Celebrate America’s 250th Birthday with BrainPOP

AnnaLiese Burich
17 hours ago
3 min read

Collage of cartoon patriotic scenes from BrainPOP to celebrate America's semiquincentennial anniversary: Tim and Moby eating hot dogs, cheering parade crowd with American flags and patriotic costumes, and Annie asking what objects stand for the United States?

For teachers, Independence Day is one of those moments where students actually want to know the story behind what they're celebrating. Why do we celebrate Independence Day? Why July 4th? Why hot dogs and fireworks and other Fourth of July activities? Finally, what did the Declaration of Independence actually say—and why?

This year—with America’s 250th birthday—those questions are more important than ever, and they’re harder to answer than they look. Thankfully, BrainPOP was made to answer the hard questions.

That’s why we made our brand-new Independence Day movie: to build the kind of background knowledge that makes the holiday feel less like a day off and more like an idea worth understanding.

Free Independence Day movies to celebrate the United States Semiquincentennial

New! Independence Day (grades 3-8)

Did you know that John Adams thought that Independence Day would be July 2nd? Teach kids why it’s not—along with the history of the colonies that led up to Independence Day and the celebrations that came in the years after. The movie traces it all in a digestible, kid-friendly way—from an alien hot dog eating contest to South Dakotan toilet races—that’s equal parts funny and memorable.

Teach Independence Day

Best for:

Reframing a holiday students think is just a day off. Independence Day is a story most kids have never actually heard—the movie gives them something to bring home on July 4th.
Building background knowledge before a unit on American government or the Revolutionary War.
Introducing civic vocabulary in context with concepts like "representation,"and "consent of the governed."

Ways to go deeper:

It starts with a movie...

... and you pause for discussion. Use Pause Points to turn the movie into a conversation—stop at key moments to check for understanding, spark discussion, or let students predict what comes next before the story gets there.
...and you take it offline. Follow up with a BrainPOP Unplugged activity to keep the learning going after the screen is off.
...and you run it in Live Mode. Take the quiz together as a class—Live Mode lets every student respond at once, so you can see where the room is in real time. Every student has watched the same movie, so every student has something to say.
...and you extend the learning with text. Pair it with Connected Texts to give students reading practice at the right level— students already have the context from the movie, so the words land differently.

Teach Independence Day

"BrainPOP is highly engaging for our students! It helps to make abstract concepts more concrete, builds academic vocabulary, and helps to present information in a way that connects with students. BrainPOP also provides the foundation for engaging discussions…and is a reliable go-to for our teachers."

Anne Paonessa

Administrator, Illinois

The 4th of July story doesn't stop there

Want to dive deeper into a related topic? Try...

Aerial fireworks text beside a colorful orange, red, and purple firework burst on a black night sky with white sparks. From BrainPOP's Fireworks movie.

Fireworks (grades 3-8)

They’re often the centerpiece of the big day—but how do they actually work?

Give a science-y spin to the holiday and learn all about what makes up a firework, how chemicals produce the colorful explosions, what makes a sparkler different than a firecracker, and more!

Five historical men in coats study a document around a table in a stately room with red curtains and a fireplace. From BrainPOP's movie on the Declaration of Independence.

Declaration of Independence (grades 3-8)

Learn even more about the history of the document, its structure, and what it actually declared.

Annie stands next to the Liberty Bell and asks "What are some objects that stand for the United States?" From BrainPOP Jr.'s topic on U.S. Symbols.

U.S. Symbols (grades K-3)

Students not quite ready for the full Declaration? Introduce your younger learners to the symbols of America: the flag, the bald eagle, the Statue of Liberty, and the Liberty Bell (that rang to celebrate the Declaration of Independence).

Why BrainPOP?

Read about the science behind the movies:

Students in a classroom raise hands and point at laptops, with animated science video lessons teaching photosynthesis and carbon dioxide (CO2) on a bright collage background

Why Animated Educational Movies Make Learning Stick

Woman studies on laptop at desk in a library, with Julius Caesar and encyclopedia bubbles around her to represent the rigorous level of academic research that goes into creating BrainPOP topics.

How BrainPOP Turns Academic Research into Stories Kids Remember

Cartoon boy and orange robot in a framed scene, surrounded by sketch sheets and Moby character model sheets on a colorful collage background.

How the BrainPOP Animation Team Brings Learning to Life

Note: Topic availability may vary based on content settings configured by your school or district.

AnnaLiese Burich is a Product Marketing Manager at BrainPOP. In addition to holding an MA in Magazine Journalism and an MA in English Literature, she has worked in (and written for) the edtech space from every angle: from parenting tips and children's activities to classroom strategies and district goals. AnnaLiese's favorite BrainPOP character is Tim.