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Evolutionary Biology with Dr Ellen Coombs

What is evolution?

Project page

About Us

Ages

4-5 5-6 6-7 7-8 8-9 9-10 10-11

Topic

Sustainability and our future Wellbeing and resilience

Format

Lesson plan Video

Duration

60 minutes

How have whales, dolphins and porpoises changed and evolved through time? Watch as evolution specialist Dr Ellen Coombs talks about how she spends an average working day at the Natural History Museum in London, then explains some of the basic facts about evolution.

Suitable for pupils aged 4–11, the accompanying one-page lesson plan includes video discussion prompts and group activities: making ‘fossils’ from pasta shapes or play dough, or using Scratch to code a sprite to tell us about how whales have evolved.

Lesson plan

Watch the video

Curriculum links

England:
Science: Working Scientifically, Rocks (Y3), Living Things & Their Habitats (Y4–5)
Key Stages: EYFS, KS1, KS2

Northern Ireland:
The World Around Us: Interdependence, Place
Key Stages: Foundation, KS1, KS2

Scotland:
Sciences: Materials, Planet Earth
Levels: Early Level, First Level, Second Level

Wales:
Science & Technology: Being Curious, The World Around Us, Matter
Progression Steps: PS1, PS2, PS3