Curated Video
How can we exercise democratic rights without a vote?
Pupil outcome: I can explain what democratic rights are and how to exercise them, even if I am not eligible to vote yet. Key learning points: - Democratic rights are fundamental freedoms and entitlements needed to sustain political...
Curated Video
Researching the threats to the polar regions
Pupil outcome: I can describe some of the threats to the polar regions, what is being done to address them and what more could be done. Key learning points: - Because an essay is a non-fiction piece of writing, it must be based on facts....
Curated Video
Making a speech about environmental issues
Pupil outcome: I can use my understanding of climate change to give a speech. Key learning points: - Climate change is driven by human activity - specifically, an increase in greenhouse gases. - Climate change will have significant...
Curated Video
Identifying the features of an essay
Pupil outcome: I can identify the logical argument of an essay and I can identify an essay's linguistic features in a model. Key learning points: - Essays can either examine both sides of an issue in a balanced way, or they can argue...
Curated Video
Factors affecting flood risk
Pupil outcome: I can explain the physical and human factors that affect flood risk, and why flood risk is increasing. Key learning points: - Physical and human factors increase flood risk. - Increased flood risk is due to several factors...
Curated Video
Risks from coastal flooding
Pupil outcome: I can understand the risks from coastal flooding. Key learning points: - There are several causes of coastal flooding. - The risks from coastal flooding are increasing due to climate change. - Coastal flooding brings...
Curated Video
Greenhouse gases (non-statutory Climate Change & Sustainability)
Pupil outcome: I can describe how greenhouse gases trap heat around Earth. Key learning points: - The atmosphere is a mixture of gases around Earth. - Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas that makes up about 0.04% of the atmosphere and is...
Curated Video
The use and abuse of the environment
Pupil outcome: I can explain how human activity affects the environment and how both religious and non-religious perspectives influence sustainability efforts. Key learning points: - Overuse of natural resources, pollution, and...
Curated Video
Planning and writing the second main paragraph of an essay
Pupil outcome: I can write the second main paragraph of an essay, including a range of linguistic features. Key learning points: - Our essay will give one side of an argument, using a logical order and supported by evidence. - Evidence...
Curated Video
Researching deforestation in the Amazon rainforest
Pupil outcome: I can make notes about deforestation in the Amazon rainforest and its links to climate change to answer an essay question. Key learning points: - Before we write an essay, we need to research the subject, making notes that...
Curated Video
No Single Cause: The Collapse and Resilience of the Maya
The Maya collapse didn’t have one clear cause—it happened in different ways across different regions. While war, environmental stress, and power struggles all played a role, the real story is how the Maya responded by transforming their...
Curated Video
After the Collapse: A New Maya World Emerges
The Maya collapse wasn’t just a Maya event—many other major cities in Mesoamerica fell around the same time. In the Postclassic period that followed, royal power faded and many cities shifted to shared rule by noble families, trade moved...
Curated Video
Foreign Influence and Final Clues: A Changing Maya World
During the 9th century, foreign styles in art, pottery, writing, and buildings began to show up in Maya cities—especially those trying to bounce back. Some rulers even showed themselves with both Maya and foreign features, suggesting...
Curated Video
War and Violence During the Maya Collapse
As the Maya civilization neared its collapse, warfare became more intense and brutal in some regions, with some cities being destroyed and elites massacred. Evidence from sites like Kiuic and Aguateca shows that violence overwhelmed...
Curated Video
Power Shift: How Maya Nobles Rose as Kings Lost Control
In the late 700s and early 800s, Maya nobles started gaining more power as royal authority began to weaken. At cities like Copán and Yaxchilan, nobles built their own monuments and played bigger roles in government, which had been...
Curated Video
Did Drought Doom the Maya Civilization?
A major drought hit the Maya region around 800 CE, putting serious pressure on farming and water supplies in many cities. While some scientists believe this drought helped cause the Maya collapse, others point out that many cities in...
Curated Video
How Environmental Factors Contributed to the Maya Collapse
During the late 700s and early 800s, environmental changes began to affect Maya cities. Some of these problems may have been caused by the Maya themselves - deforestation and soil overuse may have led to food shortages and population...
Curated Video
The Rise of Northern Maya Cities
Even as many Maya cities fell during the 9th century, some places like Caracol, Seibal, and sites in the northern Yucatán managed short-lived comebacks. These cities built monuments and revived traditions for a while, but most eventually...
Curated Video
Did the Maya Civilization Actually Collapse?
At the start of the 9th century, the Maya civilization went through a major crisis—cities were abandoned, kings lost power, and populations dropped sharply. This period, known as the Maya collapse, wasn’t the end of the Maya people, but...
The Daily Conversation
Lagos, Nigeria: Western Africa's Megacity
Lagos, Nigeria is the largest city in Africa with over 22 million people, facing big challenges like a fast-growing young population, poor infrastructure, and rising sea levels. But with strong leadership from Governor Akinwunmi Ambode...
The Daily Conversation
The World-Changing Potential of Clean Energy in Africa
The tremendous growth happening in Africa presents humanity with a once-in-a-species opportunity: to make (nearly) an entire continent skip development of dirty fossil fuels, and be powered by renewable energy instead.
The Daily Conversation
Mexico City: North America's Oldest Urban Area
Mexico's vast capital — Ciudad de México, among the largest cities in the Americas — is under threat from a severe water crisis and vulnerable to disasters like earthquakes. Learn how this city developed and the successes and struggles...
The Daily Conversation
Dhaka, Bangladesh: World's Fastest Growing Megacity
Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, is the fastest-growing city in the world, fueled by flooding, poverty, and people seeking jobs. It faces huge challenges like overcrowding, unsafe water, weak government services, and rising threats from...
The Daily Conversation
Enhanced Geothermal Systems: a Groundbreaking Clean Energy Source
Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS) offer a new way to produce clean, always-on energy by drilling deep into the Earth to access heat and create artificial reservoirs. In Utah, a government-backed lab called FORGE is testing this...