Introducing your new favorite duo! JoJo & Gran Gran is a BBC children's animated television series that follows an inquisitive and cheerful 4-and-a-half-year-old girl and her loving grandmother, who always has something new to teach her. Young learners will love learning alongside the diverse cast of characters as they get to know their community and explore the natural world around them.
This is quick and easy seasonal content — perfect for an intro to a life science (plants, trees, flowers) or social studies (holidays!) lesson. Or watch the video and then try what JoJo and Gran Gran did, whether it's making a fruit crumble or writing a poem.
Meet Ranger Hamza, beloved host of BBC's Ranger Hamza's EcoQuest, and his faithful Ramblers. In these short video clips, your young nature explorers can learn all about the natural world around them, from birds and insects to flowers and trees. Make sure you follow up with your own nature walk, and don't miss our free nature walk worksheets!
The Major Oak has finally fallen. Figuratively. The famous tree still technically stands, but has been pronounced dead after a long life of as many as 1,200 years. The massive oak tree was well-known for being central to Robin Hood folklore, but it also stood out with its formidable trunk circumference of 11 meters, or 33 feet. That’s big enough for a large African elephant to hula hoop with.
The huge tree still stands tall, looking majestic with its craggly branches and massive reach, but it’s been in decline for years. This year is the first that it hasn’t put any leaves out, so experts deemed it deceased.
While it was certainly old, its demise was likely quickened by climate change, heat waves, and damage to the surrounding soil from people coming to admire the tree. Admirers may have meant well, but decades of foot traffic compacted the soil around the tree's roots, making it harder for the tree to absorb the water, nutrients, and minerals it needed.
It may not produce lush, green leaves anymore, but fans can still pay homage to The Major Oak. It will remain in its spot to decompose (which could take more than 100 years), and the legacy of the tree lives on in the form of saplings that have been grown from acorns and cuttings.
Your parents or grandparents probably talk about growing up outside — riding bikes, climbing trees, scraping up knees. Turns out, they were onto something.
The Wildlife Trusts, a UK conservation group, just wrapped up "30 Days Wild," the UK's biggest nature challenge. Millions of people, including tens of thousands of schools, took part by doing one "wild" activity a day — noticing, appreciating, or exploring nature. The Lancashire Wildlife Trust runs a similar effort called The Greenhouse Project, where people learn to grow food and care for nature together.
The idea: the more connected people feel to nature, the more likely they are to protect it. But a recent poll found that while almost all adults have fond memories of playing outside as kids, nearly half now spend just three hours outside per week — less than 30 minutes a day.
Meet nature's master hiders. Gliding tree frogs, octopuses, arctic foxes — these animals have evolved brilliant ways to blend in, hunt, and survive unseen. We've pulled together a collection of BBC video clips (see Related Resources below) showing off these disappearing acts. Watch them, then take the Kahoot to see what stuck.
Some of the tricks are wild: glass frogs clear their own blood to turn see-through, while arctic foxes shift their fur with the seasons to stay hidden year-round. Explore how these masters of camouflage pull it off, and pick up some solid grounding in evolution and adaptation along the way.
Explore the wide-open world of grasslands and discover the amazing animals that live in one of Earth’s largest biomes. From enormous elephants and powerful buffalo to towering Kori bustards, hardworking leafcutter ants, and rare Saiga antelope, students will learn how animals survive and thrive in these vast landscapes of grasses and few trees.
This Kahoot explores the unique features of grassland ecosystems, including climate, food chains, migration, and the special adaptations that help animals find food, avoid predators, and survive changing seasons. Students will also discover the differences between tropical savannas and temperate grasslands and the incredible diversity of life found in each.
Watch the related BBC videos (below), then invite your Grade 3–8 students to test their knowledge and uncover the wonders of life on the grasslands.
Journey into the heart of the rainforest and explore the four amazing layers that make this ecosystem so unique. From the sunlit emergent layer high above the trees to the dark and humid forest floor below, students will discover how different plants and animals survive and thrive in each part of the rainforest.
This Kahoot examines the rainforest’s distinct layers — the emergent layer, canopy, understory, and forest floor — and the important roles they play in supporting biodiversity. Students will learn how animals adapt to life at different heights, how plants compete for sunlight and water, and how all the layers work together to create one of the richest ecosystems on Earth.
Watch the related BBC videos (below), then invite your Grade 3–8 students to test their knowledge and uncover the wonders hidden within each layer of the rainforest.
With Mother’s Day coming up in the U.S., what better way to celebrate than by spotlighting some of nature’s most devoted moms?
This fun, feel‑good 8‑video BBC playlist dives into the incredible bond between animal moms and their babies — and the wild ways they raise them. Watch puma cubs practice their hunting skills, a baby orangutan learn the ropes high in the treetops, humpback whale calves set off on their first epic journeys, and prairie dog pups turn playtime into survival training.
From feeding and protection to movement and life lessons, these clips show just how much it takes to grow up in the wild — and how moms make it all possible.
Featuring favorites like prairie dogs, orangutans, polar bears, and humpback whales, this playlist pulls from iconic BBC series like Animal Babies and Planet Earth.
Because mom love? It’s everywhere in the animal kingdom!
In The Ritual of Bonsai, a bonsai sensei enjoys the ritual and tradition of cultivating bonsai trees. This video is excerpted from BBC's Extraordinary Rituals, a documentary produced by BBC Natural History that explores how humans mark major life moments through ceremonies and traditions.
Invite your students to explore the life cycles of common organisms with these life cycle sequencing cards. The cards cover the bean plant, butterfly, birch tree, apple tree, honeybee, ladybug, and frog. They come already mixed up, so kids can color, cut, and put them in order. Use as an introductory task, check for understanding, center activity, or study guide!
As you introduce life cycles, focus on key concepts such as stages of growth, changes in form and function, and the idea that all living things follow a pattern from beginning to end. Encourage students to ask questions, make predictions, and notice patterns across plants and animals.
Teaching life cycles in elementary school is not only standards-based, it's also a great way to help students understand how living things grow and change over time. At this level, students are ready to explore clear, observable stages — like seed to plant or egg to adult—and begin comparing similarities and differences across species.
In JoJo and Gran Gran Look for Leaves, JoJo searches for leaves to complete her checklist until she realizes she can’t find a green leaf. Gran Gran suggests a solution. Real-life friends collect leaves that have fallen from the trees. This video is excerpted from BBC’s JoJo & Gran Gran, a children's animated television series following JoJo, an inquisitive and cheerful 4-and-a-half-year-old girl and her loving Gran Gran, who always has something new to teach her.
In JoJo and Gran Gran Visit a Christmas Tree Farm, JoJo and her grandmother work together to find the perfect tree for their home. It has to be big enough for decorations but small enough to fit in their house. A mother and daughter go to a real-life Christmas tree farm. This video is excerpted from BBC’s JoJo & Gran Gran, a children's animated television series following JoJo, an inquisitive and cheerful 4-and-a-half-year-old girl and her loving Gran Gran, who always has something new to teach her.
Introducing your new favorite duo! JoJo & Gran Gran is a BBC children's animated television series that follows an inquisitive and cheerful 4-and-a-half-year-old girl and her loving grandmother, who always has something new to teach her. Young learners will love learning alongside the diverse cast of characters as they get to know their community and explore the natural world around them.
This is quick and easy seasonal content — perfect for an intro to a life science (plants, trees, flowers) or social studies (holidays!) lesson. Or watch the video and then try what JoJo and Gran Gran did, whether it's making a fruit crumble or writing a poem.
Meet Ranger Hamza, beloved host of BBC's Ranger Hamza's EcoQuest, and his faithful Ramblers. In these short video clips, your young nature explorers can learn all about the natural world around them, from birds and insects to flowers and trees. Make sure you follow up with your own nature walk, and don't miss our free nature walk worksheets!
The Major Oak has finally fallen. Figuratively. The famous tree still technically stands, but has been pronounced dead after a long life of as many as 1,200 years. The massive oak tree was well-known for being central to Robin Hood folklore, but it also stood out with its formidable trunk circumference of 11 meters, or 33 feet. That’s big enough for a large African elephant to hula hoop with.
The huge tree still stands tall, looking majestic with its craggly branches and massive reach, but it’s been in decline for years. This year is the first that it hasn’t put any leaves out, so experts deemed it deceased.
While it was certainly old, its demise was likely quickened by climate change, heat waves, and damage to the surrounding soil from people coming to admire the tree. Admirers may have meant well, but decades of foot traffic compacted the soil around the tree's roots, making it harder for the tree to absorb the water, nutrients, and minerals it needed.
It may not produce lush, green leaves anymore, but fans can still pay homage to The Major Oak. It will remain in its spot to decompose (which could take more than 100 years), and the legacy of the tree lives on in the form of saplings that have been grown from acorns and cuttings.
Your parents or grandparents probably talk about growing up outside — riding bikes, climbing trees, scraping up knees. Turns out, they were onto something.
The Wildlife Trusts, a UK conservation group, just wrapped up "30 Days Wild," the UK's biggest nature challenge. Millions of people, including tens of thousands of schools, took part by doing one "wild" activity a day — noticing, appreciating, or exploring nature. The Lancashire Wildlife Trust runs a similar effort called The Greenhouse Project, where people learn to grow food and care for nature together.
The idea: the more connected people feel to nature, the more likely they are to protect it. But a recent poll found that while almost all adults have fond memories of playing outside as kids, nearly half now spend just three hours outside per week — less than 30 minutes a day.
Meet nature's master hiders. Gliding tree frogs, octopuses, arctic foxes — these animals have evolved brilliant ways to blend in, hunt, and survive unseen. We've pulled together a collection of BBC video clips (see Related Resources below) showing off these disappearing acts. Watch them, then take the Kahoot to see what stuck.
Some of the tricks are wild: glass frogs clear their own blood to turn see-through, while arctic foxes shift their fur with the seasons to stay hidden year-round. Explore how these masters of camouflage pull it off, and pick up some solid grounding in evolution and adaptation along the way.
Explore the wide-open world of grasslands and discover the amazing animals that live in one of Earth’s largest biomes. From enormous elephants and powerful buffalo to towering Kori bustards, hardworking leafcutter ants, and rare Saiga antelope, students will learn how animals survive and thrive in these vast landscapes of grasses and few trees.
This Kahoot explores the unique features of grassland ecosystems, including climate, food chains, migration, and the special adaptations that help animals find food, avoid predators, and survive changing seasons. Students will also discover the differences between tropical savannas and temperate grasslands and the incredible diversity of life found in each.
Watch the related BBC videos (below), then invite your Grade 3–8 students to test their knowledge and uncover the wonders of life on the grasslands.
Journey into the heart of the rainforest and explore the four amazing layers that make this ecosystem so unique. From the sunlit emergent layer high above the trees to the dark and humid forest floor below, students will discover how different plants and animals survive and thrive in each part of the rainforest.
This Kahoot examines the rainforest’s distinct layers — the emergent layer, canopy, understory, and forest floor — and the important roles they play in supporting biodiversity. Students will learn how animals adapt to life at different heights, how plants compete for sunlight and water, and how all the layers work together to create one of the richest ecosystems on Earth.
Watch the related BBC videos (below), then invite your Grade 3–8 students to test their knowledge and uncover the wonders hidden within each layer of the rainforest.
With Mother’s Day coming up in the U.S., what better way to celebrate than by spotlighting some of nature’s most devoted moms?
This fun, feel‑good 8‑video BBC playlist dives into the incredible bond between animal moms and their babies — and the wild ways they raise them. Watch puma cubs practice their hunting skills, a baby orangutan learn the ropes high in the treetops, humpback whale calves set off on their first epic journeys, and prairie dog pups turn playtime into survival training.
From feeding and protection to movement and life lessons, these clips show just how much it takes to grow up in the wild — and how moms make it all possible.
Featuring favorites like prairie dogs, orangutans, polar bears, and humpback whales, this playlist pulls from iconic BBC series like Animal Babies and Planet Earth.
Because mom love? It’s everywhere in the animal kingdom!
In The Ritual of Bonsai, a bonsai sensei enjoys the ritual and tradition of cultivating bonsai trees. This video is excerpted from BBC's Extraordinary Rituals, a documentary produced by BBC Natural History that explores how humans mark major life moments through ceremonies and traditions.
Invite your students to explore the life cycles of common organisms with these life cycle sequencing cards. The cards cover the bean plant, butterfly, birch tree, apple tree, honeybee, ladybug, and frog. They come already mixed up, so kids can color, cut, and put them in order. Use as an introductory task, check for understanding, center activity, or study guide!
As you introduce life cycles, focus on key concepts such as stages of growth, changes in form and function, and the idea that all living things follow a pattern from beginning to end. Encourage students to ask questions, make predictions, and notice patterns across plants and animals.
Teaching life cycles in elementary school is not only standards-based, it's also a great way to help students understand how living things grow and change over time. At this level, students are ready to explore clear, observable stages — like seed to plant or egg to adult—and begin comparing similarities and differences across species.
In JoJo and Gran Gran Look for Leaves, JoJo searches for leaves to complete her checklist until she realizes she can’t find a green leaf. Gran Gran suggests a solution. Real-life friends collect leaves that have fallen from the trees. This video is excerpted from BBC’s JoJo & Gran Gran, a children's animated television series following JoJo, an inquisitive and cheerful 4-and-a-half-year-old girl and her loving Gran Gran, who always has something new to teach her.
In JoJo and Gran Gran Visit a Christmas Tree Farm, JoJo and her grandmother work together to find the perfect tree for their home. It has to be big enough for decorations but small enough to fit in their house. A mother and daughter go to a real-life Christmas tree farm. This video is excerpted from BBC’s JoJo & Gran Gran, a children's animated television series following JoJo, an inquisitive and cheerful 4-and-a-half-year-old girl and her loving Gran Gran, who always has something new to teach her.