Back to School 2025 with BrainPOP
- Sari Turner
- Jun 26
- 7 min read
Updated: Jul 2
As you gear up for the 2025–2026 school year, BrainPOP is making it easier than ever to teach with confidence. Whether it’s building background knowledge, introducing new vocabulary, or reinforcing challenging concepts, BrainPOP fits into your existing plans—saving you time while deepening your impact.
This year’s updates are designed to meet the moment. With new ways to browse by core curriculum, expanded access to our most engaging learning activities, and built-in reading scaffolds that meet students where they are, BrainPOP helps you do what you do best—ignite curiosity, build knowledge, and differentiate with ease.
From planning to instruction to assessment, BrainPOP is your trusted partner, helping you meet student needs and instructional priorities without adding more to your plate.
Table of Contents:
NEW! Browse by ELA Core
Browse with intention. Plan with ease.
Discover a new way to discover BrainPOP 3-8 and BrainPOP Jr. topics—now aligned to the scope and sequence of your ELA core curriculum*. Simply choose the lesson you’re teaching that week, then explore activities that build the background knowledge and vocabulary students need to access (and get excited about!) the texts in your core program.
To start, curriculum alignments are now available for the following programs:
Amplify Core Knowledge Language Arts 2nd Edition (2022), grades K–8
Amplify ELA (2020), grades 6–8
Benchmark Advance (2022), grades K–5
EL Education Language Arts Curriculum (2017), grades K–5
HMH Into Reading (2020), grades K–8
HMH Into Literature (2020), grades K–8
Bluebonnet Learning (1st Edition), grades K–5
And there are more on the way! Additional alignments rolling out during the school year include:
McGraw Hill Wonders (2023)
Great Minds Wit & Wisdom (2023)
Why teachers will love it: Save time and plan smarter with a streamlined way to align BrainPOP 3-8 and BrainPOP Jr. content to your ELA core curriculum and grade level.
How it benefits students: Build confidence, boost comprehension, and support every learner by reinforcing key vocabulary and background knowledge aligned to their core texts.
Products with this update: BrainPOP 3-8 and BrainPOP Jr.
*BrainPOP LLC independently develops supplementary content aligned with various educational frameworks, without contribution, endorsement, or approval from third-party.
NEW! Cross-Product Search
Find what you’re looking for—faster.
With upgraded search functionality, your results now include relevant topics from both BrainPOP 3-8 and BrainPOP Jr*.—side by side. It’s easier than ever to find the right topic for every learner.
Why teachers will love it: Quickly differentiate and discover the best-fit content for every student, without toggling between products.
Products with this update: BrainPOP 3-8 and BrainPOP Jr.
*This search experience is available only to customers with access to both BrainPOP 3-8 and BrainPOP Jr. Schools and districts can ensure all teachers have access to the content in both products through one of our bundle offerings—learn more on our plans page.
NEW! Connected Texts with Built-In Scaffolds
Deepen understanding with built-in reading support.
Connected Texts* are high-interest reading passages that extend learning beyond the movie, reinforcing key vocabulary, deepening topic understanding, and promoting stronger comprehension. Available in even more BrainPOP 3-8 topics, these texts are now enhanced with built-in scaffolds to support a wider range of learners while helping all students engage more deeply with what they’re learning.
New this year, students can highlight any word or sentence to instantly access a simplified version or a grade-appropriate definition, providing just-in-time reading support. These scaffolds are especially helpful for early readers, multilingual learners, and students who may need a little extra help accessing grade-level texts.
Why teachers will love it: Strengthen literacy and content understanding in one step with built-in reading support—no extra prep or materials required.
How it benefits students: Deepen comprehension, grow vocabulary, and build reading confidence with just-in-time scaffolds that meet learners where they are.
Products with this update: BrainPOP 3-8
*Previously known as Leveled Reading, Connected Texts have been renamed to reflect their stronger tie to the topic content and enhanced literacy support.
NEW! Enhanced Topics
Updated learning activities—now in more BrainPOP topics.
We’re bringing BrainPOP 3-8’s most impactful learning activities—Vocab Builder, Connected Texts, and the Enhanced Quiz—to even more topics. Designed with grade-banded entry points, these activities help students build vocabulary, strengthen comprehension, and engage with content in age-appropriate, meaningful ways. Whether they’re reading to build background knowledge, exploring vocabulary in context, or answering questions that mirror the rigor and format of end-of-year assessments, students now have even more opportunities to learn actively and with purpose.
Why teachers will love it: Support content and literacy goals in one place with flexible, ready-to-use activities that make differentiation and assessment simple—no extra planning required.
How it benefits students: Build vocabulary, boost comprehension, and gain confidence with multiple ways to engage with content and show what they know.
Products with this update: BrainPOP 3-8
Coming Soon: Pause Points in BrainPOP Jr.
Active learning for your youngest students.
Pause Points—already a fan favorite in BrainPOP 3-8—are coming to BrainPOP Jr.! These short, interactive prompts, embedded into the movie, encourage students to pause, reflect, and respond as they watch.
Why teachers will love it: Promote active learning and spark meaningful discussion with built-in moments for check-ins and formative assessment—no extra planning needed.
How it benefits students: Help young learners stay focused and engaged with prompts that encourage thinking, talking, and connecting ideas as they learn.
Products with this update: BrainPOP Jr.
NEW! Clever LMS Connect
Seamless integration with your LMS.
With Clever LMS Connect, it’s easier than ever to integrate BrainPOP into your daily teaching routine. This new integration allows teachers in Clever-enabled districts using Google Classroom, Canvas, or Schoology to assign BrainPOP activities directly from the platform and have grades from auto-graded assignments automatically sync back to their LMS. No extra steps or duplicate data entry—just a seamless way to assign, track, and assess student learning.
Ready for a seamless sync? Contact Support to set up your integration today!
Why teachers will love it: Save time and simplify your workflow with seamless integration between BrainPOP and your LMS. Assign activities and sync grades without switching platforms or entering scores twice, making it easier to stay organized and focused on instruction.
How it benefits students: Easy access to BrainPOP assignments right from the LMS they already use.
Products with this update: BrainPOP Jr., BrainPOP 3-8, BrainPOP Science, BrainPOP ELL
BrainPOP Science
Real-world science, ready to teach.
BrainPOP Science inspires and equips every middle schooler to become an evidence-based writer, thinker, and learner —building skills for assessment readiness and high school success. At the core of the experience is a scaffolded Claim-Evidence-Reasoning (CER) writing process that guides students as they collect data, reflect on scientific concepts, and communicate their findings.
Real-world Investigations and hands-on engineering projects make it easy to bring science and engineering practices into daily instruction without the need to gather materials from multiple sources.
Real-World Investigations
Explore a concept start to finish with standards-aligned lessons that begin with a real-world phenomenon and culminate in a student-constructed CER that strengthens students’ ability to support their thinking with evidence.
Short, Versatile Resources
Provide extra practice in one concept or skill with resources like data manipulatives, simulations, and BrainPOP 3D Worlds™. These resources include built-in scaffolds that help students gradually build independence. As they engage with content, students also encounter and explore Tier 3 science vocabulary, using word structure and context clues to develop and deepen their understanding over time.
Accessible Engineering Projects
Challenge students to apply design and solution thinking through clear, accessible problem statements, hands-on prototyping, and a scaffolded process that supports iteration and improvement.
Supportive Resources for Teachers
From BrainPOP Assisted Grading™ for CER to a robust Teacher Toolkit, Implementation Guide, and Teacher Reports, BrainPOP Science offers supportive tools to help teachers implement with confidence, while saving time and making instruction more impactful.
Products with this update: BrainPOP Science
Ongoing Support for Confident Teaching
We’re with you every step of the way.
From getting started to getting inspired, our school and district partners receive ongoing support to ensure that all teachers can make the most of their BrainPOP access and meaningfully integrate it into their instruction.
Here’s what you can expect as a BrainPOP partner:
Professional learning options for schools and districts range from on-demand courses to virtual and in-person PD led by our curriculum & instruction experts.
The BrainPOP Teacher Community invites School Champions to access classroom-ready resources, join exclusive events, and connect with educators who are passionate about bringing BrainPOP to life across their schools. Join today!
The BrainPOP Blog features information on product updates, classroom strategies, teacher spotlights, and more.
Timely tips appear both in-product and in your inbox, offering practical support when you need it most.
Sari Turner is the VP of Marketing at BrainPOP, with a Bachelor’s in Early Childhood Eduction and over 12 years of experience in the EdTech industry. She is a mom of two endlessly energetic and always curious kids. Her favorite BrainPOP character is Moby.
FAQs
We’ve got answers to your top questions.
Will Connected Texts, Vocab Builder, and Enhanced Quiz be available across all academic subjects?
Yes! These learning activities will continue to be added across academic subjects in BrainPOP 3–8. You can expect to see them in more topics on a rolling basis throughout the school year.
Are the learning activities available in both BrainPOP 3–8 and BrainPOP Jr.?
Connected Texts, Vocab Builder, and the Enhanced Quiz are exclusive to BrainPOP 3–8. Pause Points, which are already available in BrainPOP 3–8, will begin appearing in BrainPOP Jr. topics during the upcoming school year.
Can I see how BrainPOP 3–8 topics and learning activities align to my state standards?
Yes. Within each BrainPOP 3–8 topic, you’ll find the grade-level state standards that each learning activity aligns to. For a full overview, use our Standards Search tool to explore how BrainPOP 3–8 topics align with your state’s standards.
What professional learning is available to help me use these new features effectively?
We’re here to support you! Our Curriculum and Instruction team offers school- and district-level professional development packages. You’ll also receive invitations to free virtual learning events throughout the year. Mark your calendar for Connect by BrainPOP on July 30, 2025—our annual event featuring professional learning, thought leadership, and a bit of fun.
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