POPtalk

In a week where Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard’s parliamentary telling off of the leader of the opposition party goes viral and Barack Obama went head to head with Republican candidate, Mitt Romney in the first television debate leading up to the US Elections, it’s quite apt that one of our latest movies is Democracy.

THE MOVIE & POPQUIZ

• Tim and Moby can not only introduce you to the history of democracy but demonstrate how a democratic government functions.
• Learn the three main ideas that democracy rests upon and where we think democracy got its start
• You’ll see how democracy worked in ancient Greece and what sorts of problems that system had
• Learn the difference between a direct democracy, like the kind in ancient Greece, and a representative democracy, or republic, the system that most modern democratic nations today follow. Sometimes old ideas are good ones
• Test your understanding of democracy in the accompanying 10 question multiple choice quiz

FYI

• Quotables – a collection of famous quotes about democracy from people such as Thomas Jefferson & Winston Churchill
• Did you Know? – A report on “Constitutional democracy”
• Language – A glossary of different types of government from Autocracy to Oligarchy
• Cassie & Rita cartoon – should cats get the vote?

ACTIVITY

• Debate it – Pair up with a friend and debate the pros and cons of spreading democracy by force
• Graphic organiser – Venn diagram – challenging you to compare modern British democracy with ancient Athenian democracy
• Vocabulary - define democratic terms in your own words

And remember, every vote counts!

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• Spotlight on British History
• EXPLORE A TOPIC: The History of the UK
• 2012 Spotlights Calendar
• Spotlight on Ancient Civilisations
• BrainPOP 88 AD – Veni, Vedi, Beepi

This week we published our History of the UK movie so what better month to feature our Spotlight on British History.

You can delve into Britain’s past with our time travelling duo, Tim & Moby, and enjoy this collection of history resources: kings, queens, invasions, and war, with a little bit of black death thrown in for good measure.

We’ve included our British Empire FYI, Queen Elizabeth I Activity, and History of the UK Activity, as well as 13 of our choicest British history movies:

• Black Death
• British Empire
• Feudalism
• History of the UK – NEW!
• Industrial Revolution
• Magna Carta
• Middle Ages
• Queen Elizabeth I
• The Queen
• The Troubles
• Vikings
• World War I
• World War II

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• EXPLORE A TOPIC: The History of the UK
• 2012 Spotlights Calendar
• Spotlight on…Weather or Not?
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You probably won’t be surprised to hear we’ve got a rather lengthy movie to-do list so when it comes to deciding what to produce next it can be a tough decision. And when it comes to producing exclusive UK movies, we find it especially hard.

So far we’ve made Bonfire Night, The Troubles, and Emergency 999 so when we got an email from Gail we saw it as a golden opportunity to create another of our fantastic exclusive UK movies.

Ever wondered how the United Kingdom became, well, united? Wonder no longer!

In a brand new UK exclusive topic we cover the entire History of the UK…in just six minutes.

Yes, we’re that good.

You’ll find out how the British Isles moved from being populated by independent tribes to becoming the UK. Tim & Moby talk about invasions by Vikings, Romans, and Normans as well as key historical figures such as William the Conqueror, Edward I, and James I.

Finally, find out how Wales, Scotland and Ireland came to be under English rule and what the UK looks like today! 4 Nations, 4 Histories, 4 Cultures – 1 National Government.

Have a read of our fact-packed FYI to learn about devolution, myths and legends, bizarre laws and customs, and did you know that there are 6 times as many people per sq km in England as there are in Scotland?

We’ve also worked hard to produce an outstanding set of activities for this topic too.

Related Posts:

• Spotlight on British History
• 2012 Spotlights Calendar
• Spotlight on Ancient Civilisations
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• Croeso i BrainPOP!

If you’re a BrainPOP UK school subscriber, make sure to keep an eye out for a copy of our 2012 Spotlights Calendar arriving in the post shortly. The calendar features monthly spotlights which bring together hand-picked movies relating to a central theme.

As well as it being a beautiful piece of art (ahem!) we’ve packed it with helpful features to delight throughout the year, including:

• Use our Tip of the Month as inspiration for fun new ways to integrate BrainPOP into your day
• Keep an eye out for movie icons on specific dates throughout the year – those movies will be featured on that date
• Use the featured movies as a guide for planning lessons each month – we do our best to ensure they’re timely and topical
• Have your students add their birthdays and pick their favourite BrainPOP movie to watch that day
• Teacher’s Choice movies were selected as favourites by BrainPOP teachers from across the UK – why not add your favourite movies to the calendar?

We’ll be handing calendars out at BETT in January again and  sending them out to all new BrainPOP school subscribers next year (while stocks last!)

If you’re not a school subscriber but are still keen to get a copy of our beautiful calendar, just email info@brainpop.co.uk with your request and we’ll see what we can do.

WHAT NEW SPOTLIGHTS DO WE HAVE COMING NEXT YEAR?

In March, delve into Britain’s past with the time travelling duo, Tim & Moby, and enjoy this collection of history resources: kings, queens, invasions, and war, with a little bit of black death thrown in for good measure.

Fancy a tune in April? Well, best take note of the animated movies in this music spotlight. Learn about composers and artists who have, in one way or another, shaped what you hear in the charts today.

If you’ve got a project or assignment coming up, this information literacy spotlight will be a good place to start! We gather together information on how to research, reference, prepare and get reading.

While you’re waiting for these thrillers to arrive, check out the resources available on our existing Spotlights. We’ll be updating them throughout the year with new movies and activities so it’s always worthwhile revisiting each month.

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• Spotlight on Ancient Civilisations
• Olympics Topic Activities – Low impact exercise for maximum results
• Spotlight on Ideas that Changed the World
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We don’t mean to brag – well, we kind of do actually – but we’re pretty well known for having fierce Science topics (we’ve got over 250 now!). But did you know we work constantly to get new topics on the site, every single week, in every subject area?

In History alone this year we’ve added Maya Civilisation, Aztec Civilisation, Inca Civilisation, Sumerians and Homer to name just a few! And they all slot nicely into our four main History categories:

• Ancient – the history of major civilisations
• Evidence – sources from the past
• Famous People – inspirational people that changed the world forever
• Modern – find out about UK, European and World History

But, for the History fan, what’s coming up in the next few months?

Feudalism

Feudalism – If you like knights in shining armour, kings, queens, lords, ladies (and plagues) you’ll love this topic! Discover how the Roman Empire broke apart into small, independent kingdoms, and how rulers kept their territories strong by giving land to loyal supporters. Learn about the privileges granted to rich medieval lords, as well as the hardships faced by poor serfs, who performed backbreaking labor for very little reward. Finally, find out what happened to end the feudal system, and how Europe took its first tentative steps toward modernity.

About 90% of the medieval population was completely uneducated – it’s amazing how a few hundred years can change things isn’t it?

Middle Ages

Middle Ages – Life in Europe was pretty tough after the Roman Empire fell. Trade and commerce collapsed, travel was dangerous, and the educational system was so poor that kings couldn’t even write their own names! Nevertheless, the Middle Ages saw the rise of great military and political leaders, as well as amazing artistic, poetic, and architectural achievements. In this forthcoming movie you’ll hear about Charlemagne and William the Conqueror, learn about the feudal system, and find out why tens of thousands of men fought in the Crusades.

So put on your armour, mount your trusty steed, and joust along with this movie!

Black Death

The Black Death – Tim and Moby take you back to 1347 and introduce you to the horrible pandemic that was the Black Death. Discover how many people died and why people may have been so susceptible to it. You’ll also learn about some of the consequences of the resulting mass death, including how the Black Plague contributed to the social changes of the late Middle Ages and early Renaissance.

Thank goodness for modern medicine!

Vikings

Vikings - These vicious raiders from the frozen North would attack without warning, loot monasteries and villages, and slaughter anyone who got in their way but if you thought that Viking life was all about violence and plunder, think again. In this forthcoming movie, Tim and Moby explain that these Scandinavian warriors were actually quite civilised, with an advanced legal code, brilliantly-engineered ships, and an unusual respect for women’s rights.

And did you know Vikings arrived in North America more than 500 years before Columbus? Pretty cool!

British Empire

British Empire - Why do more than 1 billion people around the world speak English, drive on the left side of the road, and understand the rules of cricket? Tim and Moby answer that question as they embark on a 400-year adventure through the history of the British Empire.

Now, grab a cup of tea, stiffen that upper lip, sit back and enjoy! Rule Britannia!

Keep an eye on our New Movies page to find out the latest additions to the site.

Back to Ancient Civilisations…

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We’ve just welcomed the brand new topics Rise of the Roman Empire and Fall of the Roman Empire to BrainPOP UK.

When we release new history movies we like to take a look back into BrainPOP’s past, as we recently did when we found Young Cratchface Tim’s Victorian diary.

Our search eventually turned up a piece of Roman tablet and a curious mosaic, first discovered in Northern England and transported to the BrainPOP archives.

Once we’d brushed off the dirt we couldn’t quite believe our eyes when we saw the mosaic was decorated with a scene from ancient history.

We saw someone who looked very much like our very own Moby, standing alongside a young man with brown hair.

This is the story on the tablet, translated from the original Latin, of what happened on a fateful day in Rome…

Colosseum, Rome, 88 AD

“The huge crowd cheered as the mighty Emperor Mobius Orangus Caesar rode in on his chariot. Timonius Questionus knelt in chains at the center of the dusty auditorium. A hush fell.

‘Rise and face your Emperor, lowly plebeian!’ a Senator commanded from the podium. Timonius struggled to his feet, for he was weak from days in the dungeons, and looked Emperor Mobius in the eye.  Mobius held his gaze.

‘Timonius Questionus,’ the Senator continued, ‘you stand here accused of sorcery. How do you plead?’

‘Not guilty!’ exclaimed Timonius.

The crowd booed. Some even started chanting, ‘Bring out the lions!’ Timonius quaked with fear.

Mobius raised his hand to placate the baying mob, ‘Beepus. Beepus, beepum.’

‘Audaces fortuna iuvat. State your case, Timonius.’ the Senator translated.

‘When your soldiers discovered me in my chamber,’ replied Timonius to the crowd, ‘I was not plotting witchcraft with my companions…I was learning in a new way. The large shimmering pool of light on the wall was not a container for evil spirits but a new type of wax tablet, called an “Interactivium Whiteboardius”, filled with the wonders of knowledge, which we call “BrainPOP”!’

The Emperor looked unconvinced but, being a reasonable robot, he was open to hearing more.

‘BrainPOP is a number of moving scrolls and POPparchments, regaling tales of history and war , to which the children of Rome are enraptured and delighted. Truly, it is the future of learning’.

At this, the crowd cheered. Although famously fickle they were warming to this young man’s bravery. The Emperor considered deeply the young man’s fate.

‘Beep!’ said Emperor Mobius, and he raised his orange thumb upwards, a signal that Timonius had won his freedom!

‘People of Rome!’ the Senator bellowed to the crowd, ‘Timonius is clearly a wise and educated citizen. He will not be put to death this day. Senatus Populus Que Romanus, I shall make him a member of the Rome Assembly. Long live Emperor Mobius!’

Smiling, he turned to Timonius.

‘You must educate our people, dear Timonius. Let us all bathe together in the BrainPOP pool of enlightenment. Education is key to a prosperous and peaceful Republic.’

The Senator released Timonius from his chains and Timonius left the Colosseum to spend his days teaching the people of Rome the Mysteries of Life.”

Timonius’ teachings survive to this day, even surviving the Fall of the Roman Empire in the 3rd century. But that’s a tale for another scroll…

Related Posts:

• EXPLORE A TOPIC: Democracy
• April is National Pet Month
• Spotlight on British History
• EXPLORE A TOPIC: The History of the UK
• 2012 Spotlights Calendar