Posts on “ social studies ”

This past summer, we announced the addition of Budget Hero to the math and social studies sections of GameUp. Developed by the Woodrow Wilson Center, American Public Media and 360KID, Budget Hero challenges players to balance the federal budget. Throughout the game, players make policy changes that affect the budget deficit/surplus, the size of government as a percentage of GDP, the national debt as a percentage of GDP, and the projected year in which the budget “busts.”  While experimenting with budget cuts and government investments, students can identify budget priorities that they find interesting such as green initiatives, health and wellness, energy efficiency, and more. The response to Budget Hero has been overwhelming. The game developers report in a recent press release that the game has been played 1.3 million times through August 2012, with 75 percent of players playing a complete game! Additionally, almost 20,000 comments have been submitted to the developers through the game, with the majority of commenters saying it changed the way they think about the federal budget. Now there’s a special election edition of Budget Hero available to illuminate the budget impact of policies championed by President Barack Obama and Gov. Mitt Romney as well as those related to the impending… Read the Rest»

You’ve come to expect BrainPOP movies to explain concepts and ideas with clarity, depth and respect. These qualities are especially important when explaining complex and sensitive topics, such as September 11th, the death of Dr. Martin Luther King and the Holocaust.  These difficult topics are also some of the most popular on BrainPOP, because they are difficult to explain concisely. Educators have come to realize that using the BrainPOP movie as an entry point to a conversation gives everyone a common reference point and a language by which to have meaningful dialogue. Our newest topic, Hiroshima and Nagasaki addresses America’s complicated and controversial action of dropping nuclear bombs in Japan during World War II.  Regardless of your opinion about the actions, this movie gives a clear and concise history sharing the unfortunate details and consequences while also addressing the possibilities for what could have happened had the bombs not been dropped. This topic crosses traditional “subject” areas by touching on the history, the science and the social effects of the event. The pensive and thoughtful movie can be a great resource when your students ask questions about World War II or nuclear catastrophe.

Dr. Kari Stubbs, Vice President of 21st Century Learning, is heading west to Redmond, WA to visit the Microsoft Headquarters for the 2012 Partners in Learning US Forum.  This BrainPOP-sponsored event will take place July 31-August 1 and is an exciting, professional learning experience that spotlights and allows superstar educators from all over the US to share their innovative teaching expertise.  As a keynote featured speaker, Kari will have the honor of addressing 102 amazing educators from 25 states.  Additionally, she’ll be hosting Got Game?,  a BYOL session that focuses on educational games, at which attendees will have the opportunity to explore video case studies and play some quality STEM, Social Studies, and Health games.  If you’re one of the lucky Forum attendees, be sure to visit Kari in the exhibitor space to learn more about BrainPOP and our GameUp games.  

  Just in time for the summer olympics, check out BrainPOP’s new movie about basketball.  Join Tim and Moby for a journey through the history, the rules and the vocabulary involved in one of the worlds most popular sports.  Along with our other sport related topics, from soccer, American football and baseball,  to steroids and even muscles, BrainPOP is your go to source for sports explanations!  

The popularity of gaming in the classroom is rapidly growing and more studies are proving that it’s not just fun, it actually helps students learn!  iCivics, the developer of GameUp games Supreme Decision, Executive Command, Court Quest, Win the White House, Law Craft, Branches of Power, and Argument Wars, has recently released a video showing how the use of iCivics’ games is being implemented in the Waco Independent School District. To collect data that supports the success of a curriculum that integrates the use of these games, iCivics joined with Baylor University to get their games into the classroom.  The movie begins by explaining some of the important concepts students can learn through playing these games and further goes on to discuss the experiences of students and teachers in Waco ISD.  The positive response from the students and teachers featured in this movie is truly inspiring and motivating.  Be sure to visit the iCivics teachers’ section where you can find a collection of useful resources on how you can integrate the use of their games into your own classroom.    

GameUp continues to grow and we’ve just added another new game!  Budget Hero, developed by the Woodrow Wilson Center, American Public Media and 360KID, is now available in the math section of GameUp and is an online game in which players try their best to balance the federal budget.  Throughout the game, players make policy changes that affect the budget deficit/surplus, the size of government as a percentage of GDP, the national debt as a percentage of GDP, and the projected year in which the budget “busts.”  While experimenting with budget cuts and government investments, students can identify budget priorities that they find interesting such as green initiatives, health and wellness, energy efficiency, and more. Perfect for middle school and highschool Math or Social Studies classes, our Budgets, Comparing Prices, and Money movies can help students understand the necessary concepts for successfully playing Budget Hero.  We’ve also created a lesson plan for teachers to use when integrating the use of the game into their curriculum.  Not only does our lesson plan include tips and tricks for playing the game, but we’ve included an additional resource students can use to guide them through gameplay.  So, do you think your students have… Read the Rest»

That’s the name of the latest game added to BrainPOP’s GameUp. In Win the White House, students get to experience what it’s like to run a presidential campaign. Players choose issues that are important to them and their constituents, then hit the campaign trail as they set out to win 270 electoral votes.They must raise money, poll voters, and make strategic targeting decisions. We at BrainPOP love that this iCivics game offers an elementary, middle, and high school version so that students of various ages and abilities can participate. You can use the game in conjunction with our Presidential Election movie, or check out the Win the White House lesson plan to get more ideas for incorporating game play into your instruction. There are 5 other iCivics social studies games you can use to help students learn about government, presidential responsibilities, elections, laws, and other civics concepts.

Well, no, not really,  but two of our recently introduced topics to BrainPOP’s ever expanding library seem to reference everyone’s favorite “good man.”  Based on Bailey’s letter requesting an explanation of Cerebral Palsy, Tim’s answer touches on the various neurological, muscular and affective effects on people with the condition. Be sure to watch all the way to the end of the baseball themed movie for Tim’s deadpan “good grief!” You’ll find another “good greif” moment, beginning the Railroad History movie as Moby slams a locomotive into Tim’s house! Fortunately nobody is hurt so settle in to hear about engineering progress from horse drawn wagon ways, to bullet trains.  We also learn about the cultural impact that came with the worldwide growth of the railroad industry from the Transcontinental Railroad to the Orient Express.    Though Charlie Brown isn’t really on BrainPOP, his presence influences all kinds of animation, including our own!  

A few weeks ago I was combing the web for information about BrainPOP and came across a mention of Kristin Kowalski, an arts teacher from Ohio.  I reached out to see what she had to say about using BrainPOP with her students, she sent us the following:   First let me say how much I love BrainPOP. I teach K-8 art at a school for ADD, ADHD, Autism, learning disabled and behavioral students, we currently have 180 kids that attend our school. Prior to the BrainPOP app, I incorporated the art videos and lessons into my classroom frequently and I know the other classroom teachers use the other subjects sections. I was excited to get the BrainPOP app.   I received a grant to get 12 iPads to work with my students with autism and I conducted a study of the affects of the iPads in art for my students, mainly addressing their sensory needs, engagement levels and understanding the content being taught. I had incredible success with the iPads not only with artistic processes but understand the artistic concepts. The BrainPOP app works great for teaching about the art history, processes and concepts. I would put the students on the app in the art… Read the Rest»

If you’ve heard about BrainPOP’s collection of free online games but haven’t had a chance to check it out, here’s an easy way to see what GameUp has to offer! In this screencast, we take you on a brief tour of GameUp, highlighting a fantastic iCivics game called Branches of Power. Watch as we show you how our games can be the perfect extension for BrainPOP movie topics so that students can explore the concepts they’ve learned in meaningful, real-world contexts: The Branches of Power game is part of a collection of free iCivics social studies games on GameUp: we also offer Law Craft, Argument Wars, Court Quest, Supreme Decision and Executive Command. You can also search GameUp by subject area and find social studies, math, science, and health games. Have you used GameUp in your classroom? Share your experiences in the comments!