Age 8-9: Darwin's Collectors
Introducing Darwin's Collectors
Darwin was very interested in collecting and made collections, observations and recordings to document how plants and animals adapted to their surroundings. The 8-9 year-old 'Collectors' age group will do this too!
Collectors quick start
- Darwin's Collectors learning outcomes PDF Word
- Darwin's Collectors curriculum links (all regions) PDF Word
- Darwin's Collectors Teachers Booklet PDF Word
- Darwin Doodle Book PDF Word
- Darwin's Collectors postcard from Richard PDF Word
- Darwin's Collectors video .wmv (59MB) .mov (43MB)
- Darwin's Collectors video Video
To celebrate 200 years since Charles Darwin's birth, The Great Plant Hunt has been developed by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, commissioned and funded by the Wellcome Trust.
What's this?
Teachers need to sign up for a school account - even if you've already registered to get our newsletter.
When you sign up, we'll send you a username and password for your classes to log in with and share photos and data from their Great Plant Hunt activities.
Please use a school email address if you have one - other email addresses will take a little longer to process.
You must log in to:
- Change your details or year group
- Send us your photos
- Moderate photos
- Send in tips and tricks
- Assign teachers to year groups
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Photos
Every week, we'll award one stunning image the prestigious 'Photo of the Week' grand title! Winning photos will appear on The Great Plant Hunt home page in the treehouses and in the photo album.
Send us your photos!Sign up for an account to get your school's children uploading photos and entering the competition.
Tips and Tricks
Run a Collectors assembly
Kick off the Collectors work with an assembly or classroom presentation! Read the Darwin the Collector chapter from the storybook and show the Collectors video of Richard - a real life Plant Hunter who’ll set the children their challenge. blag
Footprint frenzy
Download and print out as many Collectors footsteps as you need to get the childrens’ work walking all over the classroom.
Fun with leaves
What we enjoyed this year was collecting the leaves gathered on a thinking walk, pressing them in the plant press and using them to make christmas cards! We might experiment with biodegradable festive decorations next year..
More tips & tricksCollectors activities
Collectors Activity 1: Thinking Walk
In Activity 1, the Collectors go on a walk where they will compare plant habitats and collect, document and press specimens from the Identikit list in the same way as a real Plant Hunter.
- Duration: 2 lessons.
Activity 1 Resources
Collectors Activity 2: Fitting in
In Activity 2, the Collectors will compare the different conditions and plants found in two habitats and consider possible threats to habitats.
- Duration: 2 lessons.
Activity 2 Resources
Collectors activities, stickers and games
Collectors Activity 3: Collecting specimens
In Activity 3, the Collectors will follow the instructions to make a herbarium specimen - just like Darwin's. They will also study modern and contemporary specimens and see how making them contributes to conservation.
- Duration: 1-2 lessons.
Activity 3 Resources
- Darwin's Collectors Activity 3 PDF Word
- Darwin's Collectors worksheet PDF Word
- Herbarium specimens: Darwin's and modern PDF Word
- How to press plants and make a herbarium specimen PDF Word PPT
More fun stuff!
Stickers and an extra fun outdoor extension activity to do or take home.
The fun stuff
Engage the Collectors with Habitat Challenge and other interactive games! They can be used by children independently or on a whiteboard as a whole class.
- Sunflower Survival
- Habitat Challenge
- Herby Havoc
Download The Great Plant Hunt games
You can download the individual games to your computer by clicking on the links below - make sure you choose the correct type of file depending on whether you use a PC or Mac. When the download has completed, you will need to unzip the folder to a suitable place on your computer then, follow the simple instructions included in the folder.
PC users Mac usersPlan and run a Darwin’s Collectors assembly
Read the Darwin the Collector chapter from the storybook to set the scene, then show the children the Darwin's Collectors postcard and video from Richard to get them going on the classroom and outdoor activities. Other useful downloads include a poster of Darwin (A3 or A4), and more footsteps to add to the school poster.
Collectors assembly resources
- Storybook Chapter 5: Darwin the Collector PDF Word
- Charles Darwin poster - A3 PDF
- Charles Darwin poster - A4 PDF
- Darwin's Collectors postcard from Richard PDF Word
- Darwin's Collectors name graphic PDF
- Darwin's Collectors footsteps (A3) PDF
- Darwin's Collectors footsteps (A4) PDF
- Darwin's Collectors colour certificate PDF
- Darwin's Collectors black and white certificate PDF