BrainPOP Lessons organized by Topic.

3D Printing

The technology that will let you build factory-quality products in your own home!

Ada Lovelace

Meet Ada Lovelace, British mathematician and the first computer programmer!

Airbags

Airbags in cars reduce injuries in accidents, but how do they work? And why do you still need your seatbelt? Learn the truth from Tim and Moby!

Airport Security

Grab your passport, and don’t forget to take off your shoes before getting x-rayed! TIm and Moby walk you through airport security.

Alan Turing

Come crack top-secret codes with Alan Turing, the Mathematics visionary who conceived of the first computer and helped the Allies win World War II.

Analog and Digital Recording

Tim and Moby talk about the technology that records sound: Cds, mp3s, even cassette tapes!

Apollo Project

Houston, we have a movie! Find out about space exploration and the lunar landing as Tim and Moby introduce you to NASA’s famous Apollo Project.

Artificial Intelligence

Learn all about AI: what it is, how it works, how to use it responsibly, and where this rapidly changing technology might be headed next.

Assembly Line

Ever hear of the Industrial Revolution? If you have, then you MUST know about the assembly line! Put this movie on your conveyer belt and learn more.

Batteries

Cars, phones, remote controls—batteries help keep them on the go. But, do you know how they make electricity flow?

Bicycle Safety

Tim and Moby talk about the importance of reflectors, how to properly wear your helmet, and what those weird hand signals mean.

Binary

Learn how computers count, and how to read or create numbers using the binary system. Zero in on this one!

Biofuels

Learn about cleaner-burning, entirely renewable fuels!

Blogs

Buckle up for a trip through the blogosphere! Tim and Moby explore different types of blogs and how they're used.

Body Scans

Find out how X-rays and imaging help doctors diagnose disease. Plus, what’s a PET scan and does it involve your cat?

Braces

Tim and Moby fill you in on orthodontia including overbites, crossbites, underbites and those too easily losable retainers. Brace yourself!

Bridges

Tim and Moby have no reason to be arch about it: Nothing spans rivers, lakes, and canyons like a bridge! Learn the three types of bridges, when they’re used, and what trusses do.

Building Basics

Find out how buildings are designed to withstand the effects of gravity, compression, and tension.

Cameras

Everybody’s heard of pixels, images, and lenses—but not everyone knows how photography really works. Tim and Moby do, and you will too.

Carbon Dating

How old is that fossil in the window? Learn how scientists use a radioactive isotope called carbon-14 to find out the answer!

Cars

If you’re ever going to drive one, you should know how it works! Tim and Moby will teach you about a car’s essential parts, including the transmission, the suspension, the brake system, and the catalytic converter.

CD

How can that flat plastic circle hold all that information? Learn about CDs, both music and data in this here animated movie! There's some stuff about DVDs, too, if you're interested!

Cell Phone

Tim and Moby give you the buzz on cell phones. What have cells got to do with them? Also learn what cell phones have in common with radios, and what a duplex system is!

Chocolate

Nothing bittersweet about this movie on chocolate! Follow how cacao beans are harvested, sweetened, and processed--it’s complicated, going from bean to bar--and totally worth it.

Cloud Computing

Learn how cloud networks keep your data handy, wherever you are!

Compass

Tim and Moby will teach you all you wanted to know about compasses and how they work--plus how to make one! You’ll discover what Earth’s magnetic field has to do with compasses, and how it interacts with a compass needle. So, uhm...where are we?

Computational Thinking

Computational thinking—it's not just for computers! Learn how you can use it to tackle all kinds of complex problems.

Computer History

Have you ever seen a punch card? Get the background on computers, how they were used in the 1890 census, and in the 20th century went from weighing 10,000 pounds to being the size of your fingernails.

Computer Mouse

Aww, so cute--and computer mice don’t eat your cereal! Tim and Moby talk about the two most popular mouse types, the mechanical mouse and the optical mouse.

Computer Programming

Computer programming is the art of telling technology what to do!

Computers

It’s all right beneath your fingertips right now--computers! Learn how they communicate, what a central processing unit (CPU) is, and how a hard drive operates. Also find out all about other computer parts like modems, circuit boards, and sound and video cards.

Conflict Resolution

Learn how to resolve your differences with negotiation and compromise, and why it's a bad thing to always get your way.

Copyright

Don’t get too creative with public works, or you’ll get sued for plagiarism! Find out what a copyright is and how it might apply to your everyday life.

Current Electricity

Tim and Moby trace electricity's path from the coils and turbines of the power plant into your home!

Cyberbullying

Don't be a cyberbully! Learn about good digital citizenship, and how to deal with computer harassment.

Dams

From generating electricity to growing crops, dams have proven to be one of the most useful innovations in human history. Find out how these simple structures accomplish so much.

Data Storage Devices

CD, DVD, or flash drive? Tim and Moby decode the difference between bits and bytes, and tell you a little about binary numbers and measurement. So stick out your thumb drive and get a flash of this movie!

Digital Animation

From computer-generated storyboards right through stills, images, and story. Tim and Moby have the inside scoop on animated films.

Digital Etiquette

Online etiquette is about more than asking that troll to please pass the mousepad! Learn the do’s and don’ts of netiquette, and how to create respectful emails, IMs, and blogs.

Distance Learning

Doing your school work outside of school can be a challenge! Follow these tips to set yourself up for success.

Electric Circuits

Tim and Moby give you a working knowledge of electrical circuits, including the power source, terminals, and volts. It’s all pretty shocking!

Electricity

Unpack the strange yet familiar phenomenon of electricity through a story of scientific discovery.

Electromagnetic Induction

Learn about a scientific discovery which changed our lives: How magnetic fields can create an electric current in a wire. It’s how you have electricity right now!

Electromagnets

Electricity and magnetism...two sides of the same coin.

Email and IM

You can get into the tech stuff and let Tim and Moby tell you the definitions of SMTP and POP and what computers’ addresses look like, or just have fun emailing and chatting with your friends--but everyone should learn these important internet safety tips.

Energy Sources

Energy is all around us. Learn about the different ways we harness energy from nature.

Fax Machine

What's that thing at your doctor's office that looks like a telephone with a printer?

Fingerprints

You're unique—right down to tips of your fingers! Learn about the one-of-a-kind patterns on your hands that help identify you.

Fireworks

O, Say can you See...What's cooler than a good firework? A sky full of great fireworks! Check out this movie for an explanation of how fireworks work, what chemicals create certain colors, and what gives a sparkler that fizz!

Flight

Do wings and rudders, lift and drag make you nervous? It shouldn't. Tim and Moby take off on an explanation of the mechanics of flight!

Fossil Fuels

What makes cars go? Fossil fuels! What lights up gas grills and stoves? Fossil fuels! What's non-renewable and really bad for the environment? You know...

Fuel Cells

Are you ready for the future of energy? While they're still being perfected, fuel cells are one of the most promising energy technologies to come around in a long while--talk about cool tech!

Functions

How can you save time when writing a computer program? Nat and Moby crack the code on functions!

Gas and Oil

Tim and Moby talk about our troublesome relationship with the car, and how refined fuels and carbon dioxide are contributing to the greenhouse effect.

Gears

This movie on gears really has some TEETH! And that makes sense, because gears wouldn’t work if they didn’t have those little ridges that keep them in place, helping the big gears line up with little ones, and increase a machine’s power or speed.

Global Positioning System

GPS receivers are great at helping you get un-lost, but just how the heck do they work? Tim and Moby explain satellites allow you to pinpoint your exact latitude, longitude, and altitude. So why do I keep getting lost in the first place?

Grace Hopper

Get to know Grace Hopper, the math professor turned computer programmer turned Navy admiral who charted the course for modern coding.

Graphing Linear Equations

Here's a plot for you: Tim and Moby teach you how to understand graphs, find trends, and even predict the future by graphing linear equations!

Guns

Arm yourself with knowledge about the uses and dangers of firearms. Learn why guns can trigger some fierce debates, and what the Second Amendment has to do with it all.

Hackers

Learn all about the history of hackers: the good, the bad, and the gray area in between.

Hybrid Cars

A pretty neat invention! Tim tells Moby how a hybrid car combines the engine of a gasoline-powered car with the motor of an electric car in one high-tech package. But what’s regenerative braking?

Hydraulics

Tim and Moby in a piston-packing movie about the engineering feats of hydraulics, which uses the power of liquid to move machines!

Inclined Plane

What do a doorstop, a ramp, and a screw have in common? Watch this movie to learn how this simple invention makes our lives easier!

Information Privacy

Hark! Who goes there? Learn all about information privacy, why you need a good password, and how to avoid malware and viruses when on the Internet.

International Space Station

You'll shuttle out of here and rocket forward as Tim and Moby take you on an animated tour of the International Space Station!

Internet

Ever wonder how information travels over the Internet? Tim and Moby serve up info on the largest computer network on Earth, and what browsers, URLs, and domains are!

Internet Search

Search smarter! Tim and Moby share tips for how to research anything online.

Lasers

Nothing says "beam of coherent light" like a laser! Find out how lasers are used in things like consumer electronics, communications and measuring devices, and very delicate medical procedures. Zap!

Levers

Identify the three classes of levers, and explain how they’re each suited to different tasks.

Logic Gates

Learn how computers process information!

Loops

Stay in the loop by learning helpful shortcuts for programming repeated actions in code!

Madam CJ Walker

Learn about Madam C.J. Walker, a self-made woman who may have been America’s first Black millionairess.

Media Literacy

Turn on the TV, browse a blog, or flip through a magazine, and you'll be bombarded with complex messages, often intended to persuade or manipulate. Arm yourself with the tools to become a smart and savvy media consumer!

Microscopes

Tim and Moby teach you how microscopes use convex and concave lenses to magnify objects we want to see super-close. It's like ocular magic!

MP3

Whether it’s an iPod or a Gigabeat, you hear about MP3s all the time, but exactly what are they? Tim and Moby explain this interesting file format in this snappy animated movie.

Nanotechnology

A microscopic robot roaming through the human body, killing cancer cells--wasn't there an 80s movie about that? Tim and Moby wrap their tiny minds around the weird science of nanotechnology!

Nikola Tesla

Step into the world of Nikola Tesla, the man who electrified our lives!

Nuclear Energy

Unlock the awesome power of the atom with this movie on nuclear power! Learn the pros and cons of nuclear energy, plus some alternatives scientists are researching.

Online Safety

The Internet is useful and fun, but is it safe? It can be, if you follow Moby's simple tips and learn about digital citizenship and how to manage chat rooms, IMing, and cyberbullying!

Online Sources

Not all online sources are created equal! Learn how to evaluate information on the Internet to separate the dependable from the dubious.

Pasteurization

Watch this movie and don’t cry over unspoilt, pasteurized milk! And if pasteurization kills bacteria and germs, what’s ultrapasteurization?

Peer Pressure

We all want to be popular, but there's a difference between friendship and conforming. Learn how to cope when the pressure’s on.

Plagiarism

Don’t steal words: Learn what plagiarism is and how to avoid it!

Plastic

There's a future in plastics, and also a past! From the rubber balls the ancient Mayans used, to the polymers of today, learn about this versatile (and non-renewable) stuff.

Problem Solving Using Tables

Math tables don’t have salt shakers! Tim and Moby help you solve problems using rows, columns and data.

Pulley

The pulley is a super simple machine, that lets a person lift more than their own body weight! Tim and Moby discuss the concepts of resistance force and effort force, and how different pulleys can save you sweat and tears.

Pulleys

Introduce the different types of pulleys and how they help us lift heavy objects.

Radar

Say--Is it coming towards or away from me? Tim and Moby talk about about the four main parts of a radar system, and how they all work together to find out location, speed, and direction.

Radio

Moby gets a little sentimental with all of TIm’s talk of antennae and transmissions, because radio broadcasts were the first real home entertainment systems! Learn about the difference between AM and FM, and how radio waves bounce into your home.

Railroad History

Whoo-whoo! One of the most important developments of the 19th century, railways spanned continents, enabled the settlement of the American West, and even helped the North win the Civil War!

Recycling

Develop your Earth awareness by paying careful attention to how you recycle—and when you can reduce or reuse instead.

Refrigerator

Excuse me, but does this milk smell funny? Tim tells you how refrigerant circulates through the coils of your refrigerator, keeping it nice and cold. You’ll even learn why it’s so warm behind a refrigerator. (Which is why you shouldn’t keep the milk there.)

Robots

Well, we think Moby’s pretty unusual--and this movie shows you just how true that is! Tim and Moby teach you all about the technical definition of a robot, and why robots are currently unable to work without human input.

Satellites

What satellites are, how they’re launched into space. and how they transmit information to receiving stations like NASA. Oh, and also to your phone and tv!

Skyscrapers

“S’cuse me, while I scrape the sky!” Tim and Moby talk about how these superstructures are made out of beams and columns to balance the forces of gravity, tension, and compression!

Solar Energy

An earth-friendly renewable source of energy that comes to us straight from the sun! Tim and Moby discuss the pros and cons. But how does it make our calculators work?

Space Flight

Take an orbit around this space flight movie and learn the two basic types of rocket, how they get the thrust to launch from Earth, and about NASA’s shuttles and satellites.

Submarines

Get your periscopes up and dive deep underwater with Tim and Moby as they explore the magical (and slightly tight) world of Submarines!

Telephone

Hello, may I speak to Tim and Moby? Yes, hi, I was wondering if you could tell me about landline telephones? Like, what’s a wall jack and a base system? Yes, I'll hold for the answers.

Telescopes

Find out all about the optics of telescopes and how their stargazing abilities magnified our knowledge.

Television

We used to think that the TV was a magic box with tiny people inside it putting on a few little plays for our amusement! Now, thanks to this movie, we know better: Thanks to satellite, cable, and digital technology, we know they put on a whole lot of plays!

Thomas Edison

The inventor who changed the world (but didn’t really invent the lightbulb), this famous scientist was known as The Wizard of Menlo Park. Learn about Thomas Edison!

Titanic

They thought they built a ship the water wouldn’t go through! They were wrong, and it led to the most famous shipwreck in history. Here’s an iceberg of a tale about a shipwreck that changed maritime safety law.

Touch Screens

Learn how touch screens use electrical fields to sense wherever you tap, swipe, and pinch.

Traditional Animation

From flipbooks to stop-motion, you’ll learn what makes Moby so darn animated!

Variables

Variables aren't just for math equations! Learn how computer programmers use them to store and organize information in code.

Video Games

Put down that PlayStation and watch Tim and Moby tell how video games are created. They describe the powerful microprocessors that allow computers and game consoles to create realistic 3-D worlds! Pow!

Waste Management

Where does the trash go after you leave it at the curb? It could be incinerated, to reduce 90% of its volume, or composted for use as fertilizer, or recycled for re-use! So what’s holding you up? Take out the trash already!

Wheel and Axle

Learn about the wheel and axle, a simple machine that amplifies force to make objects easier to move.

Wind Energy

Find out how those turbine blades turn air into electricity, and why wind power rocks Tim and Moby into earth awareness!

Wright Brothers

Fasten your seatbelts and take flight with the Wright brothers on their quest to invent the first airplane. 3, 2, 1… takeoff!