Discovery Education Science Techbook provides teacher preparation information, suggested instructional pathways and strategies, and model use of Discovery Education digital resources.
Due to varying state requirements, we have several different versions of Science Techbook. Please select your version to display the most relevant article for you.
- Modular: Our newest 16 unit course designed for Middle School Science. Look for a unit called Rocket Sled to determine if this is your Science Techbook version.
- National: To determine if this is your version, click into a concept and look at the tabs. If you have an Intro and a Beyond tab, this is your version.
- California: This version is for our California Partners.
- Classic: To determine if this is your version, click into a concept and look at the tabs. If you have 5 tabs to align with the 5Es as well as a Model Lesson tab, this is your version.
Course Information
Available on the Unit Assessment and Resources tab of each unit, additional unit-specific materials such as storyline, overview, structure, planner, objectives, and teacher background are available to support planning. The Lesson Narrative and Lesson Progression support teachers in planning out the pacing and design of their lessons with students.
Teacher Overview
Each lesson includes a Teacher Overview section which includes lesson objectives, performance expectations, 3-dimensional standards, and information for performance-based assessments.
Activity Planning
Teacher support, specific to the activity, is available in the Activity Planning pop-out. This includes activity objectives, timing, questions to ask, instructional strategies, implementation ideas, transition support, and other ideas to engage students in the activity.
Teacher View
The Teacher View toggle at the top of the in the toolbar on concept pages enables you to toggle from Student View—seeing Science Techbook with nearly an identical view as students—to Teacher View, which reveals additional educator guidance and support. When Teacher View is enabled on the Intro tab, additional content revealed includes:
- Teacher Learning Objectives
- Vocabulary Strategies
- Academic Vocabulary Strategies
- Spanish Cognates
Also on the Intro tab, Teacher Planning Resources materials can be found when Teacher View is enabled. This includes Concept at a Glance, Pacing Options, and Background. Literacy Cards are literacy connection strategies that directly align to ELA standards to the concept. They support teachers to incorporate science instruction into your literacy courses or make connections to literacy standards within your science classrooms. 
When teacher view is enabled, Teacher Notes within each tab provide additional context, including Instructional Focus and strategies for approaching the content. Answer keys to assessment items are also revealed.
Digital Teacher Materials
Teacher View
The Teacher View toggle in the toolbar on concept pages enables you to toggle from Student View—seeing Science Techbook with nearly an identical view as students—to Teacher View, which reveals additional educator guidance and support. For K-8 teachers, when Teacher View is enabled on the Intro tab, additional content revealed includes:- Teacher Learning Objectives
- Vocabulary Strategies
- Academic Vocabulary Strategies
- Spanish Cognates
When teacher view is enabled, Teacher Notes within each 5E tab provide additional context, including Instructional Focus and strategies for approaching the content. Answer keys to assessment items are also revealed.
- Lesson Overview - A summary of relevant lesson information, with quick links to additional content including Lesson Objectives, Essential Questions, Key Vocabulary and a lesson outline that links to each of the 5Es.
- NGSS Standards Overview - A list of NGSS curriculum standards, Disciplinary Core Ideas, Crosscutting Concepts, Science & Engineering Practices, and Connections to Common Core State Standards that are covered by the lesson.
- The Five Es - Provides a summary of the resources within each of the 5E tabs, along with suggested class times for the inquiry stages. Detailed lesson plans for the concept are available through a downloadable and printable PDF. These PDFS include a comprehensive outline of key questions in each 5E tab, teacher notes and strategies for using the digital resources found within the 5Es, explanations and assessment strategies for technology-enhanced items (TEIs), as well as inquiry path strategies that target differentiated learning styles.
- Teacher Preparation - Important information about the lesson includes Background for the Teacher, Common Misconceptions about the concept, Differentiation Strategies, and recommendations for Prior Knowledge for Students.
- Hands-On Materials - Links to the teacher and student guides for the hands-on activities and lists the teacher preparation that will be necessary.
- Slideshows - Access the slideshow for this concept. California Science Techbook Slideshows feature ready-to-teach lesson presentations linking directly to the content and resources in each concept. These resources save teachers time by constructing a lesson plan model that blends existing teacher notes and model lesson guidelines with instructional materials. Slideshows include enhanced imagery paired with shorter sections of informational text to support all learners.
- Assignments and Resources - A list of all assignments and learning materials used in the lesson.
Print Teacher Edition
Each unit in the Teacher Edition begins with a Storyline and Outline. These show the big picture with unit Anchor Phenomena, supporting concepts, the culminating Unit Project, and Performance-Based Assessment.
Throughout each concept are teacher resources to support daily instruction.
- Days of Instruction Instruction is presented in 20-minute segments by day. The NGSS performance expectations for the day are also featured, with the specific aspects of each standard covered that day in bold.
- Activities Within each day, strategies for a variety of activity types guide you through possible means of classroom implementation.
- Quick Digital Access Throughout the print Student and Teacher Editions, QR codes and short links indicate opportunities to go digital to deepen learning through rich media or assessment opportunities.
- ELD Support The Teacher Edition includes scaffolded English Language Development (ELD) strategies at point-of-use within a concept.
- Pathways to Learning explain how you can deliver instruction in flexible ways, depending on classroom resources and student preference.
Each concept features robust literacy activities and teacher support to meet the needs of diverse learners.
Throughout each concept, teacher reflection questions encourage teachers to consider how activities are working in their classrooms and how well students are accessing the material.
Access Model Lessons
Discovery Education Science Techbook includes a model lesson for every concept. To access a concept’s model lesson, ensure that Teacher View in the Toolbar is set to On, then select the Model Lesson tab.
Model Lesson Materials
Model Lessons are designed around curriculum standards and include all components for teacher implementation. Model Lessons include resources for teacher preparation, such as learning objectives and essential questions, suggested lesson outlines of the 5E inquiry process, with suggested activities, and lesson-specific Discovery Education digital resources. Model Lessons are organized in the following format:- Lesson Overview - A summary of relevant lesson information, with quick links to additional content including Lesson Objectives, Essential Questions, Key Vocabulary and a lesson outline that links to each of the 5Es.
- Standards Overview - A list of curriculum standards that are covered by the lesson.
- The Five Es - Provides a summary of the resources within each of the 5E tabs, along with suggested class times for the inquiry stages. Detailed lesson plans for the concept are available through a downloadable and printable PDF. These PDFS include a comprehensive outline of key questions in each 5E tab, teacher notes and strategies for using the digital resources found within the 5Es, explanations and assessment strategies for technology-enhanced items (TEIs), as well as inquiry path strategies that target differentiated learning styles.
- Teacher Preparation - Important information about the lesson includes Background for the Teacher, Common Misconceptions about the concept, Differentiation Strategies, and recommendations for Prior Knowledge for Students.
- Hands-On Materials -Links to the teacher and student guides for the hands-on activities and lists the teacher preparation that will be necessary.
- Assignments and Resources - A list of all assignments and learning materials used in the lesson.