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BrainPOP Jr. Activities to Boost Writing, Speaking, and Creativity

  • Writer: Jackie Glassman
    Jackie Glassman
  • Aug 15
  • 3 min read
Smiling boy in blue shirt using a laptop, surrounded by colorful alphabet and pencil graphics on a vibrant blue and orange background.

BrainPOP Jr. builds knowledge through engaging storytelling and gives students meaningful ways to show what they’ve learned. Each topic features a thoughtfully crafted movie that introduces key concepts and vocabulary in a way that’s just right for K–3 learners. With supports like Pause Points and Annie’s Notebook, students are encouraged to think, talk, and reflect as they watch.


Write About It, Talk About It, and Draw About It offer flexible ways for students to show what they know after watching a BrainPOP movie. Whether through writing, discussion, or drawing, these easy-to-use activities support different learning styles and help every student connect with the content and build lasting skills.


Learning Activities Designed for K–3 Students


Write About It, Talk About It, and Draw About It are designed to meet students where they are, supporting different learning styles, strengths, and ways of expressing understanding. These easy-to-use activities build on the movie and help students connect with the content in meaningful, personalized ways. Learning is most powerful when it’s active, flexible, and student-driven—and these BrainPOP Jr. activities make that possible by:

  • Supporting foundational writing, speaking, listening, and creative thinking

  • Reinforcing vocabulary and background knowledge introduced in the movie

  • Prompting students to express understanding in their own words, ideas, and images

  • Encouraging multiple modes of expression aligned with diverse learning styles

  • Building confidence through discussion and creative exploration


Rooted in BrainPOP Jr.'s learning design, all three activities extend the learning from story-rich movies and give students opportunities to think, talk, create, and reflect. This kind of design reflects the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL), an educational framework that emphasizes multiple means of engagement, representation, and expression to ensure all learners can thrive.


A Closer Look at Write About It, Talk About It, and Draw About It


Write About It

After the movie, students respond to an open-ended prompt that uses vocabulary from the topic. This activity supports sentence development, vocabulary transfer, and writing fluency.


Why kids love it: They get to use new words in their own voice.


Why teachers love it:  It’s a simple way to build writing skills and reinforce understanding.


BrainPOP Jr. interface of Write About It activity. Prompt mentions Mae Jemison. Name: Annie. Helpful words list includes curious, inspire, and role model.

Talk About It

Students use a graphic organizer and discussion prompt to share ideas, make connections, and build on each other’s thinking. This activity encourages peer learning and rich classroom dialogue.


Why kids love it: They get to talk and learn from one another.


Why teachers love it: It promotes collaboration, active listening, and oral language development.


BrainPOP Jr. interface of it's "Talk About It" feature showing a flowchart with a central box, "Mae Jemison is a role model because," connecting to four blank lined boxes. Simple layout, beige background.

Draw About It

Students respond to a creative, open-ended prompt, such as “Draw something you’re curious about and want to explore.” For many learners, drawing is a natural and comfortable way to reflect and demonstrate understanding.


Why kids love it: It’s creative, fun, and low-pressure.


Why teachers love it: It offers insight into student thinking, especially for emerging readers and writers.


BrainPOP Jr. interface of a feature titled "Draw About It" with colored pencils, shapes, icons, and Mae Jemison text prompt on a yellow background.

A Seamless, Student-Centered Experience for Young Learners


Each BrainPOP Jr. topic is designed to move students from building knowledge to apply what they’ve learned. The movie introduces key concepts, with Annie’s Notebook offering prompts to guide thinking while watching. New to BrainPOP Jr., Pause Points are short, interactive moments built into the movie that encourage students to stop, reflect, and respond as they watch. They’ll be live in select topics at the start of the 2025 school year, with more rolling out throughout the year! 


After the movie, Write About It, Talk About It, and Draw About It give students meaningful ways to connect with the content and demonstrate their learning. Together, these features support the full learning journey: building knowledge, making connections, and applying understanding in ways that stick.


Ready to bring learning to life in your classroom? Explore how BrainPOP Jr.’s built-in activities help every student connect, reflect, and grow.



Jackie Glassman is a curriculum designer, editor, and content strategist who builds meaningful learning experiences that meet K–8 students where they are. She blends rigor, empathy, and creativity to develop standards-aligned, culturally responsive curriculum rooted in how students truly learn. Jackie is also a dedicated yogi and her favorite BrainPOP character is Moby.

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