RAPID CITY, S.D. – The Rapid City Area Schools today announced an expansion of its partnership with Discovery Education, the creators of essential PreK-12 learning solutions used in classrooms around the world.
In this latest phase of collaboration, the district will receive new digital resources enhancing science instruction in grades 6-8 and social studies instruction in grades 9-12.
In preparation for the 2025-2026 school year, RCAS undertook a comprehensive review of existing science and social studies instructional resources. Following this review, the district identified a need for new science materials aligned with the South Dakota Department of Education Science Standards for grades 6-8. In addition, the district review found that new world geography materials aligned to updated South Dakota state standards were also required for grades 9-12. Following a thorough review of available resources, RCAS selected:
- Discovery Education Experience. The essential companion for engaged classrooms, Discovery Education Experience is a supplemental cross-curricular digital resource that inspires teachers, motivates students, and supports instruction in science, social studies, and all other academic disciplines. Designed expressly for K-12 schools, Experience delivers all-in-one, ready-to-teach lessons and strategies, exciting career exploration resources, standards-aligned content, and flexible tools for differentiation and assessment. Recently, Discovery Education announced a host of new enhancements to Discovery Education Experience that include new tools and resources, AI technology, additional career explorations, and more. RCAS will use Discovery Education Experience to support both science and social studies instruction.
- Discovery Education Science Techbooks. The Discovery Education Science Techbook series is a complete, research-backed science solution for grades K-12. Used in classrooms across the United States, the Science Techbook series drive engagement with exclusive phenomena and interactive content. The Science Techbooks that will be used in RCAS classrooms are aligned to South Dakota state standards, and feature virtual and hands-on investigations, STEM activities, and instructional supports that enhance the delivery of impactful, blended instruction. The Science Techbooks also include standards connections and differentiation activities that inform instructional planning and guide three-dimensional learning. Available with the Science Techbooks are coordinated teacher guides offering unit, concept, and lesson overviews, accompanying print resources, and pre-packaged kits that make classroom activities easy to implement.
Discovery Education’s Science Techbook is certified as meeting the rigorous, evidence-based ESSA Tier III standards as set forth in the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). Multiple studies show that regular use of Discovery Education Science Techbook in the classroom has many positive academic results for educators and students across a variety of districts and populations in the United States. This research and more can be found here.
- Social Studies Techbook. Featuring standards-aligned, core-curricular resources that use an inquiry-based approach to enhance literacy and critical thinking skills, Discovery Education’s Social Studies Techbook aids teachers and students as they approach inquiry through the 5Es Framework: Engage, Explore, Explain, Extend, and Evaluate. From stories of ancient cultures to in-depth explorations of civics and government, this comprehensive digital textbook takes concepts off the pages and brings lessons to life. The Social Studies Techbook is available for several courses including World History, U.S. History, Civics and Government, and World Geography and Cultures, which is the course adopted by RCAS.
The new Discovery Education digital resources selected for use by RCAS staff will be used alongside the company’s Mystery Science, DreamBox Reading Plus, and DreamBox Math resources, all of which are already in use in district classrooms.
