Guide your students on a hike through the tropical rainforest ecosystem! From the Amazon in South America to the jungles of Southeast Asia, rainforests are full of unique and amazing species.
✨ 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 rainforest. (Don't miss the spider monkeys and waterfall toads!) Brought to you by world-class BBC programs like Planet Earth, Deadly 60, Seven Worlds, One Planet, and Life.
- Free Printable: Use the Tropical Rainforest 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.
Step into the lush, green world of tropical rainforests! From the mighty Amazon to the steamy jungles of Southeast Asia, these ecosystems overflow with towering trees, hidden creatures, and nonstop adventure. 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!
In The Amazon Rainforest and Human Destruction, look at satellite images that show how forests across South America are being replaced by farms at a rapid pace. Over two million species of plants and animals live in the Amazon rainforest and many are endangered. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Seven Worlds, One Planet, a series featuring remarkable animal behavior from all seven continents.
In The Effects of Deregulation, host Radzi Chinyanganya explains how Brazil's deregulation policies have led to rapid deforestation in the Amazon. The government’s decision to lift restrictions on land use has allowed for the clearing of forests for agricultural expansion, logging, mining, and ranching. This video highlights the environmental consequences of this deregulation, focusing on the struggle between different groups, such as ranchers seeking land for cattle grazing and Indigenous populations fighting to protect their ancestral forests. This video is excerpted from BBC’s My World, a program created for teenagers eager to learn more about the important stories shaping our world.
In Mother to Indigenous Youth, host Radzi Chinyanganya highlights Indigenous Arara youth and their connection to the Amazon rainforest, which they consider their "mother." This video highlights the struggles of Indigenous communities, such as Maristela's, as they fight for the preservation of their culture and environment. Maristela expresses deep concern for the loss of their sacred forest, emphasizing how integral it is to their identity and survival. This video is excerpted from BBC’s My World, a program created for teenagers eager to learn more about the important stories shaping our world.
In A Threatened Global Treasure, host Radzi Chinyanganya follows journalist Nomia Iqbal as she travels through Brazil to investigate the threats facing the Amazon rainforest. The video focuses on the alarming increase in forest fires in 2019, largely driven by changes in government policies as well as the issue of illegal logging. Can the Amazon survive? This video is excerpted from BBC’s My World, a program created for teenagers eager to learn more about the important stories shaping our world.
In The Heart and Lungs of the World, host Radzi Chinyanganya explains how the Amazon rainforest plays a critical role in regulating the Earth's climate by recycling water from the trees into the atmosphere. The Amazon takes in and pumps out water, which creates moisture that forms clouds and produces rain. With 400 billion trees cycling water, this process significantly influences global weather patterns, including rainfall in regions far from the rainforest itself, such as the United States’ Midwest. This video is excerpted from BBC’s My World, a program created for teenagers eager to learn more about the important stories shaping our world.
In The Go Jetters Travel to the Amazon Rainforest!, Ubercorn and friends explore the magical Amazon Rainforest! This rainforest is the largest in the world, with tall trees, warm weather, and rain all year long. It’s home to millions of animals and plants, all living together in a special way! This video is excerpted from BBC’s Go Jetters, a series that follows the adventures of four plucky international heroes as they travel the globe visiting the world’s most famous landmarks with their friend and mentor, Ubercorn, a disco-dancing unicorn.
In Life in the Flooded Jungles of Brazil, narrator Sir David Attenborough takes us into the flooded Amazon rainforest, showing how jungle trees release moisture into the air to create their own rainfall. Marvel at the diverse range of animals that live in this watery environment, including river dolphins, capybaras, giant otters, and caimans. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Planet Earth II, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.
In The Goliath Bird-Eating Spider, naturalist Steve Backshall is in the Amazon rainforest at night. He uncovers a Goliath bird-eating spider, the largest spider in the world, and it’s sitting on top of an egg sac. This video is excerpted from BBC's Deadly 60, an award-winning nature and adventure show for kids in which narrator Steve Backshall has one mission: to travel the globe in search of 60 of the world's deadliest animals.
In A Resurgence of Life in Antarctica, learn how the nutrient-rich seas play a crucial role in global carbon absorption, rivaling even the Amazon rainforest. The largest gathering of great whales ever filmed arrives to feed on krill. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Seven Worlds, One Planet, a series featuring remarkable animal behavior from all seven continents.
Guide your students on a hike through the tropical rainforest ecosystem! From the Amazon in South America to the jungles of Southeast Asia, rainforests are full of unique and amazing species.
✨ 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 rainforest. (Don't miss the spider monkeys and waterfall toads!) Brought to you by world-class BBC programs like Planet Earth, Deadly 60, Seven Worlds, One Planet, and Life.
- Free Printable: Use the Tropical Rainforest 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.
Step into the lush, green world of tropical rainforests! From the mighty Amazon to the steamy jungles of Southeast Asia, these ecosystems overflow with towering trees, hidden creatures, and nonstop adventure. 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!
In The Amazon Rainforest and Human Destruction, look at satellite images that show how forests across South America are being replaced by farms at a rapid pace. Over two million species of plants and animals live in the Amazon rainforest and many are endangered. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Seven Worlds, One Planet, a series featuring remarkable animal behavior from all seven continents.
In The Effects of Deregulation, host Radzi Chinyanganya explains how Brazil's deregulation policies have led to rapid deforestation in the Amazon. The government’s decision to lift restrictions on land use has allowed for the clearing of forests for agricultural expansion, logging, mining, and ranching. This video highlights the environmental consequences of this deregulation, focusing on the struggle between different groups, such as ranchers seeking land for cattle grazing and Indigenous populations fighting to protect their ancestral forests. This video is excerpted from BBC’s My World, a program created for teenagers eager to learn more about the important stories shaping our world.
In Mother to Indigenous Youth, host Radzi Chinyanganya highlights Indigenous Arara youth and their connection to the Amazon rainforest, which they consider their "mother." This video highlights the struggles of Indigenous communities, such as Maristela's, as they fight for the preservation of their culture and environment. Maristela expresses deep concern for the loss of their sacred forest, emphasizing how integral it is to their identity and survival. This video is excerpted from BBC’s My World, a program created for teenagers eager to learn more about the important stories shaping our world.
In A Threatened Global Treasure, host Radzi Chinyanganya follows journalist Nomia Iqbal as she travels through Brazil to investigate the threats facing the Amazon rainforest. The video focuses on the alarming increase in forest fires in 2019, largely driven by changes in government policies as well as the issue of illegal logging. Can the Amazon survive? This video is excerpted from BBC’s My World, a program created for teenagers eager to learn more about the important stories shaping our world.
In The Heart and Lungs of the World, host Radzi Chinyanganya explains how the Amazon rainforest plays a critical role in regulating the Earth's climate by recycling water from the trees into the atmosphere. The Amazon takes in and pumps out water, which creates moisture that forms clouds and produces rain. With 400 billion trees cycling water, this process significantly influences global weather patterns, including rainfall in regions far from the rainforest itself, such as the United States’ Midwest. This video is excerpted from BBC’s My World, a program created for teenagers eager to learn more about the important stories shaping our world.
In The Go Jetters Travel to the Amazon Rainforest!, Ubercorn and friends explore the magical Amazon Rainforest! This rainforest is the largest in the world, with tall trees, warm weather, and rain all year long. It’s home to millions of animals and plants, all living together in a special way! This video is excerpted from BBC’s Go Jetters, a series that follows the adventures of four plucky international heroes as they travel the globe visiting the world’s most famous landmarks with their friend and mentor, Ubercorn, a disco-dancing unicorn.
In Life in the Flooded Jungles of Brazil, narrator Sir David Attenborough takes us into the flooded Amazon rainforest, showing how jungle trees release moisture into the air to create their own rainfall. Marvel at the diverse range of animals that live in this watery environment, including river dolphins, capybaras, giant otters, and caimans. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Planet Earth II, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.
In The Goliath Bird-Eating Spider, naturalist Steve Backshall is in the Amazon rainforest at night. He uncovers a Goliath bird-eating spider, the largest spider in the world, and it’s sitting on top of an egg sac. This video is excerpted from BBC's Deadly 60, an award-winning nature and adventure show for kids in which narrator Steve Backshall has one mission: to travel the globe in search of 60 of the world's deadliest animals.
In A Resurgence of Life in Antarctica, learn how the nutrient-rich seas play a crucial role in global carbon absorption, rivaling even the Amazon rainforest. The largest gathering of great whales ever filmed arrives to feed on krill. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Seven Worlds, One Planet, a series featuring remarkable animal behavior from all seven continents.