Sometimes a discovery doesn't happen in the field — it happens decades later, in a drawer.
In the 1980s, an Antarctic expedition recovered a fossil and recorded it simply as "vertebra of a large reptile" in a field notebook. That single line was all anyone knew about it for the next 40 years.
It wasn't until paleontologist Dr. Mark Evans revisited old research and notes that the fossil was properly identified — as the first dinosaur bone ever found in Antarctica. Its distinctive shape points to a Titanosaur, the largest dinosaur to ever walk the Earth.
The bone had been sitting in a collection the entire time. What changed wasn't the fossil — it was someone finally looking at it with the right knowledge asking the right questions.
When you join your school band, you probably expect to perform in your school auditorium for friends and family. No shade to Gramps, but imagine the excitement when a group of kids learned that they were going to be performing at the massive Anfield Stadium, home of Liverpool Football Club. Multiply that by 10,000,000, and that’s a fraction of what they may have felt when they learned they would be performing a Foo Fighters song there FOR the Foo Fighters!
The Bell Tower Beats is a band from Anfield Road Primary School, who had the pleasure (and pressure) of playing "Times Like These" by the Foo Fighters for the actual members of the Foo Fighters. The performance was organized by a year three teacher, and has gone viral on news and media sources. Not only was the performance fun, but it helped bring attention to the opportunity to join the school band.
Did you put on sunscreen today? Yes? Go put on some more.
Tans may be fashionable, but the risks that come with sun damage are anything but — and they can last a lifetime. That's why England banned tanning beds for anyone under 18 back in 2011. Even so, people as young as 14 have found ways to use them illegally. Now, the rules are getting stricter: businesses will be legally required to check ID before letting anyone near a sunbed, and salons will need to post clear health warnings — including dropping any misleading claims that certain beds can prevent sunburn or help with weight loss.
Even with stronger laws, misinformation is still a problem. Rumors about tanning beds offering benefits like vitamin D have a way of spreading while the risks get quietly ignored. Experts say that even a single tanning bed session before the age of 35 increases the risk of skin cancer by nearly 60% — and young skin is especially vulnerable. Skin cancer is already the most common cancer in the world. The tan isn't worth it.
It’s officially the “Beijing International Automotive Exhibition,” but its friends call it “Auto China,” and it’s now the largest car show in the world. Nearly 1000 companies flock to the exhibits taking up more than 380,000 square meters, or over 50 football fields! Or 1,246,719 feet and 50 soccer fields, if you’re from America! Or 9,329,989 beep-boop-zoinks and 50 astro-space-ball fields if you’re a Martian from outer space! Any way you spin it, this car show is a big deal, and there were two standout trends.
The first was electric vehicles. There’s always been an issue with charging, as makers have tried to maximize how far cars can travel on single charge while minimizing how long that charge takes. Now, a company called BYD claims to have an ultra-fast charging system that can provide 400 km of range with only 5 minutes of charging. What’s more, it’s designed to operate under extreme weather conditions. Since batteries are usually sensitive to high or low temperatures, addressing this is a major step in making electric vehicles as reliable as gas cars.
The other big topic was also fully autonomous, or self-driving cars. The company Geely developed a self-driving car built specifically for ride-hailing, so there’s no steering wheel or driver’s seat. That means you can pick your nose without fear of the driver judging you! Xpeng’s driverless car uses a combination of lasers, radar, and cameras to build a real time picture of the road, but we hope it works just as well in the clouds, because they may be extending this technology into flying cars as early as next year. It’s a bird! It’s a plane! No, it’s just my Uber! That’s one way to beat traffic.
Nanolitho... Nanilitha... Hmm. Ahem. Nanolithography is the process of fabricating, etching, or printing patterns on a material’s surface at the nanometer (one billionth of a meter) scale. It’s OK, we had to look it up, too.
It’s probably not a word you hear in everyday life, but you’re likely familiar with some of the results. You’re probably reading this on one of those results, because it’s a prominent part of building phones and computers — both things that rely on technology that allows manufacturers to pattern incredibly small things. The process is similar to screen printing, where you create a stencil of your design, lay your screen onto your material, pour on the paint, and lift your screen to reveal the design. Nanolithography uses a similar method, but on a much, much, much smaller scale. Way smaller stuff than you’d ever get your pencil sharp enough to sketch!
For example, scientists have created the world’s smallest violin at 13 microns wide and 40 microns tall. To put it in perspective, a micron is 0.000001 m, and one single human hair is between 15 and 120 microns. So you probably can’t play the violin, but it’d be really easy to pack in your bag.
Aside from being cool, learning how to work with material at this teeny tiny scale can open up new possibilities in technology, and is crucial for making improvements.
Discover the powerful story and lasting influence of Billie Holiday, one of the most important voices in American music history. Students will explore how her unforgettable style, emotional performances, and groundbreaking songs helped shape jazz culture while shining a light on the realities of segregation and racism in the United States.
This Kahoot examines Holiday’s life and music, including the rise of jazz clubs during the Harlem Renaissance, the challenges Black performers faced during segregation, and the impact of her famous protest song, "Strange Fruit." Students will build listening skills, expand vocabulary, and deepen their understanding of how music can inspire awareness, emotion, and social change.
Watch the related BBC videos (for mature viewers), Billie Holiday, a Voice Against Injustice and Billie Holiday and Strange Fruit, then invite your Grade 9–12 students to test their knowledge and explore the powerful connection between music, history, and culture.
This Earth Day (or anytime this month), share this inspiring video playlist designed to spark curiosity and action in students ages 8–14. From incredible wildlife conservation stories to real-world environmental solutions, each clip invites students to explore the beauty of our planet — and the challenges it faces.
Get a closer look at how forests support life on Earth, discover innovative ideas like renewable energy, and meet the people working to protect endangered species and restore habitats. Along the way, students will see how small choices can make a big difference for our world.
Packed with powerful moments and meaningful learning, this playlist encourages students not just to learn about the Earth — but to think about how they can help protect it.
In Michelle Bachelet, Chile's First Woman President, learn how Michelle Bachelet challenged traditional expectations in a conservative country. As an atheist and a divorced single mother, she promoted gender equality by appointing an equal number of men and women to her cabinet, reshaping leadership norms. This video is excerpted from BBC's Her Story: The Female Revolution, which explores the history and impact of women’s rights movements and achievements of women.
This video playlist brings together 10 fascinating clips from the BBC’s Got Science? series, where everyday questions lead to surprising scientific discoveries. Students explore what’s really happening in the body and brain — from what your brain is doing during sleep paralysis to what it truly means to be “left-brained” or “right-brained.” They’ll investigate what happens when the body becomes dehydrated, how cold temperatures and high altitudes affect how we function, and the unexpected ways our bodies trick us every single day. Packed with “What! Really?” moments, this weird-but-wonderful playlist helps learners connect real science to daily life in unforgettable ways. Get ready to see the familiar become fascinating.
Practice blending sounds with a silly bedtime story. Read along, build the words, and see if you can help L get the vowels to sleep!
L was singing a lullaby, "lll-lll-lll!" All of a sudden, A crashed down with a loud, "Aaaaa!" "Looks like someone's ready for bed!" said L. She sang her lullaby but just as A was almost asleep, E, I, O, and U crashed in.
Watch full episodes of Alphablocks on their official YouTube channel!
E and R make a new sound, er. Wiggle your fingers and say er! Write and say ER's sound. Who is it? Draw lines to the right Alphablock.
- Who is a kicker?
- Who is a singer?
- Who is a bell-ringer?
- Who is a jogger?
Watch full episodes of Alphablocks on their official YouTube channel!
Tag along with Terrific Ten as you read her story! It goes like this:
One day, Numberblock 10 decided to put on her special helmet. It was time for a super Ten adventure She zoomed way up high into the sky, singing, “I’m Ten and I’m flying through the sky. Today you can make 10 any way you like!"
How will Ten's friends help her?
Watch full episodes of Numberblocks on their official YouTube channel!
Sometimes a discovery doesn't happen in the field — it happens decades later, in a drawer.
In the 1980s, an Antarctic expedition recovered a fossil and recorded it simply as "vertebra of a large reptile" in a field notebook. That single line was all anyone knew about it for the next 40 years.
It wasn't until paleontologist Dr. Mark Evans revisited old research and notes that the fossil was properly identified — as the first dinosaur bone ever found in Antarctica. Its distinctive shape points to a Titanosaur, the largest dinosaur to ever walk the Earth.
The bone had been sitting in a collection the entire time. What changed wasn't the fossil — it was someone finally looking at it with the right knowledge asking the right questions.
When you join your school band, you probably expect to perform in your school auditorium for friends and family. No shade to Gramps, but imagine the excitement when a group of kids learned that they were going to be performing at the massive Anfield Stadium, home of Liverpool Football Club. Multiply that by 10,000,000, and that’s a fraction of what they may have felt when they learned they would be performing a Foo Fighters song there FOR the Foo Fighters!
The Bell Tower Beats is a band from Anfield Road Primary School, who had the pleasure (and pressure) of playing "Times Like These" by the Foo Fighters for the actual members of the Foo Fighters. The performance was organized by a year three teacher, and has gone viral on news and media sources. Not only was the performance fun, but it helped bring attention to the opportunity to join the school band.
Did you put on sunscreen today? Yes? Go put on some more.
Tans may be fashionable, but the risks that come with sun damage are anything but — and they can last a lifetime. That's why England banned tanning beds for anyone under 18 back in 2011. Even so, people as young as 14 have found ways to use them illegally. Now, the rules are getting stricter: businesses will be legally required to check ID before letting anyone near a sunbed, and salons will need to post clear health warnings — including dropping any misleading claims that certain beds can prevent sunburn or help with weight loss.
Even with stronger laws, misinformation is still a problem. Rumors about tanning beds offering benefits like vitamin D have a way of spreading while the risks get quietly ignored. Experts say that even a single tanning bed session before the age of 35 increases the risk of skin cancer by nearly 60% — and young skin is especially vulnerable. Skin cancer is already the most common cancer in the world. The tan isn't worth it.
It’s officially the “Beijing International Automotive Exhibition,” but its friends call it “Auto China,” and it’s now the largest car show in the world. Nearly 1000 companies flock to the exhibits taking up more than 380,000 square meters, or over 50 football fields! Or 1,246,719 feet and 50 soccer fields, if you’re from America! Or 9,329,989 beep-boop-zoinks and 50 astro-space-ball fields if you’re a Martian from outer space! Any way you spin it, this car show is a big deal, and there were two standout trends.
The first was electric vehicles. There’s always been an issue with charging, as makers have tried to maximize how far cars can travel on single charge while minimizing how long that charge takes. Now, a company called BYD claims to have an ultra-fast charging system that can provide 400 km of range with only 5 minutes of charging. What’s more, it’s designed to operate under extreme weather conditions. Since batteries are usually sensitive to high or low temperatures, addressing this is a major step in making electric vehicles as reliable as gas cars.
The other big topic was also fully autonomous, or self-driving cars. The company Geely developed a self-driving car built specifically for ride-hailing, so there’s no steering wheel or driver’s seat. That means you can pick your nose without fear of the driver judging you! Xpeng’s driverless car uses a combination of lasers, radar, and cameras to build a real time picture of the road, but we hope it works just as well in the clouds, because they may be extending this technology into flying cars as early as next year. It’s a bird! It’s a plane! No, it’s just my Uber! That’s one way to beat traffic.
Nanolitho... Nanilitha... Hmm. Ahem. Nanolithography is the process of fabricating, etching, or printing patterns on a material’s surface at the nanometer (one billionth of a meter) scale. It’s OK, we had to look it up, too.
It’s probably not a word you hear in everyday life, but you’re likely familiar with some of the results. You’re probably reading this on one of those results, because it’s a prominent part of building phones and computers — both things that rely on technology that allows manufacturers to pattern incredibly small things. The process is similar to screen printing, where you create a stencil of your design, lay your screen onto your material, pour on the paint, and lift your screen to reveal the design. Nanolithography uses a similar method, but on a much, much, much smaller scale. Way smaller stuff than you’d ever get your pencil sharp enough to sketch!
For example, scientists have created the world’s smallest violin at 13 microns wide and 40 microns tall. To put it in perspective, a micron is 0.000001 m, and one single human hair is between 15 and 120 microns. So you probably can’t play the violin, but it’d be really easy to pack in your bag.
Aside from being cool, learning how to work with material at this teeny tiny scale can open up new possibilities in technology, and is crucial for making improvements.
Discover the powerful story and lasting influence of Billie Holiday, one of the most important voices in American music history. Students will explore how her unforgettable style, emotional performances, and groundbreaking songs helped shape jazz culture while shining a light on the realities of segregation and racism in the United States.
This Kahoot examines Holiday’s life and music, including the rise of jazz clubs during the Harlem Renaissance, the challenges Black performers faced during segregation, and the impact of her famous protest song, "Strange Fruit." Students will build listening skills, expand vocabulary, and deepen their understanding of how music can inspire awareness, emotion, and social change.
Watch the related BBC videos (for mature viewers), Billie Holiday, a Voice Against Injustice and Billie Holiday and Strange Fruit, then invite your Grade 9–12 students to test their knowledge and explore the powerful connection between music, history, and culture.
This Earth Day (or anytime this month), share this inspiring video playlist designed to spark curiosity and action in students ages 8–14. From incredible wildlife conservation stories to real-world environmental solutions, each clip invites students to explore the beauty of our planet — and the challenges it faces.
Get a closer look at how forests support life on Earth, discover innovative ideas like renewable energy, and meet the people working to protect endangered species and restore habitats. Along the way, students will see how small choices can make a big difference for our world.
Packed with powerful moments and meaningful learning, this playlist encourages students not just to learn about the Earth — but to think about how they can help protect it.
In Michelle Bachelet, Chile's First Woman President, learn how Michelle Bachelet challenged traditional expectations in a conservative country. As an atheist and a divorced single mother, she promoted gender equality by appointing an equal number of men and women to her cabinet, reshaping leadership norms. This video is excerpted from BBC's Her Story: The Female Revolution, which explores the history and impact of women’s rights movements and achievements of women.
This video playlist brings together 10 fascinating clips from the BBC’s Got Science? series, where everyday questions lead to surprising scientific discoveries. Students explore what’s really happening in the body and brain — from what your brain is doing during sleep paralysis to what it truly means to be “left-brained” or “right-brained.” They’ll investigate what happens when the body becomes dehydrated, how cold temperatures and high altitudes affect how we function, and the unexpected ways our bodies trick us every single day. Packed with “What! Really?” moments, this weird-but-wonderful playlist helps learners connect real science to daily life in unforgettable ways. Get ready to see the familiar become fascinating.
Practice blending sounds with a silly bedtime story. Read along, build the words, and see if you can help L get the vowels to sleep!
L was singing a lullaby, "lll-lll-lll!" All of a sudden, A crashed down with a loud, "Aaaaa!" "Looks like someone's ready for bed!" said L. She sang her lullaby but just as A was almost asleep, E, I, O, and U crashed in.
Watch full episodes of Alphablocks on their official YouTube channel!
E and R make a new sound, er. Wiggle your fingers and say er! Write and say ER's sound. Who is it? Draw lines to the right Alphablock.
- Who is a kicker?
- Who is a singer?
- Who is a bell-ringer?
- Who is a jogger?
Watch full episodes of Alphablocks on their official YouTube channel!
Tag along with Terrific Ten as you read her story! It goes like this:
One day, Numberblock 10 decided to put on her special helmet. It was time for a super Ten adventure She zoomed way up high into the sky, singing, “I’m Ten and I’m flying through the sky. Today you can make 10 any way you like!"
How will Ten's friends help her?
Watch full episodes of Numberblocks on their official YouTube channel!