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Teach the Polar Ecosystem

13 resources

Bring your students on an icy exploration of the polar ecosystem! The Arctic and Antarctica may look frozen and empty at first glance, but they’re full of life perfectly adapted to the cold. 

✨ 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 polar regions. (Don't miss the narwhals and emperor penguins!) Brought to you by world-class BBC programs like Planet Earth, Frozen Planet, and Seven Worlds, One Planet.
  • Free Printable: Use the Polar 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.

Collection Details
Grades:
3-56-8
Subject:
Science
Topic:
Life Science
Keywords
polar wildlifeecosystemArcticAntarcticapenguinswhalespolar bearsWeddell sealsnarwhalspolar
A mother polar bear with two cubs in the Arctic

Get the Polar Ecosystem Brochure Template

Printable
Get This Free Printable Polar Ecosystem Brochure Template

Venture to the frozen edges of our planet — the polar regions! From the icy Arctic, home to polar bears, to the vast white wilderness of Antarctica, where penguins rule, these ecosystems are as extreme as they are breathtaking. 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!

The Arctic

Video
Polar Bear Cubs Face a Challenging First Year

In Polar Bear Cubs Face a Challenging First Year, narrator Sir David Attenborough introduces a mother polar bear and her two young cubs as they emerge from their den after five months beneath the snow. The cubs must quickly adapt to their harsh environment, learning to navigate steep slopes and frozen terrain. Their mother, who has not eaten in months, must now guide them across the sea ice to find food before her milk runs dry. As the ice begins to melt, survival becomes even more difficult. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Planet Earth, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.

Video
Narwhals — Unicorns of the North

In Narwhals — Unicorns of the North, narrator Sir David Attenborough describes how a group of narwhals heads into the bay to find food when it runs into another group of narwhals traveling in the other direction. After a stand-off, they all swim back into the bay. Then learn about the mystery of the narwhal’s tusk. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Frozen Planet, a series that shows a fragile world of beauty and hostility, where nature finds a way to survive and thrive in frigid conditions.

Video
How Musk Oxen Survive in the Arctic

In How Musk Oxen Survive in the Arctic, narrator Sir David Attenborough showcases musk oxen in the Arctic and their adaptations for survival in harsh conditions. The musk oxen can break through the frozen ground to access vegetation, creating opportunities for other animals like Arctic foxes and various birds. Calves are birthed early, allowing them to acclimate to their environment before summer arrives. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Planet Earth, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.

Video
A Secluded Beluga Whale Estuary

In A Secluded Beluga Whale Estuary, narrator Sir David Attenborough follows a herd of beluga whales as they swim into a secluded estuary that is only available during summer when the ice has melted. The whales are there to use the shallow water and rocky bottom to clean their skin. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Frozen Planet, a series that shows a fragile world of beauty and hostility, where nature finds a way to survive and thrive in frigid conditions.

Video
Ducks in the Arctic

In Ducks in the Arctic, narrator Sir David Attenborough shows ducks on their annual migration through the Arctic. They stop to rest and eat where gaps in the ice allow them to access the rich waters below. But the ocean is freezing over and when a winter storm comes, the gamble of staying longer in the freezing Arctic will not pay off for some of them. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Frozen Planet, a series that shows a fragile world of beauty and hostility, where nature finds a way to survive and thrive in frigid conditions.

Antarctica

Video
The Vast Ice Worlds of Antarctica

In The Vast Ice Worlds of Antarctica, narrator Sir David Attenborough takes viewers on a journey through Antarctica’s frozen landscapes. Towering ice formations marked their entry into uncharted territory along with the overwhelming dominance of ice as they pressed forward. Antarctica, a vast continent as large as the United States, is home to 90% of the world’s ice. It remains a deserted and inhospitable world until spring arrives. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Planet Earth, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.

Video
Life and Danger Under the Antarctic Sea

In Life and Danger Under the Antarctic Sea, narrator Sir David Attenborough explores life under the Antarctic Sea where fish have antifreeze in their blood and jellyfish and starfish thrive. But when brine starts seeping down, it catches animals in its wake. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Frozen Planet, a series that shows a fragile world of beauty and hostility, where nature finds a way to survive and thrive in frigid conditions.

Video
Whales in Antarctica

In Whales in Antarctica, narrator Sir David Attenborough describes how humpback whales, minke whales, and orcas all arrive in Antarctica to eat massive amounts of krill. Watch humpback whales feed and learn how minke whales’ body shape helps them swim far and fast. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Frozen Planet, a series that shows a fragile world of beauty and hostility, where nature finds a way to survive and thrive in frigid conditions.

Video
Male Emperor Penguins Are Fathers of the Year

In Male Emperor Penguins Are Fathers of the Year, narrator Sir David Attenborough shares how male penguins endure extreme conditions to care for their eggs. Temperatures plummet, winds whip, and the Sun disappears as these hardy birds huddle for protection. This video is excerpted from BBC's Planet Earth, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.

Video
Weddell Seal Pups in Antarctica

In Weddell Seal Pups in Antarctica, narrator Sir David Attenborough reveals the challenges newborn seal pups face in one of the harshest environments on Earth. From enduring subzero temperatures and blizzards to entering the icy water for the first time, every decision impacts their survival. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Seven Worlds, One Planet, a series featuring remarkable animal behavior from all seven continents.

More on Polar Ecosystems

Video
Young Animals of the Antarctic and the Arctic

In Young Animals of the Antarctic and the Arctic, narrator Sir David Attenborough follows the journey of young animals growing up in two of the harshest environments on Earth — the Antarctic and the Arctic. Penguin chicks rely on their parents for food and protection as they grow, but not all survive. By early summer, the surviving chicks are strong and independent. In the Arctic, two polar bear cubs, now independent, briefly reunite before setting off on their own into the icy wilderness. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Planet Earth, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.

Video
Polar Seasons and Life at the Extremes

In Polar Seasons and Life at the Extremes, narrator Sir David Attenborough describes life in the coldest, most extreme places on the planet. Learn how the seasons at the Poles have a rhythm of their own that only the toughest species can endure. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Frozen Planet, a series that shows a fragile world of beauty and hostility, where nature finds a way to survive and thrive in frigid conditions.

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