This week, our pupils stepped into the shoes of real-life biologists as they investigated one of nature’s most fascinating ideas: how birds’ beaks have adapted to help them survive in different environments.

Using a selection of “beaks” — in this case, different tweezers and fingers — pupils took on the role of different bird species. Their challenge was to work out which type of beak was best suited to a range of food sources.

Through hands-on exploration, pupils learnt that different birds have different beak shapes because they eat different types of food as well as a range of other features. Penguins quickly realised that no single beak works for every job — a brilliant introduction to the concept of adaptation and how animals evolve to survive in their habitats.