In The History of Toilet Paper, presenter Ruth Goodman talks to a toilet historian to learn about the history of toilet paper. Learn how people cleaned themselves before toilet paper, and how advertisers have convinced us to want toilet paper. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Inside the Factory, a series that takes viewers behind the scenes in the factories that make our favorite products.
In The History of Toilets, presenter Ruth Goodman is at Westminster in London to learn how the toilet was invented. Learn what the development of the toilet has to do with Queen Elizabeth, the Thames River, Thomas Crapper, and public health. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Inside the Factory, a series that takes viewers behind the scenes in the factories that make our favorite products.
Turn your classroom into a global exploration hub! This country report template invites students in Grades 3–8 to become curious investigators — uncovering what makes each country unique and sharing their discoveries in creative ways.
Designed with flexibility in mind, the resource includes two approachable formats:
- Snapshot Style: A lively, visual option that’s perfect for quick learning or younger students. Learners can sketch, label, and highlight key features — like flags, landmarks, foods, and traditions — while building confidence with short responses.
- Explorer Style: A more in-depth format for students ready to dig deeper. It guides learners through topics such as geography, wildlife, culture, and history, helping them organize ideas and develop clear, informative writing.
Best of all, this template pairs seamlessly with BBC videos — bringing countries to life through real-world sights, sounds, and stories. Students can watch, wonder, and then weave what they’ve learned into their own reports.
Quick Teacher Tips: Use country studies as a springboard into wider learning across subjects:
- Geography: Map skills, climate zones, landforms, and ecosystems
- Language Arts: Informational writing, summarizing, note-taking, and presenting
- History: Key events, timelines, and how the past shapes the present
- Math: Population comparisons, distances, currency conversions
- Arts & Culture: Traditional patterns, music, celebrations, and food
- Current Events: Tie in informational reading and media literacy by exploring what’s happening in that country today in an age-appropriate way.
This mini biography template is a flexible, engaging tool designed to help students in Grades 3–8 explore the lives of important historical figures. With sections like Best Known For, Important Life Events, Challenges and Obstacles, Memorable Quote, and Legacy and Achievements, students are guided to think beyond basic facts and develop a deeper understanding of a person’s impact.
This template can be used with any historical figure and pairs especially well with video-based research. Encourage students to explore our BBC video library to gather key details, hear stories in context, and build stronger connections to the people they’re studying.
Here are a few ways you can use this template in your classroom:
- Celebrate special months: Have students research and complete biographies for influential figures during observances like Women’s History Month or Black History Month.
- Scientist spotlights: Use the template to profile important scientists, inventors, or innovators throughout history.
- “Living museum” projects: Have students complete the template, then present their figure in a short first-person speech or display as part of a classroom museum exhibit.
Meet the Icons of the 20th Century. From brilliant scientists and inspiring activists to legendary athletes and artists, these remarkable individuals changed the world in powerful ways. In this video playlist of clips from BBC's Icons: The Greatest Person of the 20th Century, meet Muhammad Ali, Helen Keller, Albert Einstein, Martin Luther King Jr., Pablo Picasso, Jane Goodall, Pelé, Billie Holiday and others — each a trailblazer who shaped history through courage, creativity, and conviction. A perfect playlist to inspire young minds to think big and act boldly!
Happy Thanksgiving! Whether you're learning about the holiday in the classroom or looking for a way to keep little hands busy while you make your turkey dinner at home, you're going to want this printable Thanksgiving activity sheet. You can use it as two separate worksheets or tape them together to make a Thanksgiving placemat.
Elementary-aged kids can do a Thanksgiving food word search, write about their family holiday traditions, try their hand at Thanksgiving History True or False?, and write what they're thankful for. They'll also learn fun facts like how the President of the United States pardons a turkey each year. Bonus: the whole thing is a coloring page!
In How Hot Dogs Came to the U.S., presenter Ruth Goodman learns the history of how the hot dog came from Germany to America, and how it got its name. Hint: It has to do with a dog. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Inside the Factory, a series that takes viewers behind the scenes in the factories that make our favorite products.
In Marco Polo, host Joanna Lumley introduces the remarkable journey of Marco Polo, who traveled for 17 years across Asia. Marco, along with his father and uncle, were trusted envoys of the 13th-Century Mongolian emperor Kublai Khan. They were given a tablet guaranteeing their safe passage through Khan's empire. During this time, spices were highly prized, making the Silk Road an essential trade route for connecting Asia to Europe. 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.
At the Weald & Downland Living Museum, a group of volunteers has stepped straight into the year 1461 — and they’re sticking to it. That means no electricity, no central heating, no phones, and no modern conveniences.
They’re living, working, eating, and sleeping the medieval way: cooking over open fires, coping with cold and damp conditions, and adjusting to just two simple meals a day (including a lot of porridge). There’s no caffeine, no snacks, and definitely no scrolling.
It’s a tough experiment in historical living — but one surprising takeaway so far? They don’t miss their phones as much as they expected.
In The History of Toilet Paper, presenter Ruth Goodman talks to a toilet historian to learn about the history of toilet paper. Learn how people cleaned themselves before toilet paper, and how advertisers have convinced us to want toilet paper. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Inside the Factory, a series that takes viewers behind the scenes in the factories that make our favorite products.
In The History of Toilets, presenter Ruth Goodman is at Westminster in London to learn how the toilet was invented. Learn what the development of the toilet has to do with Queen Elizabeth, the Thames River, Thomas Crapper, and public health. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Inside the Factory, a series that takes viewers behind the scenes in the factories that make our favorite products.
Turn your classroom into a global exploration hub! This country report template invites students in Grades 3–8 to become curious investigators — uncovering what makes each country unique and sharing their discoveries in creative ways.
Designed with flexibility in mind, the resource includes two approachable formats:
- Snapshot Style: A lively, visual option that’s perfect for quick learning or younger students. Learners can sketch, label, and highlight key features — like flags, landmarks, foods, and traditions — while building confidence with short responses.
- Explorer Style: A more in-depth format for students ready to dig deeper. It guides learners through topics such as geography, wildlife, culture, and history, helping them organize ideas and develop clear, informative writing.
Best of all, this template pairs seamlessly with BBC videos — bringing countries to life through real-world sights, sounds, and stories. Students can watch, wonder, and then weave what they’ve learned into their own reports.
Quick Teacher Tips: Use country studies as a springboard into wider learning across subjects:
- Geography: Map skills, climate zones, landforms, and ecosystems
- Language Arts: Informational writing, summarizing, note-taking, and presenting
- History: Key events, timelines, and how the past shapes the present
- Math: Population comparisons, distances, currency conversions
- Arts & Culture: Traditional patterns, music, celebrations, and food
- Current Events: Tie in informational reading and media literacy by exploring what’s happening in that country today in an age-appropriate way.
This mini biography template is a flexible, engaging tool designed to help students in Grades 3–8 explore the lives of important historical figures. With sections like Best Known For, Important Life Events, Challenges and Obstacles, Memorable Quote, and Legacy and Achievements, students are guided to think beyond basic facts and develop a deeper understanding of a person’s impact.
This template can be used with any historical figure and pairs especially well with video-based research. Encourage students to explore our BBC video library to gather key details, hear stories in context, and build stronger connections to the people they’re studying.
Here are a few ways you can use this template in your classroom:
- Celebrate special months: Have students research and complete biographies for influential figures during observances like Women’s History Month or Black History Month.
- Scientist spotlights: Use the template to profile important scientists, inventors, or innovators throughout history.
- “Living museum” projects: Have students complete the template, then present their figure in a short first-person speech or display as part of a classroom museum exhibit.
Meet the Icons of the 20th Century. From brilliant scientists and inspiring activists to legendary athletes and artists, these remarkable individuals changed the world in powerful ways. In this video playlist of clips from BBC's Icons: The Greatest Person of the 20th Century, meet Muhammad Ali, Helen Keller, Albert Einstein, Martin Luther King Jr., Pablo Picasso, Jane Goodall, Pelé, Billie Holiday and others — each a trailblazer who shaped history through courage, creativity, and conviction. A perfect playlist to inspire young minds to think big and act boldly!
Happy Thanksgiving! Whether you're learning about the holiday in the classroom or looking for a way to keep little hands busy while you make your turkey dinner at home, you're going to want this printable Thanksgiving activity sheet. You can use it as two separate worksheets or tape them together to make a Thanksgiving placemat.
Elementary-aged kids can do a Thanksgiving food word search, write about their family holiday traditions, try their hand at Thanksgiving History True or False?, and write what they're thankful for. They'll also learn fun facts like how the President of the United States pardons a turkey each year. Bonus: the whole thing is a coloring page!
In How Hot Dogs Came to the U.S., presenter Ruth Goodman learns the history of how the hot dog came from Germany to America, and how it got its name. Hint: It has to do with a dog. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Inside the Factory, a series that takes viewers behind the scenes in the factories that make our favorite products.
In Marco Polo, host Joanna Lumley introduces the remarkable journey of Marco Polo, who traveled for 17 years across Asia. Marco, along with his father and uncle, were trusted envoys of the 13th-Century Mongolian emperor Kublai Khan. They were given a tablet guaranteeing their safe passage through Khan's empire. During this time, spices were highly prized, making the Silk Road an essential trade route for connecting Asia to Europe. 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.
At the Weald & Downland Living Museum, a group of volunteers has stepped straight into the year 1461 — and they’re sticking to it. That means no electricity, no central heating, no phones, and no modern conveniences.
They’re living, working, eating, and sleeping the medieval way: cooking over open fires, coping with cold and damp conditions, and adjusting to just two simple meals a day (including a lot of porridge). There’s no caffeine, no snacks, and definitely no scrolling.
It’s a tough experiment in historical living — but one surprising takeaway so far? They don’t miss their phones as much as they expected.