In Life Inside the Sunless Ecosystem of Deer Cave, narrator Sir David Attenborough explores Deer Cave in Borneo, the largest river passage in the world — so vast that a jumbo jet could fly through it. The cave is home to an astonishing 3 million wrinkle-lipped bats, which roost high on the cave walls and ceilings, away from predators. The bats' droppings (guano) form the foundation of a unique food chain within the cave, supporting massive populations of cockroaches, giant cave centipedes, and even crabs. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Planet Earth, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.
In A Surprising Discovery in the Cold Seep Ecosystem, narrator Sir David Attenborough explores the cold seep ecosystem. Learn about the ecosystems that scientists have recently discovered in the Gulf of Mexico. 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 Flotsam Can Become Its Own Floating Ecosystem, narrator Sir David Attenborough describes how flotsam can become its own floating ecosystem. Fish come to the flotsam for protection, food, and cleaning. 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 Finding a Niche in a Crowded Jungle Ecosystem, narrator Sir David Attenborough discovers how animals like the indri — a large lemur native to Madagascar — adapt to survive in one of the most competitive environments on Earth. In the dense jungle, the indri has developed unique strategies to find its place in this crowded ecosystem. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Planet Earth II, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.
Every living thing is connected — this collection helps students see how. It covers six ecosystems: grasslands, desert, coral reef, tropical rainforest, mountain, and polar, each with its own video and matching report template.
After watching BBC video clips about an ecosystem, have students dig deeper with their own research and build a brochure covering:
- Location of the ecosystem on a world map
- Adjectives that describe the ecosystem
- Three animals that live there
- Three plants that grow there
- The climate
- Why the ecosystem matters
- Their favorite fun facts
Students summarize in their own words, which means they're practicing a real skill: pulling information from multiple sources and deciding what's worth keeping. Use one report template explore all six ecosystems back-to-back as a full unit.
The polar regions are the harshest places on Earth, and somehow life thrives there anyway — polar bears in the Arctic, penguins across Antarctica's ice. It's a good ecosystem for showing students that "extreme" doesn't mean "empty."
After watching polar videos, have students dig deeper with their own research and build a brochure covering:
- Location of the ecosystem on a world map
- Adjectives that describe the ecosystem
- Three animals that live there
- Three plants that grow there
- The climate
- Why the ecosystem matters
- Their favorite fun facts
Students summarize in their own words, which means they're practicing a real skill: pulling information from multiple sources and deciding what's worth keeping.
Mountains push life to its limits — thin air, brutal cold, steep terrain. From the Himalayas to the Rockies, the plants and animals that survive here have had to adapt in some pretty extreme ways.
After watching mountain ecosystem videos, have students dig deeper with their own research and build a brochure covering:
- Location of the ecosystem on a world map
- Adjectives that describe the ecosystem
- Three animals that live there
- Three plants that grow there
- The climate
- Why the ecosystem matters
- Their favorite fun facts
Students summarize in their own words, which means they're practicing a real skill: pulling information from multiple sources and deciding what's worth keeping.
Rainforests are the densest, most species-rich ecosystems on Earth. From the Amazon to the jungles of Southeast Asia, they're packed with towering trees and hidden creatures most students will never see anywhere else.
After watching rainforest video clips, have students dig deeper with their own research and build a brochure covering:
- Location of the ecosystem on a world map
- Adjectives that describe the ecosystem
- Three animals that live there
- Three plants that grow there
- The climate
- Why the ecosystem matters
- Their favorite fun facts
Students summarize in their own words, which means they're practicing a real skill: pulling information from multiple sources and deciding what's worth keeping.
Same pattern as the other two — happy to adjust the opening if "densest, most species-rich" reads too textbook-y for what you want.
Coral reefs are some of the most crowded, colorful real estate on the planet — underwater cities built by tiny animals and packed with life. From Australia's Great Barrier Reef to the reefs of Indonesia, students will find no shortage of strange, striking creatures to study.
After watching coral reef videos, have students dig deeper with their own research and build a brochure covering:
- Location of the ecosystem on a world map
- Adjectives that describe the ecosystem
- Three animals that live there
- Three plants that grow there
- The climate
- Why the ecosystem matters
- Their favorite fun facts
Students summarize in their own words, which means they're practicing a real skill: pulling information from multiple sources and deciding what's worth keeping.
Deserts aren't empty — they're some of the most extreme, most surprising ecosystems on Earth. From the towering dunes of the Namib and the sunbaked Kalahari to the rugged Australian Outback and the icy sands of the Gobi, life finds a way.
After watching desert video clips, have students dig deeper with their own research and build a brochure covering:
- Location of the ecosystem on a world map
- Adjectives that describe the ecosystem
- Three animals that live there
- Three plants that grow there
- The climate
- Why the ecosystem matters
- Their favorite fun facts
Students summarize in their own words, which means they're practicing a real skill: pulling information from multiple sources and deciding what's worth keeping. The brochure format gives them room to make it their own
Invite your students on an adventure across the world’s amazing grasslands! From the roaring lions of the African savanna to the thundering bison of the Great Plains, these ecosystems are bursting with 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 Rich Feeding Grounds of the Southern Ocean, explore life in the incredible ecosystem of the Southern Ocean. Life flourishes there despite the harsh conditions. Humpback whales use ingenious hunting techniques to feast on krill, the most abundant animal species on Earth. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Seven Worlds, One Planet, a series featuring remarkable animal behavior from all seven continents.
In Life Inside the Sunless Ecosystem of Deer Cave, narrator Sir David Attenborough explores Deer Cave in Borneo, the largest river passage in the world — so vast that a jumbo jet could fly through it. The cave is home to an astonishing 3 million wrinkle-lipped bats, which roost high on the cave walls and ceilings, away from predators. The bats' droppings (guano) form the foundation of a unique food chain within the cave, supporting massive populations of cockroaches, giant cave centipedes, and even crabs. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Planet Earth, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.
In A Surprising Discovery in the Cold Seep Ecosystem, narrator Sir David Attenborough explores the cold seep ecosystem. Learn about the ecosystems that scientists have recently discovered in the Gulf of Mexico. 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 Flotsam Can Become Its Own Floating Ecosystem, narrator Sir David Attenborough describes how flotsam can become its own floating ecosystem. Fish come to the flotsam for protection, food, and cleaning. 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 Finding a Niche in a Crowded Jungle Ecosystem, narrator Sir David Attenborough discovers how animals like the indri — a large lemur native to Madagascar — adapt to survive in one of the most competitive environments on Earth. In the dense jungle, the indri has developed unique strategies to find its place in this crowded ecosystem. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Planet Earth II, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.
Every living thing is connected — this collection helps students see how. It covers six ecosystems: grasslands, desert, coral reef, tropical rainforest, mountain, and polar, each with its own video and matching report template.
After watching BBC video clips about an ecosystem, have students dig deeper with their own research and build a brochure covering:
- Location of the ecosystem on a world map
- Adjectives that describe the ecosystem
- Three animals that live there
- Three plants that grow there
- The climate
- Why the ecosystem matters
- Their favorite fun facts
Students summarize in their own words, which means they're practicing a real skill: pulling information from multiple sources and deciding what's worth keeping. Use one report template explore all six ecosystems back-to-back as a full unit.
The polar regions are the harshest places on Earth, and somehow life thrives there anyway — polar bears in the Arctic, penguins across Antarctica's ice. It's a good ecosystem for showing students that "extreme" doesn't mean "empty."
After watching polar videos, have students dig deeper with their own research and build a brochure covering:
- Location of the ecosystem on a world map
- Adjectives that describe the ecosystem
- Three animals that live there
- Three plants that grow there
- The climate
- Why the ecosystem matters
- Their favorite fun facts
Students summarize in their own words, which means they're practicing a real skill: pulling information from multiple sources and deciding what's worth keeping.
Mountains push life to its limits — thin air, brutal cold, steep terrain. From the Himalayas to the Rockies, the plants and animals that survive here have had to adapt in some pretty extreme ways.
After watching mountain ecosystem videos, have students dig deeper with their own research and build a brochure covering:
- Location of the ecosystem on a world map
- Adjectives that describe the ecosystem
- Three animals that live there
- Three plants that grow there
- The climate
- Why the ecosystem matters
- Their favorite fun facts
Students summarize in their own words, which means they're practicing a real skill: pulling information from multiple sources and deciding what's worth keeping.
Rainforests are the densest, most species-rich ecosystems on Earth. From the Amazon to the jungles of Southeast Asia, they're packed with towering trees and hidden creatures most students will never see anywhere else.
After watching rainforest video clips, have students dig deeper with their own research and build a brochure covering:
- Location of the ecosystem on a world map
- Adjectives that describe the ecosystem
- Three animals that live there
- Three plants that grow there
- The climate
- Why the ecosystem matters
- Their favorite fun facts
Students summarize in their own words, which means they're practicing a real skill: pulling information from multiple sources and deciding what's worth keeping.
Same pattern as the other two — happy to adjust the opening if "densest, most species-rich" reads too textbook-y for what you want.
Coral reefs are some of the most crowded, colorful real estate on the planet — underwater cities built by tiny animals and packed with life. From Australia's Great Barrier Reef to the reefs of Indonesia, students will find no shortage of strange, striking creatures to study.
After watching coral reef videos, have students dig deeper with their own research and build a brochure covering:
- Location of the ecosystem on a world map
- Adjectives that describe the ecosystem
- Three animals that live there
- Three plants that grow there
- The climate
- Why the ecosystem matters
- Their favorite fun facts
Students summarize in their own words, which means they're practicing a real skill: pulling information from multiple sources and deciding what's worth keeping.
Deserts aren't empty — they're some of the most extreme, most surprising ecosystems on Earth. From the towering dunes of the Namib and the sunbaked Kalahari to the rugged Australian Outback and the icy sands of the Gobi, life finds a way.
After watching desert video clips, have students dig deeper with their own research and build a brochure covering:
- Location of the ecosystem on a world map
- Adjectives that describe the ecosystem
- Three animals that live there
- Three plants that grow there
- The climate
- Why the ecosystem matters
- Their favorite fun facts
Students summarize in their own words, which means they're practicing a real skill: pulling information from multiple sources and deciding what's worth keeping. The brochure format gives them room to make it their own
Invite your students on an adventure across the world’s amazing grasslands! From the roaring lions of the African savanna to the thundering bison of the Great Plains, these ecosystems are bursting with 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 Rich Feeding Grounds of the Southern Ocean, explore life in the incredible ecosystem of the Southern Ocean. Life flourishes there despite the harsh conditions. Humpback whales use ingenious hunting techniques to feast on krill, the most abundant animal species on Earth. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Seven Worlds, One Planet, a series featuring remarkable animal behavior from all seven continents.