KS2 In the footsteps of Darwin
Follow in Darwin’s footsteps to discover how plants are adapted to hostile homes. Available from late spring to early autumn.
Level
Duration
Allocated space
Recommended dates
How can a plant survive the conditions found on a shingle beach - salty winds, a drenching of salty water and the shifting shingle?
Pupils observe and identify plants growing in different habitat beds that represent eight habitats from around the UK. They use their new-found knowledge to decide where the Wakehurst horticulture team should plant a selection of plants, and consider how Charles Darwin used his observations of plant adaptations to develop the theory of evolution.
Learning outcomes
We design our sessions to match the learning outcomes in the national curriculum. All our sessions have a cross-curricular approach and are tailored to suit the educational needs of your group. We aim to give pupils opportunities to work scientifically in areas that are difficult or impossible to create in the school environment.
This session offers pupils the opportunity to:
- Observe a specific range of plants and use plant keys and charts to identify them
- Describe the special conditions of eight different habitats using appropriate vocabulary, and recognise which plants grow in which habitats
- Understand how they are adapted to that habitat
- Realise that adaptation may lead to evolution
Curriculum links
This KS2 visit supports and enhances the Science curriculum offered in schools.
Year 4 - Living things and their habitats
- Explore and use classification keys to help group, identify and name a variety of living things in their local and wider environment
- Recognise that environments can change and that this can sometimes pose dangers to living things
Year 6 - Evolution and inheritance
- Identify how plants are adapted to suit their environment in different ways and that adaptation may lead to evolution
