Make-a-Movie Across the Curriculum
Make-a-Movie is a flexible tool that is usable by students at all grade levels and across the curriculum–from science and math to social studies, English, the arts, and more! Just as students can watch BrainPOP movies on every conceivable subject, so too can they create their own BrainPOP -style movies on any topic of interest.
Following are ideas for incorporating Make-a-Movie across the curriculum.
Math
Invite students to make a movie that…
- explains a math concept (e.g., sorting, counting, etc.)
- applies a the math concept featured in a BrainPOP movie to a different situation
- describes how to solve a math problem
- uses “math talk”
- explains a formula
- incorporates graphic representation and explanation of data, then analyzes the data
Science
Invite students to make a movie that…
- describes the steps in a process, such as a life cycle of an animals or the scientific method
- compares/contrasts two or more things, such as animals, plants, habitats, planets, etc.
- explains cause and effect between two events in science
- summarizes experiments
- explains a concept they are presenting in a science fair
History
Invite students to make a movie that…
- retells a story from history, including beginning, middle, and end
- shows cause and effect as related to an historical event
- tells the story of an historical figure’s life (mini bio)
- compares and contrasts two or more historical events
- uses an animated timeline
- tells the story of an event from a different perspective (e.g., take on voice of a historical persona, such as an immigrant, a suffragette, etc.)
- describes a current event in the form of a news story
- shows a reenactment of an event in history
- features election ads/propaganda studies
- Make a travel video ala “Travel Channel”
English/Language Arts
Creating a movie in Make-A-Movie seamlessly incorporates a range of reading and writing skills as follows:
- reading a movie narration with fluency and expression
- writing a movie script including labels, text, and dialogue
- editing and revising a movie on a storyboard (available in Make-a-Map)
- summarizing a topic or concept for a movie
- sequencing scenes/ideas
- explaining cause and effect — why something happens or what causes something to happen
- using correct grammar, including spelling, punctuation and other mechanics when writing and editing a movie
- using content-related vocabulary
Invite students to make a movie that…
- tells or retells a story using beginning, middle, and end
- summarizes a story
- interprets a poem
- is a commercial for a book
The Arts
Invite students to make a movie that…
- describes/explains a painting, music genre, etc.
- tells the story of an artist’s life
- recreates the art in their own way to show understanding of that art or music form
- creates a gallery walk through a variety of paintings/artist’s work
