Tips, Tools, & Resources

Archive for May, 2009

Keep Up With BrainPOP!

Saturday, May 30th, 2009


We’ve got new resources to make it easy to keep up with us!

Stay current by signing up for BrainPOP’s newsletter and reading the latest reviews.

Join BrainPOP at an event or participate in an online professional development webinar.

Connect with BrainPOP on social networking sites.

Share BrainPOP resources with your favorite teacher community.

Check it out on our News and Events page, and let us know what you think by posting comments below!

Special Discounts on MULTI-YEAR Subscriptions

Thursday, May 28th, 2009

We’re excited to announce special promotional pricing for multi-year and multi-school subscriptions, valid through September 30th, 2009. There’s no better time to lock in great rates and ensure continuous, hassle-free access to BrainPOP Jr. (K-3), BrainPOP, and BrainPOP Español. Feel free to spread the word to your administrator or Technology Committee if you think they haven’t heard. We’ve also added a new Funding section, to help you figure out ways to fund BrainPOP.

Click to learn more about district pricing or single school pricing. Need help? Email info@brainpop.com, or call 866.542.7246.

Funding BrainPOP

Tuesday, May 26th, 2009

We’re pleased to announce a new resource for you: Funding BrainPOP. Here, you’ll find great examples of how BrainPOP aligns with a variety of local, state and federal funding and grant objectives to support district and school initiatives. We’ve broken down a range of topics to help identify how our resources can best support your own instructional focus when writing a grant or applying for funds.

Topics include: Multimedia Learning Research, Reading, Math, Science, Assessment, State Standards, Technology Literacy, 21st-Century Learning, Multimedia Learning, Student Achievement, Health Literacy, Professional Development, Special Education, Family Connections, English Language Learners, Pre-Service Education, Self-Paced Learning, and After-School.

Explore these funding topics. We welcome your feedback. Is there an important topic you feel we missed? Does something require clarification? Please get in touch so that we can best support you!

can you drink chickin?

Monday, May 25th, 2009

One of the best things about working at BrainPOP is getting to read the emails kids send in. I thought I’d share a few of our recent highlights from our youngest BrainPOP Jr. fans. I couldn’t bring myself to edit their spelling or punctuation, but I did remove student names. Enjoy!

is bigfoot real cuz my friends sayhes not they call him sasquach   why was the whight house made?

what are inside your i balls?

How do you profect each pose in dance?

hello I just watchd the dinosaur tally chart movie. You guy’s were awsome in it!

hi i just wanted to know that what is the kilometers and sentameters.

i were glasses too. this is to annie.

Why would bridges be so important why couldn’t we just swim?

I have trouble with being nice to everyone.Wath should I do?

i just can’t understand multablecashen facts.can you help me.

I am doing a class report an i wanted  to know if you could tell me what ben germen franklens birth name is please?

i just got a new pet turdel

what are intierar decoraters?

what is the caspitul of calafornia?

can you drink chickin?

May Spotlight Special - Get in Shape with Moby!

Tuesday, May 19th, 2009

Don’t forget! Download our free Moby iron-on to create fun t-shirts to get into the spirit of Physical Fitness Month.

Print out the iron-on using any inkjet t-shirt transfer printer paper, like this one. We’d love to see photos of you wearing your shirts! Send them in!

BrainPOP for Homework!

Saturday, May 16th, 2009

How can you extend learning with BrainPOP outside of class? There are lots of ways!

*Use the printed version of the Quiz to have students see what they already know before watching a movie, or give as a post-test after watching together in class. Students can trade papers and grade one another’s quiz, or correct their own while going over the quiz online.  Revisit the movie together in class to go back and clear up any questions.

*Break up the Activity Pages to use before, during, and after the movie. Try reviewing the vocabulary before watching the movie. Give photocopies to students the night before and invite them to pencil in definitions they’re already familiar with. Then, watch the movie with closed captioning to support note-taking using parts of the Activity Pages in class. Students then have an opportunity to revise their homework. They can also complete the higher order thinking questions for homework to reinforce what they learned in class.

*Use the FYI as a short reading assignment to build background knowledge before watching a video. Send home photocopies with students and ask them to highlight the three most interesting facts, and then create their own comic to put those facts into their own words. You can also white out the Cassie and Rita speech bubbles and have students retell the comic for homework. Add on a few more panels for extra credit!

*BrainPOP Jr.’s Lesson Ideas offer fun, hands on extension activities for teachers and families. Print these out and offer as a menu. Students can choose one to complete with their families or in small groups, and write about their experiences to share with the class.

*Create your own quiz! Using BrainPOP quizzes to model, invite students to write their own questions and answers on a topic you’re studying for homework. Take turns having students share their quizzes with the entire class, or trade quizzes with a friend.

*What would Moby say? Translate Moby’s beeps! Students can write their own scripts (or parts of scripts) translating Moby’s beeps. Or, print out a still image from a movie with closed captioning, and students can translate individual scenes.

*What’s the meaning of Tim’s shirt?  Visit our Graphic Organizers page for this and other great activities that students can complete outside of school to extend their learning.

How else do you use BrainPOP for homework? Please post below!

2nd Grader Gets Creative With Moby!

Thursday, May 14th, 2009

Second grader D’Angelo loves Moby so much that he created “Gallon Moby” during his math lesson at Bayshore Elementary in Port St. Lucie, FL with Mrs. O’Leary!!

Want us to give a shout out to your students? Let us know what they’re doing with BrainPOP. We love to share!

Kindergarten Registration Time!

Tuesday, May 12th, 2009

Teacher Extraordinaire, Robert Miller, in Port Orange, FL, was kind enough to pass on this suggestion. His school is in the throes of kindergarten registration time, and they’ve added BrainPOP Jr.’s Kindergarten movie to their Orientation agenda. What a great way to introduce the transition into Kindergarten and to showcase BrainPOP as a piece of technology used at school to the incoming families!

Thanks, Robert!

Searching for High School Social Studies Specialists!

Monday, May 11th, 2009

We are on the lookout for Social Studies advisors, preferably at the high school level. BrainPOP and BrainPOP Jr. value the input of our advisors, who review our content and work closely with our writers and animators to create a fun and educational resource.

If you are interested, please read more about what being an Advisor entails and apply here! You can also read about our current Advisory board.

2 New Free BrainPOP Webinars!

Friday, May 8th, 2009

Join us for our new monthly webinar offerings! This month we’re featuring 2 new topics.  Please be sure to specify which webinar you are interested in when RSVPing.

A Homeschooler’s Guide to BrainPOP

Wednesday, May 13th
2 p.m. EDT

Homeschool educators, learn how to make the most out of your subscription to BrainPOP. In this hour-long session, we’ll cover a range of topics from assessment techniques to interactive features, and we’ll share some great ideas for effective planning. We’ll also explore BrainPOP Jr., for K-3 learners, and all the resources available through BrainPOP Educators. RSVP to this webinar

BrainPOP Jr.: The Basics and Beyond
Wednesday, May 27th

2 p.m. EDT

Get to know the ins and outs of our K-3 resource in this hour-long webinar. Learn how to use BrainPOP Jr. for more effective planning, and hear best practices for integrating our content into your classroom routines. We’ll also talk about the tools and features you’ll find on BrainPOP Educators. RSVP to this webinar

If you missed last month’s webinar, Introduction to BrainPOP - A Newcomers Guide, fear not! You can find it archived here.

Did you find our webinar(s) helpful? Let us know. Got suggestions? Tell us those too! We’d love to hear what you’re looking for in a great webinar!