Science Techbook for Florida for K-8 Classrooms

The Science Techbook for Florida Dashboard is a data collection and student engagement tool. All assessment results are available in one easy-to-access place and can be organized and exported by Florida standards for ease-of-use. Real-time data on each lesson provides quick actionable insights into student understanding and learning gaps, and allows the ability to rectify misconceptions ensuring achievement.  Assessments have autoscoring and grade passback capabilities to further enable progress monitoring. 

Most assessment items are machine-scored to expedite the collection, analysis, and implementation of data in the cycle of learning. Rubrics are often available at point-of-use for constructed-response questions. 

Yes! Science Techbook for Florida provides a complete science curriculum in English and Spanish available in print and digitally via a simple click.  

We also support Multilingual Learners with embedded listening, reading, writing, and speaking supports to help students meet grade-level science content expectations. Students will benefit from features like Immersive Reader, Interactive Glossary, authentically translated lessons, summative and formative assessments in English and Spanish, and more. Teachers can access point-of-use English Language Development Support strategies for multiple proficiency levels to meet the needs of their learners and use student data to inform and differentiate instruction.

For more information about how we support multilingual learners, click here.

Science Techbook for Florida is compatible with a variety of learning management systems, including Google Classroom, Canvas, Schoology, Microsoft Teams, and more. For the latest information on integrations and access, visit the Discovery Education Help Center.

Science Techbook for Florida provides several formative and summative assessment opportunities, carefully embedded in the cycle of learning to help teachers guide their students to mastery of key learning targets and objectives. 

These assessment opportunities allow teachers and students to monitor progress and provide direct practice questions written to the Florida Test Item Specifications across a variety of assessment formats. Ongoing formative assessment questions are embedded in the lessons – look for “What Did You Figure Out?”, “Check for Understanding”, and “Phenomenon Check-In” prompts as well as Claim-Evidence-Reasoning Scientific Explanations.  

In the Evaluate lessons you will find Concept Summative Assessments. The question types in these assessments are written to FL test item specifications. Many assessments are automatically graded and instructors can view individual student and class performance in the Concept Assessment Results section. Instructors can edit these assessments to meet individual student needs. Additionally, Automatic Remediation assets, such as reading passages and videos, are accessible via the student report dashboard so students know exactly what to revisit when they get assessment questions incorrect. 

Statewide Practice Assessment for Grades 5 and 8 were informed by the test item specification documents developed by the FL DOE and aim to mimic the look and feel of the Florida State Science Assessment. 

Science Techbook for Florida has four Units in every K-8 grade level. Units are divided into a series of Concepts purposely scaffolded to unpack the science ideas associated with the Units’ standards.

Each Concept contains a series of 5E lessons broken into learning activities that follow a logical progression and are designed to build student understanding of scientific concepts.

Instruction in each Concept launches with a real-world phenomenon to engage students and inspire them to make connections and ask questions that will drive their investigations. As students progress through the Concept, they circle back to the phenomenon to extend their understanding and explain it.

Teachers can easily access materials in print or within the digital course and take advantage of a wide variety of options that support them and their students at every step of the learning journey. Point-of-Use McREL-Aligned Instructional Strategies include: 

• Differentiated Instruction supports Approaching, Advanced Learners, and Multilingual Students.   
• English Language Development Support helps students access the text, and scaffolded reading, speaking, and writing skills are provided at four levels: Beginning, Developing, Expanding, and Bridging.  
• Setting the Purpose includes prompts and discussion topics to activate prior knowledge.  
• Common student Misconceptions are included in strategies for prevention.  
• Research-based, instructional Spotlight on Strategies (SOS) are embedded in lessons to support student development of literacy skills, background knowledge and comprehension, and scientific vocabulary.  
• Lesson Objectives and Lesson Standards at point-of-use keep lessons on track.   
• Discussion questions with suggested answers encourage student discourse.   
• Answers to assessment prompts are readily available.  
• Hands-on-Activity Walkthrough Videos prepare educators for upcoming activities and make it quick and easy to implement hands-on learning experiences more often.     

• Seamless Digital and Print Experience offer a seamless instructional experience from print to digital by scanning QR codes or using Quick Codes for easy transitions.  

Science Techbook for Florida includes embedded support tools that cater to the learning needs of diverse students, especially multilingual learners, and is available online, offline, printed, and with read-aloud options.  

• Complete Spanish Curriculum : Science Techbook for Florida is available in English and authentically translated Spanish both in print and digital. The language toggle allows users to easily change text, video narration, interactives, vocabulary, and assessments items from English to Spanish.  
• Immersive Reader for 130 Languages: The embedded Microsoft Immersive Reader offers text translation in 130+ languages, a picture dictionary, the ability to customize font size, color, and spacing, and the option to hear text read aloud.  
• Interactive Glossary: The Interactive Glossary fosters the acquisition of academic language and domain-specific vocabulary. Within each lesson, students can hear, read, and practice vocabulary related to each Concept.  
• Lexile Level Toggle: Students and families can easily switch between two Lexile reading levels in grades 3-8. Teachers can also assign specific reading levels to students as needed.  
• Relevant Student Connections: Opportunities for student discourse are a foundational component of the program. These productive discussions allow multilingual students to comfortably share their understanding and help develop rich connections to scientific content, prior knowledge, and their everyday lives.  

Traditional Literacy lessons, Universal Design for Learning principles, and McREL-aligned strategies prepare students for a lifetime of learning and literacy through the reading, writing, speaking, and listening domains. Embedded throughout the text are graphic organizers, prompts, an interactive glossary, videos, images, and more to deepen scientific understanding and support peer discussion. K-5 Literacy lessons, with activities such as Read Togethers, are delivered via a slideshow and include strategies for whole and small-group instruction. 

Literacy Cards enhance lessons for students in grades K-2.  

Vocabulary terms are highlighted with direct links to the interactive glossary that is unique to Science Techbook for Florida, where terms are defined and expanded with student-friendly key contexts, images, videos, and animations to support long-term acquisition.  

Students and instructors can also take advantage of the Immersive Reader located within the Slide Show lessons and the interactive glossaries. Immersive Reader provides personalized access to the curriculum with features such as read-aloud, line focus, translation, and grammar markings, as well as the ability to adjust the size, style, and color of the font.  

Teachers can assign additional standards-aligned text readings with Explore More Resources, which focus on building Concept Background, Reinforcement, and Extension. Reading passages include read-aloud, language translations, and reading rulers.