year 6 biography charles darwin

• Español NEW

Charles Darwin facts for kids

Charles Robert Darwin (February 12, 1809 – April 19, 1882) was an English naturalist . He was born in Shrewsbury , Shropshire . He is famous for his work on the theory of evolution .

Darwin's book On the Origin of Species was published in 1859. In it, Darwin suggested evidence that evolution has taken place. He also tried to explain how evolution works. Darwin's evolution theory is called natural selection . On the Origin of Species says that evolution and natural selection are the keys to understanding the diversity of life on Earth .

Early Life and Education

Voyage of the hms beagle, before darwin, death and funeral, commemoration, charles darwin quotes, interesting facts about charles darwin, related pages, images for kids.

Charles Robert Darwin was born in Shrewsbury , Shropshire , on February 12, 1809, at his family's home, The Mount. He was the fifth of six children. His father was Robert Darwin , a wealthy society doctor , and his mother was Susannah Darwin. (Her maiden name was Wedgwood).

Eight-year-old Charles already enjoyed natural history and collecting when he joined the day school run by its preacher in 1817. That July, his mother died. In September 1818, he joined his older brother Erasmus at the nearby Anglican Shrewsbury School as a boarder .

Darwin spent the summer of 1825 as a doctor's apprentice. He helped his father treat the poor of Shropshire, before going to the University of Edinburgh Medical School in October of 1825. Darwin did not enjoy medical school, so he neglected his studies. He learned taxidermy in about 40 daily hour-long sessions from John Edmonstone , a freed black slave who had accompanied Charles Waterton in the South American rainforest .

Darwin's father thought he did not pay enough attention to his medical studies, so he sent Charles to Christ's College, Cambridge . Charles was to study to become an Anglican country parson. Darwin had to stay at Cambridge until June of 1831. He planned to visit Tenerife with some classmates after graduation to study natural history in the tropics . In preparation, he joined Adam Sedgwick 's geology course. On August 4, Darwin traveled with Sedgwick to spend two weeks mapping strata in Wales .

Darwin spent almost five years aboard a Royal Navy exploring ship, the HMS Beagle . The voyage took place from December 1831 to October 1836. At the time, Britain had by far the largest navy in the world and an empire that owned and ruled land all over the world. One of the jobs of the Beagle was to make charts of all the coastal areas. Darwin was responsible for collecting and making notes about the animals, plants, and the geology of the countries they visited.

Darwin collected items everywhere the ship weighed anchor . He found huge fossils of recently extinct mammals . After experiencing an earthquake in Chile , he noticed the land had been raised. He knew of raised beaches elsewhere, high in the Andes , with fossil seashells and trees which had once grown on a sandy beach. He observed the earth was constantly changing, with land rising in some places and sinking in others. He collected birds and insects and sent shipments back to Cambridge for experts to identify.

Darwin was the first dedicated naturalist to visit the Galapagos Islands , off the west coast of Ecuador . He noticed that some of the birds were like mockingbirds on the mainland, but different enough to be placed in separate species . He began to wonder how so many new species (groups of similar plants or animals) came to be on these islands.

When Darwin got back to England, he edited a series of scientific reviews of the voyage and wrote a personal journal which we know as The Voyage of the Beagle . It is a famous natural history travel diary.

Darwin's Theory

Before the nineteenth century, the accepted theory for the extinction of species was called Catastrophism . It stated that species went extinct due to catastrophes. These catastrophes were often followed by the formation of new species ex nihilo (out of nothing). The extinct species could then be found as fossils. The new species were considered unchangeable. This theory partially matched the Flood occurrence in the Bible .

In the early nineteenth century, several new theories started to compete with Catastrophism. One of the most important ones was developed by Jean-Baptiste Lamarck (1744-1829). He observed that every new generation inherits the traits of its ancestors . He suggested that traits or organs become enhanced with repeated use. He also suggested that traits or organs become weakened or even removed altogether when they are not used. Lamarck suggested that parents pass these improvements or losses directly to their offspring.

While he was on H.M.S. Beagle , and later back home in London , Darwin came across the ideas of Rev. T.R. Malthus . Malthus had realized that, although humans were able to double their population every 25 years, it did not happen. He thought the reason was that a struggle for existence (or resources ) caused them not to multiply. If population numbers increased, then famine , wars , and diseases caused more deaths. Darwin, who knew that all living things were able to increase their numbers, began to think about why some survived while others did not. His answer took years to develop.

Although Darwin started thinking about this in 1838, it took a full twenty years before his ideas became public. By 1844, he was able to write a draft of the main ideas in his notebook. Historians think that he did not talk about his theory because he was afraid of public criticism. He knew his theory, which did not discuss religion, challenged the truth of the Book of Genesis . In 1858, he heard that another biologist, Alfred Russel Wallace , had the same ideas about natural selection . Darwin and Wallace's ideas were first published in the Journal of the Linnaean Society in London, in 1858. Then, Darwin published his theory in a book the next year. The name of the book was On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, or the preservation of favored races in the struggle for life . This is usually called The Origin of Species .

The theory of evolution says that all living things on Earth, including plants , animals , and microbes, come from a common ancestor by slowly changing throughout the generations. Darwin suggested that the way living things changed over time is through natural selection . Those who fit best into their environment have the best chance to survive and breed. Fitting into the place where you live is called adapting . Those who are less well-adapted tend not to survive. If they do not survive well enough to raise young, this means they do not pass on their genes . In this way, the species slowly changes. Only the strongest genes get passed along to the next generations. This is sometimes called " survival of the fittest ."

The first chapter of the Origin deals with domesticated animals , such as cattle and dogs. Darwin reminded readers of the huge changes mankind had made in its domestic animals, which were once wild species. The changes were made by selective breeding – choosing animals with desirable characters to breed from. This had been done generation after generation until our modern breeds were made. Darwin suggested that what man had done deliberately might happen in nature over a much longer time. He suggested the same for plants and other animals.

Darwin wrote several other books, most of which are also important.

In 1843 Darwin, who already had two children with his wife Emma, bought Down House in the village of Downe , Kent . The Darwins had ten children: two died in infancy. Charles was a devoted father to his children.

Of his surviving children, George , Francis , and Horace became Fellows of the Royal Society . George was an astronomer , Francis was a botanist , and Horace was a civil engineer . All three were knighted . Another son, Leonard, went on to be a soldier , politician , economist , eugenicist , and mentor of the statistician and evolutionary biologist Ronald Fisher .

In 1882, Darwin was diagnosed with what was called " angina pectoris ," which then meant coronary thrombosis and disease of the heart.

He died at Down House on April 19, 1882. His last words were to his family, telling Emma, "I am not the least afraid of death—Remember what a good wife you have been to me—Tell all my children to remember how good they have been to me." Then while she rested, he repeatedly told his children Henrietta and Francis, "It's almost worthwhile to be sick to be nursed by you."

The funeral was held on Wednesday, April 26, and was attended by thousands of people, including family, friends, scientists, philosophers, and dignitaries.

By the time of his death, Darwin and his colleagues had convinced most scientists that his theory of evolution was correct. He was regarded as a great scientist had revolutionized scientific ideas.

During Darwin's lifetime, many geographical features were given his name. An expanse of water adjoining the Beagle Channel was named Darwin Sound by Robert FitzRoy after Darwin and two or three other men saved their boats when from being swept out to sea by a collapsing glacier that created a large wave. The nearby Mount Darwin in the Andes was named in celebration of Darwin's 25th birthday. When the Beagle was surveying Australia in 1839, Darwin's friend John Lort Stokes sighted a natural harbor which the ship's captain Wickham named Port Darwin . A nearby settlement was renamed Darwin in 1911, and it became the capital city of Australia's Northern Territory .

Stephen Heard identified 389 species that have been named after Darwin. In one example, the group of tanagers (birds) similar to those Darwin found in the Galápagos Islands became commonly known as " Darwin's finches " in 1947. This started the legends about their importance to his work.

Darwin's work has continued to be celebrated by many publications and events. The Linnean Society of London has remembered Darwin's achievements by the award of the Darwin–Wallace Medal since 1908. Darwin Day is celebrated every year, and in 2009, worldwide events were prepared for the bicentenary (200th anniversary) of Darwin's birth and the 150th anniversary of the publication of On the Origin of Species .

Darwin has been commemorated in the U.K. by the Bank of England . His portrait, along with a hummingbird and HMS Beagle , is printed on the reverse side of £10 banknotes.

A life-size seated statue of Darwin can be seen in the main hall of the Natural History Museum in London.

A statue of Darwin is in front of Shrewsbury Library, the building that used to house Shrewsbury School, which Darwin attended as a boy. It was put there in 1897. Another statue of Darwin as a young man is located on the grounds of Christ's College, Cambridge .

Darwin College , a postgraduate college at Cambridge University , is named after the Darwin family.

Darwin's Down House and its contents are now open to the public.

• “A scientific man ought to have no wishes, no affections, – a mere heart of stone.”
• “The mystery of the beginning of all things is insoluble by us; and I for one must be content to remain an agnostic.”
• "One general law, leading to the advancement of all organic beings namely, multiply, vary, let the strongest live and weakest die."
• "I am turned into a sort of machine for observing facts and grinding out conclusions."
• Charles Darwin was born in England on the same day that Abraham Lincoln was born in Kentucky .
• He studied and ate exotic (rare or unusual) animals both at school and in his travels.
• Charles dropped out of medical school.
• Charles married his first cousin, Emma.
• He wrote a pro/con list on the subject of marriage.
• Darwin played backgammon with his wife every evening between 8 and 8:30 PM.
• The highest peak of Tierra del Fuego is named after him.
• His work On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection was published twenty years after his travels.
• Herbert Spencer is the philosopher who coined the term "Survival of the Fittest," even though we think of Darwin when we hear that phrase.
• Erasmus Darwin
• Alfred Russel Wallace
• Charles Lyell
• Charles Darwin's books

Bicentennial portrait by Anthony Smith of Darwin as a student, in the courtyard at Christ's College, Cambridge where he had rooms

Darwin (right) on the Beagle' s deck at Bahía Blanca in Argentina , with fossils; caricature by Augustus Earle, the initial ship's artist.

While still a young man, Darwin joined the scientific elite. Portrait by George Richmond.

In mid-July 1837 Darwin started his "B" notebook on Transmutation of Species , and on page 36 wrote "I think" above his first evolutionary tree .

Darwin chose to marry his cousin, Emma Wedgwood .

Darwin's "sandwalk" at Down House was his usual "Thinking Path."

Darwin aged 46 in 1855, by then working toward publication of his theory of natural selection . He wrote to Joseph Hooker about this portrait, "if I really have as bad an expression, as my photograph gives me, how I can have one single friend is surprising."

During the Darwin family's 1868 holiday in her Isle of Wight cottage, Julia Margaret Cameron took portraits showing the bushy beard Darwin grew between 1862 and 1866.

An 1871 caricature following the publication of The Descent of Man was typical of many showing Darwin with an ape body, identifying him in popular culture as the leading author of evolutionary theory.

Statue of Darwin in the Natural History Museum , London

In 1851, Darwin was devastated when his daughter Annie died. By then his faith in Christianity had dwindled, and he had stopped going to church.

A caricature of Darwin from an 1871 Vanity Fair

• This page was last modified on 26 January 2024, at 17:06. Suggest an edit .

Charles Darwin

(1809-1882)

Who Was Charles Darwin?

Charles Robert Darwin was a British naturalist and biologist known for his theory of evolution and his understanding of the process of natural selection. In 1831, he embarked on a five-year voyage around the world on the HMS Beagle , during which time his studies of various plants and an led him to formulate his theories. In 1859, he published his landmark book, On the Origin of Species .

Darwin was born on February 12, 1809, in the tiny merchant town of Shrewsbury, England. A child of wealth and privilege who loved to explore nature, Darwin was the second youngest of six kids.

Darwin came from a long line of scientists: His father, Dr. R.W. Darwin, was a medical doctor, and his grandfather, Dr. Erasmus Darwin, was a renowned botanist. Darwin’s mother, Susanna, died when he was only eight years old.

His father hoped he would follow in his footsteps and become a medical doctor, but the sight of blood made Darwin queasy. His father suggested he study to become a parson instead, but Darwin was far more inclined to study natural history.

While Darwin was at Christ's College, botany professor John Stevens Henslow became his mentor. After Darwin graduated Christ's College with a bachelor of arts degree in 1831, Henslow recommended him for a naturalist’s position aboard the HMS Beagle .

The ship, commanded by Captain Robert FitzRoy, was to take a five-year survey trip around the world. The voyage would prove the opportunity of a lifetime for the budding young naturalist.

On December 27, 1831, the HMS Beagle launched its voyage around the world with Darwin aboard. Over the course of the trip, Darwin collected a variety of natural specimens, including birds, plants and fossils.

DOWNLOAD BIOGRAPHY'S CHARLES DARWIN FACT CARD

Darwin in the Galapagos

Through hands-on research and experimentation, he had the unique opportunity to closely observe principles of botany, geology and zoology. The Pacific Islands and Galapagos Archipelago were of particular interest to Darwin, as was South America.

Upon his return to England in 1836, Darwin began to write up his findings in the Journal of Researches , published as part of Captain FitzRoy's larger narrative and later edited into the Zoology of the Voyage of the Beagle .

The trip had a monumental effect on Darwin’s view of natural history. He began to develop a revolutionary theory about the origin of living beings that ran contrary to the popular view of other naturalists at the time.

Theory of Evolution

Darwin’s theory of evolution declared that species survived through a process called "natural selection," where those that successfully adapted or evolved to meet the changing requirements of their natural habitat thrived and reproduced, while those species that failed to evolve and reproduce died off.

Through his observations and studies of birds, plants and fossils, Darwin noticed similarities among species all over the globe, along with variations based on specific locations, leading him to believe that the species we know today had gradually evolved from common ancestors.

Darwin’s theory of evolution and the process of natural selection later became known simply as “Darwinism.”

At the time, other naturalists believed that all species either came into being at the start of the world or were created over the course of natural history. In either case, they believed species remained much the same throughout time.

'Origin of Species'

In 1858, after years of scientific investigation, Darwin publicly introduced his revolutionary theory of evolution in a letter read at a meeting of the Linnean Society . On November 24, 1859, he published a detailed explanation of his theory in his best-known work, On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection.

In the next century, DNA studies provided scientific evidence for Darwin’s theory of evolution. However, controversy surrounding its conflict with Creationism — the religious view that all of nature was born of God — is still found among some people today.

Social Darwinism

Social Darwinism is a collection of ideas that emerged in the late 1800s that adopted Darwin’s theory of evolution to explain social and economic issues.

Darwin himself rarely commented on any connections between his theories and human society. But while attempting to explain his ideas to the public, Darwin borrowed widely understood concepts, such as “survival of the fittest” from sociologist Herbert Spencer.

Over time, as the Industrial Revolution and laissez faire capitalism swept across the world, social Darwinism has been used as a justification for imperialism, labor abuses, poverty, racism, eugenics and social inequality.

Following a lifetime of devout research, Charles Darwin died at his family home, Down House, in London, on April 19, 1882. He was buried at Westminster Abbey .

More than a century later, Yale ornithologist Richard Brum sought to revive Darwin's lesser-known theory on sexual selection in The Evolution of Beauty .

While Darwin's original attempts to cite female aesthetic mating choices as a driving force of evolution was criticized, Brum delivered an effective argument via his expertise in birds, earning selection to The New York Times ' list of 10 best books of 2017.

QUICK FACTS

• Name: Charles Darwin
• Birth Year: 1809
• Birth date: February 12, 1809
• Birth City: Shrewsbury
• Birth Country: England
• Gender: Male
• Best Known For: Charles Darwin was a British naturalist who developed a theory of evolution based on natural selection. His views and “social Darwinism” remain controversial.
• Science and Medicine
• Astrological Sign: Aquarius
• University of Edinburgh
• Interesting Facts
• Although Charles Darwin originally went to college to be a physician, he changed career paths when he realized that he couldn't stomach the sight of blood.
• Charles Darwin had a mountain named after him, Mount Darwin, in Tierra del Fuego for his 25th birthday. The monumental gift was given by Captain FitzRoy.
• Death Year: 1882
• Death date: April 19, 1882
• Death City: Downe
• Death Country: England

We strive for accuracy and fairness.If you see something that doesn't look right, contact us !

CITATION INFORMATION

• Article Title: Charles Darwin Biography
• Author: Biography.com Editors
• Website Name: The Biography.com website
• Url: https://www.biography.com/scientists/charles-darwin
• Access Date:
• Publisher: A&E; Television Networks
• Last Updated: March 29, 2021
• Original Published Date: April 3, 2014
• A man who dares to waste one hour of time has not discovered the value of life.
• [How great the] difference between savage and civilized man is—it is greater than between a wild and [a] domesticated animal.
• If all men were dead, then monkeys make men. Men make angels.
• I am a complete millionaire in odd and curious little facts.
• Multiply, vary, let the strongest live and the weakest die.
• For the shield may be as important for victory, as the sword or spear.
• I see no good reason why the views given in this volume should shock the religious feelings of anyone."[In 'Origin of the Species']
• A grain in the balance may determine which individuals shall live and which shall die—which variety or species shall increase in number, and which shall decrease, or finally become extinct.
• If it could be demonstrated that any complex organ existed, which could not possibly have been formed by numerous, successive, slight modifications, my theory would absolutely break down. But I can find out no such case.
• The extinction of species and of whole groups of species, which has played so conspicuous a part in the history of the organic world, almost inevitably follows from the principle of natural selection.
• There is grandeur in this view of life...from so simple a beginning endless forms most beautiful and most wonderful have been, and are being, evolved.

Famous British People

Mick Jagger

Agatha Christie

Alexander McQueen

The Real Royal Scheme Depicted in ‘Mary & George’

William Shakespeare

Anya Taylor-Joy

Kate Middleton, Princess of Wales

Kensington Palace Shares an Update on Kate

Amy Winehouse

Prince William

Where in the World Is Kate Middleton?

ENCYCLOPEDIC ENTRY

Charles darwin.

Charles Darwin and his observations while aboard the HMS Beagle , changed the understanding of evolution on Earth.

Biology, Earth Science, Geography, Physical Geography

Historic photograph of Charles Darwin in profile.

Photograph by Chronical/Alamy Stock Photo

Charles Darwin was born in 1809 in Shrewsbury, England. His father, a doctor, had high hopes that his son would earn a medical degree at Edinburgh University in Scotland, where he enrolled at the age of sixteen. It turned out that Darwin was more interested in natural history than medicine—it was said that the sight of blood made him sick to his stomach. While he continued his studies in theology at Cambridge, it was his focus on natural history that became his passion.

In 1831, Darwin embarked on a voyage aboard a ship of the British Royal Navy, the HMS Beagle, employed as a naturalist . The main purpose of the trip was to survey the coastline of South America and chart its harbors to make better maps of the region. The work that Darwin did was just an added bonus.

Darwin spent much of the trip on land collecting samples of plants, animals, rocks, and fossils . He explored regions in Brazil, Argentina, Chile, and remote islands such as the Galápagos. He packed all of his specimens into crates and sent them back to England aboard other vessels.

Upon his return to England in 1836, Darwin’s work continued. Studies of his samples and notes from the trip led to groundbreaking scientific discoveries. Fossils he collected were shared with paleontologists and geologists, leading to advances in the understanding of the processes that shape the Earth’s surface. Darwin’s analysis of the plants and animals he gathered led him to question how species form and change over time. This work convinced him of the insight that he is most famous for— natural selection . The theory of natural selection says that individuals of a species are more likely to survive in their environment and pass on their genes to the next generation when they inherit traits from their parents that are best suited for that specific environment. In this way, such traits become more widespread in the species and can lead eventually to the development of a new species .

In 1859, Darwin published his thoughts about evolution and natural selection in On the Origin of Species . It was as popular as it was controversial. The book convinced many people that species change over time—a lot of time—suggesting that the planet was much older than what was commonly believed at the time: six thousand years.

Charles Darwin died in 1882 at the age of seventy-three. He is buried in Westminster Abbey in London, England.

Media Credits

The audio, illustrations, photos, and videos are credited beneath the media asset, except for promotional images, which generally link to another page that contains the media credit. The Rights Holder for media is the person or group credited.

Production Managers

Program specialists, last updated.

October 19, 2023

User Permissions

For information on user permissions, please read our Terms of Service. If you have questions about how to cite anything on our website in your project or classroom presentation, please contact your teacher. They will best know the preferred format. When you reach out to them, you will need the page title, URL, and the date you accessed the resource.

If a media asset is downloadable, a download button appears in the corner of the media viewer. If no button appears, you cannot download or save the media.

Text on this page is printable and can be used according to our Terms of Service .

Interactives

Any interactives on this page can only be played while you are visiting our website. You cannot download interactives.

Related Resources

Popular searches in the last week:

• Dinosaurs and Fossils - NEW LOOK
• Fossils and Rocks - NEW LOOK
• Mary Anning
• Fossil Footprints
• Fossil Humans
• Ice Age Fossils
• Dinosaur Species
• Dinosaur Extinction
• Charles Darwin and evolution

Upper Key Stage 2 Dinosaurs and Fossils - NEW LOOK Charles Darwin and evolution

Become an expert on Charles Darwin and his theory of evolution. Learn about his life, his research, the fossils he collected, his theories about geology, his beliefs about extinction and how he wrote his theory of evolution. Select the songs and poems which best show what you have learned about Darwin and perform them for the rest of the school.

Session 1 Darwin's life and work

• Find out about the work of Charles Darwin.
• Read and discuss an increasingly wide range of poetry, non-fiction.

Lesson Planning

Explore the life and research of Charles Darwin. Use poetry to capture what you have learned.

Teaching Outcomes:

• To address research questions about Charles Darwin.
• To read poetry and poetic non-fiction and discuss the role of poetry in communication.

Children will:

• Generate research questions.
• Address research questions.
• Decode and discuss poetry.

Provided Resources

• Background on Darwin
• Poems and poetic language by Darwin and his relatives
• Unit Resources
• Teaching Resources 2

You Will Need

• Non-fiction books for research and internet access

Radio podcast about Darwin's life from the makedscientists.com Timeline of Darwin's life from darwin-online.org.uk Lots of information about Darwin's life from bbc.com Podcast about Darwin and poetry from darwinproject.ac.uk

Session 2 Darwin the fossil hunter

• Write for a particular purpose.

Learn about Darwin’s fossils and write a silly poem to remember which ones he found and what he thought about them.

• To find out about the fossils that Darwin found.
• To write a humorous rhyme about Darwin's fossils.
• Generate and address research questions.
• Understand why some animals become large and why they could go extinct.
• Apply some of the research they have done in a creative writing format.
• Background on Darwin and fossils
• Darwin's fossils
• Giant animals happy families
• Non-Fiction books for research and internet access

Darwin, rocks, geology. palaeontology and fossils from darwin200.christs.cam.ac.uk Darwin's principles based on looking at fossils from nyu.edu Darwin's first clues from ngm.nationalgeographic.com Article about why some animals become big from slate.com Article about Darwin's giant sloth from beagleproject.wordpress.com Page of silly rhymes from activityvillage.co.uk Limericks from brownielocks.com Limericks about fossils from the fossilforum.com Pobble An on-line writing website which showcases over 100,000 pieces of writing, including examples based on Hamilton plans

Session 3 Darwin the geologist

Explore Darwin’s theories about geology and write a haiku.

• To find out about Darwin's work on geology and the age of the earth.
• To write a haiku about the age of the earth.
• Conduct demonstrations to illustrate geological processes
• Understand that slow and gradual processes can lead to large effects.
• Darwin on geology presentation
• Practical experiments to demonstrate geological phenomenon
• Haiku support
• Milky Way bars for experiment

Haikus about Darwin from thehaikudiaries.wordpress.com Haikus about geology from people.hws.edu Article about Darwin the geologist from blogs.scientificamerican.com Article about Darwin and geology from darwin200.christs.cam.ac.uk Podcast about Darwin and geology from sms.cam.ac.uk Making a model river valley from sciencebuddies.org. The effects of freezing water on rocks from education.com Pobble An on-line writing website which showcases over 100,000 pieces of writing, including examples based on Hamilton plans

Session 4 Darwin on extinction

• Read and discuss an increasingly wide range of poetry.

Learn about Darwin’s beliefs about extinction and evolution. Show what you understand by writing a Fibonacci poem.

• To find out about what Darwin thought about extinction.
• To write a Fibonacci poem about extinction.
• Explain what Darwin thought about extinction.
• Predict the discovery of some 'missing links'.
• Darwin on extinction presentation
• Missing link predictor game
• Missing link presentation
• Fibonacci poem support
• PowerPoint 2

You do not need any particular resources for this session.

Information from the Natural History Museum about Archaeopteryx from nhm.ac.uk The evolution of birds from berkeley.edu Information on Darwin and human evolution from darwin200.christs.cam.ac.uk Information about the walking whale Ambulocetus from the American Museum of Natural History from amnh.org Information about the evolution of whales from talkorigins.org Information about the walking fist Tiktaalik from tiktaalik.uchicago.edu Example of Fibonacci poems from poetryfoundation.org Plant extinction game from charlesdarwintrust.org (please enable Flash in your browser) Pobble An on-line writing website which showcases over 100,000 pieces of writing, including examples based on Hamilton plans

Session 5 Darwin and evolution

• Prepare poems and plays to read aloud and to perform.

Explore how Darwin came up with his theory of evolution by natural selection and write a Horrible Histories style song.

• To find out about Darwin theory of evolution.
• To write a Horrible Histories style song about evolution.
• Explain what Darwin thought about evolution.
• Explain natural selection based on the evolution games.
• Darwin’s theory of Evolution presentation
• Evolution game checklist
• Writing an evolution song support

Horrible Histories song about Darwin and natural selection from bbc.co.uk Extinction game - try to survive one million years from coolsciencelab.com (Please enable Flash in your browser) Bug breeding game from funny-games.biz Natural selection game from web.archive.org Pobble An on-line writing website which showcases over 100,000 pieces of writing, including examples based on Hamilton plans

Session 6 Evolution performance

• Perform in public, read aloud their own writing to a group or the whole class, using appropriate intonation and controlling the tone and volume so that the meaning is clear.

Select the songs and poems that best show what you have learned about Darwin. Practise and then perform them for the rest of the school.

• To perform a piece of poetry or a song for the school using the right intonation, tone and volume of voice.
• Explain Darwin's theory on fossils, geology, extinction and evolution by natural selection.
• Perform some of their own work in public.

This session does not need any provided resources.

• Video camera or other recording device

Video of an evolution rap - YouTube clip

This site uses cookies to give you the most relevant information. Learn more

Log in or sign up to get access to this resource

School subscription, reduce teacher workload.

From £155 (+ VAT) per year. Access to all key stages for multiple users.

Individual Subscription

For inspirational teaching.

Just £45 (£37.50 + VAT) per year to get access to all resources.

Early Career Teacher

Develop your teaching.

Just £33 (£27.50 + VAT) to get access to all resources for 2 years.

Taster Account

100s of resources.

Register to access all free resources.

Already subscribed?

Log in to get access.

Accept cookies?

We use cook ies  to give you the best online experience and to show personalised content and marketing. We use them to improve our website and content as well as to tailor our digital advertising on third-party platforms. You can change your preferences at any time.  

Popular search terms:

• British wildlife
• Wildlife Photographer of the Year
• Explore the Museum

Anthropocene

British Wildlife

• Collections

Human evolution

What on Earth?

Unveiling a statue of Charles Darwin at the Museum, 1885.

During Beta testing articles may only be saved for seven days.

Create a list of articles to read later. You will be able to access your list from any article in Discover.

You don't have any saved articles.

Charles Darwin: History’s most famous biologist

Charles Robert Darwin (1809-1882) transformed the way we understand the natural world with ideas that, in his day, were nothing short of revolutionary.

He and his fellow pioneers in the field of biology gave us insight into the fantastic diversity of life on Earth and its origins, including our own as a species.

Photograph of Charles Robert Darwin taken at his home, Down House, in 1881.

Charles Darwin is celebrated as one of the greatest British scientists who ever lived, but in his time his radical theories brought him into conflict with members of the Church of England.

Young Charles Darwin

Born in 1809 in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, Darwin was fascinated by the natural world from a young age. Growing up he was an avid reader of nature books and devoted his spare time to exploring the fields and woodlands around his home, collecting plants and insects.

In 1825 Darwin enrolled in medical school at the University of Edinburgh, where he witnessed surgery on a child. Surgeries at the time would have been carried out without the use of anaesthetic or antiseptics, and fatalities were common.

Watching this procedure left Darwin so traumatised that he gave up his studies without completing the course.

During his time in Edinburgh, Darwin also paid for lessons in taxidermy from John Edmonstone , a former enslaved man from Guyana. The skills Edmonstone taught Darwin became crucial just a few years further into his career.

After his time in Scotland, Darwin went to Cambridge University to study theology.

The voyage of HMS Beagle

In no rush to take holy orders, in 1831 Darwin accepted an offer to embark on a five-year voyage aboard HMS Beagle. 

Drawing of H.M.S. Beagle from A Naturalist’s Voyage Round the World by Charles Darwin.

He was recommended by one of his Cambridge professors for the role as naturalist and companion to the ship’s captain, Robert FitzRoy.

The journey would change both his life and the trajectory of Western scientific thinking.

Darwin explored remote regions and marvelled at a world so different from the one he knew. He encountered birds with bright blue feet, sharks with T-shaped heads and giant tortoises.

On his travels Darwin collected plants, animals and fossils, and took copious field notes. These collections and records provided the evidence he needed to develop his remarkable theory.

The shells in this specimen drawer were collected by Charles Darwin during the voyage of the HMS Beagle.

Darwin returned to England in 1836. A highly methodical scholar, constantly collecting and observing, he spent many years comparing and analysing specimens before finally declaring that evolution occurs by a process of natural selection.

What is the theory of natural selection?

To this day the theory of evolution by natural selection is accepted by the scientific community as the best evidence-based explanation for the diversity and complexity of life on Earth.

The theory proposes that the ‘fittest’ individual organisms - those with the characteristics best suited to their environment - are more likely to survive and reproduce. They pass on these desirable characteristics to their offspring.

Gradually these features may become more common in a population, so species change over time. If the changes are great enough, they could produce a new species altogether.

On his travels Darwin had collected finches from many of the Galápagos Islands - off the coast of Ecuador - which helped him to formulate his idea.

Cactus finch Geospiza scandens from Charles Darwin’s Zoology of the Voyage of the H.M.S. Beagle.

Some of these finches had stout beaks for eating seeds, others were insect specialists. But Darwin realised that they were all descendants of a single ancestor. As they dispersed to different islands, the birds had adapted to eat the various foods available. Natural selection had produced 13 different species of finch.

Darwin’s pigeons

From his travels on HMS Beagle, Darwin suspected that the environment might naturally manipulate species, causing them to change over time - but he couldn’t find a means to explore this effectively in the wild. 

Experimenting with artificial selection in pigeons gave him a way to study how far a species could change.

By artificially selecting features - crossing birds with particular characteristics to generate different offspring - he gathered valuable evidence for evolution by natural selection.

To illustrate his theory, Darwin bred the birds to have exaggerated features.

Original line drawing of an English Pouter pigeon from the book Variation in Animals and Plants under Domestication by Charles Darwin.

The similarity between artificial selection and natural selection is at the heart of his explanation of evolution in his revolutionary book On the Origin of Species. 

After completing his experiments, he gave all 120 of his pigeon specimens to the Museum. They are currently part of our bird collections  kept at Tring , Hertfordshire. 

Fancy breeds of rock dove  Columbia livia  donated to our collections by Charles Darwin in 1867.

A shared discovery

Darwin knew his radical ideas would be met with stiff opposition. Even after 20 years of research, he worried about how his theory of evolution would be received as it challenged widely held religious beliefs of the time. 

He delayed publishing on the topic for a great number of years while he assembled a mountain of evidence. When he learned that the young naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace had developed similar ideas, Darwin volunteered to send Wallace's ideas to a journal for immediate publication.

Letter sent to Charles Darwin by Alfred Russel Wallace.

On advice from friends, the two scientists organised a joint announcement. Their theory of evolution by natural selection was presented at the Linnean Society in London.

Both had studied the natural world extensively and made a number of observations that were critical to the development of the theory.

The following year, Darwin published the contentious but now-celebrated book, ‘On the Origin of Species’.

On the Origin of Species

Published in 1859, On the Origin of Species provoked outrage from some members of the Church of England as it implicitly contradicted the belief in divine creation.

Despite accusations of blasphemy, the book quickly became a bestseller.

Foreign language first editions of some works by Charles Darwin.

The Descent of Man, and Selection in Relation to Sex - which Darwin published in 1871 - fuelled even greater debate as it suggested that humans descended from apes.

The Bishop of Oxford famously asked Thomas Huxley, one of Darwin’s most enthusiastic supporters, whether it was through his grandfather or grandmother that he claimed descent from a monkey.

Despite the attacks, Darwin’s conviction in the scientific explanation that best fit the available evidence remained unshaken.

He was keen for his ideas to reach as many people as possible and for his books to be read in many different languages. Part of his success has been attributed to his conversational and approachable writing style.

On the Origin of Species was so influential that within a year it had been published in German. In Darwin's lifetime, his book was translated into German, Danish, Dutch, French, Hungarian, Italian, Polish, Russian, Serbian, Spanish and Swedish. 

Our Library has 478 editions of On the Origin of Species in 38 languages and in Braille.

Japanese translation of On the Origin of Species, Shu No Kigen, published in 1914 as a five-volume, pocket-sized edition.

Darwin and the tree of life

Charles Darwin used the concept of a tree of life in the context of the theory of evolution to illustrate that all species on Earth are related and evolved from a common ancestor.

Darwin’s first sketch of the tree of life, found in one of his notebooks from 1837. Image reproduced with kind permission of the Syndics of Cambridge University Library . 

The tips of the branches show the species that are still alive today. The tree also shows those that are now extinct. Darwin explained:

‘From the first growth of the tree, many a limb and branch has decayed and dropped off; and these fallen branches of various sizes may represent those whole orders, families, and genera which have now no living representatives, and which are known to us only in a fossil state.’

Orders, families and genera are all groups that can be used to classify organisms.

The lines on the tree show evolutionary relationships between species. For example, a recent version of the tree of life would show a line between some types of dinosaurs and the earliest birds, as scientists reason that birds evolved from a particular lineage of dinosaurs.

This means that species that are closely related are found close together stemming from the same branch.

For example, humans, chimpanzees, gorillas and orangutans are all great apes, so they all belong to the same branch of the tree of life.

Darwin’s legacy

Although Darwin’s theory of evolution has been modified over time, it remains fundamental to the study of the natural world. Darwin changed not only the way we see all organisms, but also the way we see ourselves.

• Museum history
• Charles Darwin

Explore the Darwin collection

The Museum Library contains the worlds largest collection of works by and about Charles Darwin. 

Explore the collections

From giant fossil mammals to mysterious moths, uncover the colourful stories behind some of our most fascinating specimens.

Related posts

In high spirits: meet Charles Darwin's octopus

Brimming with enthusiasm for the natural world, even Charles Darwin didn't always get it right.

John Edmonstone: the man who taught Darwin taxidermy

John Edmonstone was a former enslaved man who taught the young Charles Darwin the skill of taxidermy.

What is natural selection?

Natural selection is one of the core processes of evolution - but how does it work and will it ever end? 

Who was Alfred Russel Wallace?

An intrepid explorer and brilliant naturalist, Alfred Russel Wallace co-published the theory of evolution by natural selection with Charles Darwin.

Don't miss a thing

Receive email updates about our news, science, exhibitions, events, products, services and fundraising activities. We may occasionally include third-party content from our corporate partners and other museums. We will not share your personal details with these third parties. You must be over the age of 13. Privacy notice .

Follow us on social media

• DIGITAL MAGAZINE

MOST POPULAR

Charles Darwin Primary Resource

Discover the events that led to darwin’s theory of evolution.

This Science primary resource introduces children to the life of Charles Darwin in this easy-to-read comic. Discover the events that led to his theory of evolution. What was Darwin’s favourite hobby? Where did he first encounter a rainforest? How many years did he spend writing about barnacles?

Pupils will learn about the different ways that Charles Darwin studied animals in our National Geographic Kids’ Science primary resource sheet.

The teaching resource can be used in study group tasks for a simple explanation of Darwin’s life and work. It could be used as a printed handout for each pupil to read themselves, or for display on the interactive whiteboard, as part of a whole class reading exercise.

Activity: Ask children to imagine they are Charles Darwin making notes on his discoveries in South America, and write a diary entry of what he may have seen or studied. They could include illustrations of different species. Pupils could research the meaning of ‘natural selection’ and write down their findings. Our Charles Darwin: Theory of Evolution resource could be used to help them.

N.B.  The following information for mapping the resource documents to the school curriculum is specifically tailored to the  English National Curriculum  and  Scottish Curriculum for Excellence . We are currently working to bring specifically tailored curriculum resource links for our other territories; including  South Africa ,  Australia  and  New Zealand . If you have any queries about our upcoming curriculum resource links, please email:  [email protected]

This Science primary resource assists with teaching the following Key Stage 2 Science (Year 6) objectives from the National Curriculum :

Pupils should be taught to:  

• recognise that living things have changed over time and that fossils provide information about living things that inhabited the Earth millions of years ago  
• recognise that living things produce offspring of the same kind, but normally offspring vary and are not identical to their parents  
• identify how animals and plants are adapted to suit their environment in different ways and that adaptation may lead to evolution

Pupils might find out about the work of palaeontologists such as Mary Anning and about how Charles Darwin and Alfred Wallace developed their ideas on evolution.

This Science primary resource assists with teaching the following Sciences First level objectives from the Scottish Curriculum for Excellence :

• By comparing generations of families of humans, plants and animals, I can begin to understand how characteristics are inherited

Scottish Curriculum for Excellence Sciences Second level objectives :

• By exploring the characteristics offspring inherit when living things reproduce, I can distinguish between inherited and non- inherited characteristics.

Download primary resource

Leave a comment.

Your comment will be checked and approved shortly.

WELL DONE, YOUR COMMENT HAS BEEN ADDED!

Customize your avatar.

3 super science experiments to try at home!

#MerryKidsmas Ts & Cs (UK and Ireland)

Discover family fun with Surrey County Cricket Club!

Are you an eager explorer?

Sign up to our newsletter

Get uplifting news, exclusive offers, inspiring stories and activities to help you and your family explore and learn delivered straight to your inbox.

You will receive our UK newsletter. Change region

WHERE DO YOU LIVE?

COUNTRY * Australia Ireland New Zealand United Kingdom Other

By entering your email address you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and will receive emails from us about news, offers, activities and partner offers.

You're all signed up! Back to subscription site

Type whatever you want to search

More Results

You’re leaving natgeokids.com to visit another website!

Ask a parent or guardian to check it out first and remember to stay safe online.

You're leaving our kids' pages to visit a page for grown-ups!

Be sure to check if your parent or guardian is okay with this first.

• Member Login
• How It Works
• FAQ’s & Help

Y6 A Biography of Charles Darwin

Pupils read about the life and scientific achievements of the scientist Charles Darwin, renowned for the publication of his book ‘On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection’ in which he described his evidence for evolution.

Learning Objectives:

• NaG - pupils might find out about the work of palaeontologists such as Mary Anning and about how Charles Darwin and Alfred Wallace developed their ideas on evolution.

This resource is available in the below packages.

Sigma Science – Year 6

• Animals including Humans (20)
• Electricity (13)
• Evolution and Inheritance (23)
• Living Things and their Habitats (13)
• Planting Bulbs (7)
• Y6 Scheme of Work (1)

Sigma Science KS2

• Animals including Humans (30)
• Forces and Magnets (15)
• Plants (19)
• Y3 Scheme of Work (1)
• Animals including Humans (21)
• Electricity (16)
• Living Things and their Habitats (11)
• States of Matter (17)
• Y4 Scheme of Work (1)
• Animals including Humans (8)
• Earth and Space (19)
• Forces (24)
• Living Things and their Habitats (19)
• Properties and Changes of Materials (22)
• Y5 Scheme of Work (1)

Sigma Science KS2 Complete

• Assessment KS2 (32)
• Assessment KS2 Answer Keys (20)
• Y6 Sample Tests and Answer Keys (6)

Sigma Science KS1 & KS2 Complete

• Animals including Humans (14)
• Everyday Materials (10)
• Seasonal Changes (7)
• Y1 Scheme of Work (1)
• Animals including Humans (16)
• Living Things and their Habitats (12)
• Uses of Everyday Materials (12)
• Y2 Scheme of Work (1)
• Assessment KS1 (23)
• Assessment KS1 Answer Keys (8)

Social Bookmarks

Sigma science, sigma science & assessment.

• Assessments

Our Partners

• Nurturing Nature Ltd.
• Grow Your Own Potatoes - British Potato Council
• The National STEM Centre

© Copyright 2024 Sigma Science Primary | All rights reserved | Resources are property of Sigma Science Primary.

Terms & Conditions | Privacy Policy | Website design by IGOO

Hi! Sign in or Register

Help & Contact

• Grammarsaurus Font
• Careers Page

Year 6 Greater Depth Model Text – Biography – Charles Darwin (🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 P6 , 🇦🇺🇺🇸Grade 5 & 🇮🇪 5th Class)

Downloads are for members of Grammarsaurus only.

Grammarsaurus Gold Subscription - £49.99/year INC VAT

Description

This model text is a biography written about Charles Darwin.  It has been written to meet the Year 6 expected standard and comes with a handy annotated version detailing the text-type specific features (red), grammar (green), punctuation (purple) and spelling (blue) teaching opportunities should you wish to use this text with your learners.

This resource also comes with a ‘model text comprehension pack’ focusing on content domains 2a, 2b and 2d.

National Curriculum Objectives Writing: English Y5/6: Pupils should be taught to use further organisational and presentational devices to structure text and to guide the reader.

Level of this Pack: Age: 10-11  England & Wales: Year 6  Scotland: Primary 6  Rep. Ireland: Fifth Class  Australia: Grade 5  USA: Grade 5

#Year 6 WAGOLL #Primary 6 WAGOLL #Grade 5 WAGOLL #Fifth Class WAGOLL...

Hello, Downloads are for members of Grammarsaurus  only.

Please sign up below or login if you are already a member.

Javascript is disabled in your browser. You will not be able to complete your purchase until you either enable JavaScript in your browser, or switch to a browser that supports it.

Linked resources:

Year 6 Model Text – Biography – William Shakespeare (🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 P6 , 🇦🇺🇺🇸Grade 5 & 🇮🇪 5th Class)

Year 6 Model Text – Biography – Pablo Picasso (🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 P6 , 🇦🇺🇺🇸Grade 5 & 🇮🇪 5th Class)

Year 6 Model Text – Biography – Thomas Edison (🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 P6 , 🇦🇺🇺🇸Grade 5 & 🇮🇪 5th Class)

Year 5/6 Model Text – Biography – Mary Anning

Year 5 Model Text – Biography – Ernest Shackleton (🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 P5 ,🇦🇺🇺🇸 Grade 4 & 🇮🇪 4th Class)

• English Subject Leader Area
• Y1 Explanation
• Y1 Information report
• Y1 Instructions
• Y1 Narrative – Stories
• Y1 Narrative – Character description
• Y1 Narrative – Object description
• Y1 Narrative – Setting description
• Y1 Non-chronological report
• Y1 Persuasive – Advert/leaflet
• Y1 PVPG Texts
• Y1 Recount – Letter/Postcard
• Y1 Recount – Diary
• Y1 Recount – Biography
• Y1 Recount – Science Experiment
• Y2 Explanation
• Y2 Instructions
• Y2 Information report
• Y2 Narrative – Character description
• Y2 Narrative – Characterising speech
• Y2 Narrative – Object description
• Y2 Narrative – Setting description
• Y2 Narrative – Stories
• Y2 Narrative – Playscript
• Y2 Non-chronological report
• Y2 Persuasive – Advert/leaflet
• Y2 Persuasive – Letter
• Y2 PVPG Texts
• Y2 Recount – Biography
• Y2 Recount – Diary
• Y2 Recount – Letter/postcard
• Y2 Recount – Newspaper
• Y2 Recount – Science Experiment
• Y3 Discussion
• Y3 Explanation
• Y3 Instructions
• Y3 Narrative – Character description
• Y3 Narrative – Characterising speech
• Y3 Narrative – Setting description
• Y3 Narrative – Stories
• Y3 Non-chronological report
• Y3 Information report
• Y3 Persuasive – Advert/leaflet/letter
• Y3 Play scripts
• Y3 PVPG Texts
• Y3 Recount – Biography
• Y3 Recount – Diary
• Y3 Recount – Letter/postcard
• Y3 Recount – Newspaper
• Y3 Recount – Science Experiment
• Y4 Recount – Biography
• Y4 Recount – Diary
• Y4 Recount – Letter/postcard
• Y4 Recount – Newspaper/Magazine article
• Y4 Recount – Science Experiment
• Y4 Discussion
• Y4 Instructions
• Y4 Explanation
• Y4 Information report
• Y4 Narrative – Character description
• Y4 Narrative – Characterising speech
• Y4 Narrative – Setting description
• Y4 Narrative – Stories
• Y4 Non-chronological report
• Y4 Persuasive – Advert/leaflet/letter
• Y4 Play scripts
• Y4 PVPG Texts
• Y5 Discussion
• Y5 Explanation
• Y5 Information report
• Y5 Instructions
• Y5 Narrative – Character description
• Y5 Narrative – Characterising speech
• Y5 Narrative – Setting description
• Y5 Narrative – Stories
• Y5 Non-chronological report
• Y5 Persuasive – Advert/leaflet/letter
• Y5 Play scripts
• Y5 PVPG Texts
• Y5 Recount – Biography
• Y5 Recount – Diary
• Y5 Recount – Letter/postcard
• Y5 Recount – Newspaper/Magazine
• Y5 Recount – Science Experiment
• Y6 Discussion
• Y6 Explanation
• Y6 Information report
• Y6 Instructions
• Y6 Narrative – Character description
• Y6 Narrative – Characterising speech
• Y6 Narrative – Setting description
• Y6 Narrative – Stories
• Y6 Non-chronological report
• Y6 Persuasive – Advert/leaflet/letter
• Y6 Play scripts
• Y6 PVPG Texts
• Y6 Recount – Biography
• Y6 Recount – Diary
• Y6 Recount – Letter/postcard
• Y6 Recount – Newspaper/Magazine
• Y6 Recount – Science Experiment
• PVPG Overviews & Literature
• Y6 PVPG Unit
• Y5 PVPG Unit
• Y4 PVPG Unit
• Y3 PVPG Unit
• Y2 PVPG Unit
• Y1 PVPG Unit
• PVPG Display Resources
• Fluency and Reasoning
• SATs Smashers
• SPaG Practice Tests
• Weekly SPaG Checks
• Punctuation
• SPaG Display Resources
• Assessments
• Text-type breakdowns
• Year 1 Unit Guides
• Year 2 Unit Guides
• Year 3/4 Unit Guides
• Year 5/6 Unit Guides
• Descriptologues
• Model Text Feature Spotters
• Y2 Assessments
• Y2 Teaching resources
• Y3 Assessments
• Y3 Teaching resources
• Y4 Assessments
• Y4 Teaching resources
• Y5 Assessments
• Y5 Teaching resources
• Y6 Assessments
• Y6 Teaching resources
• Year 1 Packs
• Year 2 Packs
• Year 3 Packs
• Year 4 Packs
• Year 5 Packs
• Year 6 Packs
• Practice tests
• Shakespeare
• Reading Display Resources
• Y1 Starters/Morning Maths
• Within 10 (A&S)
• Within 20 (A&S)
• Multiplication and Division
• Length and Height
• Weight and Volume
• Position and Direction
• Display resources
• Y2 Starters/Morning Maths
• Y2 Quick 10
• Number and Place Value
• Addition and Subtraction
• Length and Height Y2
• Mass, Capacity and Temperature
• Properties of Shape
• Position and Direction Y2
• Y3 Starters/Morning Maths
• Y3 Quick 10
• Multiplication and Division Part 1 Y3
• Multiplication and Division Part 2 Y3
• Length and Perimeter Y3
• Mass and Capacity Y3
• Y4 Starters/Morning Maths
• Y4 Quick 10
• Multiplication and Division Part 1 Y4
• Multiplication and Division Part 2 Y4
• Fractions Y4
• Decimals Part 1 Y4
• Decimals Part 2 Y4
• Length and Perimeter Y4
• Properties of shape Y4
• Position and direction Y4
• Y5 Starters/Morning Maths
• Y5 Quick 10
• Multiplication and Division Part 1 Y5
• Multiplication and Division Part 2 Y5
• Division Y5
• Long Division Y5/6
• Fractions Y5
• Decimals Part 1 Y5
• Decimals Part 2 Y5
• Perimeter and Area Y5
• Converting units Y5
• Properties of shape Y5
• Position and direction Y5
• Y6 Starters/Morning Maths
• Y6 Quick 10
• Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication and Division
• Fractions Y6
• Decimals Y6
• Percentages Y6
• Ratio and proportion
• Converting Units Y6
• Area Perimeter and Volume Y6
• Position and Direction Y6
• Properties of Shape Y6
• Maths Checklists
• Maths Practice Tests
• SATs Smashers (Maths)
• Science Subject Leader Area
• Animals including humans
• Seasonal Changes
• Living Things and their Habitats
• Forces and Magnets
• Changing states
• Electricity
• Earth and Space
• Science Display Resources
• History Subject Leader Area
• Ancient Egypt
• Anglo-Saxons and Vikings
• Changing Power of Monarchy
• Changes in Toys
• Changes in Technology
• Famous Explorers
• Hospitals and Healthcare
• Kings, Queens and Castles
• Harriet Tubman
• Amelia Earhart
• Katherine Johnson
• William Shakespeare
• Florence Nightingale
• Mary Seacole
• Nelson Mandela
• Captain Tom Moore
• Walt Disney
• Tutankhamun
• Mary Anning
• Martin Luther King
• Malorie Blackman
• John Wesley
• Lilian Bader
• Sir Robert Peel
• Maya Civilisation
• Stone Age to Iron Age
• Black History
• Ancient Greece
• The Great Fire of London
• World War One
• World War Two
• Crime and Punishment
• Shang Dynasty
• History Display Resources
• Geography Display Resources
• Geography Subject Leader Area
• Year 1 – Our Local Park (Fieldwork Unit)
• Year 1 – The World and My School
• Year 1 – Our School Grounds (Fieldwork Unit)
• Year 2 Geography – My Local Area and Tromso, Norway
• Year 2 – My Local Area and Tulum, Mexico
• Year 2 – Weather and Climate (Fieldwork Unit)
• Year 3 – Conservation of Bees (Fieldwork Unit)
• Year 3 – Land Use (Fieldwork Unit)
• Year 3 – The United Kingdom
• Year 4 – My Region and Campania, Italy
• Year 4 – My Region and the South Aegean, Greece
• Year 4 – Locality Units
• Year 4 – Weather and Climate (fieldwork unit)
• Year 5 Geography – My Region and the North Region of Brazil
• Year 5 – My Region and the Western United States
• Year 5 – Biomes (Fieldwork Unit)
• Year 5 – Rivers (Fieldwork Unit)
• Year 6 – The Economic Activity of the UK
• Year 6 – Sustainability (Fieldwork Unit)
• KS1 Christianity
• Art Subject Leader Area
• Y6 – Monochromatic
• Y6 – Chromatic
• Y6 – Sculpture
• Y5 – Monochromatic
• Y5 – Chromatic
• Y5 – Sculpture
• Y4 – Monochromatic
• Y4 – Chromatic
• Y4 – Sculpture
• Y3 – Monochromatic
• Y3 – Chromatic
• Y3 – Sculpture
• Y2 – Monochromatic
• Y2 – Chromatic
• Y2 – Sculpture
• Y1 – Monochromatic
• Y1 – Chromatic
• Y1 – Sculpture
• Famous Artists
• KS2 Projects
• Write with Grammarsaurus
• Sing with Grammarsaurus
• Science with Grammarsaurus
• French Subject Leader Area
• Y4/Y5/Y6 Beginners and Topics
• Y3 (French)
• Y4 (French)
• Y5 (French)
• Y6 (French)
• East of England
• East Midlands
• Greater London
• West Midlands
• Yorkshire & The Humber
• Continuous Provision
• Free resources
• Career Page

• International
• Schools directory
• Resources Jobs Schools directory News Search

Year 5 or Year 6 Charles Darwin Biography Writing Unit

Subject: English

Age range: 7-11

Resource type: Unit of work

Last updated

9 July 2022

• Share through email
• Share through twitter
• Share through linkedin
• Share through facebook
• Share through pinterest

A biography writing unit about the life of famous scientist, Charles Darwin. The NO PREP unit has been split into four separate lessons and is perfect for students in Year 5 or Year 6. Students will learn about the famous figure whilst working on their comprehension skills and developing their creative writing.

Included in this PDF printable resource:

• Four fact sheets which students need to cut out and sort into paragraphs
• Writing templates for four draft paragraphs
• Two prompt sheets for students to write their introduction and conclusion
• A template for students to write up their neat biography text
• A crossword puzzle & wordsearch to consolidate learning

If you would like to add another lesson, download my Charles Darwin Reading Comprehension Activity . This would give the students more background knowledge before they start writing the biography.

⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻

This resource is great for:

• In class learning
• Independent work
• Creative writing sessions
• Assessment practice
• Emergency sub plans

The first lesson is interactive and involves students cutting out facts, and then sorting these facts into paragraphs. In the second lesson the students need to use these facts to write four paragraphs. Then, in the third lesson children need to choose the most important facts and include these in an introduction; after this they need to answer several questions on a prompt sheet before writing up their conclusion. In the final lesson students need to check their draft paragraphs for mistakes before writing up their work on to a neat copy on the template provided.

⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚

Please check out my store, Creative Primary Literacy , for more resources.

Tes paid licence How can I reuse this?

Get this resource as part of a bundle and save up to 47%

A bundle is a package of resources grouped together to teach a particular topic, or a series of lessons, in one place.

Year 5 or Year 6 Charles Darwin Reading Comprehension & Biography Writing Bundle

Two great activities that would span five lessons about the life of the famous scientist, Charles Darwin. Perfect for students in Year 5 or Year 6. NO PREP is needed! Firstly, there is a reading comprehension activity where children need to read through an informational text, and then answer comprehension and grammar questions, before completing an extension activity. Secondly, there is a biography writing unit which has been split into four separate lessons of reading, sorting and writing. Included in the close reading activity: * An informational text * A comprehension activity with ten varied questions * Two grammar questions about the text * An extension writing activity * An answer page for self-assessment or teacher use Included in the biography writing unit: * Four fact sheets which students need to cut out and sort into paragraphs * Writing templates for four draft paragraphs * Two prompt sheets for students to write their introduction and conclusion * A template for students to write up their neat biography text This resource is great for: * In class learning * Independent work * Homework * Creative writing sessions * Guided reading sessions * Reading & writing interventions * Assessment practice * Emergency sub plans ⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚ Please check out my store, [Creative Primary Literacy](https://www.tes.com/teaching-resources/shop/Irvine109), for more resources.

UKS2 Emergency Substitution Plans | Key Scientists Bundle

These easy to use, no prep, substitution plans give you an ideal back up plan to have ready in your classroom just in case. The bundle contains eight reading comprehension activities about influential scientists from history, and four biography writing units. Ideal for emergency sub plans in Year 5 or Year 6. The activities focus on Albert Einstein, Marie Curie, Charles Darwin, Isaac Newton, Benjamin Franklin, Galileo, Stephen Hawking and Nikola Tesla. 24 Lessons, or 24 hours of activities, with NO PREP needed! ⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻ Firstly, there are eight reading comprehension activities, or informational texts, about: * Albert Einstein * Marie Curie * Charles Darwin * Isaac Newton * Benjamin Franklin * Galileo * Stephen Hawking * Nikola Tesla These activities require NO PREP and have a body of text that students need to read through thoroughly; then they can use the text to find the comprehension and grammar answers. All texts then have an extension activity for those fast finishers. Answers, for teacher use, are on the final page of each document. Then, there are four biography writing units about Albert Einstein, Marie Curie, Charles Darwin and Isaac Newton. The units have been split into four separate lessons which will take students approximately 40-50 minutes each. Good luck, I hope you find the resource useful! ⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚⏚ For more great resources check out my store ⇉⇉ [CLICK HERE](https://www.tes.com/teaching-resources/shop/CreativePrimaryLit)

Your rating is required to reflect your happiness.

It's good to leave some feedback.

Something went wrong, please try again later.

This resource hasn't been reviewed yet

To ensure quality for our reviews, only customers who have purchased this resource can review it

Report this resource to let us know if it violates our terms and conditions. Our customer service team will review your report and will be in touch.

Not quite what you were looking for? Search by keyword to find the right resource:

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

• View all journals
• Explore content
• About the journal
• Publish with us
• Sign up for alerts
• NEWS AND VIEWS
• 23 April 2024

Charles Darwin investigates: the curious case of primrose punishment

50 years ago

Access options

Access Nature and 54 other Nature Portfolio journals

Get Nature+, our best-value online-access subscription

24,99 € / 30 days

cancel any time

Subscribe to this journal

Receive 51 print issues and online access

185,98 € per year

only 3,65 € per issue

Rent or buy this article

Prices vary by article type

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Nature 628 , 730 (2024)

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-024-01180-8

This article features text from Nature ’s archive. By its historical nature, the archive includes some images, articles and language that by twenty-first-century standards are offensive and harmful. Find out more .

Reprints and permissions

• Structural biology
• Animal behaviour

How to stop students cramming for exams? Send them to sea

News & Views 30 APR 24

Ancient DNA traces family lines and political shifts in the Avar empire

News & Views 24 APR 24

Network of large pedigrees reveals social practices of Avar communities

Article 24 APR 24

Structural basis of lipid head group entry to the Kennedy pathway by FLVCR1

Article 01 MAY 24

Structural and molecular basis of choline uptake into the brain by FLVCR2

Structures of human γδ T cell receptor–CD3 complex

Streamlined skull helps foxes take a nosedive

News & Views 03 MAY 24

‘Orangutan, heal thyself’: First wild animal seen using medicinal plant

News 02 MAY 24

Zoos should focus on animal welfare before claiming to champion conservation

Correspondence 30 APR 24

Faculty Positions in Neurobiology, Westlake University

We seek exceptional candidates to lead vigorous independent research programs working in any area of neurobiology.

Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China

School of Life Sciences, Westlake University

Seeking Global Talents, the International School of Medicine, Zhejiang University

Welcome to apply for all levels of professors based at the International School of Medicine, Zhejiang University.

Yiwu, Zhejiang, China

International School of Medicine, Zhejiang University

Assistant, Associate, or Full Professor

Athens, Georgia

University of Georgia

Associate Professor - Synthetic Biology

Position Summary  We seek an Associate Professor in the department of Synthetic Biology (jcvi.org/research/synthetic-biology). We invite applicatio...

Rockville, Maryland

J. Craig Venter Institute

Associate or Senior Editor (microbial genetics, evolution, and epidemiology) Nature Communications

Job Title: Associate or Senior Editor (microbial genetics, evolution, and epidemiology), Nature Communications Locations: London, New York, Philade...

New York (US)

Springer Nature Ltd

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Quick links

• Explore articles by subject
• Guide to authors
• Editorial policies