New
New
Year 6

Presenting information about evolution

I can present my ideas orally to a group, giving a clear explanation of evolution by natural selection.

New
New
Year 6

Presenting information about evolution

I can present my ideas orally to a group, giving a clear explanation of evolution by natural selection.

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Presenting our ideas orally is a way of showing our understanding of a subject.
  2. Speaking to a group can be stressful; making notes and rehearsing first makes it easier.
  3. We can use fronted adverbials of cause to show causal relationships between steps in an explanation.
  4. When we present, we use clear diction, appropriate volume, positive body language and eye contact to engage an audience.
  5. Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection can be applied to any animal adaptation.

Common misconception

Pupils may struggle to speak sufficiently loudly or clearly when presenting.

Model the volume, stance and eye contact you expect. You may want to have children present to smaller groups if possible.

Keywords

  • Adaptation - a feature of an animal or plant that allows it to function well in its normal habitat

  • Fronted adverbial of cause - a sentence starter that tells the reader the cause and effect of something

  • Presentation - when we are saying our work out loud to an audience

You may wish to place children in mixed-ability pairs to rehearse their explanations. Give plenty of time for generating ideas of animal adaptations. You may wish to model your own thought process for generating your own animal as well.
Teacher tip

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

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6 Questions

Q1.
Match the cohesive devices to the examples.
Correct Answer:parenthesis,The ship (called HMS Beagle) was away for five years.

The ship (called HMS Beagle) was away for five years.

Correct Answer:compound sentence,His father was a doctor and his mother was from a wealthy family.

His father was a doctor and his mother was from a wealthy family.

Correct Answer:complex sentence,Darwin is remembered today because his theory was ground-breaking.

Darwin is remembered today because his theory was ground-breaking.

Q2.
Which sentence has brackets in the correct position to show parenthesis?
Correct answer: The Galapagos (a small archipelago close to South America) had many new species.
The Galapagos (a small archipelago close) to South America had many new species.
The Galapagos a small (archipelago close to South America) had many new species.
Q3.
Which relative complex sentence is punctuated correctly?
The voyage, which lasted 5 years took the Beagle all around the globe.
Correct answer: The voyage, which lasted 5 years, took the Beagle all around the globe.
The voyage which lasted 5 years took the Beagle all around the globe.
Q4.
Which relative clause could complete this sentence? 'They visited the Galapagos Islands, .'
who are located close to South America
whose located close to South America
Correct answer: which are located close to South America
Q5.
Why do we use subject-specific vocabulary?
to make our writing harder to read
Correct answer: to make ourselves sound authoritative
Correct answer: to show that we know the subject well
to show that we are being imaginative
Q6.
Which sentence has the appropriate formal tone for a biography?
Those clever finches had changed their beaks!
Correct answer: It was clear that the beaks had evolved over thousands of years.
Somehow - miraculously - the beaks had changed!

6 Questions

Q1.
Put the steps of natural selection in order.
1 - Some animals in a species have a helpful variation.
2 - This variation makes those animals more successful.
3 - These successful animals pass on their variation to more offspring.
4 - Over many generations, the variation becomes normal.
Q2.
Variations will become more common if they are to a species in a particular habitat.
unhelpful
normal
Correct answer: helpful
understandable
Q3.
Match each habitat to a helpful adaptation an animal living there might have.
Correct Answer:desert,able to lose heat quickly

able to lose heat quickly

Correct Answer:polar,thick blubber layer

thick blubber layer

Correct Answer:ocean,breathe underwater

breathe underwater

Q4.
Which of the following fronted adverbials are fronted adverbials of cause?
Correct answer: Consequently,
Before long,
Correct answer: As a result of this,
However,
Q5.
Which of the following are useful to do before presenting your work aloud?
Correct answer: orally rehearse what you want to say
Correct answer: make notes to support yourself
say your work to the whole class straight away
Correct answer: think about how you will use language features like fronted adverbials
Q6.
How is Darwin remembered?
Correct answer: the 'father' of the theory of evolution
the creator of animal species
Correct answer: one of Britain's most famous scientists
a great inventor