DISCOVERY EDUCATION ADDS INTEGRATED PHYSICS AND CHEMISTRY COURSE TO SCIENCE TECHBOOK FOR TEXAS
-- New course developed specifically for Texas educators and fully aligned to Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills standards --
February 18, 2014
Silver Spring, Md., (February 18, 2014) - Discovery Education, the leading provider of digital content for K-12 classrooms, announced today it has added a new Integrated Physics and Chemistry (IPC) course to the Discovery Education Science TechbookTM for Texas. Built from the ground-up and developed specifically for Texas school districts, the new IPC course is fully aligned to the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) standards.
Now available for educators statewide, Science Techbook for Texas is a complete digital textbook featuring compelling video; interactive text; digital simulations and explorations; virtual and hands-on labs; and an interactive glossary with animations, audio and video. Through its adoption process, the Texas State Board of Education recently approved the use of the Discovery Education Science Techbook series as a core instructional resource for elementary, middle and high school science courses.
The new IPC course, and all courses within the Science Techbook, offer a variety of resources to support Spanish-speaking students. In addition to comprehensive literacy supports for English language learners and struggling readers, the IPC course also includes hundreds of Spanish language video segments, a multimodal interactive glossary with definitions in Spanish, and a Spanish reading path with text-to-voice capability.
"Every student in Texas should graduate with a foundational knowledge of physics and chemistry. The Integrated Physics and Chemistry course recently added to Discovery Education's Science Techbook provides a greater understanding of the concepts found within the TEKS, and how those concepts impact our everyday lives," said Yolanda M. Rey, Ph.D., Executive Director, Texas ASCD. "This resource will help create engaging classroom experiences that encourage students to think, analyze and communicate like scientists."
All K-12 Discovery Education Science Techbook courses provide coverage of the TEKS and English Language Proficiency standards. In addition to the new IPC course, Science Techbook is currently available for K-8 science and high school courses including Biology, Chemistry, Earth and Space Science, and Physics.
A cloud-based application that works on any platform and classroom configuration, the Science Techbook series is built upon the 5E model of instruction that promotes inquiry-based learning, enhances literacy skills and improves student achievement. A recent study conducted by independent research firm Merola Research, LLC found that usage of Science Techbook increased student achievement scores, including that of ELL learners on the FCAT, Florida's standardized test. In order to more fully impact student achievement, Texas educators using Science Techbook will receive rich professional development that supports the effective integration of digital content into classroom practice. Techbooks are also a substantially less expensive option per student at nearly half the cost of a traditional textbook, with additional savings derived from a lack of textbook replacement or inventory costs.
"We are excited to support Texas educators with the addition of an integrated physics and chemistry digital course available through our Science Techbook," said Brett Felten, director, Discovery Education. "Paired with our customized professional development, this course will satisfy students' scientific curiosity and drive student achievement."
For more information about Discovery Education Texas Science Techbook, sign up for a 60-day trial or to review materials in the Adoption Sample Kit, visit www.discoveryeducation.com/texastechbook.
About Discovery Education
Discovery Education is the global leader in standards-based digital content for K-12, transforming teaching and learning with award-winning digital textbooks, multimedia content that supports the implementation of Common Core, professional development, assessment tools, and the largest professional learning community of its kind. Available in over half of all U.S. schools, community colleges and in 50 countries around the world, Discovery Education partners with districts, states and like-minded organizations to captivate students, empower teachers, and transform classrooms with customized solutions that accelerate academic achievement. Discovery Education is powered by Discovery Communications (NASDAQ: DISCA, DISCB, DISCK), the number one nonfiction media company in the world. Explore the future of education at www.discoveryeducation.com.