BrainPOP receives hundreds of emails from kids every week, and you can probably guess what many kids are asking about this week. That’s right: swine flu.

Here are just a few of the questions the BrainPOP cast of characters received this week:

“I hear my parents talking about something like “Pig Flu”  I don’t understand. What is it?”

“What is the swine flu? It is in the news and it seems pretty scary.”

“My school is talking about a pig virus. What is it?”

Even BrainPOP Jr. has received questions from young students about this issue:

“What disease are we giving to the pigs?”

Kids pick up on and internalize current events more than we may think, and one thing is obvious: Kids are frightened and confused and looking to BrainPOP to help explain. And we’re hard at work doing just that.
BrainPOP Educators will keep you in the loop and update you when BrainPOP’s Swine Flu movie is released. It will be a free educational resource that clarifies what swine flu is, and it will address some of the misconceptions kids may have. We hope parents and teachers will use the movie to acknowledge kids’ questions and discuss any anxiety they may have.

News on the swine flu outbreak is being updated around the clock, but hand washing remains a consistent recommendation as one of the first lines of defense by health care experts.

So, how are your students’ hand washing skills? What? You didn’t realize that hand washing involves SKILL?  Oh yes, indeed!  Flicking your hands under the tap doesn’t cut it.

For the K-3 set, BrainPOP Jr.’s  Washing Hands topic should set the stage for some good class discussions.

For older students, have them brainstorm hand washing strategies and share their ideas together. Or have them interview the school nurse on proper techniques. Another idea would be to have your students create awareness posters, on or off-line, to demonstrate how hand washing can help prevent the spread of germs. Such focused activities can help students to be proactive and maintain a positive outlook on a subject that may make many of them feel overwhelmed.

Take a look at our newly designed widget! You can copy the code and embed it on your website in a matter of seconds! Our upgrades include 2 new tabs, so you can read the latest BrainPOP blog postings, as well as check out our upcoming Conferences and keep up with our latest Tweets on Twitter! Just switch between tabs or by using the arrow under the BrainPOP Educators logo. Click on Get Widget to enjoy!

What other BrainPOP widgets would you like to see? Post ideas below!

Something very exciting is happening this summer! BrainPOP is turning 10, and we are hosting our big birthday celebration at the NECC conference in Washington, D.C. June 28 - July 1st. Join our group on the NECC ning to connect with other BrainPOP Educators before, during, and after the NECC conference this summer! You don’t have to attend the conference to join in the celebration, however. Simply “sign up” by clicking the link in the top left hand corner of the NECC Ning site. We’ll post resources from BrainPOP conference sessions, birthday party invitations, pictures of attendees with Moby, and more!

You can also follow us on Twitter @ http://twitter.com/brainpop.

To speak or not to speak? That is the question! According to most historians, this Thursday marks the 445th anniversary of the birth of William Shakespeare. And to celebrate the birthday of the most famous playwright in the English language, the mayor of Chicago has declared April 23rd as “Talk Like Shakespeare Day!” Chicagoans are being encouraged to sprinkle Shakespearean words and phrases throughout their everyday conversations. But why let Chicago have all the fun? English teachers, no matter where you are, get your students into the act by awarding extra credit for every Shakespearism used during class discussions! You can also plan some fun activities that highlight Shakespeare’s life and many works, using BrainPOP’s William Shakespeare movie as a guide.

Please share your ideas by posting below!

Looking for a great way to participate in Earth Day with your students? Everything you need is here, in our Earth Awareness Spotlight. Whether you teach science or P.E., Math or Spanish, and have five minutes for a quick interactive quiz or all day for a film festival, take some time to celebrate with your students! Browse our lesson plans, complete a typeable Activity as a class, or simply watch and discuss a movie, just for fun and to raise awareness.

How did you incorporate BrainPOP into your Earth Day celebration? Please post below!

Since launching in August 2008, 25,000 BrainPOP Educators have individually registered! It’s exciting to see how the resources have grown thanks to your amazing contributions.

How should BrainPOP Educators grow and connect over the coming year? What resources would you like to see developed?  Would forums or social networking groups be of interest?  Where else would you like to connect to BrainPOP?  Twitter? Facebook? On the Ning?

Let’s keep growing our community!

Count on Tim & Moby to help students understand the basics of personal checks and banking. Use BrainPOP’s FYI to breakdown the components of a personal check, and explore our additional tidbits of information to expand on the topic of Banking.

Help students understand the basics of banking with our brand new lesson plan: We’re Banking On It! Geared towards 6th grade and up, but easily modifiable for younger students, enhance our BrainPOP movie with this hands-on lesson plan that’s easy to replicate.

How are you using our Financial Literacy Spotlight with your students? Please share ideas by posting below!

Due to the overwhelming response we received, the April 22^nd webinar is now full.  However, we’re pleased to announce a second time-slot: Wednesday, April 29^th at 2 p.m. EDT. We hope you can join us then instead; please respond to this email and let us know. Space is limited, so if you’d like to attend, please RSVP: RSVP@brainpop.com. We’ll then send you information on where and how to log on.

Our complimentary webinar will showcase the creative ways thousands of teachers have integrated our resources into their school day. The webinar will offer tips on making the most of our movies and features; best practices for engaging students; a look at BrainPOP Educators; and much more.

Are there topics you’d like us to offer webinars on? Post comments below!