Curious to find out what search topics are important to K–12 schools and districts? We compiled a list of the 10 most searched topics on the award-winning streaming multimedia resource Learn360 to get a sense of what topics are currently of interest, with links to Learn360 Topic Centers where educators at subscribing institutions can find fun videos, audio recordings, printables, and activities to share with the classroom and help plan their lessons. Are there any search topics that surprise you?

All titles are available worldwide unless otherwise noted. We have included searchable item numbers for each title for your convenience.

1. Animals 

It’s no wonder that Animals ranks #1 on the list. Everyone loves learning facts about animals, from the cuddly and cute to the wild and spooky. Learn360 features not one but two Topic Centers devoted to the subject. The Animal Fun Facts Topic Center and the Animal Life Cycle and Adaptation Topic Center bring together fun videos, games, activities, and more on a wide variety of your students’ favorite critters, including: 

• ducks (Wonderscape®, Item #276183), 
• penguins (Wonderscape, Item #276193), 
• bats (BBC Worldwide Learning, Item #241051), 
• skunks (Highlights for Children, Item #117192), and 
• sealions (Wonderscape, Item #279998). 

Educators can also find fun printable worksheets such as Four Legs Good, Two Legs Bad (Item #90451) and the informational text booklet Creepy But Cool Creatures (Item #242032) to share with their students. 

2. Space 

Who among us hasn’t looked up at the night sky in wonder? Learn360 is the place to learn about space. In the Space Topic Center, students can: 

• play Not Boring Jeopardy: Space Edition (Mr. Nussbaum, Item #282556)
• read articles about each of the planets
• watch videos about black holes (Educational Voice Ltd., Item #285329), the Big Bang (Kunskaps Media, Item #280769; available in the U.S. and Canada), and much more. 

Plus, worksheets such as Astronomical Facts and Figures (Item #285248) and booklets such as Bright at Night (Item #254305) will bolster any science teacher’s lessons on space. 

3. Plants

For those of us who have ever picked a flower or gone for a walk in a forest, the Plant Life Cycle and Adaptation Topic Center is a great place to learn more about our green cousins. With the videos in this Topic Center, students can learn the basics about:

• plant life cycles (BBC Worldwide Learning, Item #215577) 
• the parts of a plant (BBC Worldwide Learning, Item #215513), and 
• pollination (BBC Worldwide Learning, Item #215515). 

Plus educators can find and share interactive lessons from Learnetic on topics such as photosynthesis and food production (Item #122970; available in the U.S. and Canada), flowering plants (Item #123014; available in the U.S. and Canada), and carnivorous plants (Item #123180; available in the U.S. and Canada). 

4. Weather

The Weather, Climate, and Natural Disasters Topic Center and the Fast and Slow Changes on Earth Topic Center have content on topics ranging from tornadoes and hurricanes to where lightning and thunder come from and much more. Find videos on: 

• blizzards (Educational Voice Ltd., Item #283134), hurricanes (Makematic, Item #277089), and clouds (Educational Voice Ltd., Item #283137) 
• play a game called Tornado Maker (Mr. Nussbaum, Item #287153), or
• read an animated and fully narrated Weather Events E-Book (Mr. Nussbaum, Item #287380) that describes major weather events such as thunderstorms, tornadoes, hurricanes, dust storms, hail, fog, and much more. 

Plus, teachers will appreciate worksheets like Nature Gone Wild! (Item #260382) and classroom ideas like Clues from the Clouds (Item #260365) and Blowing in the Wind (Item #288166). 

5. Matter

Matter is the stuff that makes up all things…and a concept chemistry students must master to pass the class. Learn360’s States of Matter Topic Center can help, with videos like How Do Two Gases Diffuse? (Makematic, Item #280821) and What Experiments Measure Density? (Makematic, Item #280853). 

Science educators looking for ways to capture students’ interest will find worksheets like A Periodic Table Predicament (Item #211484) and fun classroom ideas like Matter in a Bag (Item #250142), plus online lessons from Learnetic on different units of measurement, such as Kilograms and Grams (Item #208664; available in the U.S. and Canada) and The Celsius Scale of Temperature (Item #208883; available in the U.S. and Canada). 

6. Digestion

Show kids how food becomes the body’s fuel. The Human Body Topic Center is the place to turn to for content on human anatomy, including the video How Does the Digestive System Work? (Makematic, Item #280803) and interactives from Mr. Nussbaum to help them identify different parts of the body. In addition, teachers will find fun printable worksheets to help students learn about digestion, including As The Digestive World Churns (Item #228347) and Digestive Disarray (Item #211440). 

7. Ancient Civilizations

In order to understand the present, it’s important to learn about the past—and some of the most fascinating periods in history are among the furthest back we know of. The Ancient Civilizations Topic Center can help, with: 

• videos on ancient Greece (Wonderscape, Item #204730), Rome (Colman Communications, Item #74745; available in the U.S. and Canada), and Japan (Makematic, Item #277093)
• interactives on the pyramids and more. 
• worksheets on life as a kid in ancient Greece, China, and Greece as 
• Archaeological Dig in a Bag (Item #253011), a fun classroom idea that can help teachers rev up students’ interest in an ancient civilization with simple-to-manage mock digs. 

8. Volcanoes

Volcanoes are spectacular to look at (from a safe distance, of course). Users can find informative and entertaining videos on volcanoes in the Weather, Climate, and Natural Disasters Topic Center, including: 

• Volcano from BBC Worldwide Learning’s A Perfect Planet series (Item #241064) 
• Earthquake and Active Volcano Distribution (Pumpkin TV, Item #279467; available in the U.S. and Canada), and 
• Volcanoes from Makematic’s Let’s Discover series (Item #277088).

9. France

Allons-y! In our global society, it’s important to learn about the nations of the world, and the Countries and Cultures Topic Center can help. In addition to learning about La Belle France (Makematic, Item #277115), you can find: 

• videos about Italy (Makematic, Item #277084), London and Tokyo (BBC Worldwide Learning, Item #215499), the Amazon River (Makematic, Item #277080), and so much more
• award-winning songs from Jordan Music Productions based on the lives and cultures of children whose homelands thrive around the Seven Natural Wonders of the World, or 
• games like International Pizza Delivery (Mr. Nussbaum, Item #110083) to help students learn about latitude and longitude. 

In addition, educators will find lots of geography-related printables, including Cardinal Direction North, South, East, or West? (Item #211789), a collection of map skills activities to help teach students about directions. 

10. Simple Machines

Simple machines are the building blocks upon which more complicated machines are made—and a must-learn topic for any beginning physics student or anyone who wants to learn how to build or repair things. With the Forces, Motion, and Magnets Topic Center, students can watch the SciKids learn about six simple machines (Wonderscape, Item #279999) or videos like How Does an Electric Motor Work? (Makematic, Item #280856). 

The Topic Center also features engaging and educational interactive lessons from Learnetic on topics such as force measurement (Item #123243; available in the U.S. and Canada), friction (Item #123035; available in the U.S. and Canada), and torque (Item #123039; available in the U.S. and Canada), plus a wide range of printables including Roller Coaster Physics (Item #245807), a group experiment on potential and kinetic energy.  

For students who want to learn about building objects and building in more detail, the Materials, Properties, and Engineering Topic Center features videos to inspire them, including titles from the Nina & the Neurons: Get Building series from BBC Worldwide Learning. 

---

Make the most of your Learn360 subscription—log in today!

Don’t have a Learn360 subscription? Why not take a FREE trial? 

See also:

• FREE webinar: What’s New in Learn360: Content Ideas to Use in Your Classroom
• FREE webinar: Leveraging Learn360’s Topic Centers in the K–12 Classroom
• Refresh Your Students’ Math Skills with Learn360’s STEAM Topic Centers 
• Test Students’ Trivia Knowledge & Research Skills with Infobase

[Hero image source: MonkeyBusinessImages/Shutterstock.com]