Year 6 have been finding out about evolution and inheritance in Science. Charles Darwin discovered a range of birds during his voyage on the HMS Beagle. He noted that the birds had developed highly specialised beaks, depending on the food available on each island. Darwin discovered that the beaks had adapted over time in order to be able to access the food available on their island.
Year 6 simulated bird feeding by using different beaks to collect food and place it into a stomach. There are four different beak shapes and a range of different food types to choose from.
The children had to write out what they were investigating under specific headings.
Then the children set about using the beaks to collect the food.
The children’s results recorded that the tea spoon beak was best at collecting food because of its ability to scoop, but the tweezer beaks were also effective as they could grab a variety of food.