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.
Get ready to journey into some of the most extreme places on Earth — the deserts! From the towering dunes of the Namib and the sunbaked Kalahari to the rugged Australian Outback and the icy sands of the Gobi, these ecosystems are full of surprising life. 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 City of Yazd and the World's First Air Conditioning System, host Joanna Lumley explores the ancient city of Yazd, located in the heart of Iran's desert. Learn about the world's first air conditioning system, developed using ingenious wind chimneys. These structures draw air in from the outside, cool it, and direct it into buildings, providing relief from the intense desert heat. See how this revolutionary system helped people survive in one of the hottest places on Earth. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Joanna Lumley’s Silk Road Adventure, a documentary series uncovering the rich history and cultural treasures of the Silk Road.
In Flash Floods in the Desert, narrator Sir David Attenborough explores how deserts respond to flash flooding, and how animals such as elephants survive in desert conditions. This video is excerpted from BBC's Planet Earth, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.
In The Mustangs of Nevada, narrator Sir David Attenborough describes the intense struggle between wild stallions competing for control of a waterhole in the Nevada Desert. These mustangs engage in fierce battles for access to water, a vital resource necessary for their survival in the desert. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Planet Earth II, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.
In Life in the Extreme Heat, narrator Sir David Attenborough describes how animals like the golden mole, desert long-eared bat, and darkling beetle have adapted to survive life in the desert. From clever ways to gather water to unique hunting techniques, these creatures demonstrate the incredible resilience of life in the Namib and Negev deserts. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Planet Earth II, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.
In A Leopard Hunts for Food in the Kalahari, narrator Sir David Attenborough describes how a one-year-old African leopard in the Kalahari Desert learns how to survive on his own by hunting for food. With limited food sources, the young leopard has to be clever and patient. He misses a few chances to catch food, but he keeps trying. Eventually, he returns to find a meal left high in the trees, but getting to it won't be so easy. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Africa, a study of the landscape and wildlife of the world’s wildest continent, Africa.
In The Wasp vs. the Spider, narrator Sir David Attenborough invites us to discover The Namib, the oldest and one of the driest deserts in the world, where survival is a true test of nature's creativity. Meet two fascinating insects: the pompilid wasp and the golden wheel spider. Watch as the spider escapes the wasp’s sting and a grim fate by cartwheeling down a sandy slope in an incredible display of survival! This video is excerpted from BBC’s Africa, a study of the landscape and wildlife of the world’s wildest continent, Africa.
In How Red Kangaroos Keep Their Cool, narrator Sir David Attenborough describes how red kangaroos survive the extreme heat of the Australian desert. This video is excerpted from BBC's Planet Earth, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.
In Cacti, Hawks, and the Butcherbird, narrator Sir David Attenborough shows how animals in the American deserts use cacti as a vital resource for survival. Learn how the butcherbird stores its prey on cactus spikes and how hawks and other creatures adapt to the harsh desert environment. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Planet Earth II, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.
In Nocturnal Desert Dwellers, narrator Sir David Attenborough explores the Sahara Desert at night. In the Sahara Desert, nighttime temperatures can drop by as much as 86°F (30°C) . Learn how fennec foxes survive the heat by staying underground during the day and coming out at night. 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.
Get ready to journey into some of the most extreme places on Earth — the deserts! From the towering dunes of the Namib and the sunbaked Kalahari to the rugged Australian Outback and the icy sands of the Gobi, these ecosystems are full of surprising life. 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 City of Yazd and the World's First Air Conditioning System, host Joanna Lumley explores the ancient city of Yazd, located in the heart of Iran's desert. Learn about the world's first air conditioning system, developed using ingenious wind chimneys. These structures draw air in from the outside, cool it, and direct it into buildings, providing relief from the intense desert heat. See how this revolutionary system helped people survive in one of the hottest places on Earth. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Joanna Lumley’s Silk Road Adventure, a documentary series uncovering the rich history and cultural treasures of the Silk Road.
In Flash Floods in the Desert, narrator Sir David Attenborough explores how deserts respond to flash flooding, and how animals such as elephants survive in desert conditions. This video is excerpted from BBC's Planet Earth, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.
In The Mustangs of Nevada, narrator Sir David Attenborough describes the intense struggle between wild stallions competing for control of a waterhole in the Nevada Desert. These mustangs engage in fierce battles for access to water, a vital resource necessary for their survival in the desert. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Planet Earth II, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.
In Life in the Extreme Heat, narrator Sir David Attenborough describes how animals like the golden mole, desert long-eared bat, and darkling beetle have adapted to survive life in the desert. From clever ways to gather water to unique hunting techniques, these creatures demonstrate the incredible resilience of life in the Namib and Negev deserts. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Planet Earth II, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.
In A Leopard Hunts for Food in the Kalahari, narrator Sir David Attenborough describes how a one-year-old African leopard in the Kalahari Desert learns how to survive on his own by hunting for food. With limited food sources, the young leopard has to be clever and patient. He misses a few chances to catch food, but he keeps trying. Eventually, he returns to find a meal left high in the trees, but getting to it won't be so easy. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Africa, a study of the landscape and wildlife of the world’s wildest continent, Africa.
In The Wasp vs. the Spider, narrator Sir David Attenborough invites us to discover The Namib, the oldest and one of the driest deserts in the world, where survival is a true test of nature's creativity. Meet two fascinating insects: the pompilid wasp and the golden wheel spider. Watch as the spider escapes the wasp’s sting and a grim fate by cartwheeling down a sandy slope in an incredible display of survival! This video is excerpted from BBC’s Africa, a study of the landscape and wildlife of the world’s wildest continent, Africa.
In How Red Kangaroos Keep Their Cool, narrator Sir David Attenborough describes how red kangaroos survive the extreme heat of the Australian desert. This video is excerpted from BBC's Planet Earth, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.
In Cacti, Hawks, and the Butcherbird, narrator Sir David Attenborough shows how animals in the American deserts use cacti as a vital resource for survival. Learn how the butcherbird stores its prey on cactus spikes and how hawks and other creatures adapt to the harsh desert environment. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Planet Earth II, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.
In Nocturnal Desert Dwellers, narrator Sir David Attenborough explores the Sahara Desert at night. In the Sahara Desert, nighttime temperatures can drop by as much as 86°F (30°C) . Learn how fennec foxes survive the heat by staying underground during the day and coming out at night. This video is excerpted from BBC's Planet Earth, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.