Posts on “ lesson plan ”

GameUp is buzzing with its newest game, Lord of the Flies!  Developed by Nobelprize.org, this game guides students in exploring the symbolism and themes of William Golding’s novel.  The objective of the game is to challenge the reader’s memory through playing the game and introduce some basic analytical aspects of the book.  The game presents students with one possible interpretation of Golding’s book, but they will create their own interpretations of the book by analyzing various elements. Perfect for an author study or English Literature unit, we’ve created a lesson plan to guide you in integrating the use of this game into your curriculum.  Utilizing BrainPOP resources such as our Lord of the Flies movie, our lesson plan includes some excellent tips for preparation and extension activities so you can get the most out of this interactive game.   

Filament Games, the developers of GameUp games You Make Me Sick, Cell Command, and Crazy Plant Shop, is hosting a lesson plan contest!  They are looking for educators who are supporters of game-based learning and who have created innovative lesson plans for You Make Me Sick.  The best lesson designer will receive a full classroom set of Cell Command, You Make Me Sick, Crazy Plant Shop, and Prisoner of Echo.  Additionally, two runner-ups will receive a full classroom set of the game of their choice from the collection of the four games. Judged by educational consultant, Andrew Miller, and a group of master educators, the lesson plans will be assessed using the following criteria: The game is used as a sound pedagogical tool to perform an intentional function in the classroom learning experience. The lesson presents the game as an innovative and engaging tool to learn. The lesson is aligned to key content standards and/or 21st century skills. The lesson includes clear, coherent directions and useful materials. Be sure to submit your lesson plans by September 7th!  The winners will be notified on October 1st.  

BrainPOP Educators is spreading the love and you can now find some of our quality lesson plans on the HP Teacher Experience Exchange.  Much like BrainPOP Educators, the Teacher Experience Exchange is a free online community for teachers where they can interact with fellow educators, create and share lesson plans, enroll in courses, and more.   This month, the Exchange is highlighting STEM education and we’re honored that they have identified BrainPOP as a valuable resource for supporting STEM-based games and learning. Visit the Exchange to read what they’re saying about the benefits of using BrainPOP’s GameUp games in the classroom.  We’ve selected several of our best game-based lesson plans to share with the HP community and we’d like to encourage you to head on over and see what we’ve included.  From Flower Power to Executive Command, you’ll find lessons featuring our GameUp games in many curriculum areas.  

We’re celebrating Earth Awareness month with a new lesson plan contest!  BrainPOP has teamed up with Warner Bros. and IMAX® to help raise awareness about the changing Arctic wilderness. With the upcoming release of To The Arctic, a MacGillivray Freeman Film co-produced by Warner Bros. Pictures and IMAX Filmed Entertainment, we’re providing you a wide variety of free educational resources for use in the classroom.  BrainPOP’s April spotlight is full of valuable resources focused on Earth Awareness and even includes movies on the Tundra and Glaciers.  BrainPOP Jr. users can check out the Arctic Habitats movie to teach their younger students about the topic. We want to hear how you’re using the “To The Arctic” and BrainPOP resources together to educate your students about the importance of Earth Awareness and the threatened Arctic region. Submit a lesson plan highlighting the creative use of BrainPOP or BrainPOP Jr. and other multimedia resources. From the top lesson plans we receive, we’ll randomly pick two educator entries as winners. These winners will receive a free film screening for their entire class, film companion book, t-shirt, and more!  We’ll also randomly pick – from among the top entries – four second-place winners who will… Read the Rest»

Having students compose their own scripts for BrainPOP is a great way to help them synthesize information about any curriculum topic or skill that they’re studying. It’s especially useful for helping students understand and explain difficult or abstract concepts. After building background knowledge, help students create their movie’s question for Tim and Moby to answer. Have students brainstorm a list of important vocabulary words related to the topic you’re studying. You may want to use the Vocabulary Activity page for the related movie as a springboard for discussion. Then have pairs or groups of students work together to compose their scripts using paper or digital tools. They may want to reference various BrainPOP movies to help them with script formatting. Reinforce editing and revising skills by having students exchange their scripts with another group and providing feedback through a peer conference. See the complete directions for this activity in our Write Your Own BrainPOP Script lesson plan! Have you had students write their own BrainPOP scripts? Share your ideas in the comments, or submit a lesson plan of your own!

Guest Blogger Laura Candler was a teacher in Fayetteville, North Carolina for over 30 years. She has presented educational workshops to teachers around the country for over 12 years. She’s the author of 10 books for teachers, and her Teaching Resources website is jam packed with ideas galore! We are thrilled to have her contributing her timely ideas to BrainPOP Educators.  Be sure to click and check out her newly minted MLK lesson plan with a free 13 page teaching packet, just in time for the holiday. Honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. by Laura Candler, Teaching Resources, www.lauracandler.com Many students across America will take time this week to reflect on the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and his impact on the civil rights movement. Yet as a former teacher, I know how difficult it can be find appropriate resources for elementary students on this topic. How do we teach our students about the incredible challenges Dr. King faced and the social injustices of that time period? So a few days ago when I discovered the BrainPOP video, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., I knew I had found an amazing resource! In this four-minute video, the animated characters Tim… Read the Rest»