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.
In The Arctic Summer Is Full of Endless Light and Abundant Life, narrator Sir David Attenborough showcases the Arctic at the peak of summer when continuous daylight transforms the tundra into a temporary haven for wildlife. Migratory birds, such as sandhill cranes, return from distant locations like New Mexico to take advantage of the abundant food supply and raise their young. Arctic foxes, now with plentiful food sources, can finally support their families. However, nesting birds must remain vigilant, as Arctic skuas aggressively defend their territories against intruders, even large mammals like reindeer. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Planet Earth, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.
In Hunting and Nesting in the Arctic During Summer Melt, narrator Sir David Attenborough details the dramatic transformation of the Arctic landscape as summer approaches. Glacial meltwaters flow into the sea, and the once-solid ice sheets begin to break apart. This unstable environment poses significant challenges for polar bears, who rely on sea ice to hunt for seals. As the ice weakens, a male polar bear struggles to find stable ground, a grim reminder of the impact of climate change. Meanwhile, seabirds, such as little auks, return to the Arctic seeking bare rock for nesting. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Planet Earth, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.
In Spring in the Arctic Is a Changing Ice World, narrator Sir David Attenborough highlights the changing ice world as the Arctic transitions from winter to spring. While many birds migrate south for warmth, eider ducks endure the extreme cold, relying on a rare opening in the ice called a "polynya" for survival. These ducks dive beneath the ice to feed on mussel beds, but they must act quickly before the powerful ocean currents return. Meanwhile, the availability of food in these polynyas attracts predators, adding another challenge to survival in this harsh environment. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Planet Earth, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.
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.
In Polar Bears Emerge During Spring in the Arctic, narrator Sir David Attenborough describes how daylight returns to the Arctic after four months of total darkness. Two polar bear cubs emerge from their den, seeing and hearing the world outside for the first time. Watch as the mother toboggans down a snowy slope and then feeds her hungry cubs. This video is excerpted from BBC's Planet Earth, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.
In A Picnic in the Arctic narrator Sir David Attenborough describes how men from two Arctic communities meet to exchange goods, barter, and share a meal. Summer in the Arctic is a chance for the people who live there to come together to share news over a meal of guillemot eggs. 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 The End of Autumn in the Arctic, narrator Sir David Attenborough explains how the Sun is turning away from the Arctic and the temperatures are dropping. Watch sea ice form, polar bears return to the ice, and the tundra become ablaze with color as the leaves change from green to orange, yellow, and brown. 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 Welcome to the Arctic: Summer Migration, narrator Sir David Attenborough describes how birds, including the Arctic terns, red phalaropes, and more have flown to the Arctic to enjoy the feeding grounds during summer. 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 Spring in the Arctic, narrator Sir David Attenborough walks us through time-lapse videography showing how the Arctic transforms during the spring and what this means for the Arctic poppy and the hearty, persistent woolly bear caterpillar. 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 Arctic Hunters in Chukotka, narrator Sir David Attenborough follows hunters on small boats as they venture into the Arctic waters. They are hunting walrus and use a harpoon to spear one before it disappears into open 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 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.
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.
In The Arctic Summer Is Full of Endless Light and Abundant Life, narrator Sir David Attenborough showcases the Arctic at the peak of summer when continuous daylight transforms the tundra into a temporary haven for wildlife. Migratory birds, such as sandhill cranes, return from distant locations like New Mexico to take advantage of the abundant food supply and raise their young. Arctic foxes, now with plentiful food sources, can finally support their families. However, nesting birds must remain vigilant, as Arctic skuas aggressively defend their territories against intruders, even large mammals like reindeer. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Planet Earth, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.
In Hunting and Nesting in the Arctic During Summer Melt, narrator Sir David Attenborough details the dramatic transformation of the Arctic landscape as summer approaches. Glacial meltwaters flow into the sea, and the once-solid ice sheets begin to break apart. This unstable environment poses significant challenges for polar bears, who rely on sea ice to hunt for seals. As the ice weakens, a male polar bear struggles to find stable ground, a grim reminder of the impact of climate change. Meanwhile, seabirds, such as little auks, return to the Arctic seeking bare rock for nesting. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Planet Earth, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.
In Spring in the Arctic Is a Changing Ice World, narrator Sir David Attenborough highlights the changing ice world as the Arctic transitions from winter to spring. While many birds migrate south for warmth, eider ducks endure the extreme cold, relying on a rare opening in the ice called a "polynya" for survival. These ducks dive beneath the ice to feed on mussel beds, but they must act quickly before the powerful ocean currents return. Meanwhile, the availability of food in these polynyas attracts predators, adding another challenge to survival in this harsh environment. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Planet Earth, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.
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.
In Polar Bears Emerge During Spring in the Arctic, narrator Sir David Attenborough describes how daylight returns to the Arctic after four months of total darkness. Two polar bear cubs emerge from their den, seeing and hearing the world outside for the first time. Watch as the mother toboggans down a snowy slope and then feeds her hungry cubs. This video is excerpted from BBC's Planet Earth, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.
In A Picnic in the Arctic narrator Sir David Attenborough describes how men from two Arctic communities meet to exchange goods, barter, and share a meal. Summer in the Arctic is a chance for the people who live there to come together to share news over a meal of guillemot eggs. 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 The End of Autumn in the Arctic, narrator Sir David Attenborough explains how the Sun is turning away from the Arctic and the temperatures are dropping. Watch sea ice form, polar bears return to the ice, and the tundra become ablaze with color as the leaves change from green to orange, yellow, and brown. 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 Welcome to the Arctic: Summer Migration, narrator Sir David Attenborough describes how birds, including the Arctic terns, red phalaropes, and more have flown to the Arctic to enjoy the feeding grounds during summer. 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 Spring in the Arctic, narrator Sir David Attenborough walks us through time-lapse videography showing how the Arctic transforms during the spring and what this means for the Arctic poppy and the hearty, persistent woolly bear caterpillar. 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 Arctic Hunters in Chukotka, narrator Sir David Attenborough follows hunters on small boats as they venture into the Arctic waters. They are hunting walrus and use a harpoon to spear one before it disappears into open 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 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.