This week's Technology Tool of the Week is a pair of websites called BrainPOP (3-12) and BrainPOP Jr. (K-3). Here you can find a treasure trove of educational movies, quizzes, activities and homework help for kids. The content covers a wide range of topics across many subject areas, ranging from science and math to arts and music. In addition, BrainPOP content is mapped to Common Core and state standards. Using BrainPOP videos and activites is a great way to introduce a new topic or explain a difficult concept. Best of all, kids love BrainPOP! BrainPOP movies are hosted by two cute and funny cartoon characters, Tim and Moby. The videos make learning new concepts interesting and fun.
To explore the BrainPOP resources, simply register for a free trial. While some of the content on BrainPOP is free, much of it can be accessed only if you have a subscription. If you like what you see, let me know. If there is enough interest we can purchase a school subscription. (Helpful hint: every week BrainPOP features one FREE movie! Go to the website to see the free movie of the week.)
Also check out BrainPOP's free iPhone/iPad app. Using this app you can watch a different animated movie each day and test your knowledge with an interactive quiz. (Consider recommending this app to your students as well; it is designed for kids of all ages!)
Finally, don't miss out on BrainPOP's free community for teachers, BrainPOP Educators. This is BrainPOP's space for teacher support. Here you can search by grade or by standard to find related videos. Teachers can also find and share lesson plans. In addition, BrainPOP Educators includes a Curriculum Calendar that shows which free featured videos are coming up.
For more information on BrainPOP or for help figuring out the best way to use it in your class, please contact me!
To see a sample BrainPOP movie (plus get an introduction to the BrainPOP site), check out the video below:
