Three Days of "AHA!" Moments to Inspire the Way You Teach Science in Texas
Get ready for three exciting days with Discovery Education at CAST, where science teaching in Texas will be transformed! Join us as we dive into sessions designed to spark curiosity, ignite “AHA!” moments, and revolutionize your classroom. Experience inspiring stories, practical strategies, and hands-on explorations with our powerful science solutions—all through our award-winning K-12 learning platform and immersive Science Ecosystem. Our comprehensive, TEKS-aligned content is crafted to support Texas state education initiatives, ensuring your students are ready to explore, discover, and succeed. Don’t miss out on this unforgettable journey of scientific discovery!
Discovery Education Exhibit Experience
Booth #701
Thursday, November 14 – Saturday, November 16
Step into a world of science innovation at Discovery Education’s booth! Explore hands-on experiences that bring real-world science to life and dive into our cutting-edge science solutions and award-winning K-12 learning platform. Uncover fresh, dynamic approaches to inspire your students and make science more engaging, exciting, and impactful than ever before!
Exhibit Hall Hours:
- Thursday, November 14 | 11:00 AM – 5:00 PM
- Friday, November 15 | 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
- Saturday, November 16 | 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Ignite Curiosity at our Interactive Workshop Sessions!
Phenomenal Phenomena: Using Phenomena to Engage Students in Science
Hosted by: Justin Karkow
What is Phenomena and what makes it engaging? By centering science education on phenomena that students are motivated to explain, the focus of learning shifts from learning about a topic to figuring out why or how something happens and connects that learning to the natural world. Explore example phenomena-based lessons as we share resources to get you started on building your own phenomena-based science lessons.
SOS Showdown: Inspiring Students with High Yield Instructional Strategies
Hosted by: Paula Taylor
Spotlight on Strategies (SOS) is a series of creative, research-based instructional strategies, presented by teachers for teachers. These strategies incorporate digital media in meaningful, effective, and practical ways across all grade levels and content areas. Learn how to use these daily in the science classroom for high levels of student engagement by watching the Discovery Education Team face off where YOU get to determine the winners!
Thursday, November 14
11:30 AM – 12:30 PM CT
Location: 302C
Ready to LEGO and Think Critically with Mystery Science?
Hosted by: Paula Taylor
You’ve heard of the 4Cs, but have you met their next-door neighbor, the 4Ds? Join Discovery Education as we share best practices for initiating Critical Thinking using the Lego Serious Play model through real-world problem solving inspired by Mystery Science. Be ready to roll your sleeves up to build a model where you Discover, Define, Develop and Deliver.
Igniting AHA! Moments in Science: Exploring DE's Dynamic Digital Ecosystem
Hosted by: Justin Karkow
Join an interactive journey through DE’s cutting-edge science ecosystem, including Mystery Science, Pivot Interactives, Science Techbook, and Experience. We’ll unpack an exclusive formula to the elusive “AHA!” moments that are within reach via dynamic digital content, simplified hands-on activities, and real-world applications designed to ignite curiosity and deepen understanding.
Thursday, November 14
2:30 – 3:30 PM CT
Friday, November 15
9:30 AM – 10:30 AM CT
Location: 302C
Can You Escape the Discovery Education Room?
Hosted by: Paula Taylor and the Discovery Education Team
Escape rooms are games that ask groups to think critically, problem solve, troubleshoot, and work collaboratively to “escape” a room before the clock runs out. Teams follow clues and work together to solve puzzles that lead them toward a successful escape. Come join Discovery Education to unlock our Science Ecosystem for use in your classroom every day!
TSAAPT Presents: Data, Data, Data! Use Data From Phenomena to Drive Science Learning
Hosted by: Eric Friberg
Interacting with data provides ease of access to working with any of the science practices. Does the use of data get stuck in the “lab” activities to confirm student understanding? How can we infuse more data from phenomena more often in the instructional cycle? This session explores the tools and pedagogy to infuse data, phenomena, and the science practices into more lessons.
TEKS, SEPs, and RTCs . . . Oh My! Making the New Standards a Fairy Tale Come True
Hosted by: Paula Taylor & Caitlin Couch, Ector County ISD
Exploring the magic of fairy tales, educators will discover how to empower students to clarify and extend thinking to make meaningful connections with evidence and real-world phenomena. Through hands-on activities and interactive discussions, participants will gain practical strategies for implementing three-dimensional learning including digital tools and insights to transform their science instruction, creating dynamic learning experiences that foster curiosity, critical thinking, and a deeper understanding of the world around us.
Elementary School Teachers Sparking Curiosity: A Hands-On, Immersive, and Musical Experience
Hosted by: Evan Sanchez
Get ready to infuse your elementary science lessons with fun and excitement! Our dynamic hands-on activity session is designed to provide you with practical, easy-to-implement strategies that ignite curiosity, bringing science to life. From interactive and engaging experiments to demonstrations, this session will equip you with tools needed to create memorable learning experiences that resonate with the world of phenomena. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to sing along with the Discovery Education Science Ecosystem!
Using Phenomena to Stimulate Student Sensemaking
Hosted by: Ted Willard
Science is the process of investigating, describing, and explaining phenomena that take place in the universe. Research has shown that students learn science concepts much better if they investigate phenomena the way that scientists do. Selecting the right phenomenon will motivate your students to engage in scientific and engineering practices. Come see new ways to use phenomena in your classroom so that your students are both excited about science and understand it more deeply.
Wanna Blart My Woodle?
Hosted by: Tammy Norman and David Martinez, Cypress-Fairbanks ISD
Uncover the MAGIC of Woodles and how it will impact your approach to instruction. Walk away from this session equipped to give a more experiential, hands-on approach to vocabulary instruction & learning than traditional methods. You will DISCOVER ways to integrate DE’s digital/media resources such Ready to Use Activities and Interactives to support all students in learning language, vocabulary, concepts, and more. No doubt you will learn to nurture curiosity through blarting your own Woodle!
Knowledge Building Can't Wait!
Hosted by: Toni Robinson
Discover how Science and the Science of Reading work together as a symbiotic relationship. Explore how building background knowledge boosts reading comprehension and vocabulary acquisition, and how science supports reading while reading strengthens science skills. Learn about research on cross-media connections in vocabulary and content learning, and see why Scarborough’s Rope emphasizes the importance of language
Exploring the Recurring Themes and Concepts with the NSTA Quick-Reference Guide to the Three Dimensions
Hosted by: Ted Willard
The newest version of the TEKS features Recurring Themes and Concepts (RTCs), which involves ideas such as patterns, cause and effect, and systems that cut across all disciplines in science. RTCs give students useful lenses into their investigations of phenomena, helping them focus their questions and guide their investigations. This session will involve exploring the Recurring Themes and Concepts using tools and resources in the NSTA Quick-Reference Guide to the Three Dimensions.
DElightful Donuts with DE
Hosted by: Paula Taylor and the Discovery Education Team
Have you ever just wanted to sit down and chat with the Discovery Education Team? Drop in to the Discovery Education workshop room for donuts, coffee, and a DElightful chat about how DE’s Science Ecosystem can meet the needs of your students. You’ll walk away DEtermined to make us a part of your daily science routine.
Saturday, November 16
8:00 AM – 9:00 AM CT
Location: 302C
Meet the PreK–12 Science Ecosystem
Discovery Education Experience
Your Daily Classroom Companion
Full of cross-curricular digital resources, grab-and-go activities, and instructional tools, Experience helps create connections between the digital and real worlds to strengthen science instruction.
Science Techbook for Texas
A Comprehensive Core Science Curriculum
Science Techbook for Texas invites students to explore the marvels of our world with an immersive, phenomena-driven, 100% TEKS-aligned core science curriculum designed to bring the excitement of science to life.
Mystery Science
A “Wow” Learning Experience
Keep curiosity alive when it matters most with hands-on lessons and step-by-step activities that are packaged in an easy-to-use, open-and-go curriculum.
