Dive into the wonders of Antarctica with this multi-grade lesson collection! Tailored for K–2, 3–5, 6–8, and 9–12, each unit includes engaging activities, thought-provoking discussions, and hands-on projects to uncover the mysteries of the frozen continent. Enhance your teaching with stunning BBC video clips showcasing Antarctic wildlife, research stations, and breathtaking icy landscapes. Printable resources like animal fact sheets, scientist journal templates, and conservation challenges bring the learning to life for your students. Perfect for science, geography, and environmental lessons!
Bring your students on an icy exploration of the polar ecosystem! The Arctic and Antarctica may look frozen and empty at first glance, but they’re full of life perfectly adapted to the cold.
✨ Perfect for grades 3–8, here’s what you need to bring ecosystems to life:
- Iconic BBC Videos: Share the clips on this page to introduce the location, plants, animals, and climate of the polar regions. (Don't miss the narwhals and emperor penguins!) Brought to you by world-class BBC programs like Planet Earth, Frozen Planet, and Seven Worlds, One Planet.
- Free Printable: Use the Polar Brochure Template to help students pull it all together in an ecosystem report with facts they’ve learned (and a little extra research).
It’s everything you need to make ecosystems easy to teach and truly memorable for your students.
In Life Beneath the Antarctic Ice, learn how the world's largest desert doubles in size during winter, creating a vast, frozen expanse. Beneath the ice lies a surprisingly stable environment, allowing life to evolve and thrive in extraordinary ways. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Seven Worlds, One Planet, a series featuring remarkable animal behavior from all seven continents.
In Young Animals of the Antarctic and the Arctic, narrator Sir David Attenborough follows the journey of young animals growing up in two of the harshest environments on Earth — the Antarctic and the Arctic. Penguin chicks rely on their parents for food and protection as they grow, but not all survive. By early summer, the surviving chicks are strong and independent. In the Arctic, two polar bear cubs, now independent, briefly reunite before setting off on their own into the icy wilderness. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Planet Earth, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.
In Summer in the Antarctic, narrator Sir David Attenborough explores the Antarctic Peninsula during summer. As the seasonal thaw unlocks the sheltered bays, a feeding frenzy begins. Humpback whales travel over 5,000 miles to feast on krill, tiny shrimp-like creatures that swarm in the nutrient-rich waters. The whales use a sophisticated hunting strategy called bubble-net feeding to trap and devour massive quantities of krill before winter forces them to migrate north. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Planet Earth, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.
In Antarctic Research Station, narrator Sir David Attenborough shares the story of Robert Scott and Roald Amundsen, the first explorers to reach the South Pole. Learn about how research at the South Pole has developed and see inside the Scott-Amundsen Research Station. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Frozen Planet, a series that shows a fragile world of beauty and hostility, where nature finds a way to survive and thrive in frigid conditions.
In Mile-Long Icebergs Along the Antarctic Coast, narrator Sir David Attenborough describes the frozen southern continent that is surrounded by mile-long icebergs and freezing waters. But under the water, the ocean is teeming with life. Watch gentoo penguins leap and hop onto land. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Frozen Planet, a series that shows a fragile world of beauty and hostility, where nature finds a way to survive and thrive in frigid conditions.
In Life and Danger Under the Antarctic Sea, narrator Sir David Attenborough explores life under the Antarctic Sea where fish have antifreeze in their blood and jellyfish and starfish thrive. But when brine starts seeping down, it catches animals in its wake. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Frozen Planet, a series that shows a fragile world of beauty and hostility, where nature finds a way to survive and thrive in frigid conditions.
In The Animals That Make up the Antarctic Food Web, narrator Sir David Attenborough shares information about the animals that make up the Antarctic food web. Watch minke whales, humpback whales, fur seals, and krill. Learn about icebergs in the Antarctic. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Blue Planet, a definitive documentary series diving into the mysterious depths of the sea to discover the natural history of the world’s oceans and the rarely seen marine life that reside there.
In Antarctica and Our Climate, geologist Iain Stewart explains how technology allows us to see the full geography of Antarctica, including lakes that are under ice and huge glaciers that cover islands of rock. Antarctica is formed because we are in an ice age that has lasted more than three million years, with small changes that have a large impact as ice advances and retreats over and over again. 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.
In The Tragic History of the Antarctica Whaling Industry, learn about the devastating impact of industrial whaling. Human activity has transformed the Southern Ocean, nearly driving iconic species like the blue whale and southern right whale to extinction. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Seven Worlds, One Planet, a series featuring remarkable animal behavior from all seven continents.
In Snow Petrels and Their Life in Antarctica, narrator Sir David Attenborough highlights these resilient birds as they make one of the longest migrations on Earth to find a nesting site in the heart of Antarctica. Petrels brave harsh conditions, defend their territory, and prepare for the challenge of raising their chicks. Once their eggs hatch, parents must make a 600-mile round trip to the ocean to gather food. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Planet Earth, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.
Dive into the wonders of Antarctica with this multi-grade lesson collection! Tailored for K–2, 3–5, 6–8, and 9–12, each unit includes engaging activities, thought-provoking discussions, and hands-on projects to uncover the mysteries of the frozen continent. Enhance your teaching with stunning BBC video clips showcasing Antarctic wildlife, research stations, and breathtaking icy landscapes. Printable resources like animal fact sheets, scientist journal templates, and conservation challenges bring the learning to life for your students. Perfect for science, geography, and environmental lessons!
Bring your students on an icy exploration of the polar ecosystem! The Arctic and Antarctica may look frozen and empty at first glance, but they’re full of life perfectly adapted to the cold.
✨ Perfect for grades 3–8, here’s what you need to bring ecosystems to life:
- Iconic BBC Videos: Share the clips on this page to introduce the location, plants, animals, and climate of the polar regions. (Don't miss the narwhals and emperor penguins!) Brought to you by world-class BBC programs like Planet Earth, Frozen Planet, and Seven Worlds, One Planet.
- Free Printable: Use the Polar Brochure Template to help students pull it all together in an ecosystem report with facts they’ve learned (and a little extra research).
It’s everything you need to make ecosystems easy to teach and truly memorable for your students.
In Life Beneath the Antarctic Ice, learn how the world's largest desert doubles in size during winter, creating a vast, frozen expanse. Beneath the ice lies a surprisingly stable environment, allowing life to evolve and thrive in extraordinary ways. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Seven Worlds, One Planet, a series featuring remarkable animal behavior from all seven continents.
In Young Animals of the Antarctic and the Arctic, narrator Sir David Attenborough follows the journey of young animals growing up in two of the harshest environments on Earth — the Antarctic and the Arctic. Penguin chicks rely on their parents for food and protection as they grow, but not all survive. By early summer, the surviving chicks are strong and independent. In the Arctic, two polar bear cubs, now independent, briefly reunite before setting off on their own into the icy wilderness. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Planet Earth, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.
In Summer in the Antarctic, narrator Sir David Attenborough explores the Antarctic Peninsula during summer. As the seasonal thaw unlocks the sheltered bays, a feeding frenzy begins. Humpback whales travel over 5,000 miles to feast on krill, tiny shrimp-like creatures that swarm in the nutrient-rich waters. The whales use a sophisticated hunting strategy called bubble-net feeding to trap and devour massive quantities of krill before winter forces them to migrate north. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Planet Earth, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.
In Antarctic Research Station, narrator Sir David Attenborough shares the story of Robert Scott and Roald Amundsen, the first explorers to reach the South Pole. Learn about how research at the South Pole has developed and see inside the Scott-Amundsen Research Station. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Frozen Planet, a series that shows a fragile world of beauty and hostility, where nature finds a way to survive and thrive in frigid conditions.
In Mile-Long Icebergs Along the Antarctic Coast, narrator Sir David Attenborough describes the frozen southern continent that is surrounded by mile-long icebergs and freezing waters. But under the water, the ocean is teeming with life. Watch gentoo penguins leap and hop onto land. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Frozen Planet, a series that shows a fragile world of beauty and hostility, where nature finds a way to survive and thrive in frigid conditions.
In Life and Danger Under the Antarctic Sea, narrator Sir David Attenborough explores life under the Antarctic Sea where fish have antifreeze in their blood and jellyfish and starfish thrive. But when brine starts seeping down, it catches animals in its wake. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Frozen Planet, a series that shows a fragile world of beauty and hostility, where nature finds a way to survive and thrive in frigid conditions.
In The Animals That Make up the Antarctic Food Web, narrator Sir David Attenborough shares information about the animals that make up the Antarctic food web. Watch minke whales, humpback whales, fur seals, and krill. Learn about icebergs in the Antarctic. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Blue Planet, a definitive documentary series diving into the mysterious depths of the sea to discover the natural history of the world’s oceans and the rarely seen marine life that reside there.
In Antarctica and Our Climate, geologist Iain Stewart explains how technology allows us to see the full geography of Antarctica, including lakes that are under ice and huge glaciers that cover islands of rock. Antarctica is formed because we are in an ice age that has lasted more than three million years, with small changes that have a large impact as ice advances and retreats over and over again. 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.
In The Tragic History of the Antarctica Whaling Industry, learn about the devastating impact of industrial whaling. Human activity has transformed the Southern Ocean, nearly driving iconic species like the blue whale and southern right whale to extinction. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Seven Worlds, One Planet, a series featuring remarkable animal behavior from all seven continents.
In Snow Petrels and Their Life in Antarctica, narrator Sir David Attenborough highlights these resilient birds as they make one of the longest migrations on Earth to find a nesting site in the heart of Antarctica. Petrels brave harsh conditions, defend their territory, and prepare for the challenge of raising their chicks. Once their eggs hatch, parents must make a 600-mile round trip to the ocean to gather food. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Planet Earth, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.