Home> Discovery Education Streaming Plus | Monthly Themed Resources

Discovery Education Monthly Themed Resources

Each month we’ll be highlighting key Streaming and Streaming Plus resources, webinars and live events, and other items thematically tied to special events, celebrations, or commemorations that you may be teaching in your classrooms.

September: Citizenship
November: Heroes
January: Change Makers
March: Read Across America
May: STEM Careers

October: Red Ribbon Week
December: Holidays
February: Black History Month
April: Earth Day

2015-16 Streaming Plus Monthly Themes

September: Citizenship

To celebrate Constitution Day on September 17, visit the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, PA with our virtual field trip. When discussing the Constitution and citizenship with your students, extend the conversation to incorporate different types of citizenship such as local citizenship or digital citizenship. We have highlighted some suggested resources below, and be sure to watch our digital citizenship webinar.

Virtual Experience: Constitution Day at the National Constitution Center

Watch this exclusive event recorded live from Philadelphia. Students will take a tour of the National Constitution Center and hear from Judge Marjorie O. Rendell.

Watch Now

On-demand Webinar: New Approaches to Digital Citizenship

All too often digital citizenship emphasizes prohibition and danger. How can we rethink our approach to emphasize the positive impact we can have in our digital communities. Join Dr. Devorah Heitner of Raising Digital Natives as she discusses practices to help you build a culture of empathy in your 21st century classroom.

Watch Now

Resource Ideas: Constitution and Citizenship

This month's newsletter highlights resources to support the teaching of citizenship including digital citizenship and how to be a good citizen in your local community.

October: Red Ribbon Week

As you plan your Red Ribbon Week activities don't forget to take a look at some of the resources available on Discovery Education Streaming and Streaming Plus. Whether you are talking about the importance of healthy decisions with your elementary, middle, or high school students we have materials to support you. Don't forget to watch our virtual field trip from the Santa Ana Police Department as well.

Virtual Experience: Celebrate Red Ribbon Week

Join Discovery Education for an exclusive Red Ribbon Week virtual field trip as we go behind the scenes to learn how police canines are selected, trained, and patrol the streets. The Santa Ana Police Department dogs will demonstrate their intellect, agility, and obedience through a variety of exercises at their training academy.

Watch Now

Classroom Activities: Virtual Field Trip Teacher's Guide

This Teacher's Guide contains several activities that you can use with your classes before, during, and after the Red Ribbon Week Virtual Field Trip. After these activities your students will be able to identify the skills and abilities developed in training canines for various jobs, and apply what they've learned to design an agility course that approximates real-world obstacles.

Get Started

Resource Ideas: Drug Awareness

This month's newsletter contains resources for teaching about drug awareness to K-12 students, including building respect, how to say no, and how your body reacts on drugs.

November: Heroes

This November honor your heroes past and present. We have highlighted some Streaming resources below for students to explore different themes around heroes, including military heroes, fictional heroes, and historical heroes. Don’t forget you can also watch the < a href="http://www.discoveryeducation.co.uk/video/item841207" target="_blank"> archive of our virtual field trip from the Tower of London for a look at how veterans are remembered in the U.K.

Resource Ideas: Veterans Day Content Collection

Veteran's Day began as a day to commemorate those who served in World War II, and it has grown to become a day of appreciation for anyone who has served in the armed forces. Veterans Day also provides citizens with a chance to reflect on conflicts and how they have shaped our country and to honor those who have fought for freedom.

Find Out More

Lesson Starter: Using Inquiry to Discuss Veteran's Day

In addition to honoring the past, this blog post explores how society has treated returning soldiers historically, and how we treat them today. This lesson starter explores resources for students to explore and how they can use Board Builder to showcase their learning.

Explore Now

Resource Ideas: Celebrating and Honoring Heroes

This month's newsletter provides resources including video, images, and animated resources that celebrate and honoring heroes.

December: Celebrations

Every year, citizens around the world celebrate a variety of holidays commemorating people, events, places, or things. Holidays unite people around ideas, beliefs, and customs. Join your Discovery Education Community for a collaborative project which will allow you and your students to compare holidays celebrated around the world and even invent your own.

Collaborative Project: Invent a Holiday

Discovery Education is partnering with GlobalLab and Zaption to connect Community members with resources and tools to explore how people celebrate the holidays. Learn how holidays are categorized and the elements that make them unique by using the Discovery Education lesson starters, featuring resources from Discovery Education and video tours from Zaption.

Get Started

Lesson Starter: Celebrate the Holidays

These Lesson Starters complement the Invent a Holiday collaborative project. Highlights include reviewing a curated selection of resources as students identify symbolic elements of the holiday, including: Objects, Animals, Vegetation, Words or Phrases, Music, Foods, People, Dress, Symbols, Colors, Date, or Events that represent the celebration.

Get Started

Resources Ideas: Celebrate the Holidays

This month's newsletter highlights resources to discuss the meaning of the seasons holidays with your students. Content suggestions include What was the Christmas truce? podcast, a look at preserving Christmas trees, and explores the meaning of gifts with a model lesson.

Explore Now

January: Change Makers

The month of January marks many notable anniversaries, commemorations, and observations of the lives and work of people who have made a difference in the world. From leaders for civil justice to inventors and great thinkers, Discovery Education Streaming has the resources and strategies to inspire your instruction and your students.

Virtual Experience: Student Change Makers

Watch this unique student panel discussion with students who are inspired to make a difference in the world around them. Hear from these young leaders and find out what inspired their ideas, how they took action, and what all students can do to make a difference.

Watch Now

Lesson Starter: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., was a pastor who led and inspired millions in the fight for equal rights. Dr. King advocated peaceful methods of resistance to unfair laws, such as boycotting buses that forced African Americans to ride separately. Bring the life and work of Dr. King to your classroom with these resources from Discovery Education Streaming.

Get Started

Resource Ideas: Celebrating Change Makers

This month we look at those who have made a difference in the world through their beliefs and actions. Content suggestions include Martin Luther King Jr., Louie Braille, Isaac Newton, and Lewis Carroll.

Explore Now

February: Black History Month

This February we're sharing instructional ideas and resources to bring Black History Month's celebration of culture and community to your classroom, and we ask you to share how you and your students honor African American history. We encourage you to snap a photo or share a student artifact with the hashtag #CelebrateWithDE and #BlackHistory.

Virtual Viewing Party: Ruby Bridges

A Virtual Viewing Party is a shared viewing experience of the Discovery Education video, “Hero History: Ruby Bridges." Thousands of classrooms accessed this video telling the compelling story of Ruby Bridges, one of four children chosen to desegregate the public school system in New Orleans, Louisiana during 1960.

Find out More

Resource Ideas: Black History Month Strategies

Black History Month is an opportunity to introduce our students to the rich history of African Americans, both by shining a light on painful injustices and by illuminating and celebrating the culture, people, and moments that make up the tapestry of our shared history. With these digital resources students get to know brave, creative, and groundbreaking African Americans and their important roles in history.

Explore Now

Resource Ideas: Black History Month Content

Our February newsletter highlights Streaming resources you can use to discuss Black History Month with your students. Resources include Slavery, Abolitionists and the Underground Railway, African Americans in the Arts, and the Journey towards Civil Rights.

Get Started

March: Read Across America

Discovery Education joins teachers, students, parents, and communities in celebrating reading and instilling a love for literature at all ages. In this edition, we share favorite literature series and resources in the Discovery Education library and instructional ideas for use in your classroom.

Virtual Experience: Read Across America

#CelebrateWithDE and join FableVision and Discovery Education for a live read aloud of the book Going Places from award-winning authors and illustrators Peter H. and Paul A. Reynolds. Live streaming from the FableVision Studios we go behind-the-scenes as they reveal their newest projects, share their creative process, and answer student questions.

Watch Now

Classroom Activities: Virtual Experience

Use these Classroom Activities before, during, and after the Read Across America Virtual Experience to enrich and extend the learning experience. Students will explore what inspires creativity and how creativity is part of everyday life.

Get Started

Resource Ideas: Reading and Literature

In the March newsletter we explored the wealth of reading and literature resources available to you as part of your Streaming subscription. Titles include Lord of the Flies, The Great Gatsby, and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn in addition to books available through Scholastic Audiobooks, Reading Rainbow, and the Shmoop Learning Guides series'

Get Started

April: Earth Day

Earth Day is a celebration that inspires awareness and gratitude for the planet’s natural resources. Whether starting a school recycling program or supporting a local wildlife refuge, Earth Day offers the opportunity for students to learn the importance of protecting the world around us.

Virtual Experience: Expedition Earth Day

Join Discovery Education for a deep dive with experts from Ocean First Education to explore the ever-changing marine ecosystems and study the biodiversity of the coral reefs in the Caribbean and Indo-Pacific Oceans.

Watch Now

Resource Ideas: Earth Day Content Collection

Earth Day is a celebration that inspires awareness and gratitude about the planet’s natural resources. Whether starting a school recycling program or supporting a local wildlife refuge, students will learn the importance of protecting the world around us.

Get Started

Resource Ideas: Celebrating Earth Day

The April Streaming newsletter highlights resources you can use to celebrate the planet. Resources include an Earth Day Content Collection, a video exploring the use of bioplastics, and a look at fish killed by acid rain pollution.

Get Started

May: STEM Careers

Join Discovery Education in the month of May as we celebrate STEM learning: the powerful critical thinking and exploration practice connected by a common or transdisciplinary theme. With a STEM mindset in the classroom, students ask deep, real-world questions, collaborate with their peers, arrive at meaningful conclusions, and explore STEM careers.

Virtual Experience: Discovery Education STEM Careers Day

Tour Discovery Communication’s world headquarters and meet the men and women behind the world’s #1 nonfiction media company. With five live-streamed career spotlights and accompanying hands-on STEM activities, your students will be immersed in the STEM skills needed to succeed in a variety of creative and technical fields.

Watch Now

Lesson Starters: STEM Challenges

With these STEM challenges students can ask deep, real-world questions and collaborate with their peers to arrive at meaningful conclusions. Challenges include planning travel for a baseball team, relocating endangered animals, and building a community garden.

Explore Now

Resource Ideas: STEM Careers

This month's newsletter explores STEM content available as part of your Streaming subscription, including a STEM Content Collection, Jobs in Science series, and a student making bicycle helmets stronger using corrugated cardboard.

Get Started