Natural History Museum Explore and Discover… Evolution on Earth
1
Explore and Discover...
Evolution on Earth
Teacher information
Gallery visited
From the Beginning
Suitable for
Key Stage 4 (ages 14 to 16)
Curriculum links
Data, evidence theories and explanations
Organisms and health
Environment, Earth and universe
Example page
www.nhm.ac.uk/evolution-on-earth-ks4
Pre-visit preparation
Vocabulary: universe, solar system, Milky Way, meteorites, radioactive,
isotopes, atmosphere, fossil, microfossil, greenhouse and icehouse phases,
various types of organism such as single-cell and multicellular organism,
fern, horsetail, trilobite, ammonite, belemnite, mass extinction, mammal
diversification.
Concepts: The big bang theory of the creation of the universe, different
types of crust on Earth, evolution and more complex life-forms developing
as time went on, adaptations, measuring the passing of time in geological
periods, the development of modern humans.
Post-visit work
Pupils can combine information gathered from the gallery with their own
research work to complete the Final report task at the end of this guide.
Explore
and Disc
over...
Evolutio
n on Ear
th
You are a geologist. You have been asked
to prepare a short presentation. It will be
about finding evidence for the origin of the
Earth and the evolution of life on it.
Natural History Museum Explore and Discover… Evolution on Earth
2
Explore and Discover...
Evolution on Earth
1 The solar system
The three stages of when the universe began are
1 The big bang
2 Matter develops
3 Stars and galaxies form
300,000 years ✔
Our galaxy is called the Milky Way.
It formed 10,000 million years ago.
Discussion point on the evidence which can be used to prove the age
of the Earth
Answers will vary, but should mention that meteorites, which are
debris from the formation of the solar system, are the same age as the
Earth. Meteorites have not melted since their formation, so they can
be dated to reveal the age of the Earth.
2 How the Ear