–Exciting New Content Supports Both Student Instruction and Educator Professional Learning -
Silver Spring, Md. (June 11, 2018) – Discovery Education, the leading provider of digital content and professional development for K-12 classrooms, announced today it has added a host of new digital assets to its award-winning supplemental and digital textbook services. The recently added content empowers educators to create dynamic digital learning environments that engage students and boost academic achievement.
Among the content added to Discovery Education’s digital services are:
· Kid Power Ups Content from UNICEF: Available in all Discovery Education services, Kid Power Ups are short, interactive videos that provide the ideal brain break to help students re-focus. Each time an educator completes 10 Kid Power Ups videos, UNICEF unlocks one packet of Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) to treat children suffering from severe acute malnutrition, a life-threatening condition that affects 16 million children worldwide.
· Unique Career Content and More from the National Park Service: Two series from the National Park Service have been added to Discovery Education Streaming Plus and the Science Techbook. Study the Scientist profiles the roles of ornithologists, botanists, hydrologists, fire archaeologists, and more interesting science careers at Yosemite National Park. Yosemite Nature Notes travels to Yosemite National Park where park rangers, scientists, and historians showcase the majestic landscapes and unique wildlife found within the park.
· NASA Reading Passages and Animations: 70 new reading passages from NASA providing insight into planets, weather patterns on Earth, and even shooting stars are now available in Discovery Education Streaming Plus and Science Techbook. In addition, 12 animations from the NASA Earth Observatory have been added to those services that highlight changes to Earth’s weather patterns, temperature, and atmosphere over time.
· An Exciting Virtual Field Trip from EA SPORTS: Now available in all Discovery Education services, the EA SPORTS: Madden NFL: Football by the Numbers Virtual Field Trip takes students behind the scenes of EA SPORTS to learn how data powers video game development. The team behind Madden NFL shares how player statistics and visual data are collected and integrated into the game to provide the most realistic gaming experience possible.
· Primary Source Testimonies from USC Shoah Foundation: Discovery Education has partnered with USC Shoah Foundation to bring video testimonies to Discovery Education Streaming Plus and Social Studies Techbook. 70 curated primary source testimony clips from survivors and witnesses of genocides throughout history provide students the opportunity to understand the impact that historical events have on individuals, communities, and society as a whole.
“One of the tremendous benefits of using curated, high-quality digital content services like those from Discovery Education is that exciting standards-aligned new media is always being added,” said Beth Matusiewicz, an educator from Wisconsin’s North Lakeland School District. “I look forward to integrating this fresh content into my classroom instruction.”
Discovery Education also added helpful professional learning content to Discovery Education Streaming Plus. Produced in conjunction with members of the Discovery Educator Network (DEN), two Hot Topics videos have been created to provide educators instructional strategies that support language learners and literacy. Additionally, a video that demonstrates how instruction can be differentiated by content, process, product, and learning environment is now also available. The DEN is a part of the Discovery Education Community, a global community of education professionals that connects members across school systems and around the world through social media, virtual conferences, and in-person events, fostering valuable networking, idea sharing, and inspiration.
“Providing dynamic, up-to-date, engaging resources is at the core of Discovery Education’s mission to empower all educators with the resources they need to transform teaching and learning,” said Marty Creel, Discovery Education’s Chief Academic Officer. “As we add new content to our digital services, Discovery Education’s expert curriculum team will continue listening closely to the needs of the 4.5 million educators and over 50 million students we serve.”
Discovery Education Streaming Plus is a comprehensive digital service supplementing instruction across all K-12 curricular areas that helps build students’ mastery in interpreting, understanding, and evaluating information across all subject areas. Students can access a variety of digital assets such as images, primary source documents, podcasts, articles, and videos, then are empowered to become content creators with a suite of content creation tools that help teachers and students safely and easily collaborate in real-time on virtual projects. Teacher resources include lesson plans, instructional strategies, and content collections organized around themes, as well as a collection of STEM resources designed to fuel a cultural shift in teaching and learning.
Discovery Education’s Techbooks are award-winning digital textbooks aligned to rigorous standards, supportive of a comprehensive curriculum, and updated regularly at no cost. Utilizing an inquiry-based format built on the 5E model, Discovery Education’s Science Techbook helps teach students to read, write, and think like scientists through hands-on labs, digital explorations, an interactive glossary, and data analysis activities. The Social Studies Techbook series uses an inquiry-based instructional approach that emphasizes informational text literacy, analytical writing, and problem-solving skills that students will apply in the classroom and beyond. Each subject area includes primary source documents and activities, digital investigations, multimedia reference library, interactive maps, and more.
For more information about Discovery Education’s Streaming Plus and other services, visit www.discoveryeducation.com, and stay connected with Discovery Education on social media through Facebook, follow us on Twitter at @DiscoveryEd, or find us on Instagram and Pinterest.
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About Discovery Education
As the global leader in standards-based digital content for K-12 classrooms worldwide, Discovery Education is transforming teaching and learning with award-winning digital textbooks, multimedia content, professional learning, and the largest professional learning community of its kind. Serving 4.5 million educators and over 50 million students, Discovery Education’s services are available in approximately half of U.S. classrooms, 50 percent of all primary schools in the UK, and more than 50 countries around the globe. Inspired by the global media company Discovery Inc., Discovery Education partners with districts, states, and like-minded organizations to captivate students, empower teachers, and transform classrooms with customized solutions that increase academic achievement. Explore the future of education at DiscoveryEducation.com.
