Bring your students on an underwater adventure into the coral reef ecosystem! Whether you're exploring the vast beauty of the Great Barrier Reef in Australia or diving into the rich, biodiverse waters of Indonesia, coral reefs are some of the most vibrant and important ecosystems on Earth.
✨ 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 coral reefs. (Don't miss the tusk fish and octopuses!) Brought to you by world-class BBC programs like Planet Earth, Blue Planet, Animal Babies, and Life.
- Free Printable: Use the Coral Reef 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 beneath the waves and explore the colorful world of coral reefs and the amazing sea life they support. From bright tropical fish and graceful sea turtles to tiny coral polyps and color-changing cuttlefish, students will discover how reefs are home to some of the most diverse animal populations on Earth.
This Kahoot explores the rich ecosystems found in and around coral reefs, including the relationships between marine animals, food chains, and the special adaptations that help creatures survive underwater. Students will learn how reef animals find food, avoid predators, and depend on coral habitats for shelter and survival.
Watch the related BBC videos (below), then invite your Grade 3–8 students to test their knowledge and uncover the wonders of life beneath the sea.
Dive into the dazzling world of coral reefs! From Australia’s Great Barrier Reef to the vibrant reefs of Indonesia, these underwater cities are alive with color, movement, and incredible creatures. 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!
Get ready to meet the cold-blooded superstars of the animal kingdom! This BBC playlist slinks, scuttles, and snaps through the fascinating lives of cobras, turtles, lizards, and alligators. Whether it's the mesmerizing hood dance of a cobra or the alligator's toothy grin, these clips are perfect for sparking curiosity (and maybe a little squeamishness) in your classroom. Warning: May cause students to say "Whoa!" and "Ew!" in equal measure.
The article "Exploring Costa Rica’s Rich Wildlife: Which Animals Can You See?" from BBC's Discover Wildlife explores the incredible range of animals that live in Costa Rica. From howler monkeys whose calls can be heard over long distances, to the rare jaguar, the country is home to some of the most unique species in the world. It also highlights vibrant creatures like the resplendent quetzal and endangered sea turtles.
In Turtles on Ascension Island, narrator David Attenborough highlights the green sea turtles that travel incredible distances to lay their eggs on the beaches of Ascension Island. A female turtle may swim over 1,000 miles from her feeding grounds without eating for two months. At night, female turtles come ashore to nest, while eggs laid earlier in the season begin to hatch. Newly hatched turtles must quickly reach the ocean to avoid predators. However, their journey is just beginning — most will not survive the next 20 years. Yet, those that do will return to the same beach where they were born, guided by an instinct that scientists still do not fully understand. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Planet Earth, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.
In Green Turtle Hatchlings Off to Sea, narrator Gordon Buchanan describes some of the challenges faced by Australian green turtles as they travel through the water near the Great Barrier Reef areas. As the young hatchlings move through the water, they must combat predators as well as the possibility of strong and treacherous currents. This video is excerpted from BBC's Animal Babies, a heartwarming show that follows the first breaths, first steps and first feeds of some adorable baby animals, revealing the challenges they face to survive in some of the toughest but most beautiful places on the planet.
In Protecting Raja Ampat’s Ecosystem, Simon explores Raja Ampat, a marine paradise with over 2,000 fish species and coral reefs. While exploring, marine rangers board Simon’s boat to check permits and ensure no one is breaking the law in this protected area. The rangers share their vital work, like stopping illegal fishing of sea turtles and baby sharks which harms the ecosystem. New laws are a game-changer, saving Raja Ampat from the devastation caused by overfishing just a few decades ago. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Wilderness With Simon Reeve, an epic adventure into the heart of Earth’s last great wild areas, where nature is at its most beautiful and fragile.
In Two Types of Turtles, narrator Sir David Attenborough explores two types of sea turtles — flatback and Ridley turtles. Both lay their eggs in the sand on the coast, but their strategies and survival rates differ. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Blue Planet, a definitive documentary series diving into the mysterious depths of the sea to discover the natural history of the world’s oceans and the rarely seen marine life that reside there.
In Seabirds and Green Turtles Breed on Land, narrator Sir David Attenborough explores how seabirds and green turtles breed on land even though they live their lives in and on the water. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Blue Planet, a definitive documentary series diving into the mysterious depths of the sea to discover the natural history of the world’s oceans and the rarely seen marine life that reside there.
In Ridley Turtles Guided by the Moon, narrator Sir David Attenborough explains how the Moon influences the ocean, specifically when Ridley turtles come to lay their eggs. The turtles come during the first or last quarter of the Moon so that the ocean is weaker and less likely to uncover their eggs. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Blue Planet, a definitive documentary series diving into the mysterious depths of the sea to discover the natural history of the world’s oceans and the rarely seen marine life that reside there.
In The Go Jetters' Sea Turtle Rescue, the Go Jetters crew finds a sea turtle that is trapped on the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, a mass of plastic pollution floating in the ocean. They work together to free the sea turtle. 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.
Bring your students on an underwater adventure into the coral reef ecosystem! Whether you're exploring the vast beauty of the Great Barrier Reef in Australia or diving into the rich, biodiverse waters of Indonesia, coral reefs are some of the most vibrant and important ecosystems on Earth.
✨ 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 coral reefs. (Don't miss the tusk fish and octopuses!) Brought to you by world-class BBC programs like Planet Earth, Blue Planet, Animal Babies, and Life.
- Free Printable: Use the Coral Reef 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 beneath the waves and explore the colorful world of coral reefs and the amazing sea life they support. From bright tropical fish and graceful sea turtles to tiny coral polyps and color-changing cuttlefish, students will discover how reefs are home to some of the most diverse animal populations on Earth.
This Kahoot explores the rich ecosystems found in and around coral reefs, including the relationships between marine animals, food chains, and the special adaptations that help creatures survive underwater. Students will learn how reef animals find food, avoid predators, and depend on coral habitats for shelter and survival.
Watch the related BBC videos (below), then invite your Grade 3–8 students to test their knowledge and uncover the wonders of life beneath the sea.
Dive into the dazzling world of coral reefs! From Australia’s Great Barrier Reef to the vibrant reefs of Indonesia, these underwater cities are alive with color, movement, and incredible creatures. 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!
Get ready to meet the cold-blooded superstars of the animal kingdom! This BBC playlist slinks, scuttles, and snaps through the fascinating lives of cobras, turtles, lizards, and alligators. Whether it's the mesmerizing hood dance of a cobra or the alligator's toothy grin, these clips are perfect for sparking curiosity (and maybe a little squeamishness) in your classroom. Warning: May cause students to say "Whoa!" and "Ew!" in equal measure.
The article "Exploring Costa Rica’s Rich Wildlife: Which Animals Can You See?" from BBC's Discover Wildlife explores the incredible range of animals that live in Costa Rica. From howler monkeys whose calls can be heard over long distances, to the rare jaguar, the country is home to some of the most unique species in the world. It also highlights vibrant creatures like the resplendent quetzal and endangered sea turtles.
In Turtles on Ascension Island, narrator David Attenborough highlights the green sea turtles that travel incredible distances to lay their eggs on the beaches of Ascension Island. A female turtle may swim over 1,000 miles from her feeding grounds without eating for two months. At night, female turtles come ashore to nest, while eggs laid earlier in the season begin to hatch. Newly hatched turtles must quickly reach the ocean to avoid predators. However, their journey is just beginning — most will not survive the next 20 years. Yet, those that do will return to the same beach where they were born, guided by an instinct that scientists still do not fully understand. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Planet Earth, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.
In Green Turtle Hatchlings Off to Sea, narrator Gordon Buchanan describes some of the challenges faced by Australian green turtles as they travel through the water near the Great Barrier Reef areas. As the young hatchlings move through the water, they must combat predators as well as the possibility of strong and treacherous currents. This video is excerpted from BBC's Animal Babies, a heartwarming show that follows the first breaths, first steps and first feeds of some adorable baby animals, revealing the challenges they face to survive in some of the toughest but most beautiful places on the planet.
In Protecting Raja Ampat’s Ecosystem, Simon explores Raja Ampat, a marine paradise with over 2,000 fish species and coral reefs. While exploring, marine rangers board Simon’s boat to check permits and ensure no one is breaking the law in this protected area. The rangers share their vital work, like stopping illegal fishing of sea turtles and baby sharks which harms the ecosystem. New laws are a game-changer, saving Raja Ampat from the devastation caused by overfishing just a few decades ago. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Wilderness With Simon Reeve, an epic adventure into the heart of Earth’s last great wild areas, where nature is at its most beautiful and fragile.
In Two Types of Turtles, narrator Sir David Attenborough explores two types of sea turtles — flatback and Ridley turtles. Both lay their eggs in the sand on the coast, but their strategies and survival rates differ. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Blue Planet, a definitive documentary series diving into the mysterious depths of the sea to discover the natural history of the world’s oceans and the rarely seen marine life that reside there.
In Seabirds and Green Turtles Breed on Land, narrator Sir David Attenborough explores how seabirds and green turtles breed on land even though they live their lives in and on the water. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Blue Planet, a definitive documentary series diving into the mysterious depths of the sea to discover the natural history of the world’s oceans and the rarely seen marine life that reside there.
In Ridley Turtles Guided by the Moon, narrator Sir David Attenborough explains how the Moon influences the ocean, specifically when Ridley turtles come to lay their eggs. The turtles come during the first or last quarter of the Moon so that the ocean is weaker and less likely to uncover their eggs. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Blue Planet, a definitive documentary series diving into the mysterious depths of the sea to discover the natural history of the world’s oceans and the rarely seen marine life that reside there.
In The Go Jetters' Sea Turtle Rescue, the Go Jetters crew finds a sea turtle that is trapped on the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, a mass of plastic pollution floating in the ocean. They work together to free the sea turtle. 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.