Featured Science/Environment Resources
Videos
In Summer in the Rockies, narrator Sir David Attenborough describes how animals find a way to survive among the barren peaks. Grizzly bears search for roosting moths, as all around them the Rockies themselves crumble. This video is excerpted from BBC's Planet Earth, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.
In Arctic Summer Visitors, narrator Sir David Attenborough explores how and why animals arrive at the Arctic in summer. Learn about the guillemots and beluga whales that arrive in the Arctic in summer. 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.
In A Polar Bear Cub’s First Summer, narrator Sir David Attenborough shows how a polar bear family adjusts to the changing summer landscape. As ice sheets melt and send water cascading over ice cliffs, the polar bears must adapt to living with less ice and more water. 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.
In Summer on the Tibetan Plateau, narrator Sir David Attenborough explores the Tibetan Plateau, the highest great plain in the world. The air here is thin and dry. Grass survives in sufficient quantities to support the highest of all grazing herds of wild yak. This video is excerpted from BBC's Planet Earth, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.
In Summer in the Rockies, narrator Sir David Attenborough describes how animals find a way to survive among the barren peaks. Grizzly bears search for roosting moths, as all around them the Rockies themselves crumble. This video is excerpted from BBC's Planet Earth, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.
In Arctic Summer Visitors, narrator Sir David Attenborough explores how and why animals arrive at the Arctic in summer. Learn about the guillemots and beluga whales that arrive in the Arctic in summer. 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.
In A Polar Bear Cub’s First Summer, narrator Sir David Attenborough shows how a polar bear family adjusts to the changing summer landscape. As ice sheets melt and send water cascading over ice cliffs, the polar bears must adapt to living with less ice and more water. 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.
In Summer on the Tibetan Plateau, narrator Sir David Attenborough explores the Tibetan Plateau, the highest great plain in the world. The air here is thin and dry. Grass survives in sufficient quantities to support the highest of all grazing herds of wild yak. This video is excerpted from BBC's Planet Earth, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.
Printables
Everyone loves a nature walk! Take your PreK–Grade 2 students outside to observe the world around them. With these worksheets on a clipboard, you can make your nature walk more focused and a true learning experience (in addition to being loads of fun!).
- Nature Walk Scavenger Hunt: Students look for a leaf, flower, bird, and more. They can check off each item they find and then color them when they get back to the classroom.
- Nature Walk Observations: Encourage your kids to draw and write what they see on their nature walk.
- Nature Walk I Spy: Challenge your students to find something that smells good, something round, something tiny, something rough, something green, and something that flies.
- Nature Walk Report: When you get back to the room, have your kids draw and write about what they saw on their nature walk.
We designed these worksheets for use in grades 3–8. Show one of our many short animal videos, and use the worksheets to get students to synthesize and extend their learning. Students can choose which worksheet to complete based on their interests, or you can assign one that best fits their learning needs.
This Planet Earth Passport is your students' perfect guide (just right for ages 8–11) to exploring some of the most-watched videos clips from the iconic BBC series Planet Earth. And it's right in time for Earth Day on April 22!
You can take part by showing your class our playlist of eight amazing animal videos and using our passport as a companion. Students will follow the map to each location and answer questions at each stop. They'll explore:
- Polar Bears in Antarctica
- Bobcats in the Rocky Mountains
- Catfish in France
- Marine Iguanas in the Galápagos
- Cave Swiftlets in Borneo
- Mouse Lemurs in Madagascar
- Dolphins in Western Australia
- Emperor Penguins in Antarctica
To make copies of the passport, print on both sides flipped on the long edge. Make sure you collate and then cut them in half (there are two passports per set).
Teaching ecosystems helps students see how every living thing is connected. That's why we've created our Ecosystems Collection. We cover six ecosystems (grasslands, desert, coral reef, tropical rainforest, mountain, and polar). After watching videos on each ecosystem, challenge your students to become ecosystem experts by creating their own colorful reports filled with fascinating facts. (They’ll need to dig deeper with extra research, too!) There's a brochure template for each of the six ecosystems. Inside, 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!
Everyone loves a nature walk! Take your PreK–Grade 2 students outside to observe the world around them. With these worksheets on a clipboard, you can make your nature walk more focused and a true learning experience (in addition to being loads of fun!).
- Nature Walk Scavenger Hunt: Students look for a leaf, flower, bird, and more. They can check off each item they find and then color them when they get back to the classroom.
- Nature Walk Observations: Encourage your kids to draw and write what they see on their nature walk.
- Nature Walk I Spy: Challenge your students to find something that smells good, something round, something tiny, something rough, something green, and something that flies.
- Nature Walk Report: When you get back to the room, have your kids draw and write about what they saw on their nature walk.
We designed these worksheets for use in grades 3–8. Show one of our many short animal videos, and use the worksheets to get students to synthesize and extend their learning. Students can choose which worksheet to complete based on their interests, or you can assign one that best fits their learning needs.
This Planet Earth Passport is your students' perfect guide (just right for ages 8–11) to exploring some of the most-watched videos clips from the iconic BBC series Planet Earth. And it's right in time for Earth Day on April 22!
You can take part by showing your class our playlist of eight amazing animal videos and using our passport as a companion. Students will follow the map to each location and answer questions at each stop. They'll explore:
- Polar Bears in Antarctica
- Bobcats in the Rocky Mountains
- Catfish in France
- Marine Iguanas in the Galápagos
- Cave Swiftlets in Borneo
- Mouse Lemurs in Madagascar
- Dolphins in Western Australia
- Emperor Penguins in Antarctica
To make copies of the passport, print on both sides flipped on the long edge. Make sure you collate and then cut them in half (there are two passports per set).
Teaching ecosystems helps students see how every living thing is connected. That's why we've created our Ecosystems Collection. We cover six ecosystems (grasslands, desert, coral reef, tropical rainforest, mountain, and polar). After watching videos on each ecosystem, challenge your students to become ecosystem experts by creating their own colorful reports filled with fascinating facts. (They’ll need to dig deeper with extra research, too!) There's a brochure template for each of the six ecosystems. Inside, 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!
Leveled Student Articles
The article "Everything You Need to Know About Microplastics" from BBC's Science Focus explores the origins, distribution, and impacts of microplastics. Experts Dr. Laura Foster and Thomas Stanton discuss how these particles enter ecosystems, their effects on wildlife and potential human health risks, and suggest measures individuals and governments can take to mitigate the problem.
The article "Eating Insects Is Good for Your Gut" from BBC's Science Focus reveals the findings of a clinical trial that shows that eating insects can increase beneficial gut bacteria and reduce inflammation, offering potential health benefits beyond their nutritional value.
The article "Something Very Weird Is Happening to the Planet's Earthquakes; Here's Why" from BBC's Science Focus discusses earthquakes that occur away from fault lines, known as intraplate earthquakes. Scientists are studying factors like ice sheet melting and deep-earth stress to understand these mysterious seismic events.
The article "6 Terrible Inventions That Killed Their Creators" from BBC's Science Focus recounts the tragic tales of inventors who died due to their own inventions. From Karel Soucek's shock-absorbent barrel to Henry Smolinski's flying car, these stories highlight the risks and dangers faced by those who push the boundaries of innovation.
The article "Everything You Need to Know About Microplastics" from BBC's Science Focus explores the origins, distribution, and impacts of microplastics. Experts Dr. Laura Foster and Thomas Stanton discuss how these particles enter ecosystems, their effects on wildlife and potential human health risks, and suggest measures individuals and governments can take to mitigate the problem.
The article "Eating Insects Is Good for Your Gut" from BBC's Science Focus reveals the findings of a clinical trial that shows that eating insects can increase beneficial gut bacteria and reduce inflammation, offering potential health benefits beyond their nutritional value.
The article "Something Very Weird Is Happening to the Planet's Earthquakes; Here's Why" from BBC's Science Focus discusses earthquakes that occur away from fault lines, known as intraplate earthquakes. Scientists are studying factors like ice sheet melting and deep-earth stress to understand these mysterious seismic events.
The article "6 Terrible Inventions That Killed Their Creators" from BBC's Science Focus recounts the tragic tales of inventors who died due to their own inventions. From Karel Soucek's shock-absorbent barrel to Henry Smolinski's flying car, these stories highlight the risks and dangers faced by those who push the boundaries of innovation.