• 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: natural eye colour? (inherited (from parents) / environmental (from life)) → inherited (from parents)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? (They eat the same food. / All dogs are identical. / They get a mix of characteristics from both parents. / 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? (Children are always exact copies of one parent. / The language you speak is inherited. / Characteristics are passed on in genes. / If a parent loses a finger, its babies are born without that finger.) → Characteristics are passed on in genes.Prompt: Which things can be passed on in genes?

• 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.

• 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.

• Do these together. Students try each step on whiteboards before you reveal it.
• Use the hints as prompts rather than giving the answer.

1. Finches on different islands have different beak shapes. The best explanation is… (Each bird stretched its beak to reach food. / Beaks suited to each island's food helped birds survive and breed. / Beak shape is random and has no effect. / The birds chose their beak shape.) → Beaks suited to each island's food helped birds survive and breed.Prompt: Which birds would have had more chicks?
2. Evolution: which statement is true? (Evolution happens over many generations. / Dinosaurs and early humans lived at the same time. / Humans evolved from modern chimpanzees. / Individual animals evolve during their own lifetime.) → Evolution happens over many generations.Prompt: Evolution is about populations over many generations.

• 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.

• Two questions on their own. Sort answers into got it / nearly / not yet to plan the next lesson.

1. Finches on different islands have different beak shapes. The best explanation is… (The birds chose their beak shape. / Each bird stretched its beak to reach food. / Beak shape is random and has no effect. / Beaks suited to each island's food helped birds survive and breed.) → Beaks suited to each island's food helped birds survive and breed.Prompt: Which birds would have had more chicks?
2. Evolution: which statement is true? (Dinosaurs and early humans lived at the same time. / Humans evolved from modern chimpanzees. / Individual animals evolve during their own lifetime. / Variation between individuals is needed for natural selection.) → Variation between individuals is needed for natural selection.Prompt: Evolution is about populations over many generations.

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