The article "Hibernation: How Animals Sleep Through the Heat and Cold" from BBC's Discover Wildlife explores the fascinating survival strategies animals use during extreme weather. It explains the difference between hibernation, aestivation, torpor, and denning.
Brave the chill and meet the coolest creatures on Earth! This playlist of 11 frosty video clips from BBC landmark shows like Frozen Planet and Planet Earth explores how animals survive some of the coldest places on the planet. Students will learn about adaptations, seasonal behaviors, and the survival strategies that help bison, foxes, seals, grizzlies, snow monkeys, polar bears, lynx, and more thrive in freezing climates.
They’ll discover how winter weather shapes each animal’s daily life; how they find food, conserve energy, protect themselves from predators; and why these icy habitats play a vital role in Earth’s systems.
In The Animals of the Silent and Snowy Taiga, narrator Sir David Attenborough follows a lynx as it travels hundreds of miles in search of prey, while a moose munches on conifer needles. See how animals survive in this harsh and beautiful climate. This video is excerpted from BBC's Planet Earth, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.
Journey into the heart of the rainforest and explore the four amazing layers that make this ecosystem so unique. From the sunlit emergent layer high above the trees to the dark and humid forest floor below, students will discover how different plants and animals survive and thrive in each part of the rainforest.
This Kahoot examines the rainforest’s distinct layers — the emergent layer, canopy, understory, and forest floor — and the important roles they play in supporting biodiversity. Students will learn how animals adapt to life at different heights, how plants compete for sunlight and water, and how all the layers work together to create one of the richest ecosystems on Earth.
Watch the related BBC videos (below), then invite your Grade 3–8 students to test their knowledge and uncover the wonders hidden within each layer of the rainforest.
In Growing Up on the Water, narrator Gordon Buchanan explores how two kinds of animals, otters and skimmers (birds) begin to learn survival skills at a young age. Giant otters in Brazil follow the lead of their parents to learn their toileting routine early on before learning to catch fish. African seabirds, appropriately called skimmers, move along the water’s surface, snapping their long bills shut when they catch their prey. This video is excerpted from BBC's Animal Babies, a heartwarming show that follows the first breaths, first steps and first feeds of some adorable baby animals, revealing the challenges they face to survive in some of the toughest but most beautiful places on the planet.
Explore the wide-open world of grasslands and discover the amazing animals that live in one of Earth’s largest biomes. From enormous elephants and powerful buffalo to towering Kori bustards, hardworking leafcutter ants, and rare Saiga antelope, students will learn how animals survive and thrive in these vast landscapes of grasses and few trees.
This Kahoot explores the unique features of grassland ecosystems, including climate, food chains, migration, and the special adaptations that help animals find food, avoid predators, and survive changing seasons. Students will also discover the differences between tropical savannas and temperate grasslands and the incredible diversity of life found in each.
Watch the related BBC videos (below), then invite your Grade 3–8 students to test their knowledge and uncover the wonders of life on the grasslands.
Discover the amazing animals that live in the coldest environments on Earth in this Kahoot about the polar regions. From powerful polar bears and playful seals to emperor penguins and Arctic foxes, students will explore how animals survive freezing temperatures, icy waters, and long, dark winters.
This Kahoot highlights the special adaptations that help polar animals hunt, stay warm, raise their young, and move across snow and ice. Students will also learn how different species depend on one another within polar food chains and how life continues to thrive in these extreme habitats.
Watch the related BBC videos (below), then invite your Grade 3–8 students to test their knowledge and uncover the fascinating world of polar animals.
20 years ago, audiences around the world were introduced to the breathtaking beauty of our planet through BBC's Planet Earth. Narrated by the legendary naturalist Sir David Attenborough, the documentary series brought viewers face-to-face with creatures from every corner of the globe.
Now, as we celebrate the 20th anniversary of this unforgettable show, it’s time to test your knowledge! Do you remember how animals survive in the harshest environments? Or the surprising tricks they use to hunt and protect their young? Try this quiz with your students ages 8–14.
In Nightfall on the Coral Reef, narrator Sir David Attenborough explains how animals survive on the coral reef at night. Watch how manta rays hunt at night. 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 Palm Oil vs. the Rainforest, naturalist Steve Backshall discusses ways in which the production of palm oil could minimize the risk to the rainforest and the survival of animals. 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 The Onset of Autumn Means Romance and Danger, narrator Sir David Attenborough describes how animals struggle for survival in broadleaf forests in autumn. Male red deer fight one another in mating season. The rare Amur leopard hunts to feed its cub, despite sparse prey and vegetation for coverage. This video is excerpted from BBC's Planet Earth, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.
In A Weddell Seal Family's Journey, narrator Sir David Attenborough describes how a mother seal and her pup brave the freezing cold near the South Pole. These seals are the only animals that can survive here, staying warm thanks to a thick layer of fat beneath their skin and their special fur. The mother feeds her pup and carefully maintains their diving hole in the water to prevent it from freezing over, ensuring they can get air. And, at just one week old, the pup takes its first swim beneath the ice! This video is excerpted from BBC’s Life, a show that explores the remarkable strategies animals and plants use to ensure their survival.
The article "Hibernation: How Animals Sleep Through the Heat and Cold" from BBC's Discover Wildlife explores the fascinating survival strategies animals use during extreme weather. It explains the difference between hibernation, aestivation, torpor, and denning.
Brave the chill and meet the coolest creatures on Earth! This playlist of 11 frosty video clips from BBC landmark shows like Frozen Planet and Planet Earth explores how animals survive some of the coldest places on the planet. Students will learn about adaptations, seasonal behaviors, and the survival strategies that help bison, foxes, seals, grizzlies, snow monkeys, polar bears, lynx, and more thrive in freezing climates.
They’ll discover how winter weather shapes each animal’s daily life; how they find food, conserve energy, protect themselves from predators; and why these icy habitats play a vital role in Earth’s systems.
In The Animals of the Silent and Snowy Taiga, narrator Sir David Attenborough follows a lynx as it travels hundreds of miles in search of prey, while a moose munches on conifer needles. See how animals survive in this harsh and beautiful climate. This video is excerpted from BBC's Planet Earth, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.
Journey into the heart of the rainforest and explore the four amazing layers that make this ecosystem so unique. From the sunlit emergent layer high above the trees to the dark and humid forest floor below, students will discover how different plants and animals survive and thrive in each part of the rainforest.
This Kahoot examines the rainforest’s distinct layers — the emergent layer, canopy, understory, and forest floor — and the important roles they play in supporting biodiversity. Students will learn how animals adapt to life at different heights, how plants compete for sunlight and water, and how all the layers work together to create one of the richest ecosystems on Earth.
Watch the related BBC videos (below), then invite your Grade 3–8 students to test their knowledge and uncover the wonders hidden within each layer of the rainforest.
In Growing Up on the Water, narrator Gordon Buchanan explores how two kinds of animals, otters and skimmers (birds) begin to learn survival skills at a young age. Giant otters in Brazil follow the lead of their parents to learn their toileting routine early on before learning to catch fish. African seabirds, appropriately called skimmers, move along the water’s surface, snapping their long bills shut when they catch their prey. This video is excerpted from BBC's Animal Babies, a heartwarming show that follows the first breaths, first steps and first feeds of some adorable baby animals, revealing the challenges they face to survive in some of the toughest but most beautiful places on the planet.
Explore the wide-open world of grasslands and discover the amazing animals that live in one of Earth’s largest biomes. From enormous elephants and powerful buffalo to towering Kori bustards, hardworking leafcutter ants, and rare Saiga antelope, students will learn how animals survive and thrive in these vast landscapes of grasses and few trees.
This Kahoot explores the unique features of grassland ecosystems, including climate, food chains, migration, and the special adaptations that help animals find food, avoid predators, and survive changing seasons. Students will also discover the differences between tropical savannas and temperate grasslands and the incredible diversity of life found in each.
Watch the related BBC videos (below), then invite your Grade 3–8 students to test their knowledge and uncover the wonders of life on the grasslands.
Discover the amazing animals that live in the coldest environments on Earth in this Kahoot about the polar regions. From powerful polar bears and playful seals to emperor penguins and Arctic foxes, students will explore how animals survive freezing temperatures, icy waters, and long, dark winters.
This Kahoot highlights the special adaptations that help polar animals hunt, stay warm, raise their young, and move across snow and ice. Students will also learn how different species depend on one another within polar food chains and how life continues to thrive in these extreme habitats.
Watch the related BBC videos (below), then invite your Grade 3–8 students to test their knowledge and uncover the fascinating world of polar animals.
20 years ago, audiences around the world were introduced to the breathtaking beauty of our planet through BBC's Planet Earth. Narrated by the legendary naturalist Sir David Attenborough, the documentary series brought viewers face-to-face with creatures from every corner of the globe.
Now, as we celebrate the 20th anniversary of this unforgettable show, it’s time to test your knowledge! Do you remember how animals survive in the harshest environments? Or the surprising tricks they use to hunt and protect their young? Try this quiz with your students ages 8–14.
In Nightfall on the Coral Reef, narrator Sir David Attenborough explains how animals survive on the coral reef at night. Watch how manta rays hunt at night. 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 Palm Oil vs. the Rainforest, naturalist Steve Backshall discusses ways in which the production of palm oil could minimize the risk to the rainforest and the survival of animals. 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 The Onset of Autumn Means Romance and Danger, narrator Sir David Attenborough describes how animals struggle for survival in broadleaf forests in autumn. Male red deer fight one another in mating season. The rare Amur leopard hunts to feed its cub, despite sparse prey and vegetation for coverage. This video is excerpted from BBC's Planet Earth, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.
In A Weddell Seal Family's Journey, narrator Sir David Attenborough describes how a mother seal and her pup brave the freezing cold near the South Pole. These seals are the only animals that can survive here, staying warm thanks to a thick layer of fat beneath their skin and their special fur. The mother feeds her pup and carefully maintains their diving hole in the water to prevent it from freezing over, ensuring they can get air. And, at just one week old, the pup takes its first swim beneath the ice! This video is excerpted from BBC’s Life, a show that explores the remarkable strategies animals and plants use to ensure their survival.