Whether you're at home or at school, you can use BBC Teach for free. Our website is home to thousands of free curriculum-mapped videos, arranged by age-group and subject.
Whether you're at home or at school, you can use BBC Teach for free. Our website is home to thousands of free curriculum-mapped videos, arranged by age-group and subject.
This clip is from the series The Alchemist’s Apprentice available on BBC Teach.
Three students try out hands-on experiments with carbon dioxide in a science lab.
With the help of Dr Peter Wothers at the University of Cambridge, they explore the properties of the air around us.
They measure the density of carbon dioxide, they create ‘dry ice’ by extracting carbon dioxide from calcium carbonate, and they explore how limewater is made.
Teacher Notes
Students could be asked to write down word and symbol equations for the processes occurring in this clip.
They could also be challenged to criticise the on-screen graphics and the use of the = sign.
Symbol equations can be balanced.
The thermal decomposition of calcium carbonate can be repeated by students in the lab, using large marble chips on the edge of a piece of gauze and heating for ten minutes with a hot Bunsen flame.
During this time, the teacher can circulate with a butane brûlée torch and heat each chip for one minute until limelight is seen.
After cooling, the chips can be reacted with water and tested using universal indicator drops.
Curriculum Notes
This topic appears in OCR, Edexcel, AQA, WJEC KS3, KS4 and GCSE in England and Wales, CCEA GCSE 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 Wonders of Life available on BBC Teach.
Professor Brian Cox visits Madagascar to track down the rare aye-aye lemur, and see how it is perfectly adapted to its surroundings.
He explains how species of lemurs have evolved to fulfill many different ecological niches on the island.
Brian shows us the unique adaptations of an aye-aye, like its unusual teeth, perfect for gnawing away bark, and its elongated, bony middle finger, which it uses to prize out grubs.
Teacher Notes
Use the clip as an alternative example of specific adaptations. Students could find out what animals could have competed with the aye-aye on different continents, identifying why they have been successful around the planet.
Curriculum Notes
This clip will be relevant for teaching Biology at KS3 and KS4/GCSE in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and SQA National 3/4/5 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 Real World Chemistry available on BBC Teach.
Fran Scott learns how glass is made in a factory.
The raw materials are described, together with the use of soda ash to lower the melting point and make it easier to form into useful shapes.
The production process is described, including the use of gas burners to maintain the high temperature.
Automated equipment is used on a continuous production line that works at very high speed to produce glass bottles.
Finishing processes include adding a coating to improve strength, heating and slowly cooling to remove weaknesses and another surface treating to make them harder and more resistant to scratching.
Quality control mechanisms are described.
Teacher Notes
Teachers can also refer to the Mark Miodownik clips from the BBC series ‘Materials: How They Work’.
Students can be given a list of questions for them to answer whilst they watch the clip that focus on your intended learning outcomes.
Students could be asked to suggest why the factory works 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Curriculum Notes
These clips will be relevant for teaching Science and Chemistry at KS4 in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and National 4/5 in Scotland.
The topics discussed will support OCR, Edexcel, AQA, WJEC GCSE in England and Wales, CCEA GCSE in Northern Ireland and SQA National 4/5 and Higher 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.