Videos  
Video

The Dramatic Landscapes of the American West

In The Dramatic Landscapes of the American West, narrator Sir David Attenborough explores the desert of the American West as a 10-month drought is ended by an intense thunderstorm. As millions of tons of water are dumped in under an hour, raging rivers form. Over millions of years, raging waters like these have carved slot canyons and shaped a beautiful landscape. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Planet Earth II, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.

Video Details
Location:
The American West
Grades:
Program:
Planet Earth II
Time:
2:42
Subject:

Lesson Express

Q: How does rain come to the American West, according to the video?
A: After months of drought, the rain comes all at once, pouring down tons of water in under an hour.

Q: Is it the water alone that carves the channels through solid rock?
A: No, the sand and gravel carried by the floods also helps to carve the channels and canyons.

Q: Is this type of rainfall helpful? Harmful?
A: Although the rain brings needed moisture and carves beautiful landscapes, it can be harmful if people or animals can’t get to safety in time.

Standards
Keywords
Share:

More Like This

Video
Erosion and Evolution

In Erosion and Evolution, geologist Iain Stewart explains that rivers and volcanoes have shaped the Earth in dramatic ways. Rivers sweep rock and debris with them as they head toward the ocean, preparing for new land to form downstream. Scientists have found the conditions that mimic those found when the Earth was young around volcanoes and hydrothermal vents. The changing amounts of ice on the planet also impact how modern man has adapted. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Earth: The Power of the Planet, a documentary series in which Dr. Iain Stewart discovers how Earth's forces can shape nature, species, and even the climate.

Video
The Alps, Europe’s Jagged Peaks

In The Alps, Europe’s Jagged Peaks, narrator Sir David Attenborough marvels at the ancient seabed turned mountain chain. This video is excerpted from BBC's Planet Earth, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.

Video
Big Waves and Coastal Erosion

In Big Waves and Coastal Erosion, narrator Sir David Attenborough demonstrates how waves impact the coast. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Blue Planet II, a natural history series that explores the world's oceans, the animals that live in them, and the threats they face, using modern filming techniques and equipment to capture previously unseen areas of the ocean.

Video
Summer in the Rockies

In Summer in the Rockies, narrator Sir David Attenborough describes how animals find a way to survive among the barren peaks. Grizzly bears search for roosting moths, as all around them the Rockies themselves crumble. This video is excerpted from BBC's Planet Earth, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.