In our fast-paced world, where information is constantly being shared and consumed, our students need media literacy more than ever.
In What Is News?, host Radzi Chinyanganya introduces the concept of news: its history, purpose, and its potential downside. From its earliest iterations, news provides the information needed for people to make decisions and stay safe. Today, technology allows us to learn information in real time on both a local and global scale. It can be overwhelming to know what to give our attention to and what is real or fake, so it’s necessary to be a smart consumer of news and have trusted sources. This video is excerpted from BBC’s My World, a program created for teenagers eager to learn more about the important stories shaping our world.
In Who Decides?, host Radzi Chinyanganya discovers who decides what people see, read, and hear in the news. Because there are so many events and limited space to report the news, all news is filtered. In journalism, editors decide which stories are worth telling. The companies that run apps, social media, and websites, use computer programs called algorithms to decide which content individuals see. They might try to influence consumers’ views or emotions. Getting news from varied sources is the only way to ensure you’re seeing the complete picture. This video is excerpted from BBC’s My World, a program created for teenagers eager to learn more about the important stories shaping our world.
We’re live from the newsroom! Introduce your students to jobs, workflows, and decision-making processes of newsrooms. In this lesson, they’ll take on various roles and learn what makes up a functioning newsroom.
Extra, extra! Read all about it! Introduce your students to the characteristics, roles, and purpose of the news. In this lesson, they’ll learn the different categories of news and what makes an event “newsworthy.”
Could you sleep for six months and still have plenty of energy when you wake up? The hazel dormouse does just that, spending much of the colder part of the year in hibernation.
This tiny golden-brown rodent spends the warmer months climbing through trees and hedgerows, eating flowers, insects, berries, and nuts before preparing for winter. Discover how a dormouse’s furry tail and large eyes help it navigate after dark, why autumn is a race to build up energy reserves, and how its long winter sleep helps it survive when food is scarce. You'll also find out why these little climbers need connected woodlands and hedgerows to thrive.
Teachers and parents, you can use this fact file to:
- Introduce an animal, wildlife, or life science unit
- Support nonfiction reading and vocabulary practice
- Explore animal adaptations, behaviors, and habitats
- Compare animals and the ecosystems they live in
- Practice finding and organizing information from nonfiction texts
- Prepare students for animal research projects or presentations (use our animal report templates!)
- Connect science learning to conservation and environmental issues
- Pair with videos, articles, or other informational texts (see Related Resources below)
How many earthworms could a hungry badger eat in one night? More than 200 — and that’s just one of the surprising things about this underground-dwelling mammal.
Meet the European badger, a powerful digger that spends its days below ground and its nights exploring above it. Take a look inside a badger’s sett, discover how its strong claws and keen sense of smell help it find food, and find out why earthworms are such an important part of its diet. You'll also learn how badger families live together, raise their cubs, and keep their underground homes in order.
Teachers and parents, you can use this fact file to:
- Introduce an animal, wildlife, or life science unit
- Support nonfiction reading and vocabulary practice
- Explore animal adaptations, behaviors, and habitats
- Compare animals and the ecosystems they live in
- Practice finding and organizing information from nonfiction texts
- Prepare students for animal research projects or presentations (use our animal report templates!)
- Connect science learning to conservation and environmental issues
- Pair with videos, articles, or other informational texts (see Related Resources below)
How can an animal identify what it’s holding without even looking at it? For the common raccoon, the answer is all in its paws.
Raccoons are equipped with remarkably sensitive front paws that help them explore, handle food, and investigate their surroundings. Find out how these dexterous mammals use touch, climbing skills, and an anything-goes diet to thrive in forests, wetlands, and neighborhoods. You'll also discover why raccoons sometimes seem to “wash” their food, where they sleep during the day, and how their adaptability can create both opportunities and challenges when they live near people.
Teachers and parents, you can use this fact file to:
- Introduce an animal, wildlife, or life science unit
- Support nonfiction reading and vocabulary practice
- Explore animal adaptations, behaviors, and habitats
- Compare animals and the ecosystems they live in
- Practice finding and organizing information from nonfiction texts
- Prepare students for animal research projects or presentations (use our animal report templates!)
- Connect science learning to conservation and environmental issues
- Pair with videos, articles, or other informational texts (see Related Resources below)
Can a squirrel really fly? Not exactly — but it can leap, fall, and glide through the air with surprising control.
Eastern grey squirrels may be familiar sights in parks and backyards, but there’s a lot going on behind those quick paws and bushy tails. Explore the climbing skills that help them navigate the treetops, the clever way they stash food for later, and the surprising role those forgotten nuts can play in growing new trees. You'll also discover how squirrels communicate, raise their young, and adapt to life in both forests and human neighborhoods.
Teachers and parents, you can use this fact file to:
- Introduce an animal, wildlife, or life science unit
- Support nonfiction reading and vocabulary practice
- Explore animal adaptations, behaviors, and habitats
- Compare animals and the ecosystems they live in
- Practice finding and organizing information from nonfiction texts
- Prepare students for animal research projects or presentations (use our animal report templates!)
- Connect science learning to conservation and environmental issues
- Pair with videos, articles, or other informational texts (see Related Resources below)
What animal can warn an attacker with stomps, raised fur, and a lifted tail before turning its rear end into a surprisingly powerful defense?
Meet the striped skunk, a small mammal with a big reputation. Find out how its bold black-and-white markings serve as a warning, why spraying is actually a last resort, and how its sharp claws help it dig up dinner. You'll also discover where skunks make their homes, what they eat, and how these mostly nighttime animals manage to live surprisingly close to people.
Teachers and parents, you can use this fact file to:
- Introduce an animal, wildlife, or life science unit
- Support nonfiction reading and vocabulary practice
- Explore animal adaptations, behaviors, and habitats
- Compare animals and the ecosystems they live in
- Practice finding and organizing information from nonfiction texts
- Prepare students for animal research projects or presentations (use our animal report templates!)
- Connect science learning to conservation and environmental issues
- Pair with videos, articles, or other informational texts (see Related Resources below)
Which duck makes the classic “quack” you hear at ponds and parks? Surprisingly, it’s usually the female mallard!
Meet one of the world’s most widespread and adaptable ducks. Explore how mallards move between water, land, and sky, from tipping upside down to feed underwater to flying at speeds of around 55 miles per hour. You'll also discover why males and females look so different, how ducklings become independent within hours of hatching, and why healthy wetlands matter even to a species that seems to be everywhere.
Teachers and parents, you can use this fact file to:
- Introduce an animal, wildlife, or life science unit
- Support nonfiction reading and vocabulary practice
- Explore animal adaptations, behaviors, and habitats
- Compare animals and the ecosystems they live in
- Practice finding and organizing information from nonfiction texts
- Prepare students for animal research projects or presentations (use our animal report templates!)
- Connect science learning to conservation and environmental issues
- Pair with videos, articles, or other informational texts (see Related Resources below)
What animal can grow a brand-new set of antlers every year — and grow them faster than you might think?
White-tailed deer are built for life on the move. Explore how their powerful legs help them sprint and leap, how their senses keep them alert to danger, and how their bodies change with the seasons. You'll also discover what fawns do to stay safe, why bucks grow and shed their antlers, and how deer populations have changed over time.
Teachers and parents, you can use this fact file to:
- Introduce an animal, wildlife, or life science unit
- Support nonfiction reading and vocabulary practice
- Explore animal adaptations, behaviors, and habitats
- Compare animals and the ecosystems they live in
- Practice finding and organizing information from nonfiction texts
- Prepare students for animal research projects or presentations (use our animal report templates!)
- Connect science learning to conservation and environmental issues
- Pair with videos, articles, or other informational texts (see Related Resources below)
In our fast-paced world, where information is constantly being shared and consumed, our students need media literacy more than ever.
In What Is News?, host Radzi Chinyanganya introduces the concept of news: its history, purpose, and its potential downside. From its earliest iterations, news provides the information needed for people to make decisions and stay safe. Today, technology allows us to learn information in real time on both a local and global scale. It can be overwhelming to know what to give our attention to and what is real or fake, so it’s necessary to be a smart consumer of news and have trusted sources. This video is excerpted from BBC’s My World, a program created for teenagers eager to learn more about the important stories shaping our world.
In Who Decides?, host Radzi Chinyanganya discovers who decides what people see, read, and hear in the news. Because there are so many events and limited space to report the news, all news is filtered. In journalism, editors decide which stories are worth telling. The companies that run apps, social media, and websites, use computer programs called algorithms to decide which content individuals see. They might try to influence consumers’ views or emotions. Getting news from varied sources is the only way to ensure you’re seeing the complete picture. This video is excerpted from BBC’s My World, a program created for teenagers eager to learn more about the important stories shaping our world.
We’re live from the newsroom! Introduce your students to jobs, workflows, and decision-making processes of newsrooms. In this lesson, they’ll take on various roles and learn what makes up a functioning newsroom.
Extra, extra! Read all about it! Introduce your students to the characteristics, roles, and purpose of the news. In this lesson, they’ll learn the different categories of news and what makes an event “newsworthy.”
Could you sleep for six months and still have plenty of energy when you wake up? The hazel dormouse does just that, spending much of the colder part of the year in hibernation.
This tiny golden-brown rodent spends the warmer months climbing through trees and hedgerows, eating flowers, insects, berries, and nuts before preparing for winter. Discover how a dormouse’s furry tail and large eyes help it navigate after dark, why autumn is a race to build up energy reserves, and how its long winter sleep helps it survive when food is scarce. You'll also find out why these little climbers need connected woodlands and hedgerows to thrive.
Teachers and parents, you can use this fact file to:
- Introduce an animal, wildlife, or life science unit
- Support nonfiction reading and vocabulary practice
- Explore animal adaptations, behaviors, and habitats
- Compare animals and the ecosystems they live in
- Practice finding and organizing information from nonfiction texts
- Prepare students for animal research projects or presentations (use our animal report templates!)
- Connect science learning to conservation and environmental issues
- Pair with videos, articles, or other informational texts (see Related Resources below)
How many earthworms could a hungry badger eat in one night? More than 200 — and that’s just one of the surprising things about this underground-dwelling mammal.
Meet the European badger, a powerful digger that spends its days below ground and its nights exploring above it. Take a look inside a badger’s sett, discover how its strong claws and keen sense of smell help it find food, and find out why earthworms are such an important part of its diet. You'll also learn how badger families live together, raise their cubs, and keep their underground homes in order.
Teachers and parents, you can use this fact file to:
- Introduce an animal, wildlife, or life science unit
- Support nonfiction reading and vocabulary practice
- Explore animal adaptations, behaviors, and habitats
- Compare animals and the ecosystems they live in
- Practice finding and organizing information from nonfiction texts
- Prepare students for animal research projects or presentations (use our animal report templates!)
- Connect science learning to conservation and environmental issues
- Pair with videos, articles, or other informational texts (see Related Resources below)
How can an animal identify what it’s holding without even looking at it? For the common raccoon, the answer is all in its paws.
Raccoons are equipped with remarkably sensitive front paws that help them explore, handle food, and investigate their surroundings. Find out how these dexterous mammals use touch, climbing skills, and an anything-goes diet to thrive in forests, wetlands, and neighborhoods. You'll also discover why raccoons sometimes seem to “wash” their food, where they sleep during the day, and how their adaptability can create both opportunities and challenges when they live near people.
Teachers and parents, you can use this fact file to:
- Introduce an animal, wildlife, or life science unit
- Support nonfiction reading and vocabulary practice
- Explore animal adaptations, behaviors, and habitats
- Compare animals and the ecosystems they live in
- Practice finding and organizing information from nonfiction texts
- Prepare students for animal research projects or presentations (use our animal report templates!)
- Connect science learning to conservation and environmental issues
- Pair with videos, articles, or other informational texts (see Related Resources below)
Can a squirrel really fly? Not exactly — but it can leap, fall, and glide through the air with surprising control.
Eastern grey squirrels may be familiar sights in parks and backyards, but there’s a lot going on behind those quick paws and bushy tails. Explore the climbing skills that help them navigate the treetops, the clever way they stash food for later, and the surprising role those forgotten nuts can play in growing new trees. You'll also discover how squirrels communicate, raise their young, and adapt to life in both forests and human neighborhoods.
Teachers and parents, you can use this fact file to:
- Introduce an animal, wildlife, or life science unit
- Support nonfiction reading and vocabulary practice
- Explore animal adaptations, behaviors, and habitats
- Compare animals and the ecosystems they live in
- Practice finding and organizing information from nonfiction texts
- Prepare students for animal research projects or presentations (use our animal report templates!)
- Connect science learning to conservation and environmental issues
- Pair with videos, articles, or other informational texts (see Related Resources below)
What animal can warn an attacker with stomps, raised fur, and a lifted tail before turning its rear end into a surprisingly powerful defense?
Meet the striped skunk, a small mammal with a big reputation. Find out how its bold black-and-white markings serve as a warning, why spraying is actually a last resort, and how its sharp claws help it dig up dinner. You'll also discover where skunks make their homes, what they eat, and how these mostly nighttime animals manage to live surprisingly close to people.
Teachers and parents, you can use this fact file to:
- Introduce an animal, wildlife, or life science unit
- Support nonfiction reading and vocabulary practice
- Explore animal adaptations, behaviors, and habitats
- Compare animals and the ecosystems they live in
- Practice finding and organizing information from nonfiction texts
- Prepare students for animal research projects or presentations (use our animal report templates!)
- Connect science learning to conservation and environmental issues
- Pair with videos, articles, or other informational texts (see Related Resources below)
Which duck makes the classic “quack” you hear at ponds and parks? Surprisingly, it’s usually the female mallard!
Meet one of the world’s most widespread and adaptable ducks. Explore how mallards move between water, land, and sky, from tipping upside down to feed underwater to flying at speeds of around 55 miles per hour. You'll also discover why males and females look so different, how ducklings become independent within hours of hatching, and why healthy wetlands matter even to a species that seems to be everywhere.
Teachers and parents, you can use this fact file to:
- Introduce an animal, wildlife, or life science unit
- Support nonfiction reading and vocabulary practice
- Explore animal adaptations, behaviors, and habitats
- Compare animals and the ecosystems they live in
- Practice finding and organizing information from nonfiction texts
- Prepare students for animal research projects or presentations (use our animal report templates!)
- Connect science learning to conservation and environmental issues
- Pair with videos, articles, or other informational texts (see Related Resources below)
What animal can grow a brand-new set of antlers every year — and grow them faster than you might think?
White-tailed deer are built for life on the move. Explore how their powerful legs help them sprint and leap, how their senses keep them alert to danger, and how their bodies change with the seasons. You'll also discover what fawns do to stay safe, why bucks grow and shed their antlers, and how deer populations have changed over time.
Teachers and parents, you can use this fact file to:
- Introduce an animal, wildlife, or life science unit
- Support nonfiction reading and vocabulary practice
- Explore animal adaptations, behaviors, and habitats
- Compare animals and the ecosystems they live in
- Practice finding and organizing information from nonfiction texts
- Prepare students for animal research projects or presentations (use our animal report templates!)
- Connect science learning to conservation and environmental issues
- Pair with videos, articles, or other informational texts (see Related Resources below)