In The Green Turtle Race to the Shore, narrator Gordon Buchanan describes how hatchlings emerge from under the sand on Raine Island off the Great Barrier Reef. A lone hatchling is easy prey, but soon many others join it. As they race to the shore, herons prey upon them. One lucky turtle is able to fight back and escape the jaws of the heron. 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.

Bring your students on an underwater adventure into the coral reef ecosystem! Whether you're exploring the vast beauty of the Great Barrier Reef in Australia or diving into the rich, biodiverse waters of Indonesia, coral reefs are some of the most vibrant and important ecosystems on Earth. 

✨ 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 coral reefs. (Don't miss the tusk fish an octopuses!) Brought to you by world-class BBC programs like Planet Earth, Blue Planet, Animal Babies, and Life. 
• Free Printable: Use the Coral Reef 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.

• 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 Seabirds and Green Turtles Breed on Land, narrator Sir David Attenborough explores how seabirds and green turtles breed on land even though they live their lives in and on the water. 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 Green Turtle Hatchlings Off to Sea, narrator Gordon Buchanan describes some of the challenges faced by Australian green turtles as they travel through the water near the Great Barrier Reef areas. As the young hatchlings move through the water, they must combat predators as well as the possibility of strong and treacherous currents. 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 Turtles on Ascension Island, narrator David Attenborough highlights the green sea turtles that travel incredible distances to lay their eggs on the beaches of Ascension Island. A female turtle may swim over 1,000 miles from her feeding grounds without eating for two months. At night, female turtles come ashore to nest, while eggs laid earlier in the season begin to hatch. Newly hatched turtles must quickly reach the ocean to avoid predators. However, their journey is just beginning — most will not survive the next 20 years. Yet, those that do will return to the same beach where they were born, guided by an instinct that scientists still do not fully understand. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Planet Earth, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.