Survival of the Fittest
Key Stage 2; year 6
Take a journey around Hillier Gardens and discover the wide variety of plants growing here. Be a plant scientist and investigate plants, what they need to grow and how we sort and name them.
- Learning Outcomes
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Pupils will be able to:
- describe how living things are classified into broad groups according to common observable characteristics and based on similarities and differences, including micro-organisms, plants, and animals
- give reasons for classifying plants and animals based on specific characteristics, e.g. invertebrates and vertebrates
- recognise that living things produce offspring of the same kind, but normally offspring vary and are not identical to their parents
- recognise that living things have changed over time
- identify how animals and plants are adapted to suit their environment in different ways and that adaptation may lead to evolution
- Activities
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A day’s programme does not include all the listed activities and can be adapted to suit individual needs and requirements. Normally we fit in four to five activities during your visit.
Activities Description and learning objectives Butterfly Survival Game An interactive game to follow the life cycle of a butterfly and how it starts life as something quite different to its parent. Decay Game Work as a team to play a game and learn about the decomposition of plants and the vital role minibeasts and micro-organisms play in the recycling of nutrients. Frog Survival Game Follow the life cycle of a frog and learn about how the offspring bears little relation to its parent. Minibeast Hunt (under logs) Look under logs to discover and identify a variety of minibeasts and find out how they perfectly adapted to their habitat. The use of classification keys is encouraged. Minibeast Hunt (meadows- seasonal) Use our sweep nets to discover and identify a variety of minibeasts and find out how they perfectly adapted to their habitat. The use of classification keys is encouraged. Plant Fossils Examine a variety of real fossils and learn about how fossils are formed. Plant Hunters Trail To learn more about the plant hunters by playing an interactive game. Plants of the world Take a closer look at some of our plants and their climate zones origins. How have they adapted to environmental challenges? Pond Dipping Take a closer look at our invertebrates and vertebrates and how they have made this freshwater habitat their home. The use of classification keys is encouraged. Survival of the Fittest Decide which animals and plants will fare the best when faced with challenges from both natural and human sources. - Suggested pre-visit activities
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- Find out about how Charles Darwin and Alfred Wallace developed their ideas on evolution
- Find out about the significance of scientists such as Carl Linnaeus and his work on classification
- Suggested post-visit activities
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- Do a field study of your school grounds, garden, local environment and see how many different invertebrates/plants you can see in a quadrat. How could you classify them further?
- Choose a particular world region and research some of the climatic challenges facing the animals and plants living there.
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