Biology GCSE students explore Natural History exhibits

On Monday 25 September, our Year 9 students visited the Natural History Museum in London. As part of their new GCSE Biology studies, their task was to investigate the Human Evolution exhibit and to discover our ancestors. Here they encountered some of the most notable Hominins (Lucy and Ardi). They were especially fascinated with the island ‘Hobbit’, Homo floresiensis, and with the variety of stone tools on show.

In addition, the students had tickets to the stunning ‘Whales: Beneath the Surface’ exhibition. Here the girls saw fossils that showed each stage of the evolution of the whale, from a goat-sized terrestrial mammal, to the perfectly adapted modern aquatic creature we know today. The sheer size of some of the exhibits on display was mind-boggling.

Mr Sagade Vieito and Miss Tew, Science teachers at St Mary’s Senior School who led the trip, commented that “As usual, the girls were impeccably well-behaved and focussed on their work, as well as simply enjoying the inspirational surroundings that the museum offers”.