Vocabulary: Evolution and Inheritance

Subject: Science | Year: 6

Name: _________________________ Class/Set: ____________ Date: ____________

Word	Definition	Example Sentence
Evolution	The gradual process by which living things change over many generations.	Charles Darwin developed the theory of evolution after studying finches on the Galápagos Islands.
Inheritance	The process by which genetic information and traits are passed from parents to their young.	Eye colour is a physical feature that is determined through inheritance from your biological parents.
Adaptation	A specific feature or behaviour that helps a living thing survive in its environment.	A cactus has a thick, waxy skin as an adaptation to help it store water in the dry desert.
Species	A group of similar organisms that are able to breed and produce fertile offspring.	Although they look different, all breeds of dogs belong to the same species.
Offspring	The young born of living organisms, produced either by a single organism or two organisms.	The swan stayed close to the water to protect its offspring from predators.
Ancestor	An early type of animal or plant from which others have evolved over a long period.	Modern birds share a common ancestor with certain types of small, feathered dinosaurs.
Variation	The slight differences between individuals of the same species, such as height or hair colour.	There is a wide variation in the patterns found on the shells of garden snails.
Fossil	The preserved remains or impressions of a living thing from the distant past, usually found in rock.	The scientist used a small brush to carefully uncover a fossil of an ancient sea creature.
Characteristic	A distinguishing quality or feature that belongs to a person, animal, or plant.	Having a long, prehensile tail is a useful characteristic for monkeys living in the rainforest canopy.
Natural Selection	The process where organisms better suited to their environment tend to survive and produce more offspring.	Through natural selection, animals with better camouflage are more likely to survive and pass on their traits.

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⚠ TEACHER’S GUIDANCE

💡 Pedagogical Opportunities & Misconception Alerts

• Clarify 'Evolution' vs. 'Adaptation': Explain: Students often mistakenly believe that an individual animal can "evolve" during its own lifetime (e.g., a giraffe stretching its neck). Model: Use the vocabulary to explain that adaptation occurs over many generations through natural selection, not as a conscious choice by a single animal.
• Inheritance vs. Environment: Discuss: Use the word characteristic to spark a debate on which features are inherited (e.g., blood group) and which are environmental (e.g., having a scar or speaking a specific language).
• Evidence-Based Learning: Model: When discussing fossils, encourage students to examine the data to see how it provides a chronological record of variation within a species.
• Tier 2 Integration: Encourage students to use 'examine' and 'contrast' when looking at the variation between different offspring in the same litter to bridge the gap between Tier 2 and Tier 3 language.