Voyage of Discovery

Charles Darwin and the Mystery of Life! 

Are you ready to learn about the fascinating naturalist, scientist, explorer and geologist Charles Darwin and the theory of evolution? 

In 1831, a young naturalist called Charles Darwin boarded a ship called the HMS Beagle and set out on a fantastic five-year voyage around the world to study and collect animal, plant and rock samples.

I wonder what it was like exploring on HMS Beagle? I wonder what amazing variety of species he discovered?

As historians, geologists and scientists, we will learn about histories most famous biologist and how Darwin's theories of evolution transformed the way we understand the natural world.

Science Kirfs (Key Instant Recall Facts)

•  Classification is the arrangement of organisms into orderly groups based on their similarities
• All plants are included in one Kingdom (Plantae)

• Animals are divided into two main groups:

              Animals that have a backbone are called vertebrates

              Animals that don't have a backbone are called invertebrates

• An organism is an individual animal, plant or single celled life form
• Species is a  group of closely related organisms that are very similar to each other and are usually capable of producing offspring.

Geography Kirfs (Key Instant Recall Facts)

• There are seven continents: Europe, Asia, Africa, Oceania, North America, South America and Antarctica
• South America is one of the world’s seven continents. It is the fourth largest continent

• The Earth can be divided into Northern and Southern hemispheres by the Equator
• The Earth comprises several different environments, known as biomes.
• Biomes are areas of our planet with similar climates, landscapes, animals and plants. 
• The main biomes are: Temperate/deciduous forest; Rainforest; Grassland; Desert; Savannah; Tundra
• The Galápagos Islands, in the Pacific Ocean, can be found off the coast of South America. They are an Archipelago (group of islands)