This film is from the series Life on Planet Ant available on BBC Teach. A leafcutter ant colony from Trinidad has been rescued and re-housed in a giant man-made nest in the UK, allowing an in-depth study into their normally hidden world. It’s the first time a man-made colony has been built on this scale and Professor Adam Hart gives four primary school scientists a tour. The young scientists are not able to see the queen as she is hidden deep within the nest. But, in the lab, Adam is able to show them a similar queen from another leafcutter colony. They learn that the queen is much larger than all the other ants, with the smaller ants that surround her tending to her every need. The life cycle of ants is described; the queen lays the eggs which hatch into larvae and then change to become the ants in the colony. When the eggs are laid they are all the same, but what and how much they are fed results in different kinds of ants, such as soldier ants and minima. The ant colony is very clever; if it comes under attack it produces more soldier ants, and if they need more leaves they will grow more ants to become foragers. Teacher Notes Students could role-play how an ant colony adapts to outside forces. One student could be selected as the ‘queen’ and two others as worker ants. Everyone else could stand in a ‘holding zone’. The ‘queen’ could tap students in the holding zone on the shoulder and they would then become ‘eggs’. Once the eggs are created, the worker ants should hand out different coloured bands, depending on whether the ant in the egg will become a soldier or a worker ant. Once a few ants have been ‘born’, a caller could describe an outside force which is affecting the colony. For example, ‘another colony is attacking’. The workers should then hand out more ‘soldier’ bands. Outside forces should lead to killing a number of ants at once so that students can return to the holding zone, begin their life again as ‘eggs’ and continue the flow of the game. Examples include humans stepping on the colony, or doing battle with other ants. Students could draw the different stages of the ant life cycle in the correct order. Curriculum Notes This clip will be relevant for teaching Science/Biology at KS2 in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and 2nd Level in Scotland.

This film is from the series Operation Awesome available on BBC Teach. Children work with a dinosaur scientist to find dinosaur footprints that have been fossilised into the rock on a beach. The scientist explains how the footprints were made inside the hard rock and children model the process using layers of sand and mud. The scientist then explains how the fossilised footprints are revealed in the rock after millions of years of erosion. The timescale for the whole process is discussed. Teacher Notes This is an effective introduction to how fossils are formed, and of how rocks change over time. In this case they are ‘trace fossils’ from the footprints, rather than actual fossilised remains. Your pupils could carry out an investigation into how rocks become eroded over time, using layers of sand, gravel and soil and observing the effect of water flowing over the top. They could then suggest other factors which might cause erosion of rocks. Pupils could explore other examples of fossils from photographs or actual specimens. They could then go on to make their own fossils out of plaster of paris or similar in moulds. Curriculum Notes This short film will be relevant for teaching science at Key Stage 2 or Second Level in Scotland, or biology at Key Stage 3 or Third Level in Scotland. The purpose of BBC’s content is to inform, educate and entertain. As such, students, teachers, schools, and other established educational bodies may utilise such content for educational purposes via an ERA Licence. Without an ERA Licence, reasonable use of the content (for the purposes set out above) may still be possible, however; any such use must be in line with the BBC’s Terms of Use. Whilst this is not an exhaustive list, when using and or sharing BBC Education content, you must comply with the BBC’s Terms of Use and where relevant, YouTube’s terms and conditions, ensuring that: a) there aren’t any advertisements on or around the BBC content; b) there aren’t any charges for access and or charges associated with the content (clearly stating that the content is free to access); and c) you do not state or imply (in any way) that there is a relationship and or any endorsement from the BBC to you. We ask that you read the said terms before using any of BBC’s services. When you use BBC’s services and content, you’re agreeing to the BBC’s terms of use.

This film is from the series House of Sound available on BBC Teach. In their House of Sound, Fran Scott and Greg Foot investigate how sound is made and how we hear it. They explain that sound is caused by vibration. If an object vibrates the air particles called molecules close to it vibrate. This makes the molecules next to them vibrate and so on, forming a sound wave. If the sound wave reaches our ears and our brains then we hear the sound. They also explain that sound needs something called a medium to travel through and Fran repeats a famous experiment by a scientist called Robert Boyle who demonstrated that air is a medium through which sounds travel. She puts a bell in a jar, taking out all the air from the jar to create a vacuum, after which the bell falls silent. Using 3D animation, Greg takes us on a guided tour of the human ear, pointing out the key components: the eardrum, hammer, anvil, stirrup, cochlea and auditory nerve. Finally, Fran makes a giant human ear out of everyday things to show how these components work. Teacher Notes Pupils can experiment with making sounds using just their own bodies and voices. Because sound needs a medium to travel through, they can discuss the media with which they are familiar - for example, water, a highly effective medium, as they may have discovered while swimming. As an introduction to pitch, experiment with rulers on the edge of desks or tables, so they can find out and record that a long length of ruler vibrates more slowly than a short length and makes a lower sound. Curriculum Notes This clip will be relevant for teaching Science or Music in primary schools at Key Stage Two or Second Level (Scotland). The purpose of BBC’s content is to inform, educate and entertain. As such, students, teachers, schools, and other established educational bodies may utilise such content for educational purposes via an ERA Licence. Without an ERA Licence, reasonable use of the content (for the purposes set out above) may still be possible, however; any such use must be in line with the BBC’s Terms of Use. Whilst this is not an exhaustive list, when using and or sharing BBC Education content, you must comply with the BBC’s Terms of Use and where relevant, YouTube’s terms and conditions, ensuring that: a) there aren’t any advertisements on or around the BBC content; b) there aren’t any charges for access and or charges associated with the content (clearly stating that the content is free to access); and c) you do not state or imply (in any way) that there is a relationship and or any endorsement from the BBC to you. We ask that you read the said terms before using any of BBC’s services. When you use BBC’s services and content, you’re agreeing to the BBC’s terms of use.

This film is from the series Amazing Me available on BBC Teach. What is a burp and a fart, and why do they smell?! Presenter, Zoe Gamble is in class to lead an experiment with effervescent tablets to see the explosive effects of trying to contain carbon dioxide in a small space. CGI graphics demonstrate how bacteria in our gut create gas. Zoe explains how when we eat something, we often swallow gas along with the food, that can come out of the body as a burp. The class deflate an enormous whoopee cushion by jumping on top of it. Teacher Notes Pupils could study bacteria and how there is good and bad bacteria. Bad bacteria can harm the body and good bacteria can help us extract nutrients from our food. Look at how industry uses bacteria to break down waste material such as recycled food, and from sewerage to create power and electricity. Compare the systems to what’s happening within the human body. Pupils could create a poster to illustrate how bacteria can create electricity. Curriculum Notes This short film will be relevant for teaching the topic of the human body at KS2 in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and Second Level in Scotland. The purpose of BBC’s content is to inform, educate and entertain. As such, students, teachers, schools, and other established educational bodies may utilise such content for educational purposes via an ERA Licence. Without an ERA Licence, reasonable use of the content (for the purposes set out above) may still be possible, however; any such use must be in line with the BBC’s Terms of Use. Whilst this is not an exhaustive list, when using and or sharing BBC Education content, you must comply with the BBC’s Terms of Use and where relevant, YouTube’s terms and conditions, ensuring that: a) there aren’t any advertisements on or around the BBC content; b) there aren’t any charges for access and or charges associated with the content (clearly stating that the content is free to access); and c) you do not state or imply (in any way) that there is a relationship and or any endorsement from the BBC to you. We ask that you read the said terms before using any of BBC’s services. When you use BBC’s services and content, you’re agreeing to the BBC’s terms of use.

This film is from the series Life Lessons available on BBC Teach. We look at reproduction in various plants and animals using beautiful wildlife footage and summary graphics. The giant Amazonian water lily is the first example of reproduction with the fascinating way it traps insects. We see the reproductive parts of a flower, both male and female, accompanied by a brief description of the function of each. Moving on to the animal kingdom, an elephant is used as an example of internal fertilisation, followed by some more unusual examples such as a seahorse. Teacher Notes Key Stage 2 The graphical representations of the parts of a flower could be teamed up with a lesson on dissecting a lily. Lilies are easy to dissect using scissors or a scalpel if appropriate and the reproductive organs are very clear to see. For students of higher ability the differences between external and internal fertilisation could be introduced. This is usually discussed at KS3 but could be suitable for students who are capable of understanding. Key Stage 3 Suitable for use as a key stage 3 introduction to internal reproduction and plant reproduction. Curriculum Notes This clip will be relevant for teaching science at Key Stage 2 and Key Stage 3 in England, Wales and Northern Ireland or Second/Third Level in Scotland. The purpose of BBC’s content is to inform, educate and entertain. As such, students, teachers, schools, and other established educational bodies may utilise such content for educational purposes via an ERA Licence. Without an ERA Licence, reasonable use of the content (for the purposes set out above) may still be possible, however; any such use must be in line with the BBC’s Terms of Use. Whilst this is not an exhaustive list, when using and or sharing BBC Education content, you must comply with the BBC’s Terms of Use and where relevant, YouTube’s terms and conditions, ensuring that: a) there aren’t any advertisements on or around the BBC content; b) there aren’t any charges for access and or charges associated with the content (clearly stating that the content is free to access); and c) you do not state or imply (in any way) that there is a relationship and or any endorsement from the BBC to you. We ask that you read the said terms before using any of BBC’s services. When you use BBC’s services and content, you’re agreeing to the BBC’s terms of use.

This film is from the series Scientists and the Scientific Method available on BBC Teach. This film shows how Nicolaus Copernicus - an early astronomer, scientist and priest in Poland - discovered that the sun was at the centre of the solar system. This theory is known as the heliocentric model of the solar system. It was controversial at the time because the accepted wisdom (supported by the church) was that the Earth was at the centre of the universe. In this vlog style film, Nicolas Copernicus compares his ideas with those of Aristotle and Ptolemy, whose celestial model placed a stationary Earth at the centre of the solar system, with the sun and other planets in its orbit. Teacher Notes As a starter to introduce a practical science activity, you could write a simple quiz to encourage pupils to capture the keywords shown in the video. Pupils can write their own definitions from these words using the internet or science dictionaries to improve their scientific vocabulary. To consolidate their knowledge, pupils could make booklets that include key information about the work of Nicolaus Copernicus. They could define the keywords featured in the film, and find five or more pieces of additional pieces of information about the work of the Nicolas Copernicus using books, encyclopedias or the internet. Curriculum Notes Suitable for teaching Science at Key Stage 2 in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and at 2nd Level in Scotland. The film also has cross-curricular links with History and Literacy. The purpose of BBC’s content is to inform, educate and entertain. As such, students, teachers, schools, and other established educational bodies may utilise such content for educational purposes via an ERA Licence. Without an ERA Licence, reasonable use of the content (for the purposes set out above) may still be possible, however; any such use must be in line with the BBC’s Terms of Use. Whilst this is not an exhaustive list, when using and or sharing BBC Education content, you must comply with the BBC’s Terms of Use and where relevant, YouTube’s terms and conditions, ensuring that: a) there aren’t any advertisements on or around the BBC content; b) there aren’t any charges for access and or charges associated with the content (clearly stating that the content is free to access); and c) you do not state or imply (in any way) that there is a relationship and or any endorsement from the BBC to you. We ask that you read the said terms before using any of BBC’s services. When you use BBC’s services and content, you’re agreeing to the BBC’s terms of use.

This film is from the series Blue Planet Live available on BBC Teach. Over the last century, numbers of South African penguins have declined by 90%. Over-fishing and climate change have caused their prey to moved hundreds of miles from their breeding colonies, too far for adult penguins to hunt and return to the nesting chicks. To help, local scientists have come up with a plan to create a new colony of penguins using fake models to attract the real penguins to a new feeding ground. The purpose of BBC’s content is to inform, educate and entertain. As such, students, teachers, schools, and other established educational bodies may utilise such content for educational purposes via an ERA Licence. Without an ERA Licence, reasonable use of the content (for the purposes set out above) may still be possible, however; any such use must be in line with the BBC’s Terms of Use. Whilst this is not an exhaustive list, when using and or sharing BBC Education content, you must comply with the BBC’s Terms of Use and where relevant, YouTube’s terms and conditions, ensuring that: a) there aren’t any advertisements on or around the BBC content; b) there aren’t any charges for access and or charges associated with the content (clearly stating that the content is free to access); and c) you do not state or imply (in any way) that there is a relationship and or any endorsement from the BBC to you. We ask that you read the said terms before using any of BBC’s services. When you use BBC’s services and content, you’re agreeing to the BBC’s terms of use.

This film is from The Burrowers available on BBC Teach. Chris Packham visits a man-made rabbit warren to see baby rabbits being born. A scientist shows him how a thermal imaging camera detects heat instead of light and can be used to see which animals are the warmest. He discovers that the kits (baby rabbits) have no fur when they are born, so they must huddle together to keep warm. The mother rabbit feeds the kits with milk, just like all mammals. Because it is warmest in the middle of the huddle, the kits change places to stay warm. When the kits are older, they start to eat solid food; initially, their mother’s faeces, as this contains important bacteria that will help the kits to digest the tough plant material. Teacher Notes This film could be used as a stimulus when studying life cycles and the ways in which animals reproduce. Remind pupils that all mammals, including humans, are initially fed on milk from their mothers. As the baby mammals get older, they move towards a diet that makes use of the natural resources around them, such as grass for rabbits. But digesting grass is very hard, and special bacteria are needed by baby rabbits to help them. What do humans need in their diet to stay healthy? Curriculum Notes This clip is relevant for teaching Science at KS1 and KS2 in England, Northern Ireland and Wales and at Early and 1st Level in Scotland. The purpose of BBC’s content is to inform, educate and entertain. As such, students, teachers, schools, and other established educational bodies may utilise such content for educational purposes via an ERA Licence. Without an ERA Licence, reasonable use of the content (for the purposes set out above) may still be possible, however; any such use must be in line with the BBC’s Terms of Use. Whilst this is not an exhaustive list, when using and or sharing BBC Education content, you must comply with the BBC’s Terms of Use and where relevant, YouTube’s terms and conditions, ensuring that: a) there aren’t any advertisements on or around the BBC content; b) there aren’t any charges for access and or charges associated with the content (clearly stating that the content is free to access); and c) you do not state or imply (in any way) that there is a relationship and or any endorsement from the BBC to you. We ask that you read the said terms before using any of BBC’s services. When you use BBC’s services and content, you’re agreeing to the BBC’s terms of use.

This film is from the series Ivy’s Plant Shop available on BBC Teach. This film explores the process of pollination and the roles played by different parts of a plant. At the end of the film, the process is summarised in a catchy song which will help children remember it. Teacher Notes This film could be used as an introduction to plants and reproduction. Pupils could write a non-fiction report on plant reproduction or the process of pollination. Working in pairs, pupils could create a series of cards depicting pollination which another pair could then try to sequence. Curriculum Notes This film will be relevant for teaching Science/Biology at Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 in England, Wales and Early and 1st and 2nd Level in Scotland. Also at Foundation, KS1 and KS2 in Northern Ireland. The purpose of BBC’s content is to inform, educate and entertain. As such, students, teachers, schools, and other established educational bodies may utilise such content for educational purposes via an ERA Licence. Without an ERA Licence, reasonable use of the content (for the purposes set out above) may still be possible, however; any such use must be in line with the BBC’s Terms of Use. Whilst this is not an exhaustive list, when using and or sharing BBC Education content, you must comply with the BBC’s Terms of Use and where relevant, YouTube’s terms and conditions, ensuring that: a) there aren’t any advertisements on or around the BBC content; b) there aren’t any charges for access and or charges associated with the content (clearly stating that the content is free to access); and c) you do not state or imply (in any way) that there is a relationship and or any endorsement from the BBC to you. We ask that you read the said terms before using any of BBC’s services. When you use BBC’s services and content, you’re agreeing to the BBC’s terms of use.

This film is from the series Little Stargazing available on BBC Teach. Astronaut, Jeff Hoffman, helps the children launch their very own rockets and describes the feeling of weightlessness. They then speak to NASA astronaut Bonnie Dunbar over an internet video call. Bonnie answers their questions about living in space and shows them some amazing videos of astronauts in space. Teacher Notes This clip could be used to develop an awareness of space rockets and the work of astronauts. The class could discuss together how the first men on the moon were part of the Apollo 11 mission, finding out about their rocket, Saturn V, which had three different sections, with a command or service module and a lunar module at the top. Children could then make an air rocket from a small empty drinks carton. Ask children to think about what an astronaut needs to be good at and encourage children to find out from books and the internet about how people become astronauts, and about the work they do in space. Curriculum Notes This clip will be relevant for teaching Physics or Science Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 in England and Northern Ireland, Key Stage 2 in Wales and First / Second Level in Scotland. The purpose of BBC’s content is to inform, educate and entertain. As such, students, teachers, schools, and other established educational bodies may utilise such content for educational purposes via an ERA Licence. Without an ERA Licence, reasonable use of the content (for the purposes set out above) may still be possible, however; any such use must be in line with the BBC’s Terms of Use. Whilst this is not an exhaustive list, when using and or sharing BBC Education content, you must comply with the BBC’s Terms of Use and where relevant, YouTube’s terms and conditions, ensuring that: a) there aren’t any advertisements on or around the BBC content; b) there aren’t any charges for access and or charges associated with the content (clearly stating that the content is free to access); and c) you do not state or imply (in any way) that there is a relationship and or any endorsement from the BBC to you. We ask that you read the said terms before using any of BBC’s services. When you use BBC’s services and content, you’re agreeing to the BBC’s terms of use.

This film is from the series The Great British Year available on BBC Teach. When spring arrives, male birds start singing to attract a partner and to tell other male birds to keep away. Once the male bird finds a female partner they start to build a nest. Different types of birds use different materials including twigs, straw, moss, spider web and feathers. While many children are hunting for chocolate eggs at Easter, the female birds are busy laying eggs and sitting on the nest. The eggs must be kept warm for the chicks to grow. The birds must stay with the nest even during cold and wet weather. The baby birds hatch at just the right time, when there is lots of food for them to eat. The blue tit catches the caterpillars that are eating the new leaves sprouting on the trees. Teacher Notes The film could be used to start a discussion on what birds do to ensure their eggs hatch and baby birds grow. Pupils could role play the different jobs the birds have to do in the right order - from singing and nest building in early spring to sitting on eggs and feeding the baby birds in the late spring. Curriculum Notes This clip will be relevant for teaching Science/ Geography This topic is suitable for KS1 and KS2 in England and Wales and in Northern Ireland. Also Early and 1st Level in Scotland. The purpose of BBC’s content is to inform, educate and entertain. As such, students, teachers, schools, and other established educational bodies may utilise such content for educational purposes via an ERA Licence. Without an ERA Licence, reasonable use of the content (for the purposes set out above) may still be possible, however; any such use must be in line with the BBC’s Terms of Use. Whilst this is not an exhaustive list, when using and or sharing BBC Education content, you must comply with the BBC’s Terms of Use and where relevant, YouTube’s terms and conditions, ensuring that: a) there aren’t any advertisements on or around the BBC content; b) there aren’t any charges for access and or charges associated with the content (clearly stating that the content is free to access); and c) you do not state or imply (in any way) that there is a relationship and or any endorsement from the BBC to you. We ask that you read the said terms before using any of BBC’s services. When you use BBC’s services and content, you’re agreeing to the BBC’s terms of use.

This film is from the series Explain This available on BBC Teach. This video gives pupils an understanding of what food chains are and where different plants and animals fit into them. The video explores common food chains and how the ‘circle of life’ operates in nature. It looks at what happens if one part of a food chain is taken away, and also explains the position of humans in the food chain. The purpose of BBC’s content is to inform, educate and entertain. As such, students, teachers, schools, and other established educational bodies may utilise such content for educational purposes via an ERA Licence. Without an ERA Licence, reasonable use of the content (for the purposes set out above) may still be possible, however; any such use must be in line with the BBC’s Terms of Use. Whilst this is not an exhaustive list, when using and or sharing BBC Education content, you must comply with the BBC’s Terms of Use and where relevant, YouTube’s terms and conditions, ensuring that: a) there aren’t any advertisements on or around the BBC content; b) there aren’t any charges for access and or charges associated with the content (clearly stating that the content is free to access); and c) you do not state or imply (in any way) that there is a relationship and or any endorsement from the BBC to you. We ask that you read the said terms before using any of BBC’s services. When you use BBC’s services and content, you’re agreeing to the BBC’s terms of use.

In this vlog style film from the BBC Teach series, Scientists and Scientific Method, Sir Isaac Newton explains how he discovered gravity when an apple fell from a tree and (as legend has it) hit him on the head. He outlines how he used scientific method and process to think about gravity; questioning why things fall straight down, not sideways or upwards. He talks about how he carried out his own observations, as well as discussing his famous book on the subject. The purpose of BBC’s content is to inform, educate and entertain. As such, students, teachers, schools, and other established educational bodies may utilise such content for educational purposes via an ERA Licence. Without an ERA Licence, reasonable use of the content (for the purposes set out above) may still be possible, however; any such use must be in line with the BBC’s Terms of Use. Whilst this is not an exhaustive list, when using and or sharing BBC Education content, you must comply with the BBC’s Terms of Use and where relevant, YouTube’s terms and conditions, ensuring that: there aren’t any advertisements on or around the BBC content; there aren’t any charges for access and or charges associated with the content (clearly stating that the content is free to access); and you do not state or imply (in any way) that there is a relationship and or any endorsement from the BBC to you. We ask that you read the said terms before using any of BBC’s services. When you use BBC’s services and content, you’re agreeing to the BBC’s terms of use.

This clip from the BBC Teach series, Ivy’s Plant Shop, introduces the anatomy of the flower, including the receptacle, sepals, nectaries, carpel, stigma, style, ovary, stamen and petals. The purpose of BBC’s content is to inform, educate and entertain. As such, students, teachers, schools, and other established educational bodies may utilise such content for educational purposes via an ERA Licence. Without an ERA Licence, reasonable use of the content (for the purposes set out above) may still be possible, however; any such use must be in line with the BBC’s Terms of Use. Whilst this is not an exhaustive list, when using and or sharing BBC Education content, you must comply with the BBC’s Terms of Use and where relevant, YouTube’s terms and conditions, ensuring that: there aren’t any advertisements on or around the BBC content; there aren’t any charges for access and or charges associated with the content (clearly stating that the content is free to access); and you do not state or imply (in any way) that there is a relationship and or any endorsement from the BBC to you. We ask that you read the said terms before using any of BBC’s services. When you use BBC’s services and content, you’re agreeing to the BBC’s terms of use.

Neil Armstrong’s historic voyage to the Moon is explored in this short animated film for primary pupils from the BBC Teach series, Explorers. This could be used as a starting point for learning about the Earth and space, for example, learning how the Moon moves in relation to the Earth, or how gravity is different on the Moon compared to the Earth. The purpose of BBC’s content is to inform, educate and entertain. As such, students, teachers, schools, and other established educational bodies may utilise such content for educational purposes via an ERA Licence. Without an ERA Licence, reasonable use of the content (for the purposes set out above) may still be possible, however; any such use must be in line with the BBC’s Terms of Use. Whilst this is not an exhaustive list, when using and or sharing BBC Education content, you must comply with the BBC’s Terms of Use and where relevant, YouTube’s terms and conditions, ensuring that: there aren’t any advertisements on or around the BBC content; there aren’t any charges for access and or charges associated with the content (clearly stating that the content is free to access); and you do not state or imply (in any way) that there is a relationship and or any endorsement from the BBC to you. We ask that you read the said terms before using any of BBC’s services. When you use BBC’s services and content, you’re agreeing to the BBC’s terms of use.