In Marco Polo, host Joanna Lumley introduces the remarkable journey of Marco Polo, who traveled for 17 years across Asia. Marco, along with his father and uncle, were trusted envoys of the 13th-Century Mongolian emperor Kublai Khan. They were given a tablet guaranteeing their safe passage through Khan's empire. During this time, spices were highly prized, making the Silk Road an essential trade route for connecting Asia to Europe. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Joanna Lumley’s Silk Road Adventure, a documentary series uncovering the rich history and cultural treasures of the Silk Road.
In Columbus in the New World, host Andrew Marr recounts how Christopher Columbus lands on the Bahamian island of Guanahani and decides to name it San Salvador. After meeting with the Indigenous people on the island, Columbus describes how he thinks he can claim the land for Spain, enslave the people, and convert them to Christianity. This kicks off a global gold rush. This video is excerpted from BBC’s A History of the World, a story of human history that uses reenactments, modern footage, and storytelling to explain history’s greatest achievements.
In Oppenheimer’s Atomic Bombs and the End of World War II, host Andrew Marr describes how J. Robert Oppenheimer developed the technology to end World War II with two atomic bombs dropped on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Before the bombs were dropped, Oppenheimer calculated how to drop them to create the most damage. After the war was over, Oppenheimer felt conflicted about the creation of the bombs. This video is excerpted from BBC’s A History of the World, a story of human history that uses reenactments, modern footage, and storytelling to explain history’s greatest achievements.
In Islamic Advances in Math and Science Helped Update the Math of the World, host Andrew Marr takes us back to the 9th Century. The Islamic scholar Muhammad al-Khwarizmi and other scholars are using measurements and calculations to calculate the Earth’s circumference and create an updated map the Earth. Learn how the work of the Islamic scholars impacts today’s technology and mathematics. This video is excerpted from BBC’s A History of the World, a story of human history that uses reenactments, modern footage, and storytelling to explain history’s greatest achievements.
Get ready for a speedy adventure! This BBC Learning Hub playlist, packed with clips from Grace’s Amazing Machines, takes students on a high-octane journey through land, sea, and sky. From gyrocopters and tugboats to superbikes and supercars, each video introduces a powerful machine — and the science that makes it move.
Perfect for teaching concepts like forces and motion, energy, friction, and transportation technology, these clips are a fun, fast-paced way to explore how things go, glide, float, and fly. Each video comes with discussion questions, hands-on activities, and more to help kids think, tinker, and learn like real engineers. Buckle up — it’s going to be a wild ride!
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 A History of the World, a story of human history that uses reenactments, modern footage, and storytelling to explain history’s greatest achievements.
In The Death of Socrates, host Andrew Marr explains how Socrates was condemned to death for challenging authority and corrupting the youth of Athens. However, his ideas lived on long after he was forced to drink hemlock. This video is excerpted from BBC’s A History of the World, a story of human history that uses reenactments, modern footage, and storytelling to explain history’s greatest achievements.
In Ivan the Terrible and Siberian Expansion, host Andrew Marr describes the Russia of the past as a poor country until a dip in global temperatures drove up the prices and the demand for fur pelts. Russian mercenaries ventured into Siberia where their superior European weapons helped them defeat local forces. This video is excerpted from BBC’s A History of the World, a story of human history that uses reenactments, modern footage, and storytelling to explain history’s greatest achievements.
In Aurangzeb's Fight to Lead India in the 17th Century, host Andrew Marr takes us to India in the early 17th Century. It is an open-minded place where ideas thrive and there is intellectual freedom and cultural celebration. But when the ruler, Shah Jahan, falls ill, his two sons fight for the throne. Aurangzeb wins the battle and takes over India. He starts an oppressive regime that undoes the progressive work of his father, taking India along a much different path. This video is excerpted from BBC’s A History of the World, a story of human history that uses reenactments, modern footage, and storytelling to explain history’s greatest achievements.
In The Boston Tea Party Ignites the Revolutionary War, host Andrew Marr describes how Samuel Adams and fellow colonists rebelled against British rule by destroying a shipment of tea in Boston Harbor. This act of defiance would ignite the Revolutionary War and set the stage for the birth of a new nation governed by revolutionary ideals. This video is excerpted from BBC’s A History of the World, a story of human history that uses reenactments, modern footage, and storytelling to explain history’s greatest achievements.
In Liberty! Equality! Fraternity!, host Andrew Marr explains how the ideals and events of the American Revolution inspired the French. From the storming of the Bastille to the execution of Louis XVI, the brutal French Revolution changed the course of history. This video is excerpted from BBC’s A History of the World, a story of human history that uses reenactments, modern footage, and storytelling to explain history’s greatest achievements.
In Marco Polo, host Joanna Lumley introduces the remarkable journey of Marco Polo, who traveled for 17 years across Asia. Marco, along with his father and uncle, were trusted envoys of the 13th-Century Mongolian emperor Kublai Khan. They were given a tablet guaranteeing their safe passage through Khan's empire. During this time, spices were highly prized, making the Silk Road an essential trade route for connecting Asia to Europe. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Joanna Lumley’s Silk Road Adventure, a documentary series uncovering the rich history and cultural treasures of the Silk Road.
In Columbus in the New World, host Andrew Marr recounts how Christopher Columbus lands on the Bahamian island of Guanahani and decides to name it San Salvador. After meeting with the Indigenous people on the island, Columbus describes how he thinks he can claim the land for Spain, enslave the people, and convert them to Christianity. This kicks off a global gold rush. This video is excerpted from BBC’s A History of the World, a story of human history that uses reenactments, modern footage, and storytelling to explain history’s greatest achievements.
In Oppenheimer’s Atomic Bombs and the End of World War II, host Andrew Marr describes how J. Robert Oppenheimer developed the technology to end World War II with two atomic bombs dropped on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Before the bombs were dropped, Oppenheimer calculated how to drop them to create the most damage. After the war was over, Oppenheimer felt conflicted about the creation of the bombs. This video is excerpted from BBC’s A History of the World, a story of human history that uses reenactments, modern footage, and storytelling to explain history’s greatest achievements.
In Islamic Advances in Math and Science Helped Update the Math of the World, host Andrew Marr takes us back to the 9th Century. The Islamic scholar Muhammad al-Khwarizmi and other scholars are using measurements and calculations to calculate the Earth’s circumference and create an updated map the Earth. Learn how the work of the Islamic scholars impacts today’s technology and mathematics. This video is excerpted from BBC’s A History of the World, a story of human history that uses reenactments, modern footage, and storytelling to explain history’s greatest achievements.
Get ready for a speedy adventure! This BBC Learning Hub playlist, packed with clips from Grace’s Amazing Machines, takes students on a high-octane journey through land, sea, and sky. From gyrocopters and tugboats to superbikes and supercars, each video introduces a powerful machine — and the science that makes it move.
Perfect for teaching concepts like forces and motion, energy, friction, and transportation technology, these clips are a fun, fast-paced way to explore how things go, glide, float, and fly. Each video comes with discussion questions, hands-on activities, and more to help kids think, tinker, and learn like real engineers. Buckle up — it’s going to be a wild ride!
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 A History of the World, a story of human history that uses reenactments, modern footage, and storytelling to explain history’s greatest achievements.
In The Death of Socrates, host Andrew Marr explains how Socrates was condemned to death for challenging authority and corrupting the youth of Athens. However, his ideas lived on long after he was forced to drink hemlock. This video is excerpted from BBC’s A History of the World, a story of human history that uses reenactments, modern footage, and storytelling to explain history’s greatest achievements.
In Ivan the Terrible and Siberian Expansion, host Andrew Marr describes the Russia of the past as a poor country until a dip in global temperatures drove up the prices and the demand for fur pelts. Russian mercenaries ventured into Siberia where their superior European weapons helped them defeat local forces. This video is excerpted from BBC’s A History of the World, a story of human history that uses reenactments, modern footage, and storytelling to explain history’s greatest achievements.
In Aurangzeb's Fight to Lead India in the 17th Century, host Andrew Marr takes us to India in the early 17th Century. It is an open-minded place where ideas thrive and there is intellectual freedom and cultural celebration. But when the ruler, Shah Jahan, falls ill, his two sons fight for the throne. Aurangzeb wins the battle and takes over India. He starts an oppressive regime that undoes the progressive work of his father, taking India along a much different path. This video is excerpted from BBC’s A History of the World, a story of human history that uses reenactments, modern footage, and storytelling to explain history’s greatest achievements.
In The Boston Tea Party Ignites the Revolutionary War, host Andrew Marr describes how Samuel Adams and fellow colonists rebelled against British rule by destroying a shipment of tea in Boston Harbor. This act of defiance would ignite the Revolutionary War and set the stage for the birth of a new nation governed by revolutionary ideals. This video is excerpted from BBC’s A History of the World, a story of human history that uses reenactments, modern footage, and storytelling to explain history’s greatest achievements.
In Liberty! Equality! Fraternity!, host Andrew Marr explains how the ideals and events of the American Revolution inspired the French. From the storming of the Bastille to the execution of Louis XVI, the brutal French Revolution changed the course of history. This video is excerpted from BBC’s A History of the World, a story of human history that uses reenactments, modern footage, and storytelling to explain history’s greatest achievements.