Guide your students on a hike through the tropical rainforest ecosystem! From the Amazon in South America to the jungles of Southeast Asia, rainforests are full of unique and amazing species. 

✨ 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 rainforest. (Don't miss the spider monkeys and waterfall toads!) Brought to you by world-class BBC programs like Planet Earth, Deadly 60, Seven Worlds, One Planet, and Life.
• Free Printable: Use the Tropical Rainforest 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.

Step into the lush, green world of tropical rainforests! From the mighty Amazon to the steamy jungles of Southeast Asia, these ecosystems overflow with towering trees, hidden creatures, and nonstop adventure. 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 New Guinea Rainforests, narrator Sir David Attenborough details the different species that live in the rainforests of New Guinea, which has 12 hours of daylight for 365 days a year. This video is excerpted from BBC's Planet Earth, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.

In Watch a Life Built on Decay in the Rainforests, narrator Sir David Attenborough notes that the nutrient recycling rate in rainforests happens faster than anywhere else. Learn how slime mold, fungi, and beetle larvae interact to decompose leaf litter. 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 Houses in Rainforest Treetops, the Go Jetters crew travels to the rainforest of Papua to visit the Korowai tribe. Ubercorn shares funky facts including why the Korowai live high off the ground and what they use to build their houses. 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 Palm Oil vs. the Rainforest, naturalist Steve Backshall discusses ways in which the production of palm oil could minimize the risk to the rainforest and the survival of animals. This video is excerpted from BBC's Deadly 60, an award-winning nature and adventure show for kids in which narrator Steve Backshall has one mission: to travel the globe in search of 60 of the world's deadliest animals.

In The Go Jetters Travel to the Amazon Rainforest!, Ubercorn and friends explore the magical Amazon Rainforest! This rainforest is the largest in the world, with tall trees, warm weather, and rain all year long. It’s home to millions of animals and plants, all living together in a special way! 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 Protecting Madagascar, narrator Sir David Attenborough presents the incredible biodiversity of Madagascar’s rainforests and the urgent need to protect them. Learn how deforestation and habitat destruction are endangering species like the indri, one of the world’s largest lemurs. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Planet Earth II, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.

In Life in the Flooded Jungles of Brazil, narrator Sir David Attenborough takes us into the flooded Amazon rainforest, showing how jungle trees release moisture into the air to create their own rainfall. Marvel at the diverse range of animals that live in this watery environment, including river dolphins, capybaras, giant otters, and caimans. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Planet Earth II, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.

In A Spider Monkey's First Steps, narrator Sir David Attenborough narrates the journey of a young spider monkey as she learns to climb and navigate the rainforest canopy. Learn the importance of family and group behaviors as the young monkey develops the skills necessary for survival in the jungle. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Planet Earth II, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.

In How the Andes Shaped Life in South America, narrator Iain Stewart explains how the Andes have shaped South America in incredible ways, creating the Amazon River and its rainforest. One of the Andes’ most amazing residents is the llama, built for high-altitude life. But llamas didn’t originate in South America — they came from North America and crossed over millions of years ago when the continents connected. Today, just like the llamas once did, people bring new foods, technology, and ideas to the Andes, showing the world is more connected than ever! This video is excerpted from BBC’s Rise of the Continents, which uncovers how Earth’s continents formed and shaped life over millions of years.