BrainPOP and BrainPOP Jr. offer lots of movie topic pages for the holidays. Here are some ideas for incorporating them into your classroom instruction: Have students generate and answer their own FYI questions related to a particular holiday. As a class, read the FYI questions on the holiday's movie topic page. Ask students to suggest additional questions about the holiday that were not answered in the movie or on the FYI page. Students can work collaboratively to choose one question to research as a group. Have them share their findings in a class Google Doc or blog post which uses the same format as BrainPOP's FYI. Have students read the responses that other groups composed and facilitate a discussion around them.Read more »

In this lesson plan, which is adaptable for grades K-12, students use BrainPOP Jr. and/or BrainPOP resources to learn about the origins of the American Thanksgiving holiday. Students will share and appreciate the similarities and differences of different holiday traditions. They will also practice public speaking and organization skills by designing their own Thanksgiving holiday menu, guest list, and toast.Read more »

In this lesson plan, which is adaptable for grades 3-12, students select two topics in United States history and use BrainPOP resources to explore the relationship between those topics. Students will work collaboratively to determine the cause and effect relationships and present their research to the class in a creative format of their choice.Read more »