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.
Gung Hei Fat Choy!
Celebrate Lunar New Year with the BBC Learning Hub’s curated resources for students ages 4–14. Through videos, articles, and printables, students can explore the traditions, symbols, and stories that mark this important holiday. From family gatherings and festive foods to lanterns, lion dances, and the Chinese Zodiac, these resources help students understand how Lunar New Year is celebrated across cultures and communities around the world.
In Lions of the Namib, narrator Sir David Attenborough narrates the struggles of lion prides surviving in one of the harshest environments on Earth — the Namib Desert. With little water and scarce prey, these lions must use strategy and patience to hunt, but even their best efforts often end in failure. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Planet Earth II, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.
In The Go Jetters' Safari Adventure in Kenya, the Go Jetters crew visits Maasai Mara National Park Reserve in Kenya, Africa, where they see many animals like lions, cheetahs, hyenas, and wildebeest. Millions of wildebeest travel together across the park, following rainclouds to find fresh grass to eat. They work together to stay safe and find food in this huge, wild place! This video is excerpted from BBC’s Go Jetters, a series that follows the adventures of four plucky international heroes as they travel the globe visiting the world’s most famous landmarks with their friend and mentor, Ubercorn, a disco-dancing unicorn.
In Grassland Floods in the Okavango, narrator Sir David Attenborough shows how heavy rains flood the Okavango Delta, transforming the grasslands into a waterlogged landscape. Lions must adapt to hunting in the wet conditions, while their prey, like buffaloes, face new struggles to find food and safe ground. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Planet Earth II, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.
In The Animals of the Namibian Desert, narrator Sir David Attenborough teaches about the animals in Namibia. Elephants here walk up to 50 miles a day to find food. Lion prides are small and hunt oryxes that are in search of water. Oryx take to the sand dunes to escape from hungry lions. This video is excerpted from BBC's Planet Earth, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.
In The African Elephant Marches Towards Water, narrator Sir David Attenborough investigates how African elephants use their memories to find waterholes. The elephants gather in groups and travel during the night, when temperatures are cooler. This video is excerpted from BBC's Planet Earth, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.
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
Deserts look empty. They are anything but.
From the sun-scorched dunes of the Sahara to the scrubby plains of Australia, desert animals have cracked one of nature's toughest puzzles: how to survive where water is scarce, temperatures are brutal, and food is hard to find. In this playlist, you'll meet the remarkable species that call these landscapes home — from the iconic camel and the lightning-fast hawk to the bounding kangaroo and the armored pangolin.
Each clip, drawn from landmark BBC series including Seven Worlds, One Planet and Planet Earth II, puts you face-to-face with real desert survival in action. Some animals store water and energy for enormous journeys across open terrain. Others hunt by night, move in short bursts, or use camouflage so good they practically disappear. Every strategy is different. Every one is extraordinary.
As you watch, think bigger: How do animals adapt to temperatures that would stop most creatures in their tracks? What physical traits make desert life not just possible, but thriving? And how do these species — predator and prey, reptile and mammal — depend on each other to keep desert ecosystems in balance?
This playlist won't just teach you about deserts. It will make you see them differently.
Celebrate the incredible work of Sir David Attenborough — a storyteller who has helped millions of students and viewers explore the natural world. On the occasion of his 100th birthday on May 8, 2026, we honor his enormous accomplishments in the field of environmental advocacy and his role in revolutionizing nature documentaries.
This playlist brings together 10 unforgettable clips from landmark BBC series like Planet Earth, Blue Planet, and Frozen Planet. Each video showcases amazing wildlife, powerful storytelling, and moments that spark curiosity and wonder.
Perfect for the classroom or at home, these videos help students connect with nature, understand our planet, and feel inspired to protect it.
Explore the wide-open world of grasslands and discover the amazing animals that live in one of Earth’s largest biomes. From enormous elephants and powerful buffalo to towering Kori bustards, hardworking leafcutter ants, and rare Saiga antelope, students will learn how animals survive and thrive in these vast landscapes of grasses and few trees.
This Kahoot explores the unique features of grassland ecosystems, including climate, food chains, migration, and the special adaptations that help animals find food, avoid predators, and survive changing seasons. Students will also discover the differences between tropical savannas and temperate grasslands and the incredible diversity of life found in each.
Watch the related BBC videos (below), then invite your Grade 3–8 students to test their knowledge and uncover the wonders of life on the grasslands.
In Sea Lions and Storms, narrator Sir David Attenborough explains how mother sea lions try to shield their pups from harsh storms hitting the coast where they are raising their young. This video is an excerpt from BBC’s Nature's Great Events, a documentary series that showcases some of the most dramatic wildlife spectacles on Earth, exploring how life adapts to natural events that can transform entire landscapes.
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.
Gung Hei Fat Choy!
Celebrate Lunar New Year with the BBC Learning Hub’s curated resources for students ages 4–14. Through videos, articles, and printables, students can explore the traditions, symbols, and stories that mark this important holiday. From family gatherings and festive foods to lanterns, lion dances, and the Chinese Zodiac, these resources help students understand how Lunar New Year is celebrated across cultures and communities around the world.
In Lions of the Namib, narrator Sir David Attenborough narrates the struggles of lion prides surviving in one of the harshest environments on Earth — the Namib Desert. With little water and scarce prey, these lions must use strategy and patience to hunt, but even their best efforts often end in failure. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Planet Earth II, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.
In The Go Jetters' Safari Adventure in Kenya, the Go Jetters crew visits Maasai Mara National Park Reserve in Kenya, Africa, where they see many animals like lions, cheetahs, hyenas, and wildebeest. Millions of wildebeest travel together across the park, following rainclouds to find fresh grass to eat. They work together to stay safe and find food in this huge, wild place! This video is excerpted from BBC’s Go Jetters, a series that follows the adventures of four plucky international heroes as they travel the globe visiting the world’s most famous landmarks with their friend and mentor, Ubercorn, a disco-dancing unicorn.
In Grassland Floods in the Okavango, narrator Sir David Attenborough shows how heavy rains flood the Okavango Delta, transforming the grasslands into a waterlogged landscape. Lions must adapt to hunting in the wet conditions, while their prey, like buffaloes, face new struggles to find food and safe ground. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Planet Earth II, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.
In The Animals of the Namibian Desert, narrator Sir David Attenborough teaches about the animals in Namibia. Elephants here walk up to 50 miles a day to find food. Lion prides are small and hunt oryxes that are in search of water. Oryx take to the sand dunes to escape from hungry lions. This video is excerpted from BBC's Planet Earth, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.
In The African Elephant Marches Towards Water, narrator Sir David Attenborough investigates how African elephants use their memories to find waterholes. The elephants gather in groups and travel during the night, when temperatures are cooler. This video is excerpted from BBC's Planet Earth, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.
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
Deserts look empty. They are anything but.
From the sun-scorched dunes of the Sahara to the scrubby plains of Australia, desert animals have cracked one of nature's toughest puzzles: how to survive where water is scarce, temperatures are brutal, and food is hard to find. In this playlist, you'll meet the remarkable species that call these landscapes home — from the iconic camel and the lightning-fast hawk to the bounding kangaroo and the armored pangolin.
Each clip, drawn from landmark BBC series including Seven Worlds, One Planet and Planet Earth II, puts you face-to-face with real desert survival in action. Some animals store water and energy for enormous journeys across open terrain. Others hunt by night, move in short bursts, or use camouflage so good they practically disappear. Every strategy is different. Every one is extraordinary.
As you watch, think bigger: How do animals adapt to temperatures that would stop most creatures in their tracks? What physical traits make desert life not just possible, but thriving? And how do these species — predator and prey, reptile and mammal — depend on each other to keep desert ecosystems in balance?
This playlist won't just teach you about deserts. It will make you see them differently.
Celebrate the incredible work of Sir David Attenborough — a storyteller who has helped millions of students and viewers explore the natural world. On the occasion of his 100th birthday on May 8, 2026, we honor his enormous accomplishments in the field of environmental advocacy and his role in revolutionizing nature documentaries.
This playlist brings together 10 unforgettable clips from landmark BBC series like Planet Earth, Blue Planet, and Frozen Planet. Each video showcases amazing wildlife, powerful storytelling, and moments that spark curiosity and wonder.
Perfect for the classroom or at home, these videos help students connect with nature, understand our planet, and feel inspired to protect it.
Explore the wide-open world of grasslands and discover the amazing animals that live in one of Earth’s largest biomes. From enormous elephants and powerful buffalo to towering Kori bustards, hardworking leafcutter ants, and rare Saiga antelope, students will learn how animals survive and thrive in these vast landscapes of grasses and few trees.
This Kahoot explores the unique features of grassland ecosystems, including climate, food chains, migration, and the special adaptations that help animals find food, avoid predators, and survive changing seasons. Students will also discover the differences between tropical savannas and temperate grasslands and the incredible diversity of life found in each.
Watch the related BBC videos (below), then invite your Grade 3–8 students to test their knowledge and uncover the wonders of life on the grasslands.
In Sea Lions and Storms, narrator Sir David Attenborough explains how mother sea lions try to shield their pups from harsh storms hitting the coast where they are raising their young. This video is an excerpt from BBC’s Nature's Great Events, a documentary series that showcases some of the most dramatic wildlife spectacles on Earth, exploring how life adapts to natural events that can transform entire landscapes.