Teach the Desert Ecosystem
14 resourcesGuide your students on a journey through the desert ecosystem! From the sweeping sands of the Namib and Kalahari in southern Africa, to the dry heart of Australia’s Outback, and the rocky cold of the Gobi, deserts come in many forms.
✨ 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 desert. (Don't miss the lions and lizards!) Brought to you by world-class BBC programs like Planet Earth, Wilderness With Simon Reeve, Africa, and Seven Worlds, One Planet.
- Free Printable: Use the Desert 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.
Get the Desert Ecosystem Brochure Template
Get ready to journey into some of the most extreme places on Earth — the deserts! From the towering dunes of the Namib and the sunbaked Kalahari to the rugged Australian Outback and the icy sands of the Gobi, these ecosystems are full of surprising life. 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:
- 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 Sonoran Desert
In A Crucial Resource in the Desert, narrator Sir David Attenborough explores the Saguaro cacti. Saguaros are cacti with very shallow roots. Learn how they expand after a rainstorm and flower during four weeks of the summer, supporting the wildlife around them. This video is excerpted from BBC's Planet Earth, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.
In Cacti, Hawks, and the Butcherbird, narrator Sir David Attenborough shows how animals in the American deserts use cacti as a vital resource for survival. Learn how the butcherbird stores its prey on cactus spikes and how hawks and other creatures adapt to the harsh desert environment. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Planet Earth II, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.
In A Crucial Resource in the Desert, narrator Sir David Attenborough explores the Saguaro cacti. Saguaros are cacti with very shallow roots. Learn how they expand after a rainstorm and flower during four weeks of the summer, supporting the wildlife around them. This video is excerpted from BBC's Planet Earth, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.
In Cacti, Hawks, and the Butcherbird, narrator Sir David Attenborough shows how animals in the American deserts use cacti as a vital resource for survival. Learn how the butcherbird stores its prey on cactus spikes and how hawks and other creatures adapt to the harsh desert environment. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Planet Earth II, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.
Videos: The Kalahari and Namib Deserts
In The Animals That Rule the Desert, host Simon Reeve journeys through the Kalahari in Botswana, where he encounters lions, elephants, and jackals. Botswana has become a safe haven for African elephants, holding nearly a third of the population after decades of poaching and habitat destruction. With only 400,000 elephants left from an original 25 million, Simon emphasizes the urgency to protect these majestic creatures. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Wilderness With Simon Reeve, an epic adventure into the heart of Earth’s last great wild areas, where nature is at its most beautiful and fragile.
In The Desperate Search for Water in the Desert, narrator Sir David Attenborough details the race for survival in one of the harshest environments on Earth. A mother elephant and her calf, separated from their herd by a dust storm, press on toward a life-giving river delta. This video is excerpted from BBC's Planet Earth, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.
In Life in the Extreme Heat, narrator Sir David Attenborough describes how animals like the golden mole, desert long-eared bat, and darkling beetle have adapted to survive life in the desert. From clever ways to gather water to unique hunting techniques, these creatures demonstrate the incredible resilience of life in the Namib and Negev deserts. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Planet Earth II, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.
In Meet the Drongo, the Desert’s Biggest Trickster!, narrator Sir David Attenborough describes the mysterious Kalahari Desert, a dry and ancient land full of strange wonders. Discover the bond between meerkats and clever drongo birds, one of nature’s biggest tricksters. During winter, the drongo mimics warning calls to steal food from the meerkats, but they’re smart enough to catch on to its tricks. Despite his sneaky ways, the drongo is a loyal ally most of the year. This video is excerpted from BBC's Africa, a study of the landscape and wildlife of the world’s wildest continent, Africa.
In Brown Hyenas of the Namib Desert, narrator Sir David Attenborough observes a female brown hyena living in the Namib Desert. Her home is an abandoned diamond mine, where she has reared nine generations of cubs. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Seven Worlds, One Planet, a series featuring remarkable animal behavior from all seven continents.
In The Animals That Rule the Desert, host Simon Reeve journeys through the Kalahari in Botswana, where he encounters lions, elephants, and jackals. Botswana has become a safe haven for African elephants, holding nearly a third of the population after decades of poaching and habitat destruction. With only 400,000 elephants left from an original 25 million, Simon emphasizes the urgency to protect these majestic creatures. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Wilderness With Simon Reeve, an epic adventure into the heart of Earth’s last great wild areas, where nature is at its most beautiful and fragile.
In The Desperate Search for Water in the Desert, narrator Sir David Attenborough details the race for survival in one of the harshest environments on Earth. A mother elephant and her calf, separated from their herd by a dust storm, press on toward a life-giving river delta. This video is excerpted from BBC's Planet Earth, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.
In Life in the Extreme Heat, narrator Sir David Attenborough describes how animals like the golden mole, desert long-eared bat, and darkling beetle have adapted to survive life in the desert. From clever ways to gather water to unique hunting techniques, these creatures demonstrate the incredible resilience of life in the Namib and Negev deserts. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Planet Earth II, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.
In Meet the Drongo, the Desert’s Biggest Trickster!, narrator Sir David Attenborough describes the mysterious Kalahari Desert, a dry and ancient land full of strange wonders. Discover the bond between meerkats and clever drongo birds, one of nature’s biggest tricksters. During winter, the drongo mimics warning calls to steal food from the meerkats, but they’re smart enough to catch on to its tricks. Despite his sneaky ways, the drongo is a loyal ally most of the year. This video is excerpted from BBC's Africa, a study of the landscape and wildlife of the world’s wildest continent, Africa.
In Brown Hyenas of the Namib Desert, narrator Sir David Attenborough observes a female brown hyena living in the Namib Desert. Her home is an abandoned diamond mine, where she has reared nine generations of cubs. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Seven Worlds, One Planet, a series featuring remarkable animal behavior from all seven continents.
Videos: The Gobi Desert
In The Formation of the Gobi Desert, narrator Sir David Attenborough explores the Gobi Desert and its origin. The Himalayas force air upwards, creating rainfall. When the air reaches the other side of the mountains, it is drier. This weather pattern formed the Gobi Desert. This video is excerpted from BBC's Planet Earth, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.
In The Animals of the Gobi Desert, narrator Sir David Attenborough explores the Gobi Desert and the animals that live there. The Gobi is one of the harshest deserts of all because temperatures range from 122°F (50°C) during the summer to -40°F (-40°C) during the winter. Learn how Bactrian camels living in the Gobi get their water from snow. This video is excerpted from BBC's Planet Earth, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.
In The Formation of the Gobi Desert, narrator Sir David Attenborough explores the Gobi Desert and its origin. The Himalayas force air upwards, creating rainfall. When the air reaches the other side of the mountains, it is drier. This weather pattern formed the Gobi Desert. This video is excerpted from BBC's Planet Earth, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.
In The Animals of the Gobi Desert, narrator Sir David Attenborough explores the Gobi Desert and the animals that live there. The Gobi is one of the harshest deserts of all because temperatures range from 122°F (50°C) during the summer to -40°F (-40°C) during the winter. Learn how Bactrian camels living in the Gobi get their water from snow. This video is excerpted from BBC's Planet Earth, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.
Videos: The Australian Desert
In Australia, Our Most Arid Continent, narrator Sir David Attenborough describes the Australian desert. In the Australian desert, the daytime temperature rises by 41°F (5°C) every hour. Learn how Australia is the world's most arid continent. This video is excerpted from BBC's Planet Earth, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.
In How Red Kangaroos Keep Their Cool, narrator Sir David Attenborough describes how red kangaroos survive the extreme heat of the Australian desert. This video is excerpted from BBC's Planet Earth, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.
In Reptiles and Water in the Desert, narrator Sir David Attenborough describes how all wildlife makes the most of any opportunity to get water in the desert. The thorny devil sources water from eating ants but it can also dip its toe in puddles and collect moisture by capillary action. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Seven Worlds, One Planet, a series featuring remarkable animal behavior from all seven continents.
In Wild Budgerigars in the Desert, narrator Sir David Attenborough reveals how well the wild budgerigars have adapted to living in the desert. They fly in flocks to keep themselves safe from predatory birds. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Seven Worlds, One Planet, a series featuring remarkable animal behavior from all seven continents.
In Australia, Our Most Arid Continent, narrator Sir David Attenborough describes the Australian desert. In the Australian desert, the daytime temperature rises by 41°F (5°C) every hour. Learn how Australia is the world's most arid continent. This video is excerpted from BBC's Planet Earth, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.
In How Red Kangaroos Keep Their Cool, narrator Sir David Attenborough describes how red kangaroos survive the extreme heat of the Australian desert. This video is excerpted from BBC's Planet Earth, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.
In Reptiles and Water in the Desert, narrator Sir David Attenborough describes how all wildlife makes the most of any opportunity to get water in the desert. The thorny devil sources water from eating ants but it can also dip its toe in puddles and collect moisture by capillary action. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Seven Worlds, One Planet, a series featuring remarkable animal behavior from all seven continents.
In Wild Budgerigars in the Desert, narrator Sir David Attenborough reveals how well the wild budgerigars have adapted to living in the desert. They fly in flocks to keep themselves safe from predatory birds. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Seven Worlds, One Planet, a series featuring remarkable animal behavior from all seven continents.