Take your students on a climb through the mountain ecosystem! From the towering Himalayas to the snowy Rockies, mountain ecosystems change as you climb, starting with green forests down low and ending with bare, windswept summits at the top. 

✨ 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 mountains. (Don't miss the grizzlies and snow leopards!) Brought to you by world-class BBC programs like Planet Earth.
• Free Printable: Use the Mountain 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.

Climb high into the world of mountains! From the snow-capped peaks of the Himalayas to the rugged Rockies, these towering ecosystems challenge life to adapt in amazing ways. 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 How Mountains Shape the Climate, narrator Sir David Attenborough takes in soaring views that reveal the extreme altitude of the Himalayas. These mountains are so high that they force the formation of clouds and monsoon rain and snow. This video is excerpted from BBC's Planet Earth, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.

In The Go Jetters Explore the Snowy Peaks of Whistler Mountain, the Go Jetters crew watches as Grandmaster Glitch stirs up trouble during a ski jump challenge. Ubercorn shares funky facts about the height of the cable car and how Whistler Mountain got its name. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Go Jetters, a series that follows the adventures of four international heroes as they travel the globe visiting landmarks and solving environmental problems with Ubercorn, a disco-dancing unicorn.

In The Go Jetters and the Snowy Mountains of Japan, the Go Jetters crew heads to the snowy mountains of Japan! At Jigokudani Monkey Park, snow monkeys relax in hot springs to stay warm during the icy winters. These warm pools are like nature’s hot tubs, thanks to heat bubbling up from deep underground! Plus, every group of snow monkeys has a special leader to guide them through the snow. 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.

• 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 Grunting With Gorillas, host Andy Day is in the mountains when he finds a family of gorillas. He grunts to let them know he’s approaching. Then he observes the gorillas taking care of each other. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Andy's Wild Adventures, in which Andy Day embarks on wild adventures with his puppet friend, Kip the cat.

In High Altitude Living in China narrator Sir David Attenborough describes how only a few animals are adapted to survive winter on the high mountain slopes. Watch a giant panda munch on bamboo and a group of golden snub-nosed monkeys huddle for warmth. This video is excerpted from BBC's Planet Earth, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.

In Ibex Mountaineers, narrator Sir David Attenborough presents the survival behaviors of the Nubian ibex in the harsh environment of the Arabian Peninsula. Watch the ibex’s interactions with predators, including the fox, and the challenges of survival in such a tough landscape. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Planet Earth II, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.

In The Alps, Europe’s Jagged Peaks, narrator Sir David Attenborough marvels at the ancient seabed turned mountain chain. This video is excerpted from BBC's Planet Earth, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.

In The Danakil Depression, narrator Sir David Attenborough explores the alien landscape of one of the lowest, hottest places on Earth. Pools of sulfuric acid and churning lava hint at the birth of new mountains. This video is excerpted from BBC's Planet Earth, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.

In The Andes in a Day, narrator Sir David Attenborough marvels at the longest mountain chain on the planet! Enjoy soaring views of the jagged peaks, and meet the hardy guanaco that endures unpredictable weather. This video is excerpted from BBC's Planet Earth, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.