ABSTRACT
Inheritance is a big scientific idea which, together with adaptation, underpins our understanding of evolution. Evolution through natural selection is the process which has created the remarkable diversity of wildlife which enriches our lives, and is essential for our health and wellbeing. The chapter contains three topics, designed to help teachers guide the way children work towards understanding the big idea. The journey towards the big idea begins in key stage 1, when children explore the diversity of plants and examine the conditions plants need to grow from seed. In lower key stage 2, the ideas are moved forward when children learn about pollination and how seeds (offspring) are produced by sexual reproduction. In upper key stage 2, children work on their understanding of inheritance to learn how living things produce offspring of the same kind, but normally offspring vary and are not identical to their parents. Finally, children explore how small differences that occur during reproduction may over time lead to evolution. Subject knowledge to support the teaching of the big idea is presented at the beginning of the chapter.
