What happens when a zoo animal gets sick? For most of the history of zoos, that question had an answer most visitors never saw. Now, one of the world's oldest zoological societies is building a facility designed to change that — and what they're planning goes well beyond routine checkups.

The Zoological Society of London is constructing a new wildlife health center that will allow visitors to observe animals receiving medical care firsthand. Some of what they'll see will be routine — weight checks, dental exams, the kind of maintenance that keeps zoo populations healthy. But onlookers may also get a window into surgical procedures, and in some cases, postmortems. It's an unusually transparent approach for an institution that has traditionally kept its medical operations behind closed doors.

Not everyone is convinced. Critics argue the center is more about capitalizing on public curiosity than genuinely benefiting the animals in its care — that making medicine into a spectator sport serves the zoo's revenue more than its residents.

ZSL pushes back on that framing. The center is designed to be more than an exhibit. It's intended to function as a global training resource for wildlife vets, a hub where expertise in animal medicine can be developed and shared across institutions worldwide. The argument is that visibility and conservation aren't in conflict — that showing people what it actually takes to keep wild animals healthy is exactly the kind of thing that builds the public understanding zoos increasingly depend on to justify their existence.

The deeper question the center raises isn't really about one zoo or one building. It's about what zoos are actually for — and whether letting people watch is a compromise of that mission or an extension of it.

A total lunar eclipse happens when the Earth moves directly between the Sun and the Moon, blocking sunlight from reaching the Moon’s surface. During the eclipse, the Moon can appear dark red or copper-colored as sunlight bends through Earth’s atmosphere.

Even though the Moon travels around Earth about every 28 days, total lunar eclipses are rare. That’s because the Moon’s orbit is tilted slightly, so most months, the Moon passes a little above or below Earth’s shadow instead of through it. Only every six months or so are the Sun, Earth, and Moon lined up closely enough for a possible lunar eclipse.

Last September, millions of people around the world watched the rare event during organized watch parties and backyard gatherings. Astronomers encouraged people to bring blankets, snacks, and telescopes to enjoy the nighttime spectacle together. While cloudy skies blocked views in some places, observers across parts of Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and Australia were able to see the eclipse from beginning to end under clear skies.

Discover the wonders of Chichén Itzá, one of the most important cities of the ancient Maya world and one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. Students will explore how the Maya used astronomy, mathematics, and engineering to create impressive temples and monuments that still amaze people today.

This Kahoot examines the history and design of Chichén Itzá, including the famous pyramid El Castillo, the role of calendars and celestial observations in Maya society, and the beliefs and traditions that shaped daily life. Students will also discover how ancient knowledge and culture influenced the construction of one of the most remarkable archaeological sites in the world.

Ideal for lessons on history, world cultures, mathematics, and geography, this Kahoot encourages students to explore the achievements and lasting legacy of the Maya civilization.

Invite your students to explore the life cycles of common organisms with these life cycle sequencing cards. The cards cover the bean plant, butterfly, birch tree, apple tree, honeybee, ladybug, and frog. They come already mixed up, so kids can color, cut, and put them in order. Use as an introductory task, check for understanding, center activity, or study guide!

As you introduce life cycles, focus on key concepts such as stages of growth, changes in form and function, and the idea that all living things follow a pattern from beginning to end. Encourage students to ask questions, make predictions, and notice patterns across plants and animals.

Teaching life cycles in elementary school is not only standards-based, it's also a great way to help students understand how living things grow and change over time. At this level, students are ready to explore clear, observable stages — like seed to plant or egg to adult—and begin comparing similarities and differences across species.

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.

Everyone loves a nature walk! Take your PreK–Grade 2 students outside to observe the world around them. With these worksheets on a clipboard, you can make your nature walk more focused and a true learning experience (in addition to being loads of fun!).

• Nature Walk Scavenger Hunt: Students look for a leaf, flower, bird, and more. They can check off each item they find and then color them when they get back to the classroom.
• Nature Walk Observations: Encourage your kids to draw and write what they see on their nature walk.
• Nature Walk I Spy: Challenge your students to find something that smells good, something round, something tiny, something rough, something green, and something that flies.
• Nature Walk Report: When you get back to the room, have your kids draw and write about what they saw on their nature walk.

As students explore each dinosaur and dig site combo, they can record their findings in this Paleontologist Field Journal. For each site, students will fill in:

• Dig Site Observations: Answer questions about the Visit the Dig video.
• Fact File: Using information from the Meet the Dinosaur video and your own research, fill in all the boxes.
• Coloring page: Color the detailed scientific drawing of the dinosaur. 

It's all part of our Walking With Dinosaurs Virtual Field Trip!

You'll need to print this double-sided. Select the option to flip on the long edge. To assemble the journals, students will stack the double-sided pages together, fold in half, and staple along the short edge.

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 The Sperm Whale Mother and Calf, narrator Sir David Attenborough observes a sperm whale and her calf, resting, communicating, and feeding. The calf won’t be able to dive deep enough to hunt for squid for the first six years of life, but the mother dives and hunts and returns with a store of milk for the waiting calf. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Blue Planet II, a natural history series that explores the world's oceans, the animals that live in them, and the threats they face, using modern filming techniques and equipment to capture previously unseen areas of the ocean.

In this activity, students will step into the boots of Antarctic research scientists as they uncover the secrets of penguin life! They’ll start by sharing what they already know about Antarctica before "traveling" there through a BBC Frozen Planet video, which will let them experience the continent up close. Then, each student will select a penguin species to research and they will use a BBC video from Seven Worlds, One Planet or Frozen Planet to gather their observations. Students will synthesize their notes as they create a research journal page, and they will then wrap up by discussing what new questions they’re curious to investigate next!

In Brown Hyenas of the Namib Desert, narrator Sir David Attenborough observes a female brown hyena living in the Namib Desert. Her home is an abandoned diamond mine, where she has reared nine generations of cubs. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Seven Worlds, One Planet, a series featuring remarkable animal behavior from all seven continents.