Bring your students on an icy exploration of the polar ecosystem! The Arctic and Antarctica may look frozen and empty at first glance, but they’re full of life perfectly adapted to the cold.
✨ 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 polar regions. (Don't miss the narwhals and emperor penguins!) Brought to you by world-class BBC programs like Planet Earth, Frozen Planet, and Seven Worlds, One Planet.
- Free Printable: Use the Polar 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.
Dive into the wonders of Antarctica with this multi-grade lesson collection! Tailored for K–2, 3–5, 6–8, and 9–12, each unit includes engaging activities, thought-provoking discussions, and hands-on projects to uncover the mysteries of the frozen continent. Enhance your teaching with stunning BBC video clips showcasing Antarctic wildlife, research stations, and breathtaking icy landscapes. Printable resources like animal fact sheets, scientist journal templates, and conservation challenges bring the learning to life for your students. Perfect for science, geography, and environmental lessons!
In Sarah and Duck Visit the Penguins, Sarah and Duck go to the zoo. Duck has his penguin suit on and wants to swim, eat, and dive like a penguin. But will he like being a penguin more than a duck? This video is excerpted from BBC’s Sarah & Duck, a kids' show about the adventures of 7-year-old Sarah and her quacky, flappy best friend, Duck.
In Adélie Penguin Chicks at the Bottom of the World, host Andy Day highlights the Adélie penguins living in Antarctica. Starting out their lives on land, the penguin chicks practice walking and learn endurance by racing to get their portion of food from the parent who only has one portion for the two chicks. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Andy’s Baby Animals, in which Andy Day explores the lives and experiences of baby animals.
In The Amazing Teamwork of Emperor Penguin Parents, host Andy Day journeys to Antarctica where emperor penguin fathers sit patiently with their egg on their feet for two months while the mothers fish for food. When the penguin parents are reunited, the egg has hatched and the mother takes over babysitting while the father goes to feed. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Andy’s Baby Animals, in which Andy Day explores the lives and experiences of baby animals.
In Humboldt Penguins' Path to the Sea, learn how the Humboldt penguins need to reach the sea to wash themselves after building their nests. They have to find a way through a beach crowded with sea lions. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Seven Worlds, One Planet, a series featuring remarkable animal behavior from all seven continents.
In Hatching Penguin Chicks, narrator Sir David Attenborough visits the southern end of the Earth, where male emperor penguins endure the coldest conditions on the planet while protecting their eggs. The fathers, who have been fasting for months, feed their newly hatched young one last time before the long-awaited return of the females. With bellies full of fish, the mothers call out to identify their mates and reunite with their chicks. The fathers must reluctantly surrender their young, ensuring their survival as the Antarctic winter begins to ease. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Planet Earth, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.
In The Winter Survival Strategies of Male Emperor Penguins, narrator Sir David Attenborough details the incredible survival strategies of male emperor penguins during the harsh Antarctic winter. After the females leave, the males form tightly packed groups to protect their eggs from the extreme cold. Facing brutal conditions, the penguins huddle together, constantly shifting to ensure everyone has a chance to stay warm. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Planet Earth, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.
In The Winter Breeding Journey of Emperor Penguins, narrator Sir David Attenborough journeys along with the emperor penguins of Antarctica as they take the long path to their breeding grounds — the same place they were once hatched. Once they arrive, male and female penguins find mates. After the female has produced an egg several weeks later, she must carefully transfer it to the male to keep it warm in his special pouch while she returns to the ocean on her own. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Planet Earth, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.
In King Penguins Parents Brave a Perilous Trek, narrator Sir David Attenborough explains that chicks are bred on isolated Marion Island in the polar sea. Parents return from days of fishing and brave a trek past elephant seals to feed their young. This video is excerpted from BBC's Planet Earth, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.
In Male Emperor Penguins Are Fathers of the Year, narrator Sir David Attenborough shares how male penguins endure extreme conditions to care for their eggs. Temperatures plummet, winds whip, and the Sun disappears as these hardy birds huddle for protection. This video is excerpted from BBC's Planet Earth, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.
In Emperor Penguins Hatch, narrator Sir David Attenborough describes how the Sun rises for the first time in months when spring arrives in Antarctica. Male emperor penguins leave their winter huddle carrying their precious eggs on their feet. Baby chicks hatch and look to their fathers for food. This video is excerpted from BBC's Planet Earth, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.
Bring your students on an icy exploration of the polar ecosystem! The Arctic and Antarctica may look frozen and empty at first glance, but they’re full of life perfectly adapted to the cold.
✨ 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 polar regions. (Don't miss the narwhals and emperor penguins!) Brought to you by world-class BBC programs like Planet Earth, Frozen Planet, and Seven Worlds, One Planet.
- Free Printable: Use the Polar 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.
Dive into the wonders of Antarctica with this multi-grade lesson collection! Tailored for K–2, 3–5, 6–8, and 9–12, each unit includes engaging activities, thought-provoking discussions, and hands-on projects to uncover the mysteries of the frozen continent. Enhance your teaching with stunning BBC video clips showcasing Antarctic wildlife, research stations, and breathtaking icy landscapes. Printable resources like animal fact sheets, scientist journal templates, and conservation challenges bring the learning to life for your students. Perfect for science, geography, and environmental lessons!
In Sarah and Duck Visit the Penguins, Sarah and Duck go to the zoo. Duck has his penguin suit on and wants to swim, eat, and dive like a penguin. But will he like being a penguin more than a duck? This video is excerpted from BBC’s Sarah & Duck, a kids' show about the adventures of 7-year-old Sarah and her quacky, flappy best friend, Duck.
In Adélie Penguin Chicks at the Bottom of the World, host Andy Day highlights the Adélie penguins living in Antarctica. Starting out their lives on land, the penguin chicks practice walking and learn endurance by racing to get their portion of food from the parent who only has one portion for the two chicks. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Andy’s Baby Animals, in which Andy Day explores the lives and experiences of baby animals.
In The Amazing Teamwork of Emperor Penguin Parents, host Andy Day journeys to Antarctica where emperor penguin fathers sit patiently with their egg on their feet for two months while the mothers fish for food. When the penguin parents are reunited, the egg has hatched and the mother takes over babysitting while the father goes to feed. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Andy’s Baby Animals, in which Andy Day explores the lives and experiences of baby animals.
In Humboldt Penguins' Path to the Sea, learn how the Humboldt penguins need to reach the sea to wash themselves after building their nests. They have to find a way through a beach crowded with sea lions. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Seven Worlds, One Planet, a series featuring remarkable animal behavior from all seven continents.
In Hatching Penguin Chicks, narrator Sir David Attenborough visits the southern end of the Earth, where male emperor penguins endure the coldest conditions on the planet while protecting their eggs. The fathers, who have been fasting for months, feed their newly hatched young one last time before the long-awaited return of the females. With bellies full of fish, the mothers call out to identify their mates and reunite with their chicks. The fathers must reluctantly surrender their young, ensuring their survival as the Antarctic winter begins to ease. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Planet Earth, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.
In The Winter Survival Strategies of Male Emperor Penguins, narrator Sir David Attenborough details the incredible survival strategies of male emperor penguins during the harsh Antarctic winter. After the females leave, the males form tightly packed groups to protect their eggs from the extreme cold. Facing brutal conditions, the penguins huddle together, constantly shifting to ensure everyone has a chance to stay warm. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Planet Earth, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.
In The Winter Breeding Journey of Emperor Penguins, narrator Sir David Attenborough journeys along with the emperor penguins of Antarctica as they take the long path to their breeding grounds — the same place they were once hatched. Once they arrive, male and female penguins find mates. After the female has produced an egg several weeks later, she must carefully transfer it to the male to keep it warm in his special pouch while she returns to the ocean on her own. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Planet Earth, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.
In King Penguins Parents Brave a Perilous Trek, narrator Sir David Attenborough explains that chicks are bred on isolated Marion Island in the polar sea. Parents return from days of fishing and brave a trek past elephant seals to feed their young. This video is excerpted from BBC's Planet Earth, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.
In Male Emperor Penguins Are Fathers of the Year, narrator Sir David Attenborough shares how male penguins endure extreme conditions to care for their eggs. Temperatures plummet, winds whip, and the Sun disappears as these hardy birds huddle for protection. This video is excerpted from BBC's Planet Earth, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.
In Emperor Penguins Hatch, narrator Sir David Attenborough describes how the Sun rises for the first time in months when spring arrives in Antarctica. Male emperor penguins leave their winter huddle carrying their precious eggs on their feet. Baby chicks hatch and look to their fathers for food. This video is excerpted from BBC's Planet Earth, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.