Year 6 Science Evolution & Inheritance – Block 6EI – The Game of Survival

Session 6: The Tale of the Giraffe’s Neck
Science curriculum area: Evolution & Inheritance / i. recognise that living things have changed over time and that fossils provide information about living things that inhabited the Earth millions of years ago
ii. recognise that living things produce offspring of the same kind, but normally offspring vary and are not identical to their parents
iii. identify how animals and plants are adapted to suit their environment in different ways and that adaptation may lead to evolution
Working Scientifically (UKS2) / i. reporting and presenting findings from enquiries, including conclusions, causal relationships and explanations of and degree of trust in results, in oral and written forms such as displays and other presentations
ii. identifying scientific evidence that has been used to support or refute ideas or arguments
Teaching Objectives /
  • To research and present evolutionary information on a specific animal

Other Curriculum Areas / English
i. increase familiarity with a wide range of books, including myths, legends and traditional stories, and books from other cultures and traditions
ii. identify the audience for and purpose of the writing, selecting the appropriate form and using other similar writing as models for their own
Teaching Objectives /
  • To write a traditional tale based on the Just So stories format

Key Vocabulary:evolution, suited/suitable, environment, adapted/adaptation, offspring, characteristics, vary/variation, inherit/inheritance, fossils, natural selection
Resources
Why giraffe has a long neck – synopsis. / Weblinks
- Tinga Tinga, tales of Africa - Why giraffe has a long neck? YouTube; - Why giraffes have long necks, BBC; - Just So stories, Gutenberg.
Whole Class:As the class come in have the Tinga Tinga tale on about how giraffe got her long neck (or read the synopsis – see resources). This is a series shown on CBeebies that explores how animals got their features through traditional tales. Once it is over,show chn the BBC clip about how giraffes’ necks evolved and compare the two versions! Explain to chn that a very famous writer (Rudyard Kipling) wrote a series of stories called the Just So stories that tell the tale of how creatures developed certain characteristics, but in the form of traditional tales. Read the chn one of the Just So Stories (see link) and analyse it under the following headings:
  • Setting
  • Use of repetition and alliteration
  • Role of other animals
  • Explanation given for characteristic’s development
Explain that chn are going to create their own tale using a ‘plausible’ but obviously not scientific explanation that they can either make into a ‘published’ book with a ‘the science behind the myth’ page, or make a webpage with a similar scientific section(this scientific aspect can be used as an assessment to reflect on the evolutionary language used and understanding of concepts). Before chn start, brainstorm some possible story ideas together (e.g. tiger - stripes, zebra - stripes, elephant – trunk, crocodile - teeth, duck-billed platypus – beak, mole – front legs, peacock –tail feathers, deer – antlers).
Activities:Support chn as they write their tales – encourage them to plan their story by identifying the animal and characteristic first, then the setting, the role of other animals (conversations that will happen) and how chn will incorporate alliteration (just like Kipling). Encourage chn to write out a detailed description of the setting first (e.g. on the glittering golden sands of the dazzling desert…) and introduce their animal in the form it is in prior to developing or gaining its new characteristic. Get chn to share their drafts with a partner for feedback (encourage chn to feedback on use of repetition and alliteration, originality of the story and the use of their supporting (other animals) cast), so that they can redraft and improve their story. Once the tale is complete chn will need to create their ‘science behind’ section which needs to include scientific language and reference to the kinds of evidence that support the ideas. More able chn might like to include a glossary of terms.
Plenary / Share stories in the form of a story telling workshop and get chn to vote on the top 5 tales – these can be given Game of Survival points to finalise your leader’s board and announce your winner! Ask chn to share what they have learnt that is new over this block and what they have found the most fascinating. Ask chn what they would like to investigate further and set them an open homework entitled ‘evolution’ that they are free to interpret and complete in a way that interests them.
Outcomes / Children will
  • Write a ‘Just So’ story about a living creature and a distinguishing characteristic
  • Explain scientifically how a given creature has evolved in terms of a specific characteristic

© Original resource copyright Hamilton Trust, who give permission for it to be adapted as wished by individual users.

We refer you to our warning, at the foot of the block overview, about links to other websites.