The first hour of the Learning Zone is for Secondary teachers and students. The second hour is for Primary schools.
WEDNESDAY 22 May 2013
Professor Brian Cox presents two programmes specially made for schools starting at 03:55. In Wonders of Life: Part 1 he explores how the earth became host to the incredible natural world we see today. In Part 2 at 04:35 he explains how life is shaped by both the environment and the laws of nature.
Enlighten Up! at 05:10 is a new comedy sketch show for children which demonstrates just how much fun philosophical thinking can be. Written and Performed by Scottish comedy duo Robert Florence and Iain Connell.
FRIDAY 24 May 2013 Your Body: Your Image is a series of specially commissioned films for KS3 that bust body image myths and investigate the commercialisation of body image ideals, promoting debate in the classroom. At 03:55The Blame Game asks models why they don't reflect normal people. At 04:05, Horrible Histories is a fun, historical perspective on body image ideals. By exploring the humorous and extreme examples of the past, the film aims to put body image ideals into context, thereby questioning contemporary fads and trends. In Faking It at 04:15, DJ Goldierocks lifts the lid on exactly what goes into creating just one single fashion photo and exposes what it takes to create that perfect magazine image. At 04:20, in Body Talk, presenter Radzi Chinyanganya and actress Melissa Suffield go to a co-ed school in Bristol to show a group of teenage students how they can start taking back control of their body image by looking at positive body image re-enforcement and take a stand against the pressures of the fashion and beauty industry.
Radio 1 DJ Greg James looks at how to run a business in Music, Mud and Making Money at 04:30, going backstage at a music festival to explain five important concepts: entrepreneurship, sole trading, franchises, companies and profit and loss. The films feature interviews with festival traders and key music industry businesses: from an enterprising tent hire company to the ice cream franchise dishing out hundreds of cones to sweet-toothed festival goers.
BAFTA winning Seeking Refuge at 05:00 uses beautiful animation and the first person testimony of children to tell the moving and inspiring stories of youngsters who, for various reasons, have been forced to flee their homelands and start new lives in Great Britain.
At 05:20Vikings is a version made especially for schools of the recent BBC Two landmark series presented by Neil Oliver. These short films tailor-made for Key Stage 2 explore the key themes of home land, trade, Viking ships and invaders and settlers. Embracing the latest archaeological and scientific findings, the series broadens our perspective and offers fresh insight for teachers and children alike on this ever popular subject.
New for the Learning Zone at 04:30 is The Imagineers, an inspirational series of short films looking at the next generation of engineers working on major global challenges: the women and men who are designing solutions to beat cancer, design stoves to stop millions being killed from smoke inhalation in the developing world, and create our future clothing. Presenter Fran Scott gets hands on with the science behind the innovations, as the series provides inspiration for teenagers considering their future careers.
Early Years Numeracy programme Counting with Rodd 2 is at 05:00. Presenter Rodd uses everyday objects to show that when you add, you get more and when you take away, you get fewer. Aimed at young children, each episode considers one single concrete example of addition or subtraction, whilst episodes 9 and 10 show counting beyond 10 and counting down from 10.
THURSDAY 23 May 2013
To tie in with Mental Health Awareness Week the Learning Zone presents Body Matters at 04:00. Body Matters is an observational science documentary specially reversioned for schools, which explores the physiological and psychological changes that happen to young people as they strive to alter their appearance. Using computer graphics we travel inside the body and uncover the science behind fat and dieting as well as the most prevalent beauty and cosmetic treatments; from a beautician, Lucy, who after losing weight in her teens wants her breasts enlarged to improve her figure, to Ebonie, whose crash dieting for the ultimate bikini build pushes her body into starvation mode. An emotional insight into Hayley’s battle with binge eating reveals the reasons for this increasingly common eating disorder and a psychological experiment is performed to show that beauty isn’t just skin deep. Through the highs and lows, this is the inside story of the lengths people go to for the ‘perfect’ body.
Just a Few Drinks at 04:30 explores the issues around drinking alcohol for teenagers. In this highly acclaimed programme, the science of how alcohol affects the body is explored through four real life stories, highlighting how behaviour can change dramatically as a result of drinking.
New for the Learning Zone is Victorian Scotland at 05:00 packed full of catchy songs and lots and lots of laughs. Topic areas such as: Industry, Leisure, Infrastructure, Migration and Social Conditions are all presented in a highly entertaining and child friendly way. The story of the Tay Bridge disaster, the epic delivery of clean water from Loch Katrine to Glasgow and the drama of the Highland Clearances are all included. Suitable for 9 - 12 year olds.
BBC Learning Zone Class Clips
Find Learning Zone programmes online – alongside clips from major BBC series which have been specially created for use in the classroom.
BBC Learning Podcasts
Listen to or download a selection of Learning Podcasts from the BBC.
BBC Archive
For pictures, documents and programmes from the BBC's broadcasting history.
BBC Schools
Games and study tips, plus loads of help with Bitesize Revision. There is also a teachers' section and advice for parents.
BBC iPlayer - Learning
Watch our available programmes at a time that suits you, helpfully divided into Primary and Secondary.
Learning Zone Summer Schedule 
