this characteristic inherited or environmental: the language you speak? (inherited (from parents) / environmental (from life)) → environmental (from life)Prompt: Were you born with it, or did it happen during life?
  2. Why do puppies look like their parents but not exactly the same? (All dogs are identical. / They get a mix of characteristics from both parents. / They eat the same food. / They copy their parents on purpose.) → They get a mix of characteristics from both parents.Prompt: Each parent passes on half of the genes.
  3. Inheritance: which statement is true? (If a parent loses a finger, its babies are born without that finger. / The language you speak is inherited. / A scar is an environmental characteristic. / Children are always exact copies of one parent.) → A scar is an environmental characteristic.Prompt: Which things can be passed on in genes?

Hook · 3 min

  • Show a microscope image of cells and ask what students think they are looking at.
  • Share the objective: Evolution and fossil evidence. Read the success criteria together.

I do: model it · 7 min

  • Work through the example out loud, saying why you do each step, not just what you do.
  • Example: Mary Anning was famous for…
  • Step 1: Mary Anning's fossil finds helped show that species can become extinct.
  • Step 2: So the answer is: finding important fossils, such as ichthyosaurs
  • Answer: finding important fossils, such as ichthyosaurs
  • Pause after each step and ask a student to say what comes next.

We do: guided practice · 6 min

  • Do these together. Students try each step on whiteboards before you reveal it.
  • Use the hints as prompts rather than giving the answer.
  1. What do fossils tell us about living things? (Dinosaurs lived at the same time as the first humans. / Living things have never changed. / Fossils are only made of plastic. / Living things have changed over very long periods of time.) → Living things have changed over very long periods of time.Prompt: Older rock layers contain different fossils from newer ones.
  2. Evolution: which statement is true? (Individual animals evolve during their own lifetime. / Dinosaurs and early humans lived at the same time. / Evolution happens over many generations. / Humans evolved from modern chimpanzees.) → Evolution happens over many generations.Prompt: Evolution is about populations over many generations.

You do: independent practice · 7 min

  • Students work on the student sheet. Circulate and check the first two answers of every student early.
  • Students who finish: write a question of their own for a partner, with the answer.

The 6 questions are on the student sheet below, with answers in the key.

Exit ticket · 3 min

  • Two questions on their own. Sort answers into got it / nearly / not yet to plan the next lesson.
  1. Evolution: which statement is NOT true? (Individual animals evolve during their own lifetime. / Fossils are evidence for evolution. / Species can become extinct. / Evolution happens over many generations.) → Individual animals evolve during their own lifetime.Prompt: Watch out for a common misunderstanding about apes.
  2. Evolution: which statement is true? (Individual animals evolve during their own lifetime. / Evolution happens over many generations. / Dinosaurs and early humans lived at the same time. / Humans evolved from modern chimpanzees.) → Evolution happens over many generations.Prompt: Evolution is about populations over many generations.

Watch out for

  • Everyday meanings of words getting in the way of the science meaning: define key words explicitly.
  • Remembering facts without the reason: ask "why?" and "what is the evidence?"

Support and stretch

Support

  • Review first: Inherited and environmental characteristics.
  • Use concrete materials: microscope images or slides.
  • Give the first step of each question, or a partly worked example to finish.
  • Pair with a confident partner for the guided practice.

Stretch

  • Move on to: Natural selection and resistance.
  • Explain a common mistake in writing and how to fix it.
  • Write a word problem that uses today's skill, then solve a partner's.

Homework and more practice

Free online practice with hints and printable worksheets for this skill: eurekami.com/science/grade-6.

Free lesson plan from eurekami.com/lesson-plan-builder

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Evolution and fossil evidence

Name

Date

Score/ 6

  1. Question 1

    Who is famous for the theory of evolution by natural selection?

    • A. Isaac Newton
    • B. Charles Darwin
    • C. Albert Einstein
    • D. Marie Curie

  2. Question 2

    Evolution: which statement is NOT true?

    • A. Humans evolved from modern chimpanzees.
    • B. Evolution happens over many generations.
    • C. Fossils are evidence for evolution.
    • D. Birds are descended from dinosaurs.

  3. Question 3

    Evolution: which statement is true?

    • A. Humans evolved from modern chimpanzees.
    • B. Variation between individuals is needed for natural selection.
    • C. Dinosaurs and early humans lived at the same time.
    • D. Individual animals evolve during their own lifetime.

  4. Question 4

    Mary Anning was famous for…

    • A. inventing the telescope
    • B. landing on the Moon
    • C. discovering electricity
    • D. finding important fossils, such as ichthyosaurs

  5. Question 5

    What do fossils tell us about living things?

    • A. Fossils are only made of plastic.
    • B. Living things have changed over very long periods of time.
    • C. Dinosaurs lived at the same time as the first humans.
    • D. Living things have never changed.

  6. Question 6

    Finches on different islands have different beak shapes. The best explanation is…

    • A. Beak shape is random and has no effect.
    • B. Each bird stretched its beak to reach food.
    • C. The birds chose their beak shape.
    • D. Beaks suited to each island's food helped birds survive and breed.

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Answer key: Evolution and fossil evidence

  1. 1. B. Charles Darwin

  2. 2. A. Humans evolved from modern chimpanzees.

  3. 3. B. Variation between individuals is needed for natural selection.

  4. 4. D. finding important fossils, such as ichthyosaurs

  5. 5. B. Living things have changed over very long periods of time.

  6. 6. D. Beaks suited to each island's food helped birds survive and breed.