In Secrets of the Mayan Jungle, host Simon Reeve explores the ancient city of Yaxchilan in Mexico. Led by a guide from the Lacandon people — Mayan descendants — he learns how the jungle serves as both a food source and a pharmacy. Simon also uncovers how the arrival of Europeans changed life forever for Indigenous people, bringing devastating diseases that had a lasting impact. This video is excerpted from BBC’s The Americas With Simon Reeve, in which Simon Reeve explores the landscapes, cultures, and wildlife of North and South America.
In Can the Earth Bounce Back From Our Actions?, geologist Iain Stewart explains how rising temperatures are causing glaciers to shrink, leading to higher sea levels and threatening cities. Discover how melting ice in Siberia is releasing methane, which could speed up climate change. And travel to the Yucatán, where the Mayan civilization once thrived, reminding us that powerful societies can fall. While Earth can recover, the way humans are impacting the planet threatens the future, showing it's not Earth in danger, but humanity. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Earth: The Power of the Planet, a documentary series in which Dr. Iain Stewart discovers how Earth's forces can shape nature, species, and even the climate.
The Maya built one of the world's most remarkable civilizations, creating impressive cities, studying the stars, and developing advanced systems of mathematics and writing. Explore the achievements and legacy of the Maya people. Watch the BBC videos below, then take the Kahoot to test your knowledge.
Discover how Maya societies flourished across parts of present-day Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, and El Salvador. Learn about their temples, calendars, scientific knowledge, and cultural traditions, while exploring how Maya communities continue to live and celebrate their heritage today.
Teachers: Use the videos as a starter activity for lessons on ancient civilizations, geography, or cultural heritage. Follow with the Kahoot as a formative assessment or review activity. Students will examine Maya achievements in architecture, astronomy, mathematics, and writing, while learning about the lasting influence of Maya culture. The activity supports comparisons between civilizations and encourages discussion about how ancient knowledge continues to shape the modern world. Watch for misconceptions such as the belief that the Maya disappeared, as millions of Maya people still live throughout Mesoamerica today.
In The Go Jetters Visit the Mayan Ruins of Chichén Itzá, the Go Jetters crew visits Chichén Itzá in Mexico. Learn about the rubber trees there and the invention of the rubber ball. Discover the great step pyramid, El Castillo. 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 Secrets of the Mayan Jungle, host Simon Reeve explores the ancient city of Yaxchilan in Mexico. Led by a guide from the Lacandon people — Mayan descendants — he learns how the jungle serves as both a food source and a pharmacy. Simon also uncovers how the arrival of Europeans changed life forever for Indigenous people, bringing devastating diseases that had a lasting impact. This video is excerpted from BBC’s The Americas With Simon Reeve, in which Simon Reeve explores the landscapes, cultures, and wildlife of North and South America.
In Can the Earth Bounce Back From Our Actions?, geologist Iain Stewart explains how rising temperatures are causing glaciers to shrink, leading to higher sea levels and threatening cities. Discover how melting ice in Siberia is releasing methane, which could speed up climate change. And travel to the Yucatán, where the Mayan civilization once thrived, reminding us that powerful societies can fall. While Earth can recover, the way humans are impacting the planet threatens the future, showing it's not Earth in danger, but humanity. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Earth: The Power of the Planet, a documentary series in which Dr. Iain Stewart discovers how Earth's forces can shape nature, species, and even the climate.
The Maya built one of the world's most remarkable civilizations, creating impressive cities, studying the stars, and developing advanced systems of mathematics and writing. Explore the achievements and legacy of the Maya people. Watch the BBC videos below, then take the Kahoot to test your knowledge.
Discover how Maya societies flourished across parts of present-day Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, and El Salvador. Learn about their temples, calendars, scientific knowledge, and cultural traditions, while exploring how Maya communities continue to live and celebrate their heritage today.
Teachers: Use the videos as a starter activity for lessons on ancient civilizations, geography, or cultural heritage. Follow with the Kahoot as a formative assessment or review activity. Students will examine Maya achievements in architecture, astronomy, mathematics, and writing, while learning about the lasting influence of Maya culture. The activity supports comparisons between civilizations and encourages discussion about how ancient knowledge continues to shape the modern world. Watch for misconceptions such as the belief that the Maya disappeared, as millions of Maya people still live throughout Mesoamerica today.
In The Go Jetters Visit the Mayan Ruins of Chichén Itzá, the Go Jetters crew visits Chichén Itzá in Mexico. Learn about the rubber trees there and the invention of the rubber ball. Discover the great step pyramid, El Castillo. 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.