This week, Year 6 have been learning all about Charles Darwin’s fascinating theory of evolution, focusing on his famous studies of finches from the Galápagos Islands in South America. To build their background knowledge, the children explored how Darwin discovered that the finches’ beaks had adapted over time to help them eat different types of food. They then became scientists themselves, using a range of equipment to mimic different beak shapes and testing how effective they were at picking up various “foods” such as rice, elastic bands, and pasta. By comparing results, the children concluded which “beak” worked best for each food type, just as Darwin had observed. To finish, they sketched drawings of the finches beaks, recording the type of beak and the food each bird ate—bringing Darwin’s discoveries to life in a fun and hands-on way!
