Seymour Community Schools Strengthens Science Curriculum in Grades K-6 Through New Partnership with EdTech Leader

Photo byMaxim HopmanonUnsplash

Charlotte, NC (Tuesday, May 21, 2024)—Indiana’s Seymour Community Schools (SCS) today announced a new multiyear partnership with global edtech leader Discovery Education. Through this collaboration, teachers and students in SCS K-6 classrooms now have access to two powerful digital products built for Indiana educators and aligned to state standards. Together, these resources create student-centered learning experiences that ignite curiosity about the natural world and drive deeper engagement in science instruction.

To strengthen K-6 educators’ ability to create student-centered learning experiences in the sciences, the district sought a new suite of high-quality curriculum aligned to Indiana state standards that was flexible, simple to integrate into instruction, and supportive of the district’s goals for academic progress. Following a thorough review of viable solutions, the district selected Discovery Education’s Science Techbook for Indiana and Mystery Science for classroom use.

Accessible through Discovery Education’s award-winning digital platform, Discovery Education Experience, Science Techbook for Indiana empowers Indiana school systems to easily integrate an innovative, updateable, digital-print-kit blended curriculum into instruction to create unique, student-centered learning experiences. Included in this comprehensive core curriculum are engaging digital resources, print student and teacher editions, hands-on activity kits, and virtual investigations. In addition, embedded accessibility tools help more students connect to content than ever before, and a suite of time-optimizing resources provide Indiana teachers with more opportunities to focus on teaching.

The Science Techbook for Indiana curriculum includes ready-to-use, phenomena-driven lessons that motivate students with powerful technology tools—such as toggle-on authentic Spanish translation—that personalize the student experience, and labor-saving teacher tools that streamline preparation and grading. Available in both print and digital formats, Science Techbook for Indiana provides a seamless classroom experience complete with immersive, interactive ways to explore scientific phenomena, including hands-on engineering activities, labs, and STEM connections.

Through its digital, print, and blended options, Science Techbook for Indiana delivers a wide range of high-quality resources that support students as they discover how science is practiced in the real world, while focusing on deeper understanding and the application of grade-appropriate science content. Recently, Discovery Education’s Science Techbook was certified as meeting the rigorous, evidence-based ESSA Tier III standards as set forth in the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).

Mystery Science provides K-5 educators simple-to-use, open-and-go, hands-on lessons that inspire students to love science. Each lesson begins by posing a question commonly asked by young students. Students then explore these questions through interactive videos featuring real-world visuals fostering a sense of wonder and actively supporting student engagement in the accompanying discussion prompts. Mystery Science simplifies prep for teachers, making the integration of this resource into classroom instruction simple. Plus, all K-5 science lessons are available in Spanish, with accompanying videos featuring authentic Spanish narration and Spanish text-on-screen (for discussion questions, vocabulary words, and step-by-step instructions). Editable, ready-to-use worksheets and assessments are also available in both English and Spanish.

“At the Seymour Community Schools, we make creating student-centered learning experiences a priority,” said Julie Kelly, Principal of Emerson Elementary School and the district’s Science Adoption Coordinator. “The resources we selected from Discovery Education help us create the classroom environment we believe leads to improved achievement, and we look forward to integrating these products into instruction.”

SCS educators using Discovery Education solutions will receive dedicated professional development from Discovery Education’s team of professional learning experts. These learning opportunities for teachers help schools recognize the full return on their edtech investment. Through Discovery Education’s interactive professional development sessions, participants will learn best practices for integrating their new digital resources into instruction. Effective professional learning increases student engagement and supports the continued academic development of all students.

In addition, all SCS educators will now also enjoy access to the Discovery Educator Network. A global community of education professionals, the Discovery Educator Network connects members across school systems and around the world through social media, virtual conferences, and in-person events, fostering valuable idea sharing and inspiration.

“The Seymour Community Schools are taking science instruction in an exciting direction, and we are proud to be supporting their efforts,” said Kyle Talavera, Discovery Education’s Manager of Educational Partnerships. “We look forward to working alongside the district’s talented team on their efforts to create a student-centered culture where everyone can succeed.”

For more information about Discovery Education’s award-winning digital resources and professional learning solutions visit www.discoveryeducation.com and stay connected with Discovery Education on social media through X (formerly Twitter), LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook.