Welcome to Discovery Education Science for Elementary

Digital Media that Works Enhance science instruction with a formative assessment tool that enables you to monitor student progress and recommend resources based on individual student needs. Empower students to think and explore like scientists. Engage student minds with science while reinforcing important literacy and mathematics skills.

New users must click the tab “New User Login” to get started. Log In Screen New users must click the tab “New User Login” to get started.

New Users – the school Passcode New users in each school building will need to know the unique 8-character Passcode that has been assigned to their school. When new users enter the Passcode and click the “Submit” button, they will be taken to an account set-up screen. 1a2b 3c4b One main point to emphasize on this slide is the fact that the same Passcode is used by all users in a specified school building. Once users have created accounts, they will not need to use the Passcode again. Each time they return to the site, they use the username and password they stipulated when they created their accounts.

Setting Up Accounts This is the form you will see when you have entered your school Passcode. The key field in this form is the “Username” field, since your log-in name must be unique to the entire Discovery Education Science for Elementary subscriber base. Before you click the “Continue” button, be sure that you are familiar with the Terms of Use and click the box that signifies that you agree to Discovery Education’s subscription terms. Username must be a minimum of six characters. Both the username and password may contain these characters only: letters, numbers, hyphen, and period.  

Logging into DE Science for Elementary Teachers use the “Educator Login” tab to log in with their username and password.

Logging into DE Science for Elementary Locate Discovery Education Science Elementary School and click the link “Go now!” If your school subscribes to both Discovery Education Science Elementary and Middle School, the first time users log in, a pop-up window will appear, giving users the option of selecting Discovery Education Science for Elementary as the default site

Enhance Your Instruction with Multimedia Content Curriculum Standards Search Keyword Search Advanced Search Browse three areas of science You can locate media using the keyword search, the Advanced search, the curriculum standards search or by browsing DESC’s science topics Upon login, you will find three areas of science: Physical Science, Life Science and Earth and Space Science. These areas of science are common to elementary science curricula across the country.

Browse Units, Topics & Concepts Browsing for Content Discovery Education Science is organized by concept and topic area, to help you quickly locate multimedia resources that complement your lessons. Digital media content, ranging from reading passages and video clips to explorations and virtual labs, is collected in one place to save you time as you prepare your lessons. Units, Topics & Concepts Within each content tab, you will find a list of units and within each unit, topics related to the unit. Clicking on a topic will open a page with concepts. Each concept contains digital media resources. You can move forward and backward in your results by clicking any of the links in the breadcrumb trail or choose a new path by selecting a different topic tab.

Glossary Terms Glossary terms are available on each Concept page.  Discovery Education Science’s dynamic Interactive Glossary supports your students’ varying learning styles through audio, text, animation, detailed still imagery and short video clips.  

Glossary Terms Students click the tabs to access information in a variety of formats. A full list of over 500 commonly used science terms is always available on the left side of the Glossary window.    Discovery Education Science’s dynamic Interactive Glossary supports your students’ varying learning styles through audio, text, animation, detailed still imagery and short video clips.  

Pathways to Science Investigation Concept pages provide pathways through the content. LEARN Students gain information about a concept in the Learn section.   EXPLORE Interactive media enables students to practice and experience science.   DEMONSTRATE Check for understanding with materials found in the Demonstrate section. EXTEND Students extend their learning with materials found in the Extend Section. Discovery Education Science for Elementary supports students’ understanding of science inquiry by providing opportunities to observe and experience science. Concept pages provide pathways through the content, where students learn about a concept, explore it using interactive media, demonstrate their understanding by completing assessments and written constructed responses and extend their learning with additional media.  

Pathways to Science Investigation LEARN Video Segments are divided into chapters that illustrate specific concepts within each topic. Reading Passages are leveled to support a variety of readers. eBooks enable struggling readers and students whose first language is not English to read and listen to science content. LEARN Students gain information about a concept in the Learn section. Video clips, eBooks, and reading passages give students the information they need to get started.   Video Clips Videos are divided into “chapters” or “segments” that illustrate specific concepts within each topic. Play videos in realtime or download them for later use. Easy to use content tabs provide quick access to the full video, video segments, citation information, and related materials. All videos have been aligned with state curriculum standards in all states. Reading Passages Enrich your science curricula with leveled reading passages from Discovery Education’s award-winning book series. Reading Passages in the Intro section are leveled for Grade 3. Elsewhere on the site, reading levels are indicated by green dots in the header. eBooks Discovery Education Science’s groundbreaking eBooks enable struggling readers and students whose first language is not English to read and listen to science content. Highlighted text allows students to read along with the narrator and focus on vocabulary words. Tip! Click the “View Details” link below each media type to read a short description of the concept, view curriculum standards and add the media asset to a folder in My Content.

Pathways to Science Investigation EXPLORE Explorations enable students to manipulate variables and test their predictions about outcomes. Virtual Labs are designed to give students the opportunity to practice designing and conducting virtual investigations. EXPLORE The Explore section provides exciting, interactive media including Explorations and Virtual Labs that allow students to practice and experience science in a simulated online environment. Explorations Use Explorations to activate prior knowledge or as a presentation tool to examine a specific concept. Students can make predictions about outcomes and then use the Exploration to test those predictions by manipulating inputs or selections. For example, in the Exploration “Flower to Flower,” students make selections from a variety of roots, stems and leaves, to create a plant that will survive in a specific environment.  Virtual Labs To understand the science process, students need practice with science investigation. Virtual Labs are designed to give students the opportunity to practice designing and conducting virtual investigations in preparation for designing and conducting their own hands-on investigations. Virtual Labs come in three parts: Introduction This part sets the stage for the investigation by presenting a real-world problem around which the investigation is based. Investigate This tab allows students to select the lab level, sign in and begin conducting the investigation, one trial at a time. The first level offers a simple choice of choosing one variable to control. The second level complicates the investigation with multiple options or multiple test subjects to observe. Results This tab provides students with a record of the results of each trial in chart form. Students also are provided with a paper copy on which to record the data.  

Pathways to Science Investigation EXPLORE: VIRTUAL LABS Introduction Tab This part sets the stage for the investigation by presenting a real-world problem around which the investigation is based. Investigate Tab Students choose single or multiple variables to test and observe and then conduct their investigations. Results Tab Students view a record of trial results in chart form.

Pathways to Science Investigation DEMONSTRATE Online Assessments pair formative assessment tools with dynamic content. Brief Constructed Responses monitor your students’ deeper understanding of science concepts. DEMONSTRATE Check for understanding with materials found in the Demonstrate section. Assign online assessments to your students or print and distribute Brief Constructed Response PDF files to the class. Online Assessments Online assessments pair formative assessment tools with dynamic content, giving you the ability to monitor your students’ understanding of concepts. Pre-made assessments save time and are aligned with state curriculum standards in all states. Students can view the results immediately after they finish the assessment. Based on the assessment results, Discovery Education Science’s built-in remediation tool recommends additional media that supports assessment content. Brief Constructed Responses Use Brief Constructed Responses to assess students’ understanding of science concepts. Easily downloadable PDF files can be printed and distributed to the class. A helpful teacher guide and scoring tool accompanies each Brief Constructed Response

Pathways to Science Investigation EXTEND Extend provides content that goes into greater detail about the concept or extends the concept beyond elementary level expectations.  EXTEND Students can extend their learning by accessing a variety of interactive media including explorations, video clips and reading passages found in the Extend section.  

Teacher Center Access powerful tools that allow you to build and manage assessments; create multimedia projects; build and manage classrooms; and access resources that foster science process skills. The Teacher Center provides powerful tools that allow you to build and manage assessments; create dynamic, interactive multimedia projects for your students; build and manage your classrooms; and access teaching resources that support your science curriculum and foster process skills. You can save and organize your projects in folders you create within My Content for easy editing and retrieval.  

Teacher Center - Classroom Manager Create a new Classroom Manage Classrooms and Content Discovery Education Science for Elementary supports independent learning and performance measurement by giving you the flexibility to assign media and assessments to an entire class or individual students. Use the Classroom Manager to build and modify classrooms and manage your assignments.  

Teacher Center - Assessment Manager Enhance science instruction with a formative assessment tool that allows you to monitor student progress and recommend resources based on students’ individual needs. Create Standards-based assessments Custom assessments Edit existing assessments Assign Assessments you’ve already created Assessments created by Discovery Education Report & Recommend View results by student View results by class Put the power and flexibility of the Assessment Manager to work for you. The Assessment Manager pairs formative assessment tools with dynamic content, giving you the ability to monitor your students’ understanding of concepts and address specific areas of need by assigning remediation content to individuals or an entire class. Choose from hundreds of pre-made assessment questions aligned with state curriculum standards, or create your own custom assessments.   

Teacher Center - Assignment Builder Build your own online assignments incorporating digital media, assessments and links to other websites Search existing assignments The Assignment Builder is a versatile resource that helps you build online activities and web-based projects that are stored on the Discovery Education servers. You can use this tool to create student assignments that integrate a variety of resources such as virtual labs, explorations, reading passages, video segments and assessments. Students access assignments through the Student Center.  

Teacher Center - Process Skills Library Media in the Process Skills Library addresses the critical thinking skills students must acquire in order to successfully engage in the scientific process. Virtual Labs Students design and conduct their own scientific investigations Science Sleuths Students examine science mysteries and use articles, interviews and video to solve the problem MythBusters Episodes have been selected and edited for school audiences and illustrate the adventure and careful use of scientific process to prove a science myth, or bust it! Discovery Education Science for Elementary supports students’ understanding of science inquiry by providing opportunities to observe and experience science investigation. A variety of media in the Process Skills Library addresses the critical thinking skills students must acquire in order to successfully engage in scientific methodology. Each of these experiences is connected to specific concepts and can also be accessed when browsing for content. Virtual Labs To understand the science process, students need practice with science investigation. Virtual Labs are designed to give students the opportunity to practice designing and conducting virtual investigations in preparation for designing and conducting their own hands-on investigations. Virtual Labs come in three parts: Introduction This part sets the stage for the investigation by presenting a real-world problem around which the investigation is based. Investigate This tab allows students to select the lab level, sign in and begin conducting the investigation, one trial at a time. The first level offers a simple choice of choosing one variable to control. The second level complicates the investigation with multiple options or multiple test subjects to observe. Results This tab provides students with a record of the results of each trial in chart form. Students also are provided with a paper copy on which to record the data.    Science Sleuths, an updated web version of Video Discovery’s popular CD-ROM series, engages students in real-world challenges in which they become science detectives. Students are presented with a science mystery or possible crime and use articles, interviews, investigations, and video presentations to gather the information they need to solve the problem. Students take notes and collect data as they progress, and present their findings to the Science Sleuth hostess when they are done. MythBusters episodes from the Discovery Channel’s popular television series have been carefully selected and edited for elementary school audiences and illustrate the adventure and the careful use of the science process to prove a science myth, or bust it! Students are provided with observation sheets and teachers receive a guide that enables them to look for good scientific inquiry skills being used by MythBusters hosts Jamie and Adam.  

My Content Use My Content to collect, organize, retrieve, and assign your favorite media resources in one convenient place. Add media resources and assessments to folders you create Use the Action pull down menu to copy, move, assign or delete media at any time Collect, organize, retrieve and assign your favorite media resources in one convenient place. Located in the gray navigation bar near the top of the screen, “My Content” is accessible from anywhere on the site. You can add content to folders you create in My Content. Stay organized by creating sub-folders within main folders to create hierarchies within content. Adding resources to My Content does not initiate a playing or downloading procedure. The purpose of My Content is to bookmark the resource to avoid searching for it again. All files and projects added to My Content are stored on Discovery Education servers.  

Add a Resource to My Content 3. Select an existing folder in My Content or create a new folder to add the resource 1. Locate a resource and click “View Details” 2. Click “Add to My Content” 4. Click “Add”

Professional Development Access a variety of resources designed to help you make the most effective use of Discovery Education Science for Elementary digital media. 5-Minute Preps Use these resources to get quickly up to speed on science content and students’ potential misunderstandings. Trainer’s Toolkit Use the resources and materials in the Trainer’s Toolkit to enhance your staff development workshops. Download digital versions of the User Guide, the QuickStart Guide, and other support documents. Tech Talk Visit Tech Talk to locate resources from the Discovery Education Science Implementation and Support Team. You’ll find materials to help you successfully launch Discovery Education Science at your school or district and documents that address technical and network issues. Best Practices View short, 30-second video segments that profile science teachers and gain exciting strategies for inquiry-based instruction. Interactive Training Self-directed modules offer certificate and professional development credit options. Lessons demonstrate site functionality and instructional practices through a web-based, hands-on format that supports individual pace and style of learning.  

Presentation Strategies and Software Integration

Presentation Models Common ways teachers, Media Specialists, and technology coordinators display Discovery Education Science for Elementary content: Computer connected to an LCD projector Interactive whiteboards Televisions with scan converters Computer labs Libraries and Media Centers Mobile carts with laptop computers Student “stations” and “centers”

Teaching Strategies to Consider Create “investigative teams.” Have students work in small groups on Virtual Labs or Explorations to develop testable questions, test their hypotheses and record results. Determine prior knowledge with a pre-activity assessment. Use assessment results to assign appropriate media to individual students. Pose questions or prepare thought-provoking “lesson starters” before viewing media to actively engage students. Connect your computer to a projector and use Explorations or a video clip as presentation tools to kick off a lesson. Assign Reading Passages that reinforce concepts and provide background information. Save time by saving your favorite resources to folders within My Content.

Questions?

Technology Information to Know Recommended 3rd party software: Windows Media Player - PC Apple QuickTime Player - Mac Flash 8.0 or Greater Adobe Shockwave Player Screen Resolution: Minimum : 800 x 600 Best results: 1024 x 768 Home users with 56k modems can search and use support materials; viewing interactive media and performing downloads may be possible but will be very slow. DE Science is designed for use with a broadband internet connection. Video files, reading passages and brief constructed responses may be downloaded. All other content is available online only via streaming. You may need to install updated “codecs” if the media player is not properly playing the audio or video components.