How many earthworms could a hungry badger eat in one night? More than 200 — and that’s just one of the surprising things about this underground-dwelling mammal.
Meet the European badger, a powerful digger that spends its days below ground and its nights exploring above it. Take a look inside a badger’s sett, discover how its strong claws and keen sense of smell help it find food, and find out why earthworms are such an important part of its diet. You'll also learn how badger families live together, raise their cubs, and keep their underground homes in order.
Teachers and parents, you can use this fact file to:
- Introduce an animal, wildlife, or life science unit
- Support nonfiction reading and vocabulary practice
- Explore animal adaptations, behaviors, and habitats
- Compare animals and the ecosystems they live in
- Practice finding and organizing information from nonfiction texts
- Prepare students for animal research projects or presentations (use our animal report templates!)
- Connect science learning to conservation and environmental issues
- Pair with videos, articles, or other informational texts (see Related Resources below)
In Setting Sail With Columbus, host Andrew Marr introduces Columbus and the men who sailed with him on one of the first expeditions to find a trading route to Asia. The queen declared a reward for the first person to spot land, which ended up being what Columbus called the “New World.” This video is excerpted from BBC’s Andrew Marr's History of the World, a story of human history that uses reenactments, modern footage, and storytelling to explain history’s greatest achievements.
One of the last landmasses to be settled, New Zealand, or Aotearoa, is home to the Māori, the Indigenous people of New Zealand. Over 700 years ago, the Māori brought traditions, knowledge, and their language, te reo Māori, to Aotearoa, all of which continue to shape the country today. Explore Māori history and culture, from extraordinary waka voyages to the haka performed by a New Zealand sports team. Watch the BBC videos below to gear up with the knowledge you need to take the Kahoot!
Discover how Māori communities have preserved their identity and traditions across generations, despite there being a time when te reo Māori was discouraged in schools. Learn more about the significance of it now being an official language of New Zealand, as well as the marae as community gathering places and cultural practices such as haka and tā moko. Explore how Māori heritage remains a vibrant and important part of life in Aotearoa today.
Teachers: Use the videos as a lesson starter, homework activity, or introduction to Indigenous cultures and New Zealand history. Follow with the Kahoot as a live class quiz or self-paced challenge to check understanding and spark discussion. Students will learn about Māori migration to Aotearoa, the Treaty of Waitangi, the importance of marae, te reo Māori, and cultural traditions including the hongi, haka, and tā moko. The activity supports learning about Indigenous histories, cultural identity, and the ways traditions can be preserved and revitalized over time. Watch for common misconceptions, such as thinking haka is only performed in happy occasions such as to welcome guests or at sporting events, when it is also performed to honor achievements such as at funerals.
The Whiskey Rebellion was an early test of the new U.S. government's power. In 1791, Congress passed a tax on whiskey, angering many settlers on the western frontier. Farmers often turned their grain into whiskey to make it easier to transport and sell, so the tax affected their livelihoods. Protests grew, and by 1794, some people had turned to violence, disrupting court proceedings and attacking government officials.
President George Washington decided to respond by sending a militia force to western Pennsylvania to restore order. The force included thousands of soldiers, and the resistance largely ended without a major battle. The government's response demonstrated that federal laws would be enforced, even when people strongly opposed them. The rebellion also raised questions about how citizens could protest unfair laws while respecting the government's authority. Congress eventually repealed the whiskey tax in 1802.
The Mason-Dixon Line began as a boundary dispute between the colonial families who controlled Maryland and Pennsylvania. Conflicting royal charters led to competing land claims and violence among settlers, prompting King George II to intervene. In 1763, English astronomer Charles Mason and surveyor Jeremiah Dixon arrived to establish the boundary. Using astronomical observations and careful measurements, they mapped the border, marking it with stones bearing the Calvert and Penn family coats of arms.
Mason and Dixon completed much of their survey before hostile resistance forced them to stop in 1767. Other surveyors finished the work in 1784. Although the line originally settled a land dispute, it later took on a broader meaning as the United States divided over slavery. During the 19th century, the Mason-Dixon Line became a symbolic boundary between free and slave states. Its legacy continues today, as the term is often used to describe cultural and regional differences between the North and South.
In the 1820s, Texas was part of Mexico, which invited settlers from the United States to move to the region. Disagreements over Mexican laws, cultural differences, and political control contributed to growing tensions. In 1835, the Texas Revolution began, as Texan rebels fought Mexican forces led by President and General Antonio López de Santa Anna. The Battle of the Alamo became a defining moment in the conflict, as a small group of Texan defenders held out for 13 days before Mexican troops captured the mission-fortress on March 6, 1836.
Weeks later, Mexican forces executed hundreds of Texan prisoners at Goliad. On April 21, 1836, General Sam Houston led a surprise attack against Santa Anna’s army at the Battle of San Jacinto. The Texan forces defeated the Mexican army and captured Santa Anna, helping secure Texas independence. Houston later became the first president of the Republic of Texas. The revolution shaped the region’s future, though the conflict also reflected competing claims to land, political authority, and national identity that had lasting consequences for both Texans and Mexico.
During the late 19th Century, millions of immigrants came to the United States in search of new opportunities. Many settled in crowded urban neighborhoods, where families often lived in poorly maintained tenements with limited access to clean water, electricity, and sanitation. Journalist and photographer Jacob Riis documented these conditions in New York City, using photographs and firsthand reporting to reveal the challenges faced by impoverished residents. His 1890 book, How the Other Half Lives, brought widespread attention to urban poverty and helped build support for housing reform.
Riis’s work exemplified muckraking journalism, which used investigative reporting to expose social problems and abuses of power. His reporting influenced reformers, including Theodore Roosevelt, and contributed to growing demands for improved housing regulations. The New York State Tenement House Act of 1901 introduced stricter standards for housing construction and conditions. Riis’s work illustrates how journalism and photography can shape public awareness and help drive social and political reform.
John Brown was a radical abolitionist who believed armed rebellion was necessary to end slavery. He gained national attention in 1856 when he and his followers killed five pro-slavery settlers during the violence in Kansas. In October 1859, Brown led a raid on the federal arsenal at Harpers Ferry, Virginia, intending to seize weapons and spark an uprising among enslaved people. The raid failed, and Brown was captured, tried for treason, and executed.
Although Brown failed to launch the uprising he envisioned, his raid intensified the national debate over slavery and deepened divisions between North and South. His actions remain controversial, with interpretations of his legacy ranging from condemnation of his use of violence to recognition of his commitment to ending slavery. His story illustrates the growing tensions that brought the United States closer to the Civil War.
In 1859, gold and silver were discovered in Nevada’s Comstock Lode, one of the richest mineral deposits in U.S. history. Thousands of prospectors rushed to the area, and the boomtown of Virginia City quickly grew into a major settlement. From 1859 to 1878, the Comstock Lode produced hundreds of millions of dollars in gold and silver, helping fuel the growth of the American West and supporting the Union during the Civil War.
The mining boom eventually ended as the mines were depleted. By the late 1800s, Virginia City had declined into a ghost town. Today, it is a historic district that preserves the legacy of the Comstock mining boom.
In 1893, U.S. Marines landed on the Hawaiian island of Oahu. American settlers overthrew the Hawaiian monarchy and established a new government. A few years later, Hawaii was annexed by the United States, marking the beginning of a new era of American expansion overseas. After the Civil War, most Americans focused on rebuilding the South, industrializing, and settling the West.
By the 1880s, however, more Americans wanted the United States to become a global power. They sought new overseas markets, worried about competition from other nations, and embraced ideas such as Social Darwinism, which viewed nations as competing for survival and power. By the early 20th Century, the United States was ready to expand its influence around the world.
In The Iroquois Legacy, explore the complex relationship between Native Americans and European settlers. Long before the U.S. Constitution, the Iroquois created their own constitution and political system, influencing Founding Fathers like Benjamin Franklin and John Adams. Despite this influence, the Iroquois faced difficult relationships with European settlers, including conflicts over land and the eventual destruction of their alliance during the American Revolution. Many Iroquois were forced to flee to Canada, where their descendants still live today.
In Subtle Signs of Life on the Seafloor, narrator David Attenborough journeys over two miles beneath the ocean's surface, where the pressure is immense — 300 times greater than at sea level. Here, marine snow, tiny organic particles drifting from above, slowly settles on the seafloor over months. This vast, flat expanse stretches for thousands of miles, with subtle signs of life visible in the soft sediment. Sea urchins sift through the accumulating snow, while shrimp carefully pick out edible particles. The monkfish, nearly indistinguishable from the sand, patiently waits for prey to be lured toward its deceptive trap, sometimes going days between meals. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Planet Earth, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.
How many earthworms could a hungry badger eat in one night? More than 200 — and that’s just one of the surprising things about this underground-dwelling mammal.
Meet the European badger, a powerful digger that spends its days below ground and its nights exploring above it. Take a look inside a badger’s sett, discover how its strong claws and keen sense of smell help it find food, and find out why earthworms are such an important part of its diet. You'll also learn how badger families live together, raise their cubs, and keep their underground homes in order.
Teachers and parents, you can use this fact file to:
- Introduce an animal, wildlife, or life science unit
- Support nonfiction reading and vocabulary practice
- Explore animal adaptations, behaviors, and habitats
- Compare animals and the ecosystems they live in
- Practice finding and organizing information from nonfiction texts
- Prepare students for animal research projects or presentations (use our animal report templates!)
- Connect science learning to conservation and environmental issues
- Pair with videos, articles, or other informational texts (see Related Resources below)
In Setting Sail With Columbus, host Andrew Marr introduces Columbus and the men who sailed with him on one of the first expeditions to find a trading route to Asia. The queen declared a reward for the first person to spot land, which ended up being what Columbus called the “New World.” This video is excerpted from BBC’s Andrew Marr's History of the World, a story of human history that uses reenactments, modern footage, and storytelling to explain history’s greatest achievements.
One of the last landmasses to be settled, New Zealand, or Aotearoa, is home to the Māori, the Indigenous people of New Zealand. Over 700 years ago, the Māori brought traditions, knowledge, and their language, te reo Māori, to Aotearoa, all of which continue to shape the country today. Explore Māori history and culture, from extraordinary waka voyages to the haka performed by a New Zealand sports team. Watch the BBC videos below to gear up with the knowledge you need to take the Kahoot!
Discover how Māori communities have preserved their identity and traditions across generations, despite there being a time when te reo Māori was discouraged in schools. Learn more about the significance of it now being an official language of New Zealand, as well as the marae as community gathering places and cultural practices such as haka and tā moko. Explore how Māori heritage remains a vibrant and important part of life in Aotearoa today.
Teachers: Use the videos as a lesson starter, homework activity, or introduction to Indigenous cultures and New Zealand history. Follow with the Kahoot as a live class quiz or self-paced challenge to check understanding and spark discussion. Students will learn about Māori migration to Aotearoa, the Treaty of Waitangi, the importance of marae, te reo Māori, and cultural traditions including the hongi, haka, and tā moko. The activity supports learning about Indigenous histories, cultural identity, and the ways traditions can be preserved and revitalized over time. Watch for common misconceptions, such as thinking haka is only performed in happy occasions such as to welcome guests or at sporting events, when it is also performed to honor achievements such as at funerals.
The Whiskey Rebellion was an early test of the new U.S. government's power. In 1791, Congress passed a tax on whiskey, angering many settlers on the western frontier. Farmers often turned their grain into whiskey to make it easier to transport and sell, so the tax affected their livelihoods. Protests grew, and by 1794, some people had turned to violence, disrupting court proceedings and attacking government officials.
President George Washington decided to respond by sending a militia force to western Pennsylvania to restore order. The force included thousands of soldiers, and the resistance largely ended without a major battle. The government's response demonstrated that federal laws would be enforced, even when people strongly opposed them. The rebellion also raised questions about how citizens could protest unfair laws while respecting the government's authority. Congress eventually repealed the whiskey tax in 1802.
The Mason-Dixon Line began as a boundary dispute between the colonial families who controlled Maryland and Pennsylvania. Conflicting royal charters led to competing land claims and violence among settlers, prompting King George II to intervene. In 1763, English astronomer Charles Mason and surveyor Jeremiah Dixon arrived to establish the boundary. Using astronomical observations and careful measurements, they mapped the border, marking it with stones bearing the Calvert and Penn family coats of arms.
Mason and Dixon completed much of their survey before hostile resistance forced them to stop in 1767. Other surveyors finished the work in 1784. Although the line originally settled a land dispute, it later took on a broader meaning as the United States divided over slavery. During the 19th century, the Mason-Dixon Line became a symbolic boundary between free and slave states. Its legacy continues today, as the term is often used to describe cultural and regional differences between the North and South.
In the 1820s, Texas was part of Mexico, which invited settlers from the United States to move to the region. Disagreements over Mexican laws, cultural differences, and political control contributed to growing tensions. In 1835, the Texas Revolution began, as Texan rebels fought Mexican forces led by President and General Antonio López de Santa Anna. The Battle of the Alamo became a defining moment in the conflict, as a small group of Texan defenders held out for 13 days before Mexican troops captured the mission-fortress on March 6, 1836.
Weeks later, Mexican forces executed hundreds of Texan prisoners at Goliad. On April 21, 1836, General Sam Houston led a surprise attack against Santa Anna’s army at the Battle of San Jacinto. The Texan forces defeated the Mexican army and captured Santa Anna, helping secure Texas independence. Houston later became the first president of the Republic of Texas. The revolution shaped the region’s future, though the conflict also reflected competing claims to land, political authority, and national identity that had lasting consequences for both Texans and Mexico.
During the late 19th Century, millions of immigrants came to the United States in search of new opportunities. Many settled in crowded urban neighborhoods, where families often lived in poorly maintained tenements with limited access to clean water, electricity, and sanitation. Journalist and photographer Jacob Riis documented these conditions in New York City, using photographs and firsthand reporting to reveal the challenges faced by impoverished residents. His 1890 book, How the Other Half Lives, brought widespread attention to urban poverty and helped build support for housing reform.
Riis’s work exemplified muckraking journalism, which used investigative reporting to expose social problems and abuses of power. His reporting influenced reformers, including Theodore Roosevelt, and contributed to growing demands for improved housing regulations. The New York State Tenement House Act of 1901 introduced stricter standards for housing construction and conditions. Riis’s work illustrates how journalism and photography can shape public awareness and help drive social and political reform.
John Brown was a radical abolitionist who believed armed rebellion was necessary to end slavery. He gained national attention in 1856 when he and his followers killed five pro-slavery settlers during the violence in Kansas. In October 1859, Brown led a raid on the federal arsenal at Harpers Ferry, Virginia, intending to seize weapons and spark an uprising among enslaved people. The raid failed, and Brown was captured, tried for treason, and executed.
Although Brown failed to launch the uprising he envisioned, his raid intensified the national debate over slavery and deepened divisions between North and South. His actions remain controversial, with interpretations of his legacy ranging from condemnation of his use of violence to recognition of his commitment to ending slavery. His story illustrates the growing tensions that brought the United States closer to the Civil War.
In 1859, gold and silver were discovered in Nevada’s Comstock Lode, one of the richest mineral deposits in U.S. history. Thousands of prospectors rushed to the area, and the boomtown of Virginia City quickly grew into a major settlement. From 1859 to 1878, the Comstock Lode produced hundreds of millions of dollars in gold and silver, helping fuel the growth of the American West and supporting the Union during the Civil War.
The mining boom eventually ended as the mines were depleted. By the late 1800s, Virginia City had declined into a ghost town. Today, it is a historic district that preserves the legacy of the Comstock mining boom.
In 1893, U.S. Marines landed on the Hawaiian island of Oahu. American settlers overthrew the Hawaiian monarchy and established a new government. A few years later, Hawaii was annexed by the United States, marking the beginning of a new era of American expansion overseas. After the Civil War, most Americans focused on rebuilding the South, industrializing, and settling the West.
By the 1880s, however, more Americans wanted the United States to become a global power. They sought new overseas markets, worried about competition from other nations, and embraced ideas such as Social Darwinism, which viewed nations as competing for survival and power. By the early 20th Century, the United States was ready to expand its influence around the world.
In The Iroquois Legacy, explore the complex relationship between Native Americans and European settlers. Long before the U.S. Constitution, the Iroquois created their own constitution and political system, influencing Founding Fathers like Benjamin Franklin and John Adams. Despite this influence, the Iroquois faced difficult relationships with European settlers, including conflicts over land and the eventual destruction of their alliance during the American Revolution. Many Iroquois were forced to flee to Canada, where their descendants still live today.
In Subtle Signs of Life on the Seafloor, narrator David Attenborough journeys over two miles beneath the ocean's surface, where the pressure is immense — 300 times greater than at sea level. Here, marine snow, tiny organic particles drifting from above, slowly settles on the seafloor over months. This vast, flat expanse stretches for thousands of miles, with subtle signs of life visible in the soft sediment. Sea urchins sift through the accumulating snow, while shrimp carefully pick out edible particles. The monkfish, nearly indistinguishable from the sand, patiently waits for prey to be lured toward its deceptive trap, sometimes going days between meals. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Planet Earth, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.