July Curriculum Connections + Spotlights
Posted by SM Bruner on
School’s out for summer, but that doesn’t mean students can’t squeeze in some summer learning with our spotlights and curriculum connections! Here are some great ways kids can celebrate important dates in history, BrainPOP-style!
♦ July 1: The famed Battle of Gettysburg began today in 1863. Put it in context with our Civil War movie.
♦ July 2: Today in 1964, the U.S. Senate passed the landmark Civil Rights Act. Start a discussion with our Civil Rights movie and, for K-3, Rosa Parks. Also on this date, in 1937, aviatrix Amelia Earhart disappeared over the Pacific.
♦ July 4: Amid the fireworks and flag cake, show our Declaration of Independence movie and, for K-3, U.S. Symbols.
♦ July 14: On Bastille Day, celebrate Paris-style and “let them eat cake” with our French Revolution movie.
♦ July 18: Show our Apartheid movie on Nelson Mandela’s birthday.
♦ July 19: Our Women’s Suffrage movie helps celebrate the birth of women’s rights on the anniversary of the Seneca Falls Convention.
♦ July 20: Mark the 1969 Apollo II moon landing with our Apollo Project movie. Fittingly, it’s also Moon Day.
♦ July 22: Happy birthday Alexander Calder! Our Sculpture movies, on BrainPOP and BrainPOP Jr., help explain his art form.
♦ July 30: Put it together! Henry Ford was born today in 1863; it’s the perfect occasion for our Assembly Line movie.
July’s curriculum spotlight is Red, White, and Blue! It includes movies and activities to help us celebrate our country’s independence. Students can explore United States history through our Declaration of Independence, Causes of the American Revolution, and Thirteen Colonies movies. And, don’t forget our very first president, George Washington! Students can test their U.S. knowledge with the accompanying interactive quizzes and activities.
This month’s other spotlight, Animals, gives students the opportunity to learn about both domestic and wild animals. From dogs and cats to penguins and dolphins, students can become experts on the animals they find most interesting.
We also have a number of spotlights that aren’t month specific and are perfect for students to enjoy all summer long. Why not learn about the authors who wrote the books they’re reading? Students can extend their summer reading assignments with our Books & Authors spotlight. We’ve included movies about classic and talented authors like Charles Dickens, Roald Dahl, J.R.R. Tolkien, and more. Additionally, check out the Famous Scientists spotlight where students can become scientists themselves. The Albert Einstein, Benjamin Franklin, and Charles Darwin movies offer hands-on science experiments for some summer fun.
