Racing to English
Activity 26P
When? Billions of years ago
True
stories
When did the universe begin?
13 The universe began 13.7 billion years ago,
billion that is 13,700,000,000 years ago.
years
ago It began with an explosion.
This is called the Big Bang.
When did the first stars begin to shine?
13
billion
years
ago
The first stars started to shine 13.3 billion
years ago, that is 13,300,000,000 years
ago.
12….11….10….9….8….7….6….5….
When did our solar system form?
The Sun is in the middle of our solar system.
Eight planets orbit the Sun. They are Mercury,
billion Venus, Earth, Mars, Saturn, Jupiter, Uranus and
years Neptune.
ago
Our solar system formed and our sun began to
shine 4.55 billion years ago that is
4,550,000,000 years ago.
4
When did the moon form?
4
billion
years
ago
The moon formed about 4.5 billion years ago,
that is 4,500,000,000 years ago.
Scientists think that another planet hit the
Earth and knocked a lot of rock into space.
This rock formed the moon.
When did life start on Earth?
Life on Earth started at least 3.5 billion years ago,
billion that is 3,500,000,000 years ago.
years
At first life was very simple; there were only very,
ago
very tiny, single celled organisms.
3
2
When did the first plants start to grow on Earth?
1
billion
years
ago
The first plants started to grow on Earth 1.3 billion
years ago, that is 1,300,000,000 years ago.
This is a fossil of a plant that died about 6 million
years ago.
© Gordon Ward 2014. Photocopiable only for use in the purchasing institution.
This “true story” was inspired by http://math.ucr.edu/home/baez/timeline.html
Step 26: When?
Racing to English
Activity 26P
When? Billions of years ago
Worksheet
1
Ask your friend some questions.
the big bang
before
our solar system formed
How long
after
the big bang happen?
the first star began to
shine
the first star start to shine?
did
the moon formed
life on Earth started
plants started to grow
our solar system form?
the moon form?
life on Earth start?
plants start to grow?
Now write 10 questions and answer them.
Look at this passage with some friends. Decide which words fit in each space:
The universe began 13.7 billion years ago. It began with ________1_______ .
This is called the Big Bang. The first stars started to _______2________ 13.3
billion years ago.
The Sun is _______3________ of our solar system. Eight planets
_______4________ the Sun. They are Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Saturn,
_______5________ , Uranus and Neptune. Our solar system
________6_______ and our sun began to shine 4.55 billion years ago. The
moon formed about 4.5 billion years ago. Scientists think that another planet hit the
Earth and _______7________ a lot of rock into space. This rock formed the
moon.
Life on Earth started at least 3.5 billion years ago. At first life was very
_______8________ ; there were only very, very tiny, _______9________
organisms. The first plants started to grow on Earth 1.3 billion years ago.
an explosion
formed
Jupiter
knocked
in the middle
orbit
© Gordon Ward 2014. Photocopiable only for use in the purchasing institution.
This “true story” was inspired by http://math.ucr.edu/home/baez/timeline.html
shine
single celled
simple
Step 26: When?
Racing to English
Activity 26P
600
When?
Hundreds of millions of years ago
True
stories
When did the first animals evolve?
The first animals evolved about 670 million
million
years ago.
years
ago This is a comb jellyfish. Scientists think that
the first animals may have been like this.
When did the first fish evolve?
500
million
years
ago
The first fish with backbones
evolved about 520 million years
ago.
…400 million years ago…
300
When did the first insect appear on land?
million
years
ago
300
a fossil of an insect
The first insects appeared on land about 395 million
years ago.
When did the first amphibians evolve?
million The first amphibians evolved about 365
years million years ago. Trees evolved at about the
ago same time.
When did the dinosaurs evolve?
200
million
years
ago
100
The first dinosaurs evolved about 235 million
years ago. Dinosaurs lived on Earth for more
than 165 million years.
When did birds evolve?
Birds evolved about 150 million years ago.
million
They evolved from dinosaurs. This is the
years
fossil of an Archaeopteryx. It is half dinosaur
ago
and half bird.
100
million
years
ago
When did mammals evolve?
Mammals evolved about 114 million years ago.
At first they were very small animals about the
size of a mouse.
© Gordon Ward 2014. Photocopiable only for use in the purchasing institution.
This “true story” was inspired by http://math.ucr.edu/home/baez/timeline.html
Step 26: When?
Racing to English
Activity 26P
When?
Hundreds of millions of years ago
Worksheet
2
Ask your friend some questions.
before
How long
after
the first animal evolved
the first animal evolve?
the first fish evolved
the first fish evolve?
insects appeared on land
insects appear on land?
trees evolved
amphibians evolved
did
trees evolve?
amphibians evolve?
dinosaurs evolved
dinosaurs evolve?
birds evolved
birds evolve?
mammals evolved
mammals evolve?
Now write 10 questions and answer them.
Look at this passage with some friends. Decide which words fit in each space:
The first ________1_______ evolved about 670 million years ago. Scientists
think that the first animals ________2_______ like a comb jellyfish.
The first fish with _______3________ evolved about 520 million years ago.
The first insects appeared ________4_______ about 395 million years ago.
The first amphibians ________5_______ about 365 million years ago. Trees
evolved at about ________6_______ .
The first dinosaurs evolved about 235 million years ago. Dinosaurs lived on Earth for
________7_______ 165 million years.
Birds evolved about 150 million years ago. They evolved from _______8_______
Mammals evolved about 114 million years ago. At first they were very small animals
about _______9________ a mouse.
animals
backbones
dinosaurs
evolved
on land
may have been
© Gordon Ward 2014. Photocopiable only for use in the purchasing institution.
This “true story” was inspired by http://math.ucr.edu/home/baez/timeline.html
more than
the same time
the size of
Step 26: When?
When?
Racing to English
Activity 26P
True
stories
Millions of years ago
When did the dinosaurs die out?
67 million years ago a large asteroid hit the
Earth. Huge amounts of dust and ash were
million blown into the atmosphere (air). This stopped
years the Sun warming the Earth. The Earth became
ago very, very cold and all the dinosaurs died. Half of
all the other species died out too.
67
50
million
years
ago
When did India collide with Asia?
India began to collide with Asia about 50 million
years ago. India is still moving north. As it moves
north, India pushes up the Himalayas. The
Himalayas are the highest mountains in the world.
When did ice begin to cover Antarctica?
24
About 24 million years ago the Earth
million began to get colder. Antarctica became
years covered with ice. In other places many
ago trees died and the land became covered
with grass.
When did humans evolve?
In 1974 some fossil bones were found in
Ethiopia. They were the bones of a female. The
scientists called her Lucy. She lived 3.9 million
years ago.
3.9
million
years
ago
She had a small brain like an ape but she
walked on two legs like us.
Australopithecus afarensis
Maybe animals like her were the beginning of
the evolution of humans from apes.
When did homo erectus evolve?
Some fossils of “Homo erectus”
have been found. Homo erectus
million means “man standing upright”.
years
ago They are more like modern human
beings than “Lucy”. The oldest
fossil is about 1.8 million years old.
1.8
© Gordon Ward 2014. Photocopiable only for use in the purchasing institution.
This “true story” was inspired by http://math.ucr.edu/home/baez/timeline.html
Step 26: When?
Racing to English
Activity 26P
When?
Worksheet
3
Millions of years ago
Ask your friend some questions.
the dinosaurs died out
before
How long
ice began to cover Antarctica
after
the dinosaurs die out?
India began to collide with
Asia
India begins to collide with Asia?
did ice begin to cover Antarctica?
“Lucy” lived in Africa
Homo erectus evolved
“Lucy” live in Africa?
Homo erectus evolve?
Now write 10 questions and answer them.
Look at this passage with some friends. Decide which words fit in each space:
About 67 million years ago a large ________1_______ hit the Earth. Huge
amounts of dust and ash were blown into the ________2_______ (air). This
stopped the Sun _______3________ the Earth. The Earth became very, very
cold and all the dinosaurs died. Half of all the other ________4_______ died out
too.
About 24 million years ago the Earth began to get colder. _______5________
became covered with ice. In other places many trees died and the land became
covered with grass.
In 1974 some _______6________ bones were found in Ethiopia. They were the
bones of a female. The scientists called her Lucy. She lived 3.9 million years ago.
She had a small brain like an _______7________ but she walked on two legs
like us. Maybe animals like her were the beginning of the _______8________ of
humans from apes.
Some fossils of “Homo erectus” have been found. Homo erectus means “man
standing ______9_________”. They are more like modern human beings than
“Lucy”. The oldest fossil is about 1.8 million years old.
Antarctica
ape
asteroid
atmosphere
evolution
fossil
© Gordon Ward 2014. Photocopiable only for use in the purchasing institution.
This “true story” was inspired by http://math.ucr.edu/home/baez/timeline.html
species
upright
warming
Step 26: When?
Racing to English
Activity 26P
When?
Thousands of years ago
True
stories
When did the Neanderthals evolve?
Neanderthals are a type of human being but
they were bigger and stronger than modern
humans. They evolved about 350,000 years
ago. They lived for over 300,000 years but
they died out about 35,000 years ago.
Neanderthal…
modern human
This picture shows the differences
between Neanderthals and modern
humans. Modern humans have
smaller faces, higher foreheads
and bigger chins; our skulls are a
different shape at the back and we
do not have the ridges above our
eyes.
When did modern humans evolve?
Modern humans evolved about 250,000 years
ago.
We evolved in Africa and many fossilised
human bones have been found there.
When was the last ice age?
There have been many ice ages, when the world has
become very cold. Ice and snow covered a lot of the
Earth during the ice ages. The last ice age started
110,000 years ago. It lasted until 10,300 years ago.
When did modern human beings leave Africa?
Modern human beings arrived in the Middle
East about 100,000 years ago. We arrived in
central Asia about 50,000 years ago and we
arrived in Europe about 35,000 years ago.
When did humans start farming?
Humans first started farming about 18,000 years
ago.
Humans arrived in America at about this time too.
© Gordon Ward 2014. Photocopiable only for use in the purchasing institution.
This “true story” was inspired by http://math.ucr.edu/home/baez/timeline.html
Step 26: When?
Racing to English
Activity 26P
When?
Worksheet
4
Thousands of years ago
Ask your friend some questions.
before
How long
Neanderthals evolved
Neanderthals evolve?
modern humans evolved
modern humans evolve?
the last ice age started
after
did the last ice age start?
the last ice age finished
the last ice age finish?
human started farming
human start farming?
Now write 10 questions and answer them.
Look at this passage with some friends. Decide which words fit in each space:
Neanderthals are a type of human being but they were ________1_______ and
stronger than modern humans. They ________2_______ about 350,000 years
ago. They lived for over 300,000 years but they ________3_______ about
35,000 years ago.
Modern humans have smaller faces, _______4________ foreheads and bigger
chins than Neanderthals; our skulls are a different ________5_______ at the
back and we do not have the ridges above our eyes.
Modern humans evolved about 250,000 years ago. We evolved in Africa and many
_______6________ human bones have been found there.
There have been many ice ages, when the world has become very cold. Ice and
snow _______7________ a lot of the Earth during the ice ages. The last ice age
started 110,000 years ago. It lasted until 10,300 years ago.
Modern human beings _______8________ in the Middle East about 100,000
years ago. We arrived in central Asia about 50,000 years ago and we arrived in
Europe about 35,000 years ago. Humans first _______9________ farming
about 18,000 years ago. Humans arrived in America at about this time too.
bigger
arrived
covered
died out
evolved
fossilised
© Gordon Ward 2014. Photocopiable only for use in the purchasing institution.
This “true story” was inspired by http://math.ucr.edu/home/baez/timeline.html
higher
shape
started
Step 26: When?