Guide your students on a journey through the desert ecosystem! From the sweeping sands of the Namib and Kalahari in southern Africa, to the dry heart of Australia’s Outback, and the rocky cold of the Gobi, deserts come in many forms.
✨ 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 desert. (Don't miss the lions and lizards!) Brought to you by world-class BBC programs like Planet Earth, Wilderness With Simon Reeve, Africa, and Seven Worlds, One Planet.
- Free Printable: Use the Desert 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 Desert Pangolins' Quest for Food, narrator Sir David Attenborough reveals how pangolins find nutritious food in the harsh, dry environment of the desert. They use their keen sense of smell to locate termite nests. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Seven Worlds, One Planet, a series featuring remarkable animal behavior from all seven continents.
In Brown Hyenas of the Namib Desert, narrator Sir David Attenborough observes a female brown hyena living in the Namib Desert. Her home is an abandoned diamond mine, where she has reared nine generations of cubs. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Seven Worlds, One Planet, a series featuring remarkable animal behavior from all seven continents.
In Reptiles and Water in the Desert, narrator Sir David Attenborough describes how all wildlife makes the most of any opportunity to get water in the desert. The thorny devil sources water from eating ants but it can also dip its toe in puddles and collect moisture by capillary action. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Seven Worlds, One Planet, a series featuring remarkable animal behavior from all seven continents.
In Wild Budgerigars in the Desert, narrator Sir David Attenborough reveals how well the wild budgerigars have adapted to living in the desert. They fly in flocks to keep themselves safe from predatory birds. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Seven Worlds, One Planet, a series featuring remarkable animal behavior from all seven continents.
In Meet the Drongo, the Desert’s Biggest Trickster!, narrator Sir David Attenborough describes the mysterious Kalahari Desert, a dry and ancient land full of strange wonders. Discover the bond between meerkats and clever drongo birds, one of nature’s biggest tricksters. During winter, the drongo mimics warning calls to steal food from the meerkats, but they’re smart enough to catch on to its tricks. Despite his sneaky ways, the drongo is a loyal ally most of the year. This video is excerpted from BBC's Africa, a study of the landscape and wildlife of the world’s wildest continent, Africa.
In Socotra Cormorants in the Desert, narrator Sir David Attenborough explores the desert of Bahrain. It is a safe place for seabirds to rear their young, but how do they cope with the heat and lack of food? Watch as seasonal winds blow fertilizing sand across the gulf waters, providing fish for the desert birds to eat. Along the way, they communicate by slapping their tails and fins against the surface of the water. This video is excerpted from BBC's Planet Earth, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.
In Young Animals in the Desert, narrator Gordon Buchanan explores the different ways baby animals get food and water. Many different animals in the Kalahari Desert, both mammals and birds, are shown and discussed including baby ostriches and cheetahs. In many situations, young animals have to be resourceful in order to seek out enough food and water to survive. 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.
In The Go Jetters Get Sandy in the Sahara Desert, the Go Jetters crew flies into the Sahara Desert, one of the biggest and hottest deserts in the world! Ubercorn explains that the Sahara is so big, it stretches across many countries in Africa, and guess what? There's no water like you would find at a beach — just sand, sand, and more sand! 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 The World’s Deserts Heat Up, narrator Sir David Attenborough explains how Earth’s hottest temperatures have all been recorded in its deserts. The deserts are getting hotter more quickly than the global average. The shovel-snouted lizard adapts to the extreme heat by alternately lifting its feet from the hot ground, performing a kind of dance. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Planet Earth II, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.
In A Locust Invasion in the Deserts of Peru, narrator Sir David Attenborough describes how sudden rains bring life to the otherwise arid deserts of Peru, creating a burst of vegetation. Swarms of locusts take advantage of this new growth, consuming the vegetation and causing a dramatic impact on the desert ecosystem. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Planet Earth II, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.
In The Ancient Origins of the Utah Desert, narrator Sir David Attenborough investigates the canyons of Utah and the animals that live there. The canyons of Utah were created by ancient rivers. Learn how ibex duel over the limited resources of the desert. This video is excerpted from BBC's Planet Earth, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.
Guide your students on a journey through the desert ecosystem! From the sweeping sands of the Namib and Kalahari in southern Africa, to the dry heart of Australia’s Outback, and the rocky cold of the Gobi, deserts come in many forms.
✨ 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 desert. (Don't miss the lions and lizards!) Brought to you by world-class BBC programs like Planet Earth, Wilderness With Simon Reeve, Africa, and Seven Worlds, One Planet.
- Free Printable: Use the Desert 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 Desert Pangolins' Quest for Food, narrator Sir David Attenborough reveals how pangolins find nutritious food in the harsh, dry environment of the desert. They use their keen sense of smell to locate termite nests. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Seven Worlds, One Planet, a series featuring remarkable animal behavior from all seven continents.
In Brown Hyenas of the Namib Desert, narrator Sir David Attenborough observes a female brown hyena living in the Namib Desert. Her home is an abandoned diamond mine, where she has reared nine generations of cubs. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Seven Worlds, One Planet, a series featuring remarkable animal behavior from all seven continents.
In Reptiles and Water in the Desert, narrator Sir David Attenborough describes how all wildlife makes the most of any opportunity to get water in the desert. The thorny devil sources water from eating ants but it can also dip its toe in puddles and collect moisture by capillary action. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Seven Worlds, One Planet, a series featuring remarkable animal behavior from all seven continents.
In Wild Budgerigars in the Desert, narrator Sir David Attenborough reveals how well the wild budgerigars have adapted to living in the desert. They fly in flocks to keep themselves safe from predatory birds. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Seven Worlds, One Planet, a series featuring remarkable animal behavior from all seven continents.
In Meet the Drongo, the Desert’s Biggest Trickster!, narrator Sir David Attenborough describes the mysterious Kalahari Desert, a dry and ancient land full of strange wonders. Discover the bond between meerkats and clever drongo birds, one of nature’s biggest tricksters. During winter, the drongo mimics warning calls to steal food from the meerkats, but they’re smart enough to catch on to its tricks. Despite his sneaky ways, the drongo is a loyal ally most of the year. This video is excerpted from BBC's Africa, a study of the landscape and wildlife of the world’s wildest continent, Africa.
In Socotra Cormorants in the Desert, narrator Sir David Attenborough explores the desert of Bahrain. It is a safe place for seabirds to rear their young, but how do they cope with the heat and lack of food? Watch as seasonal winds blow fertilizing sand across the gulf waters, providing fish for the desert birds to eat. Along the way, they communicate by slapping their tails and fins against the surface of the water. This video is excerpted from BBC's Planet Earth, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.
In Young Animals in the Desert, narrator Gordon Buchanan explores the different ways baby animals get food and water. Many different animals in the Kalahari Desert, both mammals and birds, are shown and discussed including baby ostriches and cheetahs. In many situations, young animals have to be resourceful in order to seek out enough food and water to survive. 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.
In The Go Jetters Get Sandy in the Sahara Desert, the Go Jetters crew flies into the Sahara Desert, one of the biggest and hottest deserts in the world! Ubercorn explains that the Sahara is so big, it stretches across many countries in Africa, and guess what? There's no water like you would find at a beach — just sand, sand, and more sand! 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 The World’s Deserts Heat Up, narrator Sir David Attenborough explains how Earth’s hottest temperatures have all been recorded in its deserts. The deserts are getting hotter more quickly than the global average. The shovel-snouted lizard adapts to the extreme heat by alternately lifting its feet from the hot ground, performing a kind of dance. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Planet Earth II, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.
In A Locust Invasion in the Deserts of Peru, narrator Sir David Attenborough describes how sudden rains bring life to the otherwise arid deserts of Peru, creating a burst of vegetation. Swarms of locusts take advantage of this new growth, consuming the vegetation and causing a dramatic impact on the desert ecosystem. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Planet Earth II, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.
In The Ancient Origins of the Utah Desert, narrator Sir David Attenborough investigates the canyons of Utah and the animals that live there. The canyons of Utah were created by ancient rivers. Learn how ibex duel over the limited resources of the desert. This video is excerpted from BBC's Planet Earth, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.