Dive into the dazzling world of coral reefs! From Australia’s Great Barrier Reef to the vibrant reefs of Indonesia, these underwater cities are alive with color, movement, and incredible creatures. After watching our videos, challenge your students to become ecosystem experts by creating their own colorful report filled with fascinating facts. (They’ll need to dig deeper with extra research, too!) Inside the brochure, students will uncover and share:
Classroom Resources / "Teach the Coral Reef Ecosystem"
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Teach the Coral Reef Ecosystem
13 resourcesBring your students on an underwater adventure into the coral reef ecosystem! Whether you're exploring the vast beauty of the Great Barrier Reef in Australia or diving into the rich, biodiverse waters of Indonesia, coral reefs are some of the most vibrant and important ecosystems on Earth.
✨ Perfect for Grades 3–8, here’s what you need to bring ecosystems to life:
- Iconic BBC Videos: Share the clips on this page to introduce the location, plants, animals, and climate of the coral reefs. (Don't miss the tusk fish an octopuses!) Brought to you by world-class BBC programs like Planet Earth, Blue Planet, Animal Babies, and Life.
- Free Printable: Use the Coral Reef Brochure Template to help students pull it all together in an ecosystem report with facts they’ve learned (and a little extra research).
It’s everything you need to make ecosystems easy to teach and truly memorable for your students.
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Get the Coral Reef Ecosystem Brochure Template
Printable
Get This Free Printable Coral Reef Ecosystem Brochure Template- Location of the ecosystem on a world map
- Adjectives that describe the ecosystem
- Three animals that live in the ecosystem
- Three plants that grow in the ecosystem
- The climate of the ecosystem
- What makes the ecosystem important
- Their favorite fun facts
Your students will summarize the most important details in their own words while keeping it clear and easy to understand. As they choose what to include, they’ll sharpen their ability to evaluate and combine information from different sources. Best of all, they’ll show off their creativity and communication skills by designing a brochure that’s as fun to read as it is informative!
Videos: The Great Barrier Reef
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The Coral Reef, an Underwater MasterpieceIn The Coral Reef, an Underwater Masterpiece, narrator Sir David Attenborough marvels at the variety of life found in Earth’s coral reefs. Learn how polyps and algae both benefit from living in close relationship with one another. This video is excerpted from BBC's Planet Earth, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.
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Giant Creatures of the Great Barrier ReefIn Giant Creatures of the Great Barrier Reef, narrator Sir David Attenborough explores how certain animals work together to find food. Teamwork makes the dream work for these largest animals in Australia's Great Barrier Reef! This video is excerpted from BBC’s Blue Planet II, a natural history series that explores the world's oceans, the animals that live in them, and the threats they face, using modern filming techniques and equipment to capture previously unseen areas of the ocean.
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The Tool-Using Tusk FishIn The Tool-Using Tusk Fish, narrator Sir David Attenborough suggests that tusk fish, and perhaps other fish species, may be more intelligent than people ever thought possible. When the tusk fish finds food, such as a clam, it uses coral as a tool to crack open the clam and feed itself. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Blue Planet II, a natural history series that explores the world's oceans, the animals that live in them, and the threats they face, using modern filming techniques and equipment to capture previously unseen areas of the ocean.
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Green Turtle Hatchlings Off to SeaIn Green Turtle Hatchlings Off to Sea, narrator Gordon Buchanan describes some of the challenges faced by Australian green turtles as they travel through the water near the Great Barrier Reef areas. As the young hatchlings move through the water, they must combat predators as well as the possibility of strong and treacherous currents. This video is excerpted from BBC's Animal Babies, a heartwarming show that follows the first breaths, first steps and first feeds of some adorable baby animals, revealing the challenges they face to survive in some of the toughest but most beautiful places on the planet.
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How Clownfish and Anemones Thrive TogetherIn How Clownfish and Anemones Thrive Together, narrator Sir David Attenborough describes the special relationship between clownfish and sea anemones. The clownfish is immune to the anemone's stinging tentacles, using them as a safe home. Here, the female clownfish lays her eggs, and the male takes care of them. His job is laborious; if the female isn’t satisfied with his care, she’ll quickly replace him with another male. This video is excerpted from BBC's Life, a show that explores the remarkable strategies animals and plants use to ensure their survival.
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The Coral Reef, an Underwater MasterpieceIn The Coral Reef, an Underwater Masterpiece, narrator Sir David Attenborough marvels at the variety of life found in Earth’s coral reefs. Learn how polyps and algae both benefit from living in close relationship with one another. This video is excerpted from BBC's Planet Earth, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.
Video
Giant Creatures of the Great Barrier ReefIn Giant Creatures of the Great Barrier Reef, narrator Sir David Attenborough explores how certain animals work together to find food. Teamwork makes the dream work for these largest animals in Australia's Great Barrier Reef! This video is excerpted from BBC’s Blue Planet II, a natural history series that explores the world's oceans, the animals that live in them, and the threats they face, using modern filming techniques and equipment to capture previously unseen areas of the ocean.
Video
The Tool-Using Tusk FishIn The Tool-Using Tusk Fish, narrator Sir David Attenborough suggests that tusk fish, and perhaps other fish species, may be more intelligent than people ever thought possible. When the tusk fish finds food, such as a clam, it uses coral as a tool to crack open the clam and feed itself. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Blue Planet II, a natural history series that explores the world's oceans, the animals that live in them, and the threats they face, using modern filming techniques and equipment to capture previously unseen areas of the ocean.
Video
Green Turtle Hatchlings Off to SeaIn Green Turtle Hatchlings Off to Sea, narrator Gordon Buchanan describes some of the challenges faced by Australian green turtles as they travel through the water near the Great Barrier Reef areas. As the young hatchlings move through the water, they must combat predators as well as the possibility of strong and treacherous currents. This video is excerpted from BBC's Animal Babies, a heartwarming show that follows the first breaths, first steps and first feeds of some adorable baby animals, revealing the challenges they face to survive in some of the toughest but most beautiful places on the planet.
Video
How Clownfish and Anemones Thrive TogetherIn How Clownfish and Anemones Thrive Together, narrator Sir David Attenborough describes the special relationship between clownfish and sea anemones. The clownfish is immune to the anemone's stinging tentacles, using them as a safe home. Here, the female clownfish lays her eggs, and the male takes care of them. His job is laborious; if the female isn’t satisfied with his care, she’ll quickly replace him with another male. This video is excerpted from BBC's Life, a show that explores the remarkable strategies animals and plants use to ensure their survival.
Videos: Indonesia's Coral Reefs
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The Unexpected Marvels of Indonesian ReefsIn The Unexpected Marvels of Indonesian Reefs, narrator Sir David Attenborough highlights unusual marine life. Tiny pygmy seahorses fight for territory, while a file clam pulsates with light. This video is excerpted from BBC's Planet Earth, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.
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How Banded Sea Kraits Team Up to HuntIn How Banded Sea Kraits Team Up to Hunt narrator Sir David Attenborough describes an amazing case of underwater cooperation taking place in Indonesia's coral reefs. The venomous banded sea krait works together with larger fish to hunt smaller fish. Watch their rare, coordinated approach to the hunt! This video is excerpted from BBC's Planet Earth, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.
Video
The Coral Reef, an Underwater MasterpieceIn The Coral Reef, an Underwater Masterpiece, narrator Sir David Attenborough marvels at the variety of life found in Earth’s coral reefs. Learn how polyps and algae both benefit from living in close relationship with one another. This video is excerpted from BBC's Planet Earth, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.
Video
The Unexpected Marvels of Indonesian ReefsIn The Unexpected Marvels of Indonesian Reefs, narrator Sir David Attenborough highlights unusual marine life. Tiny pygmy seahorses fight for territory, while a file clam pulsates with light. This video is excerpted from BBC's Planet Earth, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.
Video
How Banded Sea Kraits Team Up to HuntIn How Banded Sea Kraits Team Up to Hunt narrator Sir David Attenborough describes an amazing case of underwater cooperation taking place in Indonesia's coral reefs. The venomous banded sea krait works together with larger fish to hunt smaller fish. Watch their rare, coordinated approach to the hunt! This video is excerpted from BBC's Planet Earth, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.
Video
The Coral Reef, an Underwater MasterpieceIn The Coral Reef, an Underwater Masterpiece, narrator Sir David Attenborough marvels at the variety of life found in Earth’s coral reefs. Learn how polyps and algae both benefit from living in close relationship with one another. This video is excerpted from BBC's Planet Earth, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.
More on Coral Reefs
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The Coral Reef HabitatIn The Coral Reef Habitat, narrator Sir David Attenborough examines the animals that live on the coral reef, one of the most diverse places in the animal world. Learn about animals that live in the reef, climb out away from the reef, or return to the reef from the open ocean. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Blue Planet, a definitive documentary series diving into the mysterious depths of the sea to discover the natural history of the world’s oceans and the rarely seen marine life that reside there.
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Competition on the Coral ReefIn Competition on the Coral Reef, narrator Sir David Attenborough describes how one predator-prey pair interact on the reef. Watch jack fish try to corral silversides who have their own defensive tactic. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Blue Planet, a definitive documentary series diving into the mysterious depths of the sea to discover the natural history of the world’s oceans and the rarely seen marine life that reside there.
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Nightfall on the Coral ReefIn Nightfall on the Coral Reef, narrator Sir David Attenborough explains how animals survive on the coral reef at night. Watch how manta rays hunt at night. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Blue Planet, a definitive documentary series diving into the mysterious depths of the sea to discover the natural history of the world’s oceans and the rarely seen marine life that reside there.
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Sponges on the Reef Are a Home Worth DefendingIn Sponges on the Reef Are a Home Worth Defending, narrator Sir David Attenborough explains how shrimp inhabit sponges and how they help the sponge and the sponge helps them. Learn about a shrimp colony. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Blue Planet, a definitive documentary series diving into the mysterious depths of the sea to discover the natural history of the world’s oceans and the rarely seen marine life that reside there.
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