Summer Activity for Our New Year 7 Students
On 15 September 1835 Charles Darwin went on a learning journey to the Galapagos Islands in South America. Darwin spent around five years exploring the Islands and the creatures he found there. This voyage of discovery was the starting point from which he would develop his theories on evolution.
Like Darwin, you too will be setting off on a five-year adventure here at Bishop Rawstorne. Your learning journey will enable you to evolve into a young adult with the foundation to take you in whatever direction you choose.
To start you off on your own learning voyage, we’ve gifted you a copy of Sabina Radeva’s ‘On the Origin of Species,’ along with exciting tasks for you to do over the summer holidays.
What Do I Need to Do?
- Read the book ‘On the Origin of Species' by Sabina Radeva.
- Choose and complete at least one activity from one of the curriculum areas below to complete over the summer:
When Is The Deadline?
Please complete your activity in time for the first day of school - Wednesday 28 August 2024.
Don't forget to give yourself enough time to read the book AND complete an activity!
How Do I Record My Work?
How you choose to record your task is up to you but please record it in a way that will allow you to share your work in school.
You will be asked to share your work at some point during the Autumn term.
Click here for a glossary of some of the words used on this page.
Activity Options by Curriculum Area
Choose at least one activity from one of the curriculum areas below:
Art
Research famous artists who would have been painting during Darwin lifetime (1809 to 1882), e.g. Moet, Van Gogh, Degas etc. Choose one and using their style create a portrait of Charles Darwin.
Engineering
Draw and label the HMS Beagle. Investigate how such a huge and heavy vehicle can float. Perhaps you can make a model, can your model float?
English
Who was Charles Darwin? Write a biography detailing Charles Darwin’s life.
OR
Imagine you are a member of Darwin’s team. Are you a sailor or perhaps a fellow scientist? Write a diary from their perspective. Be ambitious with your punctuation and try experimenting with different sentence lengths to make your writing interesting and fun to read.
Food Preparation and Nutrition
Was the life of a sailor a healthy one? Examine the food eaten on ships in the 1800s. Create a menu and make some of the recipes.
Geography
Plot the route taken by HMS Beagle. Show your findings on a map, making sure to comment on the modes of transport Darwin would have used on his journey.
OR
Research an animal that has migrated across the continents. Using maps and labels to show their migration over time. Use as much geographic terminology, such as ‘continental drift’, in your findings.
History
Research the different jobs people had on ships in the 1800s. Describe their duties and role, for example, the ship’s doctor.
OR
Investigate Darwin’s other expeditions - you’ll notice that these were mostly territories controlled by the British Empire. Record your findings by plotting them on a map.
OR
Darwin’s expedition occurred during the age of discovery and exploration, research another British explorer. Investigate their intentions and the technology available to them.
Maths and Computing
Darwin would have been very careful when comparing the differences between features of the same species. Create a game where the aim is to choose the most appropriate unit of measurement, for example the length of a bee’s wing should be measured in millimetres whilst the width of a blue whale would be in metres, etc. Your game could take the form of card game, a board game or perhaps get coding and make your game using Scratch or other programming site.
Modern Foreign Languages
Darwin would have heard many languages as he travelled the world. Research the route of his journey to the Galapagos Islands and record the different languages he would have heard. Learn how Darwin may have introduced himself in these languages e.g. translate “Hello, my name is Charles Darwin. I am a scientist”.
Music
Think about the sounds Darwin would have heard as he travelled to South America. Compose and record a piece of music showing the progression of his journey from docks to open ocean and then his arrival at the Galapagos Islands to a cacophony of rainforest sounds! Be creative with your instruments, e.g. a flapping a sheet could create a windy noise, shaking rice in a pot could sound like rain, try knocking spoons together to make the distinctive sound of a sailing ship’s mast. Use your imagination and have fun!
Create a polyphonic composition by laying your instruments - that will bring images of Darwin’s adventure into your mind.
Religious Education
When Darwin published his theory of evolution, lots of people believed that God designed plants and animals as we see them today. Did Darwin's discoveries prove that God did not create life on earth? Record your ideas by writing it up in a playscript style as if two people with opposing views are discussing Darwin’s discoveries.
OR
Is there any way that the Christian creation story can fit with Darwin's theory of evolution? Use this question as an essay title and aim to write about 200 words.
Science
Research how a particular plant/animal has evolved to become what we know today for example the evolution of a horse. Explore how the same species of animal has evolved to ‘suit’ its environment, e.g. foxes, leopards or the peppered moth.
OR
Research an insect and draw a diagram to show its different parts. Label these parts and write a paragraph or two explaining what it is called, where it comes from and any other interesting facts that you can discover.
Glossary
Biography: an account of someone's life written by someone else.
Cacophony: Mixture of sounds.
Continental drift: The theory that there is slow movement of the Earth's continents towards and away from each other.
Continents: a very large area of land, such as Africa or Asia, that consists of several countries
Distinctive: something that is distinctive is easy to recognize because it is different from other things.
Evolved: developed gradually over time
Intentions: An aim or plan.
Modes: a way or manner in which something occurs or is experienced, expressed, or done.
Migrate: to move from one country, place, or locality to another.
Opposing: competing or fighting against each other.
Perspective: viewpoint
Plotting: Marking/drawing points onto a map
Polyphonic Composition: A musical term that describes the merging of multiple independent melodies to create a single harmonious composition.
Species: a set of animals or plants with similar characteristics and the ability to breed
Terminology: words and phrases used with a particular technical application in a subject of study, profession, etc.
Territories: A particular area of land that belongs to and is governed by a country.
Theory of evolution: The theory that describes how all life forms developed from simpler life forms by changes that took millions of years.