In Baobab Trees: Bursting Into Bloom, narrator Sir David Attenborough describes how Madagascar’s strangest tree puts on a spectacular show at night. As its large flowers bloom, mouse lemurs emerge from hibernation. This video is excerpted from BBC's Planet Earth, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.
In How Trees Prepare for the Toughest Seasons, narrator Sir David Attenborough explains how trees survive harsh winter environments. In northern forests, trees prepare for the cold by pulling water into their trunks and creating a sugary antifreeze. But while most trees lose their leaves, pine trees can survive temperatures as low as -40°F and keep their needles all winter. One special type of pine, the bristlecone, can live for up to 5,000 years, with its cones growing for only six weeks each year. This video is excerpted from BBC's Life, a show that explores the remarkable strategies animals and plants use to ensure their survival.
In The Go Jetters Learn About Upside-Down Trees, the Go Jetters crew explores the Avenue of the Baobabs in Madagascar. Ubercorn shares funky facts about these trees, including why they are called the "upside-down tree," and why they are important to nocturnal animals. 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 Protecting the Redwoods, Earth's Tallest Trees, host Simon Reeve journeys to the towering redwoods, some of the oldest and tallest trees on the planet. These giants are in danger, with 95% of the original redwoods already cut down and poachers still threatening their survival. But conservationists are stepping up, using methods like biomimicry to bring these mighty trees back to life, all while Simon climbs 250 feet to see it firsthand! This video is excerpted from BBC’s The Americas With Simon Reeve, in which Simon Reeve explores the landscapes, cultures, and wildlife of North and South America.
A strip of land stretching from West to East Africa was once so rich with shea nut trees that it earned the name “shea belt.” It seems like a different world from now, when conservationists say the tree is at risk of extinction because of drought, deforestation, and demand for charcoal that puts the trees (and the people who depend on them) under pressure.
Because shea trees produce nuts that can be made into shea butter used in pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and food, they provide over 60% of household income for rural women who harvest and process the nuts. The decline of the shea tree would disrupt not only the millions across Africa supported by the industry, but supply chains and global markets, as well.
So, save the shea trees, right? It’s not so simple. Poverty pushes people to cut down shea trees and sell them as charcoal. It provides short-term income, but it means those trees are no longer usable for future shea harvests. To make matters worse, burning charcoal emits harmful greenhouse gasses. So cutting down shea trees for charcoal = less shea butter + more deforestation + more greenhouse gasses. Make it stop! Uganda tried. They banned cutting trees for charcoal in 2023, but enforcement is difficult because of high demand, especially in cities.
Between everything, Uganda has lost around 100,000 hectares of forest cover since 1990. That’s the equivalent of 140,000 soccer fields. Activists are calling for action; replanting trees and protecting the existing ones. Without coordinated action, the shea tree and the livelihoods built around it could disappear.
Let’s take a virtual trip to the Lamu Archipelago in Kenya, a coastline that’s both prosperous and fragile at the same time. The specific environment is a crucial part of life: the ocean provides fish to feed the islands’ inhabitants, and the forests are populated with mangrove trees that protect the coastline from erosion. So, what happens when fish stocks have declined, mangrove forests have been badly damaged, coral reefs are bleaching, and plastic washes ashore with every tide? Local environmental heroes step up.
Meet “Mama Mikoko,” AKA The Mother of Mangroves, who earned the name through her efforts to restore coastal forests. These mangrove trees not only shield villages from erosion but provide breeding grounds for marine life, and their roots hold the shoreline together. Since 2018, her team has planted more than 200,000 mangrove trees and restored over 20 hectares (about 50 acres) of coastline. That means they’ve restored about 75 percent of the mangrove forest! But not all the action’s on land.
A short boat ride away, primary school teacher Monasha Mbona is helping rebuild coral reefs by attaching living coral fragments to cement structures and returning them to the ocean so they can grow.
As important as the environment is in itself (you know, doing little things like feeding the population and helping the islands not wash away), the projects go beyond helping the environment. Conservation income has also helped fund a desalination machine to turn seawater into freshwater, create jobs for young people, support women’s financial independence, and start microfinance groups.
Join the Go Jetters on a magical sunset-to-night adventure to the Avenue of the Baobabs. In this fun story, you'll:
- Read out loud, changing the pictures for words.
- Learn about this fascinating location within Madagascar.
- Discover funky facts about these amazing "upside-down" trees.
Grab a pencil and draw or write a story. Think about:
- Who's in the story? Fairy Bluey, Donkey Dad, Horse Mum, or Motorbike Bingo
- Where does your story take place? Uncle Stripe's pool, the beach, Bluey's school, the backyard, or in a cool forest
- What's in the background? Mountains or trees
You can also decide if there are scary bits, Humpty Dumpty, talking trees, a dragon, treasure, horses, or anything else you can imagine!
Bluey and Jean Luc meet each other on a camping trip! Color the camping scene. Try collaging your picture with real leaves, petals, and twigs. You can also snip out the red leaves and glue them to the trees.
Inspired by Season 1, Episode 43 "Camping": While on a camping holiday, Bluey makes a new friend called Jean-Luc. Bluey may not understand him, but they find common language playing and hunting for a wild Daddy pig.
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.
In Baobab Trees: Bursting Into Bloom, narrator Sir David Attenborough describes how Madagascar’s strangest tree puts on a spectacular show at night. As its large flowers bloom, mouse lemurs emerge from hibernation. This video is excerpted from BBC's Planet Earth, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.
In How Trees Prepare for the Toughest Seasons, narrator Sir David Attenborough explains how trees survive harsh winter environments. In northern forests, trees prepare for the cold by pulling water into their trunks and creating a sugary antifreeze. But while most trees lose their leaves, pine trees can survive temperatures as low as -40°F and keep their needles all winter. One special type of pine, the bristlecone, can live for up to 5,000 years, with its cones growing for only six weeks each year. This video is excerpted from BBC's Life, a show that explores the remarkable strategies animals and plants use to ensure their survival.
In The Go Jetters Learn About Upside-Down Trees, the Go Jetters crew explores the Avenue of the Baobabs in Madagascar. Ubercorn shares funky facts about these trees, including why they are called the "upside-down tree," and why they are important to nocturnal animals. 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 Protecting the Redwoods, Earth's Tallest Trees, host Simon Reeve journeys to the towering redwoods, some of the oldest and tallest trees on the planet. These giants are in danger, with 95% of the original redwoods already cut down and poachers still threatening their survival. But conservationists are stepping up, using methods like biomimicry to bring these mighty trees back to life, all while Simon climbs 250 feet to see it firsthand! This video is excerpted from BBC’s The Americas With Simon Reeve, in which Simon Reeve explores the landscapes, cultures, and wildlife of North and South America.
A strip of land stretching from West to East Africa was once so rich with shea nut trees that it earned the name “shea belt.” It seems like a different world from now, when conservationists say the tree is at risk of extinction because of drought, deforestation, and demand for charcoal that puts the trees (and the people who depend on them) under pressure.
Because shea trees produce nuts that can be made into shea butter used in pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and food, they provide over 60% of household income for rural women who harvest and process the nuts. The decline of the shea tree would disrupt not only the millions across Africa supported by the industry, but supply chains and global markets, as well.
So, save the shea trees, right? It’s not so simple. Poverty pushes people to cut down shea trees and sell them as charcoal. It provides short-term income, but it means those trees are no longer usable for future shea harvests. To make matters worse, burning charcoal emits harmful greenhouse gasses. So cutting down shea trees for charcoal = less shea butter + more deforestation + more greenhouse gasses. Make it stop! Uganda tried. They banned cutting trees for charcoal in 2023, but enforcement is difficult because of high demand, especially in cities.
Between everything, Uganda has lost around 100,000 hectares of forest cover since 1990. That’s the equivalent of 140,000 soccer fields. Activists are calling for action; replanting trees and protecting the existing ones. Without coordinated action, the shea tree and the livelihoods built around it could disappear.
Let’s take a virtual trip to the Lamu Archipelago in Kenya, a coastline that’s both prosperous and fragile at the same time. The specific environment is a crucial part of life: the ocean provides fish to feed the islands’ inhabitants, and the forests are populated with mangrove trees that protect the coastline from erosion. So, what happens when fish stocks have declined, mangrove forests have been badly damaged, coral reefs are bleaching, and plastic washes ashore with every tide? Local environmental heroes step up.
Meet “Mama Mikoko,” AKA The Mother of Mangroves, who earned the name through her efforts to restore coastal forests. These mangrove trees not only shield villages from erosion but provide breeding grounds for marine life, and their roots hold the shoreline together. Since 2018, her team has planted more than 200,000 mangrove trees and restored over 20 hectares (about 50 acres) of coastline. That means they’ve restored about 75 percent of the mangrove forest! But not all the action’s on land.
A short boat ride away, primary school teacher Monasha Mbona is helping rebuild coral reefs by attaching living coral fragments to cement structures and returning them to the ocean so they can grow.
As important as the environment is in itself (you know, doing little things like feeding the population and helping the islands not wash away), the projects go beyond helping the environment. Conservation income has also helped fund a desalination machine to turn seawater into freshwater, create jobs for young people, support women’s financial independence, and start microfinance groups.
Join the Go Jetters on a magical sunset-to-night adventure to the Avenue of the Baobabs. In this fun story, you'll:
- Read out loud, changing the pictures for words.
- Learn about this fascinating location within Madagascar.
- Discover funky facts about these amazing "upside-down" trees.
Grab a pencil and draw or write a story. Think about:
- Who's in the story? Fairy Bluey, Donkey Dad, Horse Mum, or Motorbike Bingo
- Where does your story take place? Uncle Stripe's pool, the beach, Bluey's school, the backyard, or in a cool forest
- What's in the background? Mountains or trees
You can also decide if there are scary bits, Humpty Dumpty, talking trees, a dragon, treasure, horses, or anything else you can imagine!
Bluey and Jean Luc meet each other on a camping trip! Color the camping scene. Try collaging your picture with real leaves, petals, and twigs. You can also snip out the red leaves and glue them to the trees.
Inspired by Season 1, Episode 43 "Camping": While on a camping holiday, Bluey makes a new friend called Jean-Luc. Bluey may not understand him, but they find common language playing and hunting for a wild Daddy pig.
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.