Year 6 - Science
Where fossils are found (non-statutory)
Evolution and inheritance
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This pupil-friendly study guide includes a unit summary, clear notes, common mistakes, and quick questions with answers.
Unit Summary
This unit explores how living things have changed over time, using fossils as evidence of past life. It covers how offspring vary from parents and how adaptation leads to evolution. Emphasis is on planning scientific enquiries, recording data, and evaluating scientific evidence.
Lesson Summary
You will learn to describe where fossils are likely to be found.
Key Notes
- A fossil is any evidence of prehistoric life from millions of years ago.
- Palaeontologists tell us that the most common fossils are bones, teeth and shells.
- Fossils are mainly found within sedimentary rocks, such as cliffs and river valleys, formed over thousands of years.
- Fossil discoveries can be researched using secondary sources of information.
Vocabulary To Learn
- fossil: A fossil is the remains or imprint of living things that are sometimes preserved in rock.
- prehistoric: Prehistoric times are time periods which came before written records began.
- palaeontologist: Palaeontologists study fossils as a guide to the history of life on Earth.
- sedimentary rock: Sedimentary rock is formed when sediment collects at the bottom of a lake or sea.
- secondary sources: Secondary sources are texts, images or objects created using information gathered by others.
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- Pupils may think that fossils can be found anywhere on Earth and in any type of rock.
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Explain the scientific idea in this lesson using two key points.
A fossil is any evidence of prehistoric life from millions of years ago. Palaeontologists tell us that the most common fossils are bones, teeth and shells.
2. Define this scientific word and use it in context. 'fossil'
A fossil is the remains or imprint of living things that are sometimes preserved in rock. Include the word in a full scientific explanation, not as a single label.
3. Correct this common scientific misunderstanding.
Mistake: Pupils may think that fossils can be found anywhere on Earth and in any type of rock. Correction: Use the lesson resources to explain how and why fossils are mainly found in sedimentary rock and the common locations these tend to be, such as cliffs, hillsides and quarries.
More Lessons In This Unit
- Animal adaptations Study Guide
- Charles Darwin and finches Study Guide
- Evolution: evidence Study Guide
- Evolution: presentation Study Guide
- Family trees (non-statutory) Study Guide
- How living things have changed over time Study Guide
- Human skulls: using evidence from the past (non-statutory) Study Guide
- Inherited characteristics Study Guide
- More about plant adaptations Study Guide
- Offspring: similar but not identical Study Guide
- Plant adaptations Study Guide
- The survival of the fittest Study Guide
- What fossils can tell us about the past Study Guide
Browse all guides in the Year 6 Science guide library.